What Happened in May 1862

Battle of Dragoon Springs

The Battle of Dragoon Springs was a minor skirmish between a small troop of Confederate soldiers, (Company A of Governor John R. Baylor's Regiment... Read more

Battle of Williamsburg - Peninsula Campaign's First Battle

The Battle of Williamsburg, also known as the Battle of Fort Magruder, took place on May 5, 1862, in York County, James City County, and... Read more

First Cinco De Mayo

Mexican troops under General Ignacio Zaragoza successfully defended the town of Puebla on May 5, 1862, temporarily halting France's efforts to... Read more

Battle of Eltham's Landing

The Battle of Eltham's Landing, also known as the Battle of Barhamsville, or West Point, took place on May 7, 1862, in New Kent County, Virginia,... Read more

Battle of McDowell - Stonewall Jackson's Confederates Defeat Union Forces

Description: From Staunton, Maj. Gen. T.J. Jackson marched his army west along the Parkersburg Road to confront two brigades of Frémont’s force... Read more

Battle of Drewry's Bluff

The Battle of Drewry’s Bluff, also known as the Battle of Fort Darling or Fort Drewry, took place on May 15, 1862, in Chesterfield County,... Read more

Lincoln Establishes the Department of Agriculture

On May 15, 1862, President Abraham Lincoln established the independent Department of Agriculture to be headed by a Commissioner without Cabinet... Read more

Battle of Whitney's Lane

The Battle of Whitney's Lane was a small, but psychologically important, land battle of the American Civil War fought on May 19, 1862, in... Read more

Abraham Lincoln Signs the Homestead Act

President Abraham Lincoln signed the Homestead Act on May 20, 1862. The act provided settlers with 160 acres of surveyed public land after payment... Read more

Battle of Front Royal

Description of the Battle Prelude: On 21 May 1862, the US army under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks, numbering about 9,000 men, was concentrated... Read more

Belle Boyd Braves Enemy Fire while Spying for Confederacy

Isabella Marie Boyd (May 9, 1844[2] – June 11, 1900), best known as Belle Boyd considering her middle name; or Cleopatra of the Secession, was a... Read more

First Battle of Winchester - Stonewall Jackson Defeats Nathaniel P. Banks

Description: After skirmishing with Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks’s retreating army at Middletown and Newtown on May 24, Maj. Gen. T.J. Jackson’s... Read more

Battle of Hanover Court House - Victory for Union Peninsula Campaign

The Battle of Hanover Court House, also known as the Battle of Slash Church, took place on May 27, 1862, in Hanover County, Virginia, as part of... Read more

Battle of Seven Pines

The Battle of Seven Pines, also known as the Battle of Fair Oaks or Fair Oaks Station, took place on May 31 and June 1, 1862, in Henrico County,... Read more