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This Day in History
Feb 10
Civil War
Davis learns he is Confederate president, 1861
On this day in 1861, Jefferson Davis, a former U.S. senator from Mississippi who served as U.S. secretary of war in the 1850s, receives word he has…
Recommended Articles
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Battle of Corinth
The Battle of Corinth during the American Civil War was a decisive victory of Union forces over Confederate forces in northeastern Mississippi.
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Ambrose Burnside
Union Major General Ambrose Burnside, whose facial hair inspired the term “sideburns,†served in several key Civil War battles.
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George Crook
(born Sept. 23, 1829, near Dayton, Ohio, U.S.—died March 21, 1890, Chicago, Ill.) American army officer in the American Civil War and in the Indian conflicts of the West.
(May 17, 1863), American Civil War victory of Union forces under General Ulysses S. Grant, who were pursuing Confederate troops under General John C. Pemberton toward Vicksburg, Mississippi. After his defeat at Champion's Hill (May 16), Pemberton left 5,000 troops to make a stand on both sides of the Big Black River, while he withdrew with his main command to nearby Vicksburg. Ten thousand attacking Union troops led by Grant routed the demoralized Confederate defenders, inflicting heavy losses and capturing over 1,700 prisoners. The survivors began a disorderly flight and retreated within the entrenched lines of Vicksburg, which was soon besieged by Grant's army.
Copyright © 1994-2011 Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. For more information visit Britannica.com.
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Civil War: Rebellion to Reconstruction DVD Set
Experience the turbulent events that ignited the bloodiest, most divisive war this country has known.
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The Seven-Day Scholar: Exploring History One Week at a Time - The Civil War
Authoritative American history meets a fun listening experience in the series which chronicles significant moments in our nation’s heroic tragedy.
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10 Days That Unexpectedly Changed America: Antietam (PDF)
Teacher's Guide to the program dramatically exploring the events, meaning, and significance of the watershed battle at Antietam.
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April 1865: The Month That Saved America (PDF)
Teacher's Guide to the program covering the last few weeks of the Civil War, from President Abraham Lincoln's second inauguration, to the surrender at Appomatox, the assassination of Lincoln, and the final laying down of arms by the Confederacy.
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Sherman's March (PDF)
Teacher's guide to General William Tecumseh Sherman's military campaign. In 1864 General Sherman began his "March to the Sea," burning crops, confiscating supplies, destroying buildings and ripping up the rail tracks on his way.
