1861–1865 - Civil War

On February 22, 1865, General Joseph E. Johnston informed Robert E. Lee that it was too late for Lee to expect Johnston to consolidate the Confederate troops in the Carolinas and drive back William T. Sherman.

On March 5, 1862, Confederate General P. G. T. Beauregard issued a letter to his soldiers announcing he was assuming command of the Army of the Mississippi.

On January 23, 1865, Lieutenant General Richard Taylor informed the assistant adjutant general of the Confederacy that he had assumed command of the Army of Tennessee.

On February 22, 1865, Robert E. Lee (pictured here) ordered General Joseph Johnston to "Assume command of the Army of Tennessee and all troops in Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida."

On January 27, 1864, William T. Sherman ordered Brigadier General William Sooy Smith to drive south through Mississippi and rendezvous with him at Meridian on or about February 10.

On December 2, 1863, Confederate Lieutenant General William J. Hardee issued a message to the soldiers of the Army of Tennessee announcing that he had assumed command.

On October 6, 1864, William J. Hardee informed Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General of the Confederate Army that he had assumed command of the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

On July 17, 1864, Samuel Cooper, Adjutant and Inspector-General of the Confederate Army informed General Joseph E. Johnston that he was relieved from command of the Army and Department of Tennessee.

On July 18, 1864, Confederate Generals John Bell Hood, William J. Hardee, and Alex P. Stewart wrote to President Jefferson Davis questioning the timing of Hood's appointment as commander of the Army of Tennessee.

Visit Middle Creek National Battlefield, where the Battle of Middle Creek took place on January 10, 1862, during the Civil War, and ended in a Union Victory.

Key facts about the Battle of Middle Creek, also known as the Battle of Big Sandy River.

The Battle of Middle Creek took place on January 10, 1862. Union forces led by future President, James A. Garfield, won the battle. The victory helped open the way for a Union offensive into Middle Tennessee.

Educational videos that explain the events and importance of the Battle of Middle Creek, which took place on January 10, 1862, during the Civil War, and ended in a Union Victory.

The Battle of Middle Fork Bridge was fought between the United States of America and the Confederate States of America from July 6 to July 7, 1861, during the Civil War. The outcome of the battle was a Union victory. The battle is most well-known for being part of the Western Virginia Campaign.

The Battle of Middleburg was fought from June 17–19, 1863, during the Gettysburg Campaign. Union cavalry under Colonel Alfred Duffié and General David McMurtrie Gregg fought Confederate cavalry commanded by General J.E.B. Stuart for control of Middleburg and the roads leading through the Blue Ridge Mountains. Although Union forces regained Middleburg, Stuart withdrew toward Upperville and continued to prevent the Federals from gathering information about General Robert E. Lee’s movements.

The Militia Act of 1862 boosted the size of the Union's armed forces by authorizing the enlistment of African-Americans and by empowering the president to order governors to draft citizens into state militias to meet federal manpower quotas.

Key facts about the Militia Act of 1862.

Key facts about the Battle of Mill Springs, also known as the Battle of Fishing Creek and the Battle of Logan's Crossroads.

The Battle of Mill Springs took place on January 19, 1862, the Battle of Mill Springs. It was the first major Union victory of the American Civil War and helped open the way for a Union offensive into Middle Tennessee.

The Battle of Milliken’s Bend was fought on June 7, 1863, during the Vicksburg Campaign. Confederate troops attacked a Union supply depot defended largely by newly recruited black soldiers, many of whom had formerly been enslaved. The Union defenders held their position with support from the gunboats Choctaw and Lexington, forcing the Confederates to withdraw. The courage of the African American soldiers helped change attitudes about them serving in the Union Army.