Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry and two captured Union boats move up the Tennessee River to Johnsonville and attacked the Union supply depot there causing major damage
Republican Abraham Lincoln defeats Democrat George McClellan to serve a second term as President of the United States. Andrew Johnson, a unionist from Tennessee is his Vice President
General Sherman in Cartersville sends his last message to General Thomas in Nashville, Tennessee. He will be out of communication with the North until December 13.
Some historians use this date as the start of the March to the Sea. By this time Sherman had marched almost 100 miles, destroyed all or part of Rome, Cartersville and Marietta, Georgia and torn up all the Western and Atlanta track between Dalton and Atlanta.