As we celebrate the coming of 2014 and remember all we wish to do in the future, this is also the time to recall what we have done in the past. The year 2014 will mark the 150th anniversary of the year 1864. In honor of those 150 years America has lived, I would like to share what was happening during the American Civil War in 1864. Remember that 1864 marked the third year of the four year long brother vs. brother conflict. 1864 was also the final full year of war, though no one knew it at the time.
As a note, I'm writing this while watching the Walking Dead for the first time. These dates are nowhere near chronological order.
June 30, 1864 saw the beginning of the Siege of Petersburg in Virginia. This would last until April 3, 1865 when Petersburg and then Richmond would fall.
On September 1, 1864, General Hood evacuated Atlanta as General Sherman moved closer.
September 2, 1864 found General Sherman and his army at the gates of Atlanta, Georgia. The capture and burning of the city was a massive boost to morale in the North and helped to ensure the reelection of President Lincoln.
On November 15, 1864, Sherman’s army left Atlanta and began their March to the Sea. Sherman decided to leave his supply line behind and live off the land.
November 30, 1864 marked the Battle of Franklin in Tennessee. General Hood's Confederate forces fought 40,000 troops left behind by Sherman. Hood's army was crippled and, when later asked where his men were, he replied that they were "dead on the field."
In March of 1864, President Abraham Lincoln made General Grant commander of all Union armies. General Grant and the Army of the Potomac would eventually defeat General Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia.
May 31 to June 12, 1864 saw the Battle of Cold Harbor in Virginia, one of General Grant's later regrets.
On June 15, 1864, General Lee's home in Arlington, Virginia became Arlington National Cemetery.
On July 18, 1864, President Lincoln called for 500,000 military volunteers since the crumbling southern armies were running low on man power.
October 20, 1864 was marked when President Lincoln made Thanksgiving a national holiday.
On November 8, 1864, President Lincoln was reelected to his second term as President.
December 10, 1864 found General Sherman and his army in Savannah, Georgia. The city would fall on December 21, 1864.
Sometime in 1864, John Wilkes Booth and his fellow conspirators began planning to kidnap President Lincoln. They met at least once in early December of 1864.
The Confederacy began to fall apart and a cold winter fell across the southern states. In the North, the situation seemed brighter than ever before.
Of course, this is only a handful of important dates. Many more events happened during the year of 1864. It was marked by many battles and countless amounts of bloodshed, including many Confederate leaders. No one knew but, by December of 1864, the bloody Civil War was reaching the end of the road.
Wishing everyone a very happy New Year :)
Until next time,
XOXO Kate
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