Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Lincoln and Davis Comparison A few facts you might not know about the Great American Civil War. Some say opposites attract, and this maybe be true. These two opposites were alike in many ways. President Lincoln (U.S.) and President Davis (CSA) both: • Served in the Blackhawk War • Suffered depression • Lost sons during and before their presidency • Served in the U.S. Congress • Did not ask to be nominated for president • Condemned John Brown • Were political moderates • Were accused of wearing dresses • Did not regard blacks as equal to whites • Born in Kentucky Hinson's Revenge A few facts you might not know about the Great American Civil War. In the Land Between the Lakes area of West Tennessee, Jack Hinson started his own one-man war. In the fall of 1862, a detachment of Federal cavalry scoured the countryside surrounding the recently conquered Confederate Fort Donelson in search of guerillas antagonizing Federal operations in the area. Two of the men they encountered, brothers John and George Hinson, had already been connected to spying, leading Federals to believe they were once again involved. Ignoring their vows of innocence, the Federals tied them to trees, shot them, decapitated them with a sword, and placed their heads on the gateposts in front of the Hinson homestead. Upon learning of his sons’ fates, John “Jack” Hinson devised a plan for vengeance. Too old to join the Confederate army at age 57, Hinson contracted a local gunsmith to build a custom sniper rifle. The resulting .50 caliber cap lock rifle had a 41-inch long, heavy octagonal barrel, and an overall weight of 18 pounds; it required support by a tree limb or some other rest when firing. Hinson paid numerous visits to Dover and the area surrounding the Federally occupied Fort Donelson, learning the routines of the soldiers and gathering other intelligence. He also scouted out tactical positions overlooking the river from which he could carry out his intentions. When he felt he had sufficiently studied his enemy, Hinson set his plan in motion. In the spring of 1863, Hinson ambushed and killed the man responsible for issuing the order to murder his sons and the sergeant responsible for placing their heads on the gateposts. Initially, Hinson believed he had extracted his pound of flesh and put his gun away, but when Federal troops burned the Hinson home, he found his gun and went back to work. From a ridge overlooking the Tennessee River, Hinson sniped Federal officers on the decks of ships struggling to power through the surging currents of the Towhead Chute. With each kill, Hinson made a mark on the gun, and by the end of the war, it totaled 36 kills. Historians estimate the total number of kills to be even higher than this, totaling between 80 and 100 kills. The Most Insignificant Vice President A few facts you might not know about the Great American Civil War. Hannibal Hamlin is a name you might have never heard of before. Unlike most vice - presidents, Hamlin made it to the top of Time Magazine’s “America’s Worst Vice President.” Time’s article reads, “A notorious do-nothing politician, Hamlin preferred to use his office to grant favors and have fun on the government’s dime. The They may have had these things in common, but still they were complete opposites.