Video: 'WVat150 1863 Statehood'

(Monday, April 20, 1863; during the American Civil War) — U.S. President Abraham Lincoln signed a proclamation today admitting West Virginia to the Union, effective in 60 days (June 20, 1863).

(Thursday, April 2, 1863; during the American Civil War) — Food shortages incited thousands of people, mostly women, to riot today in Richmond, Virginia, and demand that the Confederate government release emergency supplies. Citizens broke into shops and began seizing clothing, shoes, food and even jewelry before the Militia arrived to restore order.

(Saturday, January 31, 1863; during the American Civil War) — The First South Carolina Volunteers, an all-black Union regiment composed of escaped slaves from South Carolina and Florida, was mustered into federal service today at Beaufort, South Carolina.

Video: 'Private Chatfield wrote on 1862-12-29.avi'

(Monday, December 29, 1862; during the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, the opening engagement of the Vicksburg Campaign during the American Civil War) — Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman ordered a frontal assault on Confederate forces under Lt. Gen. John C. Pemberton at Warren County, Mississippi, today, then withdrew when it was repulsed with heavy casualties. The Confederate victory frustrated Maj. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant’s attempts to take Vicksburg by direct approach.

Video: 'Fredericksburg: The Wall, December 11, 1862' (Dec. 15, 1862, at 5:35)

(Monday, December 15, 1862, during the Battle of Fredericksburg, part of the American Civil War) — Having suffered a decisive defeat, Federal forces retreated today across the Rappahannock River, ending the Battle of Fredericksburg. In all, the Union army suffered 12,653 casualties, including 1,284 killed, 9,600 wounded and 1,769 captured/missing.

Video: 'Fredericksburg: The Wall, December 11, 1862' (Dec. 14, 1862, at 5:22)

(Sunday, December 14, 1862, during the Battle of Fredericksburg, part of the American Civil War) — Maj. Gen. Ambrose Burnside of the Union Army of the Potomac asked General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate Army of Northern Virginia for a truce today to attend to his wounded, which the latter graciously granted.

Video: Oct. 1862 (at 1:01:15)

(Monday, October 6, 1862, during the American Civil War) — A notice in the New York Times today announced that an exhibition of photographs of the Battle of Antietam taken by Mathew Brady (titled “The Dead Of Antietam”) were being displayed at the National Gallery, corner of Broadway and Tenth-street.

This was the first time that many Americans saw the realities of war in photographs as distinct from previous “artists’ impressions.”

Video: Oct. 3, 1862 (at 58:39)

(Friday, October 3, 1862, during the American Civil War) — U.S. President Abraham Lincoln reviewed his troops today at the Antietam battlefield in Maryland to assess the situation following the bloodiest battle in American history. Lincoln met with Gen. George McClellan and also posed for a half-dozen pictures by Alexander Gardner.

Video: Sept. 21, 1862 (at 1:00:02)

(Sunday, September 21, 1862, during the American Civil War) — Margaret Lea Houston, former First Lady of the Republic of Texas, wrote to her eldest son, Sam Jr., today, notifying him of the deaths of ten of his friends and school mates.