What was the most significant event on May 25 during the U.S. Civil War?

1862: Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson notches a victory at the First Battle of Winchester, Virginia, as part of his brilliant campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. Jackson, with 17,000 troops under his command, was sent to the Shenandoah to relieve pressure on the Confederate troops near Richmond, Virginia, who were facing the growing force of George McClellan on the James Peninsula.
The numbers from Jackson’s 1862 valley campaign are stunning. His men marched 350 miles in a month; occupied 60,000 Yankee troops, preventing them from applying pressure on Richmond; won four battles against three armies; and inflicted twice as many casualties as they suffered. Jackson’s record cemented his reputation as one of the greatest generals of all time.
1864: On the morning of May 25, Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren's V Corps probed CSA Gen A.P. Hill’s Third Corps lines on the western leg of the V and judged it too strong to attack. Gen Horatio Gouverneur Wright's VI Corps attempted to flank the Confederate line by crossing Little River, but found that Wade Hampton's cavalry was covering the fords. Hancock already knew the strength of the line facing him and did nothing further. For the rest of the day, light skirmishing occurred between the lines and Union soldiers occupied themselves by tearing up 5 miles of the Virginia Central Railroad, a key supply line from the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond. Grant's options were limited. The slaughter at Spotsylvania Court House ruled out the option of frontal attacks against the Confederate line and getting around either Confederate flank was infeasible. However, the Union general remained optimistic. He was convinced that Lee had demonstrated the weakness of his army by not attacking when he had the upper hand. He wrote to the Army's chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck: Lee's army is really whipped. The prisoners we now take show it, and the actions of his Army show it unmistakably. A battle with them outside of intrenchments cannot be had. Our men feel that they have gained the morale over the enemy, and attack him with confidence. I may be mistaken but I feel that our success over Lee's army is already assured
Pictures: 1864 Battle of North Anna May 25-26; 1864 Battle of New Hope Church, Georgia Map; 1865 Sherman tries to turn Johnston's left flank New Hope Dallas; xx
Since RallyPoint truncates survey selection text I am posting events that were not included and then the full text of each survey choice below:
A. Sunday, May 25, 1862: First Battle of Winchester, Virginia. Stonewall Jackson [CS] defeats Nathaniel Banks [US] Confederate victory. Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson notches a victory at the First Battle of Winchester, Virginia, as part of his brilliant campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. Jackson, with 17,000 troops under his command, was sent to the Shenandoah to relieve pressure on the Confederate troops near Richmond, Virginia, who were facing the growing force of George McClellan on the James Peninsula.
On May 25, Jackson found Banks outside of Winchester. He attacked the Union force but was initially repulsed. The Confederates then struck each Union flank, and this time the Yankee line broke. A confused retreat ensued through the town of Winchester, and even some residents fired on the departing Yankees. Banks fled the Shenandoah into Maryland, and Jackson continued his rampage. The Union casualties included 62 killed, 243 wounded and over 1,700 captured or missing, while 68 of Jackson’s men died and another 329 were wounded.
The numbers from Jackson’s 1862 valley campaign are stunning. His men marched 350 miles in a month; occupied 60,000 Yankee troops, preventing them from applying pressure on Richmond; won four battles against three armies; and inflicted twice as many casualties as they suffered. Jackson’s record cemented his reputation as one of the greatest generals of all time.
B. Monday, May 25 1863: Battle of Vicksburg begins. The battle began on the night of May 25, 1863. Vicksburg lasted for 47 days and concluded on July 4th, 1863. Union armies and naval forces were eager to wrest control of the Mississippi River from Confederate forces. Lincoln refers to Vicksburg as the key to the war, without it the war can never be brought to an end. Control of the river would allow for Northern Traffic on its whole length. What Happened? -The Battle of Vicksburg with different maneuvers Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his army crossed the Mississippi River and forced the Confederate army of Lt. Pemberton into a defensive on the outskirts of the city of Vicksburg -Grant hoping for a quick victory ordered Sherman's corps to attack along the Graveyard road just northeast of town Pemberton, the engineer, established strong works around the city, the union soldiers were repulsed and suffered 1,000 casualties.
C. Wednesday, May 25, 1864: Battle of New Hope Church. Georgia. Almost as soon as the Federals started moving, Gen. Joe Johnston knew they would not attack his Army of Tennessee at Allatoona, and were heading toward Dallas. He ordered William J. Hardee’s and Leonidas Polk’s corps to start marching there, but kept John Bell Hood at Allatoona for a day to make sure the Yankees had left. Hood marched to join the rest of the army on the 24th and took position on the right of the Confederate line here, at New Hope Church. The next day Hood learned from a prisoner that Geary's division and the rest of Hooker's Twentieth Corps were headed his way. The Confederates dug in or built log and rock parapets. In the Church cemetery, Marcellus Stovall’s brigade was content to use tombstones for protection.
Sherman ordered an attack that afternoon by Hooker’s three divisions: Brig. Gen. Alpheus Williams' was on the right, Daniel Butterfield's the left, and Geary's in reserve. The Federals trudged through a mile of woods and underbrush, then had to clamber down a wide ravine (which they called the "Hell hole") before climbing up to charge the Rebels on the high ground beyond.
The Confederate line was held by Maj. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart's division of Hood's corps. Though outnumbered, the Southerners had little difficulty in repelling Hooker's attack. Confederate artillery was particularly deadly. Sixteen cannon were engaged, supervised by Hood's chief of artillery, Col. Robert Beckham. Union General Williams attested to the Rebel guns' effectiveness: "they poured into us canister and shrapnel from all directions except the rear." At one point Stewart even declined Johnston’s offer to send reinforcements. "My own troops will hold the position," he answered.
They did. The Union assault, begun around 5 p.m., was thrown back and the fighting was ended two hours later. The Southerners cheered over their smart little defensive victory, which cost them between 300 and 400 men, of 4,000 in the division. Hooker's corps lost 1,665 killed, wounded, and missing (the latter were presumed dead on the battlefield, as the Federals could not retrieve their wounded).
D. Wednesday, May 25, 1864: Battle of the North Anna River, Virginia Day 3: Lt Gen U.S. Grant set his troops to work tearing up rail lines and damaging Confederate infrastructure. Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren pushed his V Corps into line to test CSA Gen A.P. Hill’s Third Corps lines, but finds them substantial, and chooses not to escalate his probing attacks. Then, Gen. Wright brought up his VI Corps on Warren’s right, in order to try to flank the Confederate lines. But Wright finds that Hill’s left is anchored on the Little River, and in order to flank him, the Federals need to cross it. But the fords are heavily guarded by the Southern cavalry in force, and Wright can find no opportunities to cross. The fighting on this day devolves into light skirmishing.
1. Saturday, May 25, 1861: General Butler started a move inland from Fort Monroe. His men occupied Hampton and this meant that Union forces were just 78 miles from Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy.
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2. Sunday, May 25, 1862: Halleck arrives outside of Corinth, Mississippi. It has taken him 26 days to march 20 miles, virtually unopposed
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3. Sunday, May 25, 1862: Battle of Winchester, Virginia. Stonewall Jackson [CS] defeats Nathaniel Banks [US]
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4. Sunday, May 25, 1862: First Battle of Winchester, Virginia. After two weeks of maneuvering and battles at Cross Keys and Front Royal, General "Stonewall" Jackson attacks Union forces at Winchester and successfully drives them from the city. The victory is the culmination of his 1862 Valley Campaign.
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5. Monday, May 25 1863: Clement Vallandigham is banished from Ohio to the Confederacy for his "pro-Confederate remarks." The exchange took place at Murfreesboro, Tennessee.
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6. Monday, May 25 1863: “One of the Civil War’s most unusual surrenders took place on May 25, 1863. Accompanied by two Union officers, a former Ohio congressman named Clement L. Vallandigham approached a Confederate soldier on picket duty outside Murfreesboro, Tenn., and recited a short speech: “I am a citizen of Ohio, and of the United States. I am here within your lines by force and against my will. I therefore surrender myself to you as a prisoner of war.”
An acknowledged leader of the Peace Democrats, or Copperheads, Vallandigham was an avowed “Western Man, by birth, in habit, by education” who possessed “little sympathy with the North.” He was also one of the loudest voices of pro-Southern dissent against the administration, and his banishment to Confederate-controlled territory represented the best choice among a menu of bad options for political damage control by Abraham Lincoln and his cabinet – even as it raised serious questions about the limits of civil liberties during wartime.”
{[opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com/2013/05/08/the-fire-in-the-rear/?_r=0]}
7. Monday, May 25 1863: CSA Major General Dick Ewell returns to the Army of Northern Virginia following the amputation of his leg after the battle of Groveton (Second Bull Run)
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8. Monday, May 25 1863: Pemberton and Grant have arranged a truce for this evening: HEADQUARTERS DEPARTMENT OF THE TENNESSEE, near Vicksburg, MISSISSIPPI, May 25, 1863 Major General WILLIAM T. SHERMAN, Commanding Fifteenth Army Corps: GENERAL: By an agreement entered into between the major-general commanding and Lieutenant-General Pemberton, commanding Confederate forces in Vicksburg, there will be a suspension of all hostilities for two hours and a half, to commence at 6 p. m. of today, during which time you will send and bury our dead and gather in any of our wounded we have in front of your line.
By order of Major General U. S. Grant: JNO. A. RAWLINS, Assistant Adjutant-General
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9. Wednesday, May 25, 1864: Battle of New Hope Church. Georgia. "Fighting Joe" Hooker runs into John Bell Hood's entrenched line in Paulding County.
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A Sunday, May 25, 1862: First Battle of Winchester, Virginia. Confederate victory. Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson notches a victory at the First Battle of Winchester, Virginia, as part of his brilliant campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. Jackson, with 17,000 troops under his command, was sent to the Shenandoah to relieve pressure on the Confederate troops near Richmond, Virginia, who were facing the growing force of George McClellan on the James Peninsula.
In early May, Jackson struck John C. Fremont’s force at McDowell, in western Virginia. After driving Fremont out of the area, Jackson turned his attention to an army under the command of Nathaniel Banks, situated at the north end of the Shenandoah Valley. With only 10,000 troops, Banks had the unenviable task of holding off the fast-moving Jackson.
On May 25, Jackson found Banks outside of Winchester. He attacked the Union force but was initially repulsed. The Confederates then struck each Union flank, and this time the Yankee line broke. A confused retreat ensued through the town of Winchester, and even some residents fired on the departing Yankees. Banks fled the Shenandoah into Maryland, and Jackson continued his rampage. The Union casualties included 62 killed, 243 wounded and over 1,700 captured or missing, while 68 of Jackson’s men died and another 329 were wounded.
The numbers from Jackson’s 1862 valley campaign are stunning. His men marched 350 miles in a month; occupied 60,000 Yankee troops, preventing them from applying pressure on Richmond; won four battles against three armies; and inflicted twice as many casualties as they suffered. Jackson’s record cemented his reputation as one of the greatest generals of all time.
{[history.com/this-day-in-history/confederates-score-a-victory-at-first-battle-of-winchester}]
A+ Sunday, May 25, 1862: First Battle of Winchester, Virginia; Eastern Theater, Shenandoah Valley Campaign
Through morning fog, Confederate troops advance to feel out the Union lines. Jackson has Ewell with several brigades on the right, and his own division of mostly Virginia regiments on the left. The artillery of both sides engage in a duel for an hour, but the Union guns fall back closer to town. Ewell’s troops, consisting mostly of Trimble’s brigade of North Carolinians, Georgians, Marylanders, Mississippians, and Alabamans, move forward to strike Donelly’s New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut troops. Jackson moves Ewell’s brigade of Louisianans, under Gen. Richard Taylor, around to the left, to strike the Union right flank. Led by Wheat’s Louisiana Tigers, Taylor hits the Federals on the flank. At the same time, Winder’s Stonewall Brigade advances to the front of the Union line, and both flanks cave in. Feeling that they are nearly surrounded, the Northern troops panic, and all organization dissolves into confused mob. The Union troops flee the city in a rout, with no semblance of organization or order. Jackson tries to give pursuit, but his men are still entirely spent from the previous four days’ march and no rest, and Ashby’s cavalry is nowhere to be found to give pursuit. As the Yankees retreat in disorder northward, Jackson cannot pursue them very far, and thus misses his chance to completely destroy Banks’ force.
{[civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=May+25%2C+1862]}
B Monday, May 25 1863: Battle of Vicksburg begins. The battle began on the night of May 25, 1863. Vicksburg lasted for 47 days and concluded on July 4th, 1863. Union armies and naval forces were eager to wrest control of the Mississippi River from Confederate forces. Lincoln refers to Vicksburg as the key to the war, without it the war can never be brought to an end. Control of the river would allow for Northern Traffic on its whole length. What Happened? -The Battle of Vicksburg with different maneuvers Major General Ulysses S. Grant and his army crossed the Mississippi River and forced the Confederate army of Lt. Pemberton into a defensive on the outskirts of the city of Vicksburg -Grant hoping for a quick victory ordered Sherman's corps to attack along the Graveyard road just northeast of town Pemberton, the engineer, established strong works around the city, the union soldiers were repulsed and suffered 1,000 casualties.
3 days later another attack on Confederate forces was made: Sherman along the graveyard road, Maj. General James McPherson hitting the center from the Jackson road, and John McClernand attacking from the south near Bladwin Ferry Road and the Southern railroad of Mississippi. Continued Battle of Vicksburg While McClernand’s men briefly penetrated what was called the railroad redoubt, all 3 attacks were failed and experienced a total loss of 3,000 men. These 2 failed attacks and strong defensive works by the confederates, convinced Grant to take down the city with a siege. Grant wished to siege the city and cut Vicksburg off from all supply. The Siege of Vicksburg His attack is a classic example of Siege warfare which is a blockade of the city. Grant blocked off all goods from the city. With over 70,000 men, Grant’s forces took weeks to dig trenches that would slowly bring them closer to Pemberton's positions. some of the mining projects were met by counter attacks where miners ensued hours of hand to hand combat. Inside of Vicksburg the civilians hid in caves to avoid the cannons of Grant and his men that surrounded the town and stood at the fleet of the river. On July 3rd Pemberton rode out to discuss surrender terms with Grant. Grant agreed to parole Pemberton’s men, and the next morning of July 4th the confederate soldiers began marching out and stacking their guns. Despite the prolonged attacks the confederate losses were light, some 29,500 surrendered. The city of Vicksburg would not celebrate The Fourth of July as a holiday until well into the 20th century. Siege of Vicksburg Continues Aftermath of Vicksburg On that same July 4, Robert E. Lee' army retreated toward Virginia after defeat in Gettysburg. Also Helena and Arkansas falling to union forces. The war now shifted in favor of the North.
The confederacy was now divided east and west. Pemberton found the confederate government was no longer willing to entrust him with high command and decided to resign and re-enlist as a private. He was soon commissioned as a lieutenant coronel of artillery instead by Southern President Jefferson Davis. Significance of Vicksburg Grant Cemented himself as a fighter who won tough battles. Was announced command of all Union armies the following summer Overall, with the loss of Pemberton’s army the confederacy was effectively split in half. With the win at Gettysburg, the battle of Vicksburg was a major turning point in the war for the Union. Victory gave the North control of the Mississippi which enabled them to transport goods, raw materials, and crops from the South to the North Effectively Vicksburg was able to end the war. With Gettysburg 2 days prior and the ability to cut off trade, and the transportation of troops and goods. Due to the siege many people were forced to eat dogs, and even rats for food. People how no way to get goods from the outside world.
{[prezi.com/uulztayo6f2y/battle-of-vicksburg/]}
C Wednesday, May 25, 1864: Battle of New Hope Church. Georgia. Almost as soon as the Federals started moving, Johnston knew they would not attack him at Allatoona, and were heading toward Dallas. He ordered Hardee’s and Polk’s corps to start marching there, but kept Hood at Allatoona for a day to make sure the Yankees had left. Hood marched to join the rest of the army on the 24th and took position on the right of the Confederate line here, at New Hope Church. The next day Hood learned from a prisoner that Geary's division and the rest of Hooker's Twentieth Corps were headed his way. The Confederates dug in or built log and rock parapets. In the Church cemetery, Marcellus Stovall’s brigade was content to use tombstones for protection.
Sherman ordered an attack that afternoon by Hooker’s three divisions: Brig. Gen. Alpheus Williams' was on the right, Daniel Butterfield's the left, and Geary's in reserve. The Federals trudged through a mile of woods and underbrush, then had to clamber down a wide ravine (which they called the "Hell hole") before climbing up to charge the Rebels on the high ground beyond.
The Confederate line was held by Maj. Gen. Alexander P. Stewart's division of Hood's corps. Though outnumbered, the Southerners had little difficulty in repelling Hooker's attack. Confederate artillery was particularly deadly. Sixteen cannon were engaged, supervised by Hood's chief of artillery, Col. Robert Beckham. Union General Williams attested to the Rebel guns' effectiveness: "they poured into us canister and shrapnel from all directions except the rear." At one point Stewart even declined Johnston’s offer to send reinforcements. "My own troops will hold the position," he answered.
They did. The Union assault, begun around 5 p.m., was thrown back and the fighting was ended two hours later. The Southerners cheered over their smart little defensive victory, which cost them between 300 and 400 men, of 4,000 in the division. Hooker's corps lost 1,665 killed, wounded, and missing (the latter were presumed dead on the battlefield, as the Federals could not retrieve their wounded).
{[civilwar.org/battlefields/new-hope-church.html?tab=facts]}
C Wednesday, May 25, 1864 --- Atlanta Campaign---Battle of New Hope Church: Gen. Johnston’s Army of Tennessee halts at New Hope Church, forming a line with Hood in the center, Polk on the left, and Hardee on the right. Gen. Hooker’s bluecoats (XX Corps) strike the Confederate line in the center, and loses heavily against well-positioned artillery and the Rebel infantry who have an unobstructed field of fire. Hooker disengages and pull back. Some Union soldiers describe it as some of the most intense musketry of the war.
{[civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=May+25%2C+1864}]
D Wednesday, May 25, 1864 --- Battle of the North Anna River [May 23-26, 1864] Day 3: Gen. Gouverneur K. Warren pushes his V Corps into line to test A.P. Hill’s Third Corps lines, but finds them substantial, and chooses not to escalate his probing attacks. Then, Gen. Wright brings up his VI Corps on Warren’s right, in order to try to flank the Confederate lines. But Wright finds that Hill’s left is anchored on the Little River, and in order to flank him, the Federals need to cross it. But the fords are heavily guarded by the Southern cavalry in force, and Wright can find no opportunities to cross. The fighting on this day devolves into light skirmishing.
{[civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=May+25%2C+1864]}
D On the morning of May 25, Warren's V Corps probed A.P. Hill's line on the western leg of the V and judged it too strong to attack. Wright's VI Corps attempted to flank the Confederate line by crossing Little River, but found that Wade Hampton's cavalry was covering the fords. Hancock already knew the strength of the line facing him and did nothing further. For the rest of the day, light skirmishing occurred between the lines and Union soldiers occupied themselves by tearing up 5 miles of the Virginia Central Railroad, a key supply line from the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond. Grant's options were limited. The slaughter at Spotsylvania Court House ruled out the option of frontal attacks against the Confederate line and getting around either Confederate flank was infeasible. However, the Union general remained optimistic. He was convinced that Lee had demonstrated the weakness of his army by not attacking when he had the upper hand. He wrote to the Army's chief of staff, Maj. Gen. Henry W. Halleck: Lee's army is really whipped. The prisoners we now take show it, and the actions of his Army show it unmistakably. A battle with them outside of intrenchments cannot be had. Our men feel that they have gained the morale over the enemy, and attack him with confidence. I may be mistaken but I feel that our success over Lee's army is already assured.
{[wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_North_Anna]}

To the North Anna River, The Overland Campaign: Civil War Richmond
Garry Adelman of the American Battlefield Trust and Bobby Krick of the National Park Service make stops at Carmel Baptist Church, the North Anna River and The Fox House to detail the beginning of the Overland Campaign of 1864.
This video was originally made for American Battlefield Trust Color Bearer members and is now available for our entire YouTube audience!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3lVXQe_14Vk

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