Jackson in the Shenandoah; Peninsula Campaign Continues; Confederates Evacuate Corinth, MS: May 1862
150 Years Ago in the Civil War After several Union victories in the west in April 1862, much of the fighting in May shifted to Virginia. After a string of defeats in the first four months of the year, the Confederacy finally began to see its first significant successes of 1862. The fighting in Virginia was [...]
150 Years Ago in the Civil War There was significant action on several fronts as the Civil War passed its first anniversary. Union forces achieved success in the west and along the Atlantic coast, while Major General George B. McClellan finally brought the Army of the Potomac into action on the Virginia peninsula. Battle of [...]
Continue reading about Battle of Shiloh; Fall of New Orleans; Siege of Yorktown, VA: April 1862
U.S. Navy officer William B. Cushing is perhaps best known for his daring October 1864 raid that destroyed the Confederate ironclad CSS Albemarle at Plymouth, North Carolina, but he had a number of additional adventures along the coasts of Virginia and North Carolina in the Civil War. Though the terminology didn’t exist at the time of [...]
Continue reading about Lt. William B. Cushing’s Attack on Jacksonville, N.C. November 1862
Following the historic clash between the USS Monitor and CSS Virginia (formerly the USS Merrimack) on March 9th, 1862, Virginia returned to port in Norfolk, Virginia for repairs and refitting. Besides repairing battle damage, the vessel was given a heavier ram, and 100 tons more ballast which increased the ship’s draft to 23 feet. The [...]
Continue reading about The Destruction of the CSS Virginia May 1862
150 Years Ago in the Civil War As winter drew to a close, the fighting picked up on several fronts. The Union Armies continued the success they enjoyed in February with several victories in March. And at sea, a new era in naval warfare began with the first battle between iron ships. Battle of Pea Ridge [...]
150 Years Ago in the Civil War After several months of relatively little action, the pace of the fighting picked up in February 1862. Although the Army of the Potomac stayed in winter quarters around Washington, Federal forces in other locations took to the field in several significant offensive operations. Surrender of Fort Henry and Fort [...]
