Blog Posts

The fighting at Baton Rouge on August 5, 1862, and the destruction of the Confederate ironclad CSS Arkansas the following day marked the collapse of one of the Confederacy's last serious attempts to challenge Union control of the lower Mississippi R…

On July 29, 1862, Confederate spy Belle Boyd was captured by Union forces near Warrenton, Virginia, marking one of the most famous episodes in the colorful—and often exaggerated—career of the Civil War's best-known female espionage figure. Although …

The Second Confiscation Act, signed by Abraham Lincoln on July 17, 1862, marked a turning point in the Union's conduct of the Civil War. Although the conflict had begun primarily as an effort to preserve the Union rather than abolish slavery, the le…

The appointment of Henry Wager Halleck as General-in-Chief of all Union armies on July 11, 1862, marked a significant turning point in the Union war effort. While Halleck himself is often overshadowed by more dynamic military figures such as Ulysses…

The retreat of Union forces under George B. McClellan from the outskirts of Richmond in July 1862, following the Seven Days Battles, marked one of the most consequential operational failures of the early Civil War. It effectively ended the Peninsula…

The Battle of Malvern Hill, fought on July 1, 1862, remains one of the clearest examples of the difference between strategic success and tactical competence in the Civil War. While Confederate General Robert E. Lee is rightly celebrated for saving R…

The Seven Days Campaign, fought from June 25 to July 1, 1862, marked one of the most important turning points of the American Civil War. Even before the climactic Battle of Malvern Hill, the campaign fundamentally altered the strategic direction of …

J.E.B. Stuart’s famous ride around Union Major General George B. McClellan’s army from June 12–15, 1862, was one of the most celebrated cavalry operations of the American Civil War. Conducted during the early stages of the Peninsula Campaign, Stuart…

The twin battles of Cross Keys and Port Republic, fought on June 8–9, 1862, marked the dramatic conclusion of Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson’s celebrated Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Although neither battle ranks among the largest engagements …

The First Battle of Winchester, fought on May 25, 1862, was one of the defining moments of Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s celebrated Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Though small in scale compared to later Civil War battles, Winchest…

The Battle of Front Royal on May 23, 1862, was one of the most dramatic turning points in Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s famed Shenandoah Valley Campaign. Coming only two weeks after Jackson’s victory at the Battle of McDowell o…

The Union occupation of Norfolk on May 10, 1862, and the subsequent loss of the ironclad CSS Virginia the following day marked a decisive turning point in the naval and strategic balance of the American Civil War. These twin events effectively ended…

The Battle of Williamsburg, fought on May 5, 1862, occupies an important if sometimes underappreciated place in the Peninsula Campaign. Coming on the heels of the Confederate evacuation of Yorktown, the battle was less a set-piece clash than a confu…

The capture of New Orleans in 1862 marked one of the most significant turning points in the Civil War, both strategically and psychologically. New Orleans was the largest city in the Confederacy, a bustling port, and a commercial hub whose control w…

The Federal campaign against New Orleans in 1862 represented a crucial pivot in the Union’s strategy during the American Civil War, marking a decisive shift from purely defensive operations along the Mississippi River to a coordinated offensive aime…

On April 16, 1862, Jefferson Davis approved one of the most consequential—and controversial—laws of the Civil War: the Confederate Conscription Act. Passed by the Confederate Congress, the measure required all white males between the ages of 18 and …

On April 10, 1862, Abraham Lincoln approved Congress’s Joint Resolution offering federal financial aid to any state that chose to adopt gradual emancipation of enslaved people. Though often overshadowed by more dramatic wartime measures, this policy…

The Battle of Shiloh, fought on April 6–7, 1862, along the Tennessee River near Pittsburg Landing, marked a pivotal moment in the early Western Theater of the American Civil War. At the time, it was the bloodiest battle in American history, shocking…

The Battle of Glorieta Pass, fought March 26–28, 1862, in the New Mexico Territory, stands as one of the most strategically consequential engagements in the Civil War’s western theater. Often dubbed the “Gettysburg of the West,” its importance lies …

The Battle of Kernstown, fought on March 23, 1862, just south of Winchester in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, was a relatively small engagement by Civil War standards. Yet its significance far outweighed the number of soldiers involved. Although Conf…

On March 18, 1862, Confederate President Jefferson Davis reshuffled his cabinet in a move that revealed both the strengths and the growing strains within the Confederate government. Two key figures were affected: Judah P. Benjamin and George W. Rand…

On March 11, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issued War Order No. 3, a directive that quietly but decisively reshaped Union command during the American Civil War. The order relieved George B. McClellan of his position as general-in-chief of the Unio…

The Battle of Pea Ridge, fought March 7–8, 1862, in northwestern Arkansas, was one of the most consequential yet often overlooked engagements of the early Civil War. Though it occurred far from the war’s eastern headlines, the battle decisively shap…

On February 27, 1862, the Confederate Congress granted President Jefferson Davis the authority to suspend the writ of habeas corpus—a move that spoke volumes about how desperate, centralized, and strained the Confederate war effort had already becom…