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 May 1864 <<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, 1864 May, 1864 September, 1864 February, 1864 June, 1864 October, 1864 March, 1864 July, 1864 November, 1864 April, 1864 August, 1864 December, 1864 May 1, 1864 Federal troops return to Alexandria. Heavy skirmishing will continue for days. Louisiana   Red River Campaign May 4, 1864 The final Spring Campaign of the Civil War began as the Army of the Potomac crossed the Rapidan River in Virginia and three smaller armys (Ohio, Tennessee and Cumberland) pushed deeper into Georgia. Georgia Virginia   Army of the Potomac   Army of the Cumberland   Army of the Tennessee   Army of the Ohio May 4, 1864 The radical Wade-Davis Reconstruction Act passes in the U. S. House. May 5, 1864 May 7, 1864 Battle of the Wilderness Ulysses S. Grant [US] is badly beaten on the field by Robert E. Lee [CS] but rather than retreat, Grant advances to Spotsylvania Court House. Union: 17,666 Confederate: 7,750 Virginia   Bloodiest Civil War battles   Robert E. Lee   Ulysses S. Grant   Army of Northern Virginia   Overland Campaign   James Longstreet   Winfield Scott Hancock   A. P. Hill   Richard Ewell   Gouverneur K. Warren   John Sedgwick May 5, 1864 Army of the James under General Benjamin Butler [US] lands at Bermuda Hundred and City Point, east of Petersburg. The Army is comprised of two corps totaling nearly 40,000 men. Virginia   Benjamin Butler   Quincy A. Gillmore   William Farrar Smith May 5, 1864 William W. Averill [US] leaves Logan Court House with orders to destroy the the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad West Virginia May 6, 1864 A half-hearted attack by the Army of the James on the Southside Railroad is repulsed by George Pickett [CS] Virginia   George Pickett   Army of the James May 7, 1864 May 11, 1864 Battle of Rocky Face Ridge (Dalton) Battle of Dug Gap Georgia   George Thomas   Joseph E. Johnston   Atlanta Campaign May 7, 1864 Army of the James briefly siezes the Richmond and Petersburg Railroad before retiring   Army of the James May 8, 1864 May 19, 1864 Battle of Spotsylvania Court House In an inconclusive battle, General Ulysses S. Grant [US] and Robert E. Lee [CS] battle for days southwest of Fredericksburg Union 18,399 Confederate 9,000 Virginia   Robert E. Lee   Ulysses S. Grant   Bloodiest Civil War battles   Army of Northern Virginia   Overland Campaign   Richard Ewell May 9, 1864 May 24, 1864 Sheridan's Raid on Richmond Virginia   Sheridans Raid on Richmond   Richmond, Virginia May 9, 1864 General John Sedgwick [US] is killed by a Confederate sharpshooter during the battle of Spotsylvania. He is replaced by Horatio Wright   Generals Who Died In the Civil War   John Sedgwick May 9, 1864 Coming out of Snake Creek Gap, General James McPherson runs into a Rebel force at Resaca that was stronger than expected. He returns to the gap rather than attack. Georgia   Atlanta Campaign   James McPherson May 9, 1864 Stephen D. Lee [CS] is ordered to take command of the Department of Alabama, Mississippi and East Louisiana, but there is little to command. May 9, 1864 Battle of Cloyd's Mountain Virginia   Rutherford B. Hayes May 11, 1864 Battle of Yellow Tavern J. E. B. Stuart [CS] is mortally wounded in losing to Phillip Sheridan Virginia   Overland Campaign   Philip Sheridan   J. E. B. Stuart   Sheridans Raid on Richmond   George Armstrong Custer May 13, 1864 First soldier interred at Arlington National Cemetery Virginia   Civil War National Cemeteries   Civil War Firsts May 13, 1864 May 15, 1864 Battle of Resaca Georgia   George Thomas   William Tecumseh Sherman   Joseph E. Johnston   Atlanta Campaign   Battle of Resaca   Leonidas Polk   William Hardee   James McPherson May 15, 1864 Battle of New Market Major General John Breckinridge [CS], using a ragtag force that included VMI cadets attacked Franz Sigel's [US] line near the north fork of the Shenandoah River. Sigel eventually withdrew to Strasburg. Virginia   John Breckinridge May 17, 1864 Battle of Adairsville Georgia   Atlanta Campaign May 18, 1864 Skirmish at Woodlands (Barnsley Gardens and Resort) Georgia   Atlanta Campaign May 19, 1864 Congress passes legislation creating the Official Records.   Official Records May 20, 1864 President Lincoln signs the legislation creating the Official Records   Official Records   Abraham Lincoln May 25, 1864 Battle of New Hope Church "Fighting Joe" Hooker runs into John Bell Hood's entrenched line in Paulding County Georgia   Joseph Hooker   Atlanta Campaign   Joseph E. Johnston   John Bell Hood May 26, 1864 Territory of Montana is formed from the Territory of Idaho May 27, 1864 Battle of Picketts Mill Georgia   George Thomas   Joseph E. Johnston   William Tecumseh Sherman   Atlanta Campaign   Oliver O. Howard May 28, 1864 Battle of Dallas Georgia   Atlanta Campaign May 31, 1864 June 12, 1864 Battle of Cold Harbor Robert E. Lee [CS] defeats General Ulysses S. Grant [US] and General George Meade [US] Virginia   Army of Northern Virginia   Robert E. Lee   George Meade   Ulysses S. Grant   Gouverneur K. Warren May 31, 1864 A small convention in Cleveland of Republican abolitionists unhappy with Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and other things, nominates John C. Fremont for president. Ohio   John C. Fremont   Election of 1864 January, 1864 May, 1864 September, 1864 February, 1864 June, 1864 October, 1864 March, 1864 July, 1864 November, 1864 April, 1864 August, 1864 December, 1864 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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