January 21, 1824 |
Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson born, Clarksburg, Virginia (today, West Virginia). |
West Virginia Virginia
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December 2, 1859 |
John Brown is hung in Charleston, Virginia (present-day West Virginia) for the raid on Harper's Ferry |
Virginia West Virginia
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John Brown |
November 12, 1860 |
In Preston County, Western Virginia holds its first organizational meeting, expressing a desire to "adhere to the Union". |
West Virginia
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First Wheeling Convention |
January 1, 1861 |
A pro-Union meeting in Parkersburg (now West Virginia) resolves that "secession is revolution." |
West Virginia
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First Wheeling Convention |
January 24, 1861 |
Lucy, a female slave from Wheeling who fled to Cleveland, Ohio, is returned to her owner. She is the last slave to be returned under the Fugitive Slave Law |
West Virginia
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April 18, 1861 |
Federal forces withdraw from Harpers Ferry |
West Virginia Virginia
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Harpers Ferry |
April 19, 1861 |
Virginia forces take control of Harpers Ferry |
West Virginia Virginia
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Harpers Ferry |
April 20, 1861 |
Guyandotte calls for the state to approve the actions of the Virginia legislature |
West Virginia
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First Wheeling Convention |
April 22, 1861 |
The Clarksburg (present-day West Virginia) Convention calls for a anti-secessionist convention to be held in May, 1861 |
West Virginia
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First Wheeling Convention |
May 1, 1861 |
Robert E. Lee orders Stonewall Jackson to remove the weapons and equipment from the arsenal at Harpers Ferry |
West Virginia Virginia
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Harpers Ferry |
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Robert E. Lee |
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Stonewall Jackson |
May 13, 1861 May 15, 1861 |
The First Wheeling Convention |
West Virginia
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First Wheeling Convention |
May 28, 1861 |
Confederates seize the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad from Point of Rocks to Cumberland |
Maryland West Virginia
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Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
June 3, 1861 |
Battle of Philippi
First land engagement of the Civil War between American and Confederate forces |
West Virginia Virginia
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George McClellan |
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Philippi |
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Operations in Western Virginia |
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Civil War Firsts |
June 4, 1861 |
Delegates to the Second Wheeling Convention are selected. |
West Virginia
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Second Wheeling Convention |
June 11, 1861 June 25, 1861 |
First session of the Second Wheeling Convention |
West Virginia
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Second Wheeling Convention |
June 23, 1861 |
Thomas Jackson destroys 42 engines and nearly 400 cars of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad at Martinsburg, Virginia |
Virginia West Virginia
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Stonewall Jackson |
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Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
July 11, 1861 |
Battle of Rich Mountain |
West Virginia
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George McClellan |
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Operations in Western Virginia |
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Battle of Rich Mountain |
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William S. Rosecrans |
July 13, 1861 |
Battle of Corrick's Ford
While directing his rear guard General Robert Garnett is shot and dies minutes later. He is the first general to die during the Civil War |
West Virginia
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George McClellan |
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Battle of Corrick's Ford |
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Civil War Firsts |
July 17, 1861 |
Battle of Scary Creek |
West Virginia
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George McClellan |
August 6, 1861 |
Second Session of the Second Wheeling Convention is called to order |
West Virginia
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Second Wheeling Convention |
August 20, 1861 |
The pro-Union Second Wheeling Convention calls for the creation of the state of Kanawha |
West Virginia
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Second Wheeling Convention |
September 10, 1861 |
Battle of Carnifax Ferry
General William Rosecrans [US] defeats General John Floyd [CS] |
West Virginia
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Operations in Western Virginia |
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John Floyd |
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William S. Rosecrans |
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Rutherford B. Hayes |
September 12, 1861 September 15, 1861 |
Battle of Cheat Mountain
Other names: Cheat Summit, Fort Milroy
Joseph Reynolds [US] defeats Robert E. Lee [CS] |
West Virginia
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Operations in Western Virginia |
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Robert E. Lee |
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Battle of Cheat Mountain |
October 11, 1861 |
William S. Rosecrans assumes command of the Federal Department of Western Virginia |
West Virginia
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William S. Rosecrans |
October 24, 1861 |
People of West Virginia vote overwhelmingly in favor of creating a new state as spelled out by the Wheeling Convention |
West Virginia
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November 26, 1861 |
West Virginia Constitutional Convention convenes in Wheeling |
West Virginia
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December 7, 1861 |
Stonewall Jackson destroys the West Virginia side of Dam Number 5 on the Potomac River, disrupting the C&O Canal and impacting the Union's ability to repair the B&O Railroad. |
Maryland West Virginia
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Baltimore and Ohio Railroad |
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Attack on Dam Number 5 |
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Stonewall Jackson |
December 13, 1861 |
Battle of Camp Allegany
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West Virginia
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Operations in Western Virginia |
January 4, 1862 |
Jackson takes Bath (now West Virginia) |
West Virginia
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Romney Campaign |
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Stonewall Jackson |
January 6, 1862 |
Stonewall Jackson shells Hancock, MD for 2 days from the West Virginia side of the Potomac |
West Virginia
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Romney Campaign |
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Stonewall Jackson |
January 10, 1862 |
Federal forces under "Old Ben" Kelley withdraw from Romney |
West Virginia
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Romney Campaign |
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Stonewall Jackson |
January 14, 1862 |
Confederates under Stonewall Jackson take Romney |
West Virginia
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Romney Campaign |
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Stonewall Jackson |
February 7, 1862 |
Jackson withdraws from Romney and returns to Winchester |
West Virginia
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Romney Campaign |
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Stonewall Jackson |
February 18, 1862 |
West Virginia Constitutional Convention adopts the first constitution of the state of West Virginia |
West Virginia
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West Virginia Constitutional Convention |
July 14, 1862 |
U. S. Senate passes a bill creating West Virginia |
West Virginia
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September 13, 1862 |
W. W. Loring advances down the Kanawha Valley. Federal forces evacuate Charleston. |
West Virginia
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September 19, 1862 September 20, 1862 |
Skirmishes at Shepherdstown, Ashby's Gap, Williamsport, and Hagerstown, as Confederates under A. P. Hill covered the retreat of the Army of Northern Virginia from Sharpsburg. Lee would keep a heavy cavalry presence in the area until October. |
Maryland Virginia West Virginia
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Antietam |
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A. P. Hill |
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Army of Northern Virginia |
October 1, 1862 |
Abraham Lincoln visits Harper's Ferry on his way to Antietam |
Virginia West Virginia
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Abraham Lincoln |
December 10, 1862 |
U. S. House passes a bill allowing the creation of the state of West Virginia |
West Virginia
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December 31, 1862 |
Lincoln signs the act approving admission to the United States for West Virginia |
West Virginia
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February 12, 1863 |
West Virginia's constitutional convention reconvenes following Congress's request that certain wording (about slaves) be modified. |
West Virginia
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West Virginia Constitutional Convention |
February 17, 1863 |
West Virginia approves a revised state constitution |
West Virginia
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March 26, 1863 |
West Virginia voters overwhelmingly approve the new state constitution |
West Virginia
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April 20, 1863 |
Lincoln proclaims that West Virginia would join the Union on June 20, 1863 |
West Virginia
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Abraham Lincoln |
June 20, 1863 |
West Virginia becomes the 35th state to enter the United States, but the first to enter where the terms slave and free no longer mattered |
West Virginia
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Civil War Firsts |
July 4, 1863 |
The West Virginia flag is introduced. This is the final Union flag of the Civil War |
West Virginia
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Flags of the Civil War |
November 6, 1863 |
Battle of Droop Mountain
General William Averill [US] defeats General John Echols [CS] |
West Virginia
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May 5, 1864 |
William W. Averill [US] leaves Logan Court House with orders to destroy the the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad |
West Virginia
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August 7, 1864 |
Battle of Moorefield. Last major engagement in West Virginia during the Civil War. |
West Virginia
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Jubal Early's Raid on Washington D. C. |
September 16, 1864 |
Meeting in Charles Town, Ulysses S. Grant and Phil Sheridan discuss the problems in the Shenandoah Valley with Jubal Early's [CS] Corps |
West Virginia
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Jubal Anderson Early |
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Philip Sheridan |
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Ulysses S. Grant |
January 16, 1867 |
West Virginia ratifies the 14th Amendment |
West Virginia
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14th Amendment |