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	Civil War Timeline / Chronology for October 1863 <<Previous year    Next year>> Civil War Navidater Century 1700's 1800's 1900's 2000's Decade 1800's 1810's 1820's 1830's 1840's 1850's 1860's 1870's 1880's 1890's Year 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 January, 1863 May, 1863 September, 1863 February, 1863 June, 1863 October, 1863 March, 1863 July, 1863 November, 1863 April, 1863 August, 1863 December, 1863 October 3, 1863 President Lincoln calls for a national day of Thanksgiving at the end of November.   Abraham Lincoln October 5, 1863 Joe Wheeler cuts the railroad between Nashville and Chattanooga at Stones River. The loss is a major blow to the besieged Army of the Cumberland. Tennessee   Battles for Chattanooga   Army of the Cumberland October 5, 1863 A torpedo attack on the USS New Ironsides by the CSS David in Charleston Harbor damages the ship, but the New Ironsides remains on duty, without repair until May, 1864. South Carolina   USS New Ironsides October 6, 1863 President Davis heads south from Richmond on a trip to South Carolina and North Georgia Virginia   Jefferson Davis October 8, 1863 President Davis speaks in Atlanta   Jefferson Davis October 9, 1863 President Davis speaks in Marietta, Georgia Georgia   Jefferson Davis October 9, 1863 Robert E. Lee [CS] and the Army of Northern Virginia crosses the Rapidan in an attempt to outflank the Army of the Potomac. Virginia   Robert E. Lee   Army of the Potomac   Army of Northern Virginia October 10, 1863 George Meade [US] withdraws to the Rappahannock River Virginia   George Meade October 11, 1863 Heavy skirmishing breaks out across a wide front in Virginia as the Army of Northern Virginia and the Army of the Potomac clash between the Rappahannock and Rapidan Rivers. Virginia   Army of the Potomac   Army of Northern Virginia October 13, 1863 President Davis approves Braxton Bragg's request to relieve Major General Daniel Harvey Hill [CS] of duty.   Braxton Bragg   Jefferson Davis   Daniel Harvey Hill October 13, 1863 Peace Democrat Clement Vallandigham is defeated by Unionist John Brough, a war Democrat running on the Republican ticket. Ohio   Clement Vallandigham October 14, 1863 Battle of Bristol Station A. P. Hill strikes George Meade as he withdraws to the Rappahannock River. Meade had strongly fortified his rear guard defenses, easily repelling Hill's corps. Virginia   A. P. Hill   George Meade October 17, 1863 As Ulysses S. Grant travels to Louisville, KY, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton boards the train in Indianapolis, IN with orders for him to assume command of the Military Division of the Mississippi. Indiana   Ulysses S. Grant   Edwin Stanton October 19, 1863 In an all-cavalry battle, J. E. B. Stuart [CS] routed Judson Kilpatrick [US] in the battle of Buckland Mills (sometimes called the Buckland Races) Virginia   J. E. B. Stuart October 19, 1863 William Rosecrans is relieved of duty. General Grant replaces him as commander of the Army of the Cumberland with George Thomas   William S. Rosecrans   George Thomas   Army of the Cumberland October 21, 1863 Ulysses S. Grant leaves Bridgeport, AL to assume command of the troops in Chattanooga. The only road in a muddy wash with a horrible stench from the dead mules lying on either side. This was the road Rosecrans was using to supply his troops. Tennessee   Ulysses S. Grant   Battles for Chattanooga October 23, 1863 Ulysess S. Grant arrives in Chattanooga, Tennessee and immediately begins working on securing a better supply line to the city. Tennessee   Ulysses S. Grant   Battles for Chattanooga October 23, 1863 Leonidas Polk is relieved of duty by President Davis   Leonidas Polk   Jefferson Davis October 24, 1863 General Grant, in Chattanooga, approves the plan of "Baldy" Smith to open a "Cracker Line" between Chattanooga and the railhead at Stevenson, Alabama Alabama Tennessee   Ulysses S. Grant   Battles for Chattanooga   William Farrar Smith   Cracker Line October 25, 1863 Battle of Pine Bluff Arkansas October 27, 1863 Battle of Brown's Ferry Troops under William Hazen [US] secured a beachhead on the southern bank of the Tennessee River. "Baldy" Smith [US] built a pontoon bridge over the Tennessee and Joseph Hooker [US] took the Little Tennessee Valley   Battles for Chattanooga   Joseph Hooker   William Farrar Smith   Cracker Line October 27, 1863 The second major bombardment of Fort Sumter. The three days of pounding artillery will be the heaviest in the siege of Charleston. South Carolina October 28, 1863 October 29, 1863 Battle of Wauhatchie In a rare nighttime assault, James Longstreet [CS] battles John Geary [US] just west of Lookout Mountain Tennessee   Battles for Chattanooga   James Longstreet   Battle of Wauhatchie October 28, 1863 General O. O. Howard reaches Brown's Ferry, Tennessee from Stevenson, AL, opening the famous Cracker Line Tennessee   Battles for Chattanooga October 29, 1863 First supplies along the Cracker Line reach Chattanooga   Battles for Chattanooga 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 January, 1863 May, 1863 September, 1863 February, 1863 June, 1863 October, 1863 March, 1863 July, 1863 November, 1863 April, 1863 August, 1863 December, 1863 Civil War Navidater Century 1700's 1800's 1900's 2000's Decade 1800's 1810's 1820's 1830's 1840's 1850's 1860's 1870's 1880's 1890's Year 1860 1861 1862 1863 1864 1865 1866 1867 1868 1869 The best search in Civil War History
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