The Civil War at a GlanceThe Eastern Theatre, 1861 | First posted 1998 Last update Apr 29, 2009 |
The high spirits with which North and South naively go to war after the attack on Fort Sumter, first met the test of battle on a large scale in mid-July as Union troops under Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell clashed with Confederate soldiers under Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard on the plains of Manassas, Virginia. A sweeping Confederate victory in what Southerners call The First Battle of Manassas (the North calls it Bull Run) inspires the Federal Government to renewed effort and makes the South over-confident. For the rest of the year the contending armies remain static between Manassas and Washington, giving Union Maj. Gen. George B. McClellan plenty of time to organize and train his new Army of the Potomac. A small federal force overwhelmed and crushed at Ball's Bluff, Virginia, in October includes a friend and ally of President Abraham Lincoln, so the political repercussions of that battle outstrip its military significance. In December, Confederate cavalry leader J.E.B. Stuart fights a small affair at Dranesville, Virginia. All of the 1861 actions combined do not equal in scope a single day of the famous battles fought later in the war.
Mar 4 | Abraham Lincoln is inaugrated 16th President of the United States |
Apr 12 - 13 | Bombardment and surrender of Fort Sumter, S.C. |
Apr 15 | President Lincoln calls for 75,000 volunteers |
Apr 17 | Virginia secedes |
Apr 19 | Confederates occupy Harpers Ferry, Va. (now West Virginia) |
Jun 10 | Engagement at Big Bethel, Va. First land "battle" in Virginia |
Jun 11 | Engagement at Rich Mountain, Va. (now West Virginia) |
Jul 21 | First Battle of Manassas (Bull Run), Va. |
Jul 27 | George B. McClellan takes command of Union Army of the Potomac |
Oct 21 | Battle of Ball's Bluff, Va. |
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1861 |
1862 |
1863 |
1864 |
1865 |
The Eastern Theater The Western Theater War at a Glance |