Category Archives: This Day In The Civil War

What happened today, in the American Civil War?

Fort Sumter is Fired On – 150th Anniversary

Today marks the 150th Anniversary of the firing on Fort Sumter. This event is the first large scale military operation that would officially launch the American Civil War. The firing was precipitated by Abraham Lincoln’s announcement, to South Carolina Governor … Continue reading

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Battle of Shiloh -149th Anniversary

Today is the 149th anniversary of the Battle of Shiloh. Fought from April 6-7, 1862 it was the most deadly battle fought by the United States up to that time. CSA General Albert Sidney Johnston’s Army of Mississippi attacked US … Continue reading

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Battle of Pea Ridge – 149th Anniversary

Today is the 149th anniversary of the Battle of Pea Ridge – also known as Elk Horn Tavern. Today would mark the conclusion of the battle, with CSA Major General Earl Van Dorn’s Army of the West retreating east from … Continue reading

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Fort Donelson – 149th Anniversary of its Surrender

Today marks the 149th anniversary of the surrender of Fort Donelson. Situated on the Tennessee River, near Dover, Tennessee, the fort provided the Confederacy with a strong defensive position to protect the river approach to Nashville. Unlike the fall of … Continue reading

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Abraham Lincoln is 202 years old

Today is Abraham Lincoln’s 202nd birthday. I am in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with my family and walked by a spot, at Marquette University, where Abraham Lincoln had given a speech. Today, I will reflect on the great things that Lincoln did … Continue reading

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US Colonel John C Black (Soldier Profile series)

One of my favorite Federal soldiers, from the Trans-Mississippi Theater, is US Lieutenant Colonel John C. Black of the 37th Illinois Infantry regiment. Black was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions storming a prepared Confederate position at the … Continue reading

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Alonzo H. Cushing, US Lieutenant (Soldier Profile Series)

Alonzo H. Cushing, US First Lieutenant Birth Date: January 19, 1841 Birth Place: Delafield, Wisconsin Date of Death: July 3, 1863 Location of Death: Gettysburg, Pennsylvania Education: U.S. Military Academy at West Point – Class of 1861 Major Battles: First … Continue reading

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Second Battle of Fort Fisher

Fort Fisher protected the entrance to the Cape Fear River in North Carolina. The river was the only navigable link to Wilmington, North Carolina, which was the Confederacy’s last open port during early 1865. Because of this, it became a … Continue reading

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Fredericksburg National Battlefield -a photo essay

This week marks the 148th anniversary of the sanguinary Battle of Fredericksburg. Located approximately halfway between Washington City and Richmond, Fredericksburg would be the focal point of significant action during the American Civil War. In December 1862, US Major General … Continue reading

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Battle of Franklin – 146th Anniversary

Today is the 146th anniversary of the Battle of Franklin. After the fall of Atlanta, on September 2, 1864, CSA Lieutenant General John Bell Hood pushed his Army of Tennessee northwest into Alabama. His plans were to push into southern … Continue reading

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