Order Your Copy Today
On this day in the Civil War, at Appomattox Court House, a formal surrender ceremony takes place, although Lee and Grant are not present. General Joshua Chamberlain, who distinguished himself in the last days of fighting, was given the honor of accepting the arms and flags of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia.
Joshua Chamberlain
(Photo Credit: Library of Congress)
On this day in the Civil War, the battle of Stones River, in Murfreesboro, Tennessee, begins as the Southern army under General Braxton Bragg attacks Union forces under General William Rosecrans. After fierce fighting, neither side gains an advantage and awaits a resumption of fighting on the following day.
Stones River Battlefield
Murfreesboro, Tennessee
On this day in 1861, the Civil War officially began with the bombing of Fort Sumter by Confederate artillery. Now the irony . . . The Federal commander of Fort Sumter was Major Robert Anderson and the commander of the Confederate forces was General P.G.T. Beauregard. While attending West Point Military Academy before the war, General Beauregard was a student of Major Anderson. Though from Kentucky and married to a Georgia woman, Major Anderson remained loyal to the Union throughout the war.
The Civil War Book 