January 18
January 18
President John Tyler dies
On January 18, 1862, former U.S. President and Confederate congressman‑elect John Tyler dies at age 71 in Richmond, Virginia. Tyler, who was born in Virginia in 1790, served as a…
A Year In History: 1862
This Year in History:
1862
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 24
January 24
Author Edith Wharton is born
On January 24, 1862, Edith Wharton is born to an old and wealthy New York family. She grew up in an opulent world where pre‑Civil War society tried to keep…
January 27
January 27
President Lincoln orders Union forces to advance
On January 27, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issues General War Order No. 1, ordering all land and sea forces to advance on February 22, 1862. This bold move sent a…
February 8
February 8
The Union captures Roanoke Island
Union General Ambrose Burnside scores a major victory when his troops capture Roanoke Island in North Carolina. It was one of the first major Union victories of the Civil War…
February 21
February 21
Battle of Valverde
On February 21, 1862, at the Battle of Valverde, Confederate troops under General Henry Hopkins Sibley attack Union troops commanded by Colonel Edward R. S. Canby near Fort Craig in…
February 25
February 25
Legal Tender Act passed to help finance the Civil War
On February 25, 1862, the U.S. Congress passes the Legal Tender Act, authorizing the use of paper notes to pay the government’s bills. This ended the long‑standing policy of using…
March 7
March 7
Battle of Pea Ridge (Elkhorn Tavern), Arkansas
On March 7, 1862, Union forces under General Samuel Curtis clash with the army of General Earl Van Dorn at the Battle of Pea Ridge (also called the Battle of…
March 9
March 9
U.S.S. Monitor battles C.S.S. Virginia
On March 9, 1862, one of the most famous naval battles in American history occurs as two ironclads, the U.S.S. Monitor and the C.S.S. Virginia, fight to a draw off Hampton…
March 24
March 24
Abolitionist Wendell Phillips booed in Cincinnati
On March 24, 1862, abolitionist orator Wendell Phillips is booed while attempting to give a lecture in Cincinnati, Ohio. The angry crowd was opposed to fighting for the freedom of…
March 28
March 28
Union forces halt Confederates at Battle of Glorieta Pass
On March 28, 1862, Union forces stop the Confederate invasion of New Mexico Territory when they turn the Rebels back at Glorieta Pass. This action was part of the broader…
April 5
April 5
Siege of Yorktown begins
Union forces under General George McClellan arrive at Yorktown, Virginia, and establish siege lines instead of directly attacking the Confederate defenders. This was the opening of McClellan’s Peninsular campaign. He…
April 6
April 6
Battle of Shiloh begins
The Civil War explodes in the west as the armies of Union General Ulysses S. Grant and Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston collide at Shiloh, near Pittsburgh Landing in Tennessee.…
April 7
April 7
Battle of Shiloh concludes
Two days of heavy fighting conclude near Pittsburgh Landing in western Tennessee. The Battle of Shiloh became a Union victory after the Confederate attack stalled on April 6, and fresh…
April 28
April 28
Union captures New Orleans
Union troops officially take possession of New Orleans, completing the occupation that had begun four days earlier. The capture of this vital southern city was a huge blow to the…
May 5
May 5
Outnumbered Mexican army defeats French at Battle of Puebla
During the French‑Mexican War (1861‑1867), an outnumbered Mexican army defeats a powerful invading French force at Puebla. The retreat of the French troops at the Battle of Puebla represented a great…
May 20
May 20
President Lincoln signs the Homestead Act
On May 20, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln signs the Homestead Act, which opens government‑owned land to small family farmers (“homesteaders”). The act gave “any person” who was the head of…
June 16
June 16
Union thwarted at the Battle of Secessionville
On June 16, 1862, a Union attempt to capture Charleston, South Carolina, is thwarted when the Confederates turn back an attack at Secessionville, just south of the city on James…
June 26
June 26
Rebels strike Union at the Battle of Mechanicsville
At the Battle of Mechanicsville, Virginia, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia strikes Union General George B. McClellan’s Army of the Potomac, beginning the Seven Days’ Battles.…
July 12
July 12
Medal of Honor created
President Abraham Lincoln signs into law a measure calling for the awarding of a U.S. Army Medal of Honor, in the name of Congress, “to such noncommissioned officers and privates…
July 22
July 22
Lincoln tells his cabinet about Emancipation Proclamation
On July 22, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln informs his chief advisors and cabinet that he will issue a proclamation to free enslaved people, but adds that he will wait until…
