Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Landing. More fighting again, near Sedalia, Missouri with Bushwackers and with Rebels in Arkansas at Bayou De View on the White River. Monday, June 27, 1864: Just 15 miles from Atlanta, the morning still was broken at Kennesaw Mountain as General Sherman (U.S.) orders an artillery bombardment. He then sends his Federal troops forward to attack a well entrenched defense. At first, they made some headway overrunning Confederate pickets south of the Burnt Hickory Road, but attacking an enemy that was this well dug in was futile. The fighting will end by noon, and Sherman's (U.S.) men will suffer high casualties. 3,000 Union soldiers will die in a massive uphill head on assault, while Johnston’s Confederate losses will hold to 500. This is one of the single bloodiest days in the Atlanta campaign. With Sherman (U.S.) frustrated in Georgia, and Grant (U.S.) unable to knock out Lee’s (CSA) army in Virginia, the Union war effort is stalled, casualty rates are high, and the re-election of President Lincoln appeared unlikely. Tuesday, June 28, 1864: In Washington, Abraham Lincoln signs a bill, repealing the Fugitive Slave Acts. These laws had allowed slave hunters to get into even free states, in search of their prey, had been a major component in bringing about the War. (I always wondered, why he waited so long to do this). Though the South held Sherman (U.S.) at Kennesaw Mountain, it was only a matter of time until it would fall, such was the size of the force they were facing. Their commander here, Johnston, decided to pull back to the Chattahoochee River, now even closer to Atlanta. Wednesday, June 29, 1864: In Bolivar, Tennessee a young, Sally Wendel Fentress of Hardeman County, who witnessed the horrors of war relates to the skirmish fought in Bolivar a month earlier, she writes in her diary: “During this long delay in writing, we have seen troubles and joys rise and fall successively. General Forrest’s entrance into to our little village flushed [us] with victory. His retreat causing sadness to fall upon every body’s spirit. He was in the yard during the whole skirmish. Bullets were whizzing above and below us, burying themselves in and burrowing the ground. One shattered a paling (fence) near where Ma was standing. Houses, twenty three in number, were burnt, the stores were sacked, the merchants chests were blown and hammered to pieces. The Confederates went South and lately have had a large battle. It was victory, but oh so dearly bought. Of Company E Captain Tate, Charly Neely and Billie Hardy killed, Deshiell Perkins wounded. Adjutant Poe was killed. These were all that I knew. Charlie Newly’s death was indeed a sad one. Idolized by his family, he was a gallant soldier, noble boy and a constant Christian.” The Grand Trunk Railway westbound passenger train plunges through an open swing drawbridge that span over the Richelieu River in Quebec resulting in the loss of 100 lives of passenger and crew. The train was carrying German immigrants from near Quebec City to Montreal. To date, this still remains the deadliest passenger train wreck in Canada.

Thursday, June 30, 1864: Salmon P. Chase, Secretary of the Treasury for the United States was thinking of running for president himself, so for the third time he submitted his resignation. This time Lincoln accepted it . President Abraham Lincoln signed a bill granting Yosemite Valley (pictured) and the Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias to the State of California “for public use, resort and recreation,” the two tracts “shall be inalienable for all time.” This was the first time in history that a federal government had set aside scenic lands

simply to protect them and to allow for their enjoyment by all people.