Apr 8, 1862 - Apr 9, 1862 Battle of Shiloh Union General Ulysses S.

Grant's forces are surprised at the town of Shiloh in Tennessee. The ensuing battle results in 13,000 Union and 10,000 Confederate casualties, more than in all previous American wars combined. Jun 1, 1862 Robert E. Lee Assumes Command General Robert E. Lee assumes command of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. Jun 25, 1862 The Seven Days Over the course of seven days of fighting, General Robert E. Lee attacks George McClellan's Union Army of the Potomac near Richmond, Virginia. Huge casualties cause McClellan to withdraw north towards Washington. Aug 30, 1862 Second Battle of Bull Run The Second Battle of Bull Run is a resounding victory for Confederate General Stonewall Jackson. Union General John Pope is blamed for the loss and is relieved of his duties after the battle. Sep 17, 1862 Antietam The Battle of Antietam is the bloodiest day in United States history. Over 26,000 men are killed, wounded or missing in action on both sides. Though officially a draw, the battle stops General Robert E. Lee's invasion of Maryland and he retreats back to Virginia.

 Sep 22, 1862 Preliminary Emancipation Lincoln issues a preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, which declares his intention to free all slaves in any new territory captured by the Union Army. Dec 13, 1862 Fredricksburg The Union Army under General Ambrose E. Burnside suffers a horrible defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg in Virginia. Fourteen individual assaults on an entrenched Confederate position cost the Union 13,000 casualties. Jan 1, 1863 Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation. It frees all slaves in territory captured by the Union Army, and orders the enlistment of black soldiers. From this point forward, the Civil War is a war over slavery. Mar 3, 1863 Military Draft Congress enacts the first draft in American history, requiring every man to serve in the army unless he can furnish a substitute or pay the government $300. These escape provisions are wildly unpopular with workers and recent immigrants, and lead to draft riots in New York and other northern cities.

 May 1, 1863 - May 4, 1863 Chancellorsville Over the course of three days, General Robert E. Lee divides his army in the face of a larger enemy, and manages to defeat the Union Army led by "Fighting" Joe Hooker. The North suffers 17,000 casualties, the South 13,000. May 10, 1863 Stonewall Jackson Dies Confederate General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson dies from wounds sustained when he was mistakenly shot by his own troops at Chancellorsville. Jul 1, 1863 Gettysburg From July 1 to July 4, the Union Army under General Meade defeats Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army at Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. One of the bloodiest battles of the war, Gettysburg is a turning point, and marks the farthest advance of the Confederate Army into northern territory. Jul 1, 1863 - Jul 4, 1863 Picketts Charge On the third day of the Battle of Gettysburg, General Robert E. Lee orders General George Pickett to assault entrenched Union positions. In what would become known as "Pickett's Charge," More than half of the 12,000 Confederate soldiers who participate in the charge are slaughtered as they walk slowly across a 3/4-mile field into a hail of gunfire.

 Jul 4, 1863 Vicksburg Far to the West on the Mississippi River, General Ulysses S. Grant takes Vicksburg after a long siege. At this point, the Union controls the entire river, cutting the Confederacy in two. Jul 13, 1863 - Jul 16, 1863 Draft Riots When the government attempts to begin conscription, riots break out in New York and other northern cities. In New York, 120 men, women and childrenmostly blackare killed before Union troops returning from Gettysburg restore order. Sep 19, 1863 Battle of Chickamauga Union General William Rosecrans is defeated by Confederate General Braxton Bragg at the Battle of Chickamauga, in Tennessee. Gettysburg Address President Lincoln delivers the two-minute Gettysburg Address at the dedication of the National Cemetery at the battlefield in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Mar 9, 1864 Grant Takes Command Lincoln appoints Ulysses S. Grant commander of all Union armies, ending his long search for a decent general to command northern forces. General William T. Sherman takes over as commander in the West.

 May 4, 1864 Virginia Campaign Beginning a drive aimed at ending the war, Ulysses S. Grant and 120,000 troops march south towards Richmond, the Confederate capital. Over the course of the next six weeks, a brutal war of attrition results in the deaths of nearly 50,000 Union soldiers. Jun 15, 1864 Siege of Petersburg RANGEEND_VIRGINIACAMPAIGN With the beginning of the Siege of Petersburg, south of Richmond, the mobile war of the past month ends, replaced by a nine-month siege. May 4, 1864 - May 5, 1864 Battle of the Wilderness During the horrific Battle of the Wilderness, thousands of men burn to death as the woods in which they were fighting catch fire. May 8, 1864 - May 12, 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Continuing his advance, Union General Ulysses S. Grant attacks Robert E. Lee's Confederate forces at Spotsylvania. Grant loses more soldiers than Lee. Still, General Lee is forced to retreat south. Jun 1, 1864 - Jun 3, 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor The bloody battle of Cold Harbor is a disaster for the Union. General Ulysses S. Grant makes a series of tactical mistakes that result in the deaths of 7,000 Union in twenty minutes.

 Apr 2, 1865 Siege of Petersburg Ends RANGEEND_PETERSBURG The Siege of Petersburg ends as Ulysses S. Grant's army breaks through Confederate lines and marches towards Richmond. Apr 2, 1865 Fall of Richmond The Union Army captures Richmond, Virginia, which is nearly leveled by shelling and fire. Sep 2, 1864 Sherman Burns Atlanta Union General Sherman captures Atlanta and burns it to the ground. Nov 15, 1864 Shermans March to the Sea Union General Sherman begins his famous March to the Sea, cutting a swath of destruction 300 miles long and 60 miles wide through Georgia. "All war is hell," he comments. Dec 15, 1864 Battle of Nashville The Confederate Army of the Tennessee is crushed by the Union Army of the Cumberland in Nashville. The war in the West is nearly over.

 Dec 21, 1864 Savannah Captured RANGEEND_MARCH_SEA Savannah is captured, ending the March to the Sea. Union General Sherman offers the city to Lincoln as a Christmas present. Jan 31, 1865 Thirteenth Amendment Ends Slavery The United States Congress approves the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution, which will abolish slavery. Mar 4, 1865 Second Lincoln Inaugural Lincoln is sworn in for his second term as President of the United States. Apr 9, 1865 Lee Surrenders General Robert E. Lee surrenders to General Ulysses S. Grant in a farmhouse in the town of Appomattox Court House, Virginia. The war is over. Lincoln Shot Abraham Lincoln is shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C.

Lincoln Dies by Assassination Lincoln does not regain consciousness after being shot at Ford's Theater. He dies from his wound.

 Apr 18, 1865 Johnston Surrenders General Joe Johnston, leading the largest Confederate Army still in existence, surrenders in North Carolina. Dec 6, 1865 Slavery Abolished The Thirteenth Amendment is ratified by the States. Slavery is abolished.