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 19
January 19
Battle of Logan’s Crossroads
On this day in 1862, at the Battle of Logan’s Cross Roads, Union General George Thomas defeats Confederates commanded by George Crittenden in southern Kentucky. The battle, also called Mill…
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 7
February 7
Confederates order reinforcements to Fort Donelson
On this day in 1862, one day after the fall of Fort Henry on the Tennessee River, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, commander of Rebel forces in the West, orders…
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 16
February 16
Capture of Fort Donelson
On this day in 1862, General Ulysses S. Grant finishes a spectacular campaign by capturing Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River in Tennessee. This battle came10 days after Grant’s capture…
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…
February 26
February 26
In camp with Elisha Hunt Rhodes
On this day in 1862, Union soldier Elisha Hunt Rhodes visits Washington, D.C.,during a typical week in winter quarters. Although combat was the main job of a soldier, most men…
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 8
March 8
C.S.S. Virginia terrorizes Union navy
On this day in 1862, the Confederate ironclad Virginia wreaks havoc on a Yankee squadron off Hampton Roads, Virginia. The C.S.S. Virginia was originally the U.S.S. Merrimack, a 40‑gun frigate…
March 9
March 9
Battle of the Ironclads
During the American Civil War, the CSS Virginia, a captured and rebuilt Union steam frigate formerly known as the Merrimac, engages the USS Monitor in the first battle between iron‑fortified…
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 11
March 11
Lincoln shuffles the Union command
On this day in 1862, President Abraham Lincoln issues War Order No. 3, a measure making several changes at the top of the Union Army command structure.Lincoln created three departments,…
March 14
March 14
Battle of New Bern, North Carolina
On this day in 1862, at the Battle of New Bern, Union General Ambrose Burnside captures North Carolina’s second largest city and closes another port through which the Confederates could…
March 23
March 23
Confederate General “Stonewall” Jackson is defeated at Kernstown
On this day in 1862, at the First Battle of Kernstown, Virginia, Confederate General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson suffers a rare defeat when his attack on Union forces in the…
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…
