pictures --->

XIII. The Last Year - 1865


A. End of the Confederacy


  1. 13th amendment ratified by all states except NJ, KY, DE
  2. Desertion became "epidemic" - CSA 12.2%, Union 9.6%

  3. Fort Fisher Jan 15 and occupation of Wilmington Feb. 22
  4. Hampton Roads peace conference Feb. 3 - Alex. Stephens

  5. Carolina campaign - "stunning" logistics - Salk swamps
  6. Mobile campaign by Edward Canby - also Pensacola
  7. James Wilson raid to Selma was "largest, longest, and most destructive cavalry raid of the war" - defeated N.B. Forrest 6 times - captured Jeff Davis at Irwinsville, GA - the South was "not only invaded and conquered, it was utterly destroyed"
  8. Lee persuded CSA to enlist black soldiers Mar. 13, but no freedom
  9. Fort Stedman Mar. 25 - Lee "gambled on one last assault"
  10. Grant turned Lee's right flank with Sheridan at Five Forks Apr. 1
  11. Lee retreated westward to Appomatox but cut off at Sayler's Creek Apr. 6 and at Appomattox Station Apr. 8
  12. Lee surrendered to Grant in the parlor of the Wilbur McLean House at Appomattox Couthouse at 3 pm on Palm Sunday, Apr. 9 - Grant allowed Lee's request that his men keep horses or mules "to put in a crop" - 1

B. Final Campaigns


  1. Johnston surrendered to Sherman at Bennett Place, NC Apr. 26

  2. Sultana disaster Apr. 27 near Memphis - 1238 POWs killed in boiler explosion
  3. Col. John RIP Ford defeats Union at Palmito Ranch, Texas May 13

  4. CSA raider Stonewall surrendered at Havana May 19 - last ship
  5. Kirby Smith surrendered June 2 at Galveston

  6. Wm Quantrill wounded in Kentucky May and died June 6
  7. Stand Watie surrendered at Doaksville June 23

C. Assassination of Lincoln


Oct. 1864 - Booth in Montreal - began 6-month plot

Nov. 1864 - Booth at Mary Surratt's boardinghouse


Mar. 17 - kidnap attempt aborted

Mar. 23 - Lincoln trip to Richmond - Mary quarrelled with Julia Grant

Apr. 11 - Lincoln's last reconstruction speech outraged Booth

Apr. 14 - Cabinet meeting

wanted poster
Apr. 15 - Lincoln died at 7:22 am. - Lafayette Baker began search for Booth

Apr. 20 - Stanton distributed $100,000 photo reward posters

Apr. 24 - Booth shot and killed at Garrett barn by Boston Corbett
May 2 - Pres. Johnson proclaimed "Grand Conspiracy" of J. Davis
May 9 - military trial began of 8 defendants - all found guilty
June 30 - Mary Surratt, David Herold, Lewis Paine, George Atzerodt sentenced to hang on July 7 - Alexander Gardner photos taken on ironclads Saugus and Montauk - Lewis Paine and David Herold and hanging

1867 - trial of John Surratt - Baker told of Booth's diary missing 18 pages
1869 - Booth's body re-buried in Baltimore
1937 - Otto Eisenschiml published WHY WAS LINCOLN MURDERED?
1977 - Sunn Classic film THE LINCOLN CONSPIRACY blamed Stanton
1983 - William Hanchett LINCOLN MURDER CONSPIRACIES debunked Otto
1991 - Unsolved Mysteries claimed Booth was 1903 "Enid Mummy"

Maps:

  • East maps of Wilderness and James and Cold Harbor and Petersburg and Petersburg 1864 and Eastern U.S. and DC
  • South Maps of Sherman's March Campaign to Atlanta and Battles for Atlanta and Sherman's March
  • LC map of Appomattox Court House and vicinity and bg and vbg and b and vert and c and bg
  • LC map of Potomac and Sherman's March and bg and west and bg and east and bg and Mobile and Chat. to Atlanta and Savannah and Milledgeville and e and f and g

    • Links:

    Books:

    revised 4/15/02 | Civil War | Class Page