Request a brochure Civil War Encyclopedia Blue and Gray Trail Civil War in Georgia On the Blue and Gray Trail Civil War by state Today in the Civil War Battles Images Places Feature Stories Links Search Who we are	The Civil War in Mississippi Brice's Crossroads Convention of Seceding States Meridian Campaign Second Vicksburg Campaign Battle of Vicksburg First Vicksburg Campaign October 1, 1849 The Mississippi Convention resolves that slave states should send representation to Nashville to determine a response to northern pressure to abolish slavery Mississippi   Nashville Convention of 1850 June 3, 1850 June 12, 1850 Nashville Convention - 9 slave states hold a convention to determine their best course of action if the Compromise of 1850 passes. Louisiana Arkansas North Carolina Florida Texas South Carolina Mississippi Georgia Alabama   Compromise of 1850   Nashville Convention of 1850 [Resolutions]   Nashville Convention of 1850   Robert Barnwell Rhett January 9, 1861 Mississippi secedes from the Union Mississippi   Confederate Order of Secession   Mississippi Ordinance of Secession January 26, 1861 The sovereign state of Mississippi establishes a state flag: It featured a white, five-pointed star on a dark blue canton (commonly called the Bonnie Blue), a field of white with a magnolia tree and a red banner on the fly end. Mississippi February 10, 1861 At his plantation home outside Vicksburg, Jefferson Davis receives the news he is the first President of the Confederate States of America. He was hoping to be commander of the military Mississippi   Jefferson Davis February 11, 1861 As President-elect Abraham Lincoln begins his journey to Washington D. C. from Springfield, Illinois, President-elect Jefferson Davis journeys from Vicksburg, Mississippi to Montgomery, Alabama to accept the Presidency of the Confederate States. Mississippi Alabama Illinois   Abraham Lincoln   Jefferson Davis   Convention of Seceding States March 29, 1861 Mississippi ratifies the Confederate Constitution Mississippi March 24, 1862 Albert Sidney Johnston's Army arrives at Corinth from Murfreesboro, Tennessee Mississippi   Albert Sidney Johnston   Battle of Shiloh March 29, 1862 The Central Army of Kentucky and the Army of Alabama and West Florida, and is merged into the Army of Mississippi in Corinth under Albert Sidney Johnston with P. G. T. Beauregard as second-in-command. Corps commanders are Braxton Bragg, Leonidas Polk, William Hardee and George Crittenden. Mississippi   Albert Sidney Johnston   P. G. T. Beauregard   Braxton Bragg   Leonidas Polk   William Hardee   Central Army of Kentucky   Army of Mississippi April 29, 1862 Under the command of Henry Halleck, the Army of the Tennessee begins to advance on Corinth Mississippi   Henry Halleck   Army of the Tennessee May 25, 1862 Halleck arrives outside of Corinth. It has taken him 26 days to march 20 miles, virtually unopposed Mississippi   Henry Halleck May 30, 1862 Confederates evacuate Corinth Mississippi   P. G. T. Beauregard   Army of Mississippi June 17, 1862 Braxton Bragg assumes command of the Army of Mississippi, relieving P. G. T. Beauregard Mississippi   Braxton Bragg   P. G. T. Beauregard July 2, 1862 Earl Van Dorn is given command of the Military District of Mississippi Mississippi   Earl Van Dorn July 15, 1862 The C. S. S. Arkansas sails past the federal fleet on the Mississippi River with guns ablaze, destroying three ships. Mississippi July 21, 1862 In a tersely worded telegram, Braxton Bragg informs Jefferson Davis that he will move his army in force from Tupelo, Mississippi to Chattanooga, Tennessee Mississippi Tennessee   Confederate Invasion of Kentucky   Braxton Bragg   Jefferson Davis September 19, 1862 Battle of Iuka William Rosecrans [US] beat Sterling Price [CS] who withdrew when scouts report a column under the command of Edward O. C. Ord was advancing from the Mississippi. Mississippi   William S. Rosecrans   Sterling Price October 1, 1862 Major General John Pemberton replaces Earl van Dorn at the head of the reorganized Department of Mississippi and East Louisiana Mississippi Louisiana October 3, 1862 October 4, 1862 Battle of Corinth Earl Van Dorn [CS] and Sterling Price [CS] attack William Rosecrans [US] northern perimeter, driving it back to a reinforced line. Rosecrans successfully defends the city Mississippi   Earl Van Dorn   Sterling Price   William S. Rosecrans October 5, 1862 Battle of Hatchie Bridge [US] Battle of Metamora [CS] Other names: Hatchie; Davis Bridge Edward Ord [US] discovers Confederates retreating from Corinth. When Ord was severly wounded fighting paused as command passed to Stephen Hurlbut [US]. Sterling Price [CS] was able to escape. Mississippi   Sterling Price   Edward O. C. Ord November 2, 1862 Ulysses S. Grant begins the First Vicksburg campaign Mississippi   First Vicksburg Campaign   Ulysses S. Grant December 20, 1862 General Earl Van Dorn [CS] strikes a federal supply depot at Holly Springs capturing 1500 prisoners and destroying 1.5 million dollars of military supplies Mississippi   Earl Van Dorn   First Vicksburg Campaign December 21, 1862 President Davis visits Vicksburg Mississippi   First Vicksburg Campaign   Jefferson Davis December 26, 1862 Sherman's expedition lands near Steele's Bayou on the Yazoo River Mississippi   First Vicksburg Campaign   William Tecumseh Sherman December 29, 1862 Battle of Chickasaw Bayou William Tecumseh Sherman [US] tries to assault a strong Confederate position atop a series of bluffs north of Vicksburg held by John Pemberton [CS] Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   First Vicksburg Campaign January 2, 1863 General Sherman abandons his attempt to take Vicksburg Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   First Vicksburg Campaign January 25, 1863 Union forces withdraw from Corinth. They had been ordered to help protect Mississippi River shipping from northern states Mississippi February 3, 1863 Union ram Queen of the West sails past Vicksburg to disrupt Confederate shipping. After being hit 12 time by artillery, she rams the Confederate ship City of Vicksburg. Mississippi   Queen of the West March 11, 1863 Ulysses S. Grant renewed his efforts to reach Vicksburg when he tried to push gunboats past Fort Pemberton, near Greenwood. General W. W. Loring ("Old Blizzards") had built and manned the fort to prevent attacks of this nature. Mississippi   Second Vicksburg Campaign   Ulysses S. Grant March 24, 1863 A small skirmish at Black Bayou marked the end of General William Tecumseh Sherman's attempt to find an unguarded water route into Vicksburg. Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   Second Vicksburg Campaign April 16, 1863 Rear Admiral David Porter sent 12 vessels south on the Mississippi past Vicksburg. Although hit a number of times by Confederate gunners, the vessels suffered little damage. Mississippi Louisiana   David Porter April 17, 1863 Col. Benjamin Grierson [US] leaves La Grange, Tennessee at the head of a 1,700 man cavalry column heading towards Mississippi to raid the state. Mississippi April 30, 1863 About noon, Ulysses S. Grant begins crossing the Mississippi and landing U. S. troops south of Vicksburg Mississippi   Ulysses S. Grant   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 12, 1863 Battle of Raymond A Confederate brigade under John Gregg attacks a Union division under Major General John Logan in the town of Raymond, between Vicksburg and Jackson. Mississippi   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 13, 1863 Two corps, under William Tecumseh Sherman and James MacPherson, advance on Jackson Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 14, 1863 Battle of Jackson After a brief fight, McPherson and Sherman's corps take Jackson, driving Joe Johnston off. Mississippi   Joseph E. Johnston   William Tecumseh Sherman May 15, 1863 Joe Johnston orders John Pemberton to break out of Grant's tightening noose. Pemberton refuses the order. Mississippi   Joseph E. Johnston   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 16, 1863 Battle of Champion Hill Pemberton agrees to attack the federal line with Johnston. The focal point of the attack, Champion Hill, will change hands three times, but the Confederate forces fail to meet. Pemberton withdraws to Vicksburg Mississippi   Second Vicksburg Campaign   Joseph E. Johnston   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 17, 1863 Battle of Black River Pemberton placed his men with their backs to the Black River. When the U. S. attacked, Pemberton's line broke with most of the men crossing the Black River before the bridge was set on fire. Army of the Tennessee then spanned the Big Black, closing in on Vicksburg Mississippi   Army of the Tennessee   Battle of Vicksburg   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 19, 1863 General Ulysses S. Grant [US] makes contact with Rear Admiral David Porter, sailing north from New Orleans with supplies Mississippi   Ulysses S. Grant   David Porter   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 19, 1863 William Tecumseh Sherman [US] launches a full scale frontal assault against Rebel lines in Vicksburg. He is repulsed with heavy losses, especially near the Stockade Redan Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   Battle of Vicksburg   Army of the Tennessee May 22, 1863 Massive Union assaults on Fortress Vicksburg fail Mississippi   Battle of Vicksburg   Second Vicksburg Campaign May 26, 1863 July 4, 1863 Siege of Vicksburg Date of the start of siege varies from May 18 - May 26. Mississippi   Ulysses S. Grant   William Tecumseh Sherman   John A. McClernand   James McPherson June 25, 1863 Union soldiers try to exploit an explosion under the Confederate entrenchments at Vicksburg. The Rebel line easily repulses the attack Mississippi   Second Vicksburg Campaign July 3, 1863 John Pemberton, commander of Confederate forces at Vicksburg asks Ulysses S. Grant for terms. Grant demands an unconditional surrender. Pemberton refuses. Late in the evening, Grant offers excellent terms and Pemberton accepts. Mississippi   Ulysses S. Grant   Second Vicksburg Campaign July 4, 1863 Ulysses S. Grant accepts the surrender of the second Confederate Army he has defeated, at Vicksburg Mississippi   Ulysses S. Grant   Second Vicksburg Campaign July 7, 1863 Federal troops sack Brierfield, the plantation home of Jefferson Davis Mississippi   Jefferson Davis July 8, 1863 Port Hudson is surrendered, giving the Union control of the Mississippi Mississippi July 9, 1863 July 16, 1863 Battle of Jackson Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   Joseph E. Johnston July 13, 1863 Battle of Yazoo City Mississippi October 29, 1863 Jefferson Davis grants Nathan Bedford Forrest's request for an independent command in north Mississippi and west Tennessee. This frees him from Braxton Bragg. Mississippi Tennessee   Nathan Bedford Forrest   Braxton Bragg December 1, 1863 Battle of Ripley Mississippi December 8, 1863 Confederate senator Henry S. Foote of Mississippi severly critizes President Jefferson Davis for both his military and civilian policies Mississippi   Jefferson Davis December 22, 1863 Leonidas Polk ordered to take command of the Army of Mississippi. Mississippi   Leonidas Polk January 25, 1864 Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS] attacks and defeats William Sooy Smith [US] near Meridian Mississippi   Nathan Bedford Forrest February 3, 1864 William Tecumseh Sherman, having moved to Vicksburg by boat, begins the Meridian Campaign Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   Meridian Campaign   Leonidas Polk February 5, 1864 Sherman enters Jackson, Mississippi Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   Meridian Campaign February 6, 1864 William Sooy Smith [US] leaves Memphis to join the Meridian Campaign Mississippi   Meridian Campaign February 14, 1864 Federals take Meridian. They continue their "work," tearing up railroad infrastructure and destroying locomotives, but there is little Leonidas Polk can do Mississippi   William Tecumseh Sherman   Leonidas Polk   Meridian Campaign February 22, 1864 Battle of Okolana Other Names: Ivey's Farm, Ivey Hill Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS] defeats W. Sooy Smith [US], attempting to join Sherman's Meridian Campaign Mississippi   Nathan Bedford Forrest   Meridian Campaign June 10, 1864 Battle of Brice's Crossroads [US] Battle of Tishomingo Creek [CS] Mississippi   Nathan Bedford Forrest   Brice's Crossroads July 14, 1864 Battle of Tupelo or Harrisburg General A. J. Smith [US] repulses repeated, uncoordinated attacks by Generals Stephen D. Lee [CS] and Nathan Bedford Forrest [CS], who retire at noon. Smith, short of supplies, withdraws to Memphis the following day. Mississippi May 4, 1865 General Richard Taylor [CS] surrenders the remaining troops in Alabama and Mississippi based on an agreement signed two days earlier Mississippi Alabama June 10, 1865 President Johnson appoints William Starkey as provisional governor of Mississippi Mississippi   Andrew Johnson August 14, 1865 Mississippi conventions passes an ordinance voiding the secession ordinance of 1861 Mississippi April 2, 1866 The United States declares that a state of peace exists with Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Virginia Alabama Georgia Mississippi Tennessee South Carolina Virginia Florida North Carolina Arkansas Louisiana January 21, 1868 Mississippi rejects the 14th Amendment to the Constitution. Mississippi   14th Amendment April 10, 1869 The U. S. Congress passes An Act authorizing the Submission of the Constitutions of Virginia, Mississippi, and Texas to a Vote of the People, and authorizing the Election of State Officers, provided by the said Constitutions, and Members of Congress. Mississippi Texas Virginia April 10, 1869 Georgia, Mississippi, Texas, and Virginia are required to ratify the 15th amendment Virginia Texas Mississippi Georgia January 17, 1870 Mississippi ratifies the 14th Amendment Mississippi   14th Amendment February 25, 1870 Hiram R. Revels takes his seat in the Senate from the state of Mississippi. Revels is black Mississippi
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