2nd Battle of Bull of Run
On August 28, 1862, Union and Confederate forces met a second time at Bull Run (also known as Manassas Junction) in a bloody three-day battle.
Civil War
Birth of Benjamin Harrison
Benjamin Harrison was born in North Bend, Ohio, on August 20, 1833. America’s 23rd president, he was also a Civil War veteran and lawyer.
Civil War-Era Stamps Enter Usage
On August 17, 1861, the first of several Civil War-era stamps was used for the first time. New stamps were prepared to prevent the South from profiting off the sale of US stamps.
Battle of Mobile Bay Begins
On August 5, 1864, Admiral David Farragut led a successful naval attack that led to a Union victory at Mobile Bay, Alabama. Though the important city of Mobile remained part of the Confederacy, Mobile Bay was in Union hands and closed to blockade-runners.
Death of John C. Frémont
Explorer and soldier John C. Frémont died on July 13, 1890, in New York City. Nicknamed “The Pathfinder,” Frémont led several expeditions to the American West, served in the Civil War, and was a promising presidential candidate.
Birth of General Winfield Scott
Winfield Scott was born on June 13, 1786, in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. Nicknamed “Old Fuss and Feathers” and the “Grand Old Man of the Army,” he was one of America’s longest-serving military commanders.
Confederate Postal Service Begins
On June 1, 1861, the Confederate States of America took control of their own postal operations. With several months before official postage stamps would be ready, some cities produced their own postmaster’s provisional stamps to keep mail moving during this time.
Birth of Johns Hopkins
Johns Hopkins was born on May 19, 1795, in Anne Arundel County, Maryland. A successful businessman, he donated $7 million for the creation of schools and hospitals, the largest philanthropic gift in America up to that time.
Happy Birthday William H. Seward
William Henry Seward was born on May 16, 1801 in Florida, New York. Seward served as Abraham Lincoln’s secretary of state during the Civil War and later acquired Alaska for the United States.