January 7
January 7
Caleb Blood Smith dies
On this day in 1864, former U.S. Secretary of the Interior Caleb Blood Smith, who served from 1861 to 1862, dies in Indianapolis.Smith played a major role in managing relations…
A Year In History: 1864
This Year in History:
1864
Discover what happened in this year with HISTORY’s summaries of major events, anniversaries, famous births and notable deaths.
January 13
January 13
Stephen Foster dies
In the charity ward of New York’s Bellevue Hospital, Stephen Foster, America’s first professional songwriter, dies at the age of 37. Stephen Foster was born in Lawrenceville, Pennsylvania, on July…
February 9
February 9
Union general George Custer marries
Union General George Armstrong Custer marries Elizabeth Bacon in Monroe, Michigan, while the young cavalry officer is on leave. “Libbie,” as she was known to her family, was a tireless…
February 9
February 9
Elizabeth Bacon marries George Custer
Destined to be her husband’s most dedicated champion, Elizabeth Bacon marries George Armstrong Custer in Monroe, Michigan. Shortly after graduating from a Presbyterian college in Monroe, Elizabeth Bacon met the…
February 14
February 14
Sherman enters Meridian, Mississippi
On this day in 1864, Union General William T. Sherman enters Meridian, Mississippi, during a winter campaign that served as a precursor to Sherman’s March to the Sea campaign in…
February 20
February 20
Battle of Olustee
On February 20, 1864, at the Battle of Olustee, the largest conflict fought in Florida during the Civil War, a Confederate force under General Joseph Finegan decisively defeats an army…
February 22
February 22
Battle of West Point, Mississippi
On this day in 1864, Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest routs a Union force three times the size of his army at the Battle of West Point, Mississippi, helpingto end…
February 24
February 24
Union inmates begin arriving at deadly Andersonville prison
On February 24, 1864, the first Union inmates begin arriving at Andersonville prison, which was still under construction in southern Georgia. Andersonville became synonymous with death as nearly a quarter…
February 24
February 24
Battle of Dalton, Georgia, begins
On this day in 1864, Union General George Thomas attacks Joseph Johnston’s Confederates near Dalton, Georgia, as the Yankees probe Johnston’s defenses in search of a weakness. Thomas found the…
February 28
February 28
Kilpatrick‑Dahlgren raid begins
On this day in 1864, amajor Union cavalry raid begins when General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick leads 3,500 troopers south from Stevensburg, Virginia. Aimed at Richmond, the raid sought to free…
February 29
February 29
Kilpatrick‑Dahlgren raid splits
Union General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick’s cavalry raiders split into two wings on their way south to Richmond. Colonel Ulric Dahlgren and 500 troopers swung out further west as Kilpatrick and…
March 1
March 1
Grant nominated for lieutenant general
On this day in 1864, President Abraham Lincoln nominates Ulysses S. Grant for the newly revived rank of lieutenant general. At the time, George Washington was the only other man…
March 1
March 1
Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes first Black woman to earn a medical degree
On March 1, 1864, Rebecca Lee Crumpler becomes the first African American woman to earn a medical degree. For much of her career she practiced community medicine in Boston, but…
March 5
March 5
John C. Breckinridge assumes command
On this day in 1864, General John C. Breckinridge takes control of Confederate forces in the Appalachian Mountains of western Virginia. The native Kentuckian was a former U.S. senator, U.S.…
March 10
March 10
Montana vigilantes hang Jack Slade
Local hell‑raiser Jack Slade is hanged in one of the more troubling incidents of frontier vigilantism. Slade stood out even among the many rabble‑rousers who inhabited the frontier‑mining town of…
March 10
March 10
President Lincoln signs Ulysses S. Grant’s commission to command the U.S. Army
On March 10, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln signs a brief document officially promoting then‑Major General Ulysses S. Grant to the rank of lieutenant general of the U.S. Army, tasking the…
March 12
March 12
Red River Campaign begins
On March 12, 1864, one of the biggest military fiascos of the Civil War begins as a combined Union force of infantry and riverboats starts moving up the Red River…
March 18
March 18
Lincoln praises Sanitary Commission for work with troops
On this day in 1864, the U.S. Sanitary Commission Fair in Washington, D.C., closes with President Abraham Lincoln commending the organization for its work on behalf of Union soldiers. Established…
March 19
March 19
Artist Charlie Russell born
Charles Marion Russell, one of the greatest artists of the American West, is born on this day in St. Louis, Missouri. According to family lore, Charlie Russell displayed an aptitude…
March 26
March 26
McPherson takes over the Army of the Tennessee
On this day in 1864, General James B. McPherson assumes command of the Union Army of the Tennessee after William T. Sherman is elevated to commander of the Division of…
