Civil War Timeline / Chronology for March 1865

March 2, 1865	Battle of Waynesborough George Armstrong Custer [US] defeats Jubal Early [CS]	Virginia
	George Armstrong Custer
	Jubal Anderson Early
March 2, 1865	Robert E. Lee sends a message to Ulysess S. Grant asking for a conference to "iron out differences" between the North and the South.
	Robert E. Lee
	Ulysses S. Grant
March 3, 1865	Freedman's Bureau established
March 3, 1865	Abraham Lincoln issues instructions on surrender discussions. He gives Grant wide-ranging powers on military matters, but reserves political matters for himself
	Abraham Lincoln
	Ulysses S. Grant
March 4, 1865	Lincoln outlines his second term talking directly to the Confederate people "...with malice toward none; with charity for all..." Andrew Johnson, replacing Henry Hamlin as Vice-president gives a rambling, drunk speech. He had been given too much whiskey as medicine by a doctor.
	Abraham Lincoln
	Andrew Johnson
	Lincoln's Second Inaugural Speech [Full Text]
March 4, 1865	"Parson" Brownlow is elected the first post-war governor of Tennessee	Tennessee
March 8, 1865 March 10, 1865	Battle of Kinston	North Carolina
March 10, 1865	Now near Fayetteville, North Carolina, the major impediment to Sherman's Army march north was rain.	North Carolina
	William Tecumseh Sherman
March 11, 1865	Sherman captures Fayetteville	North Carolina
	William Tecumseh Sherman
March 13, 1865	Confederacy allows the induction of "negro soldiers." The measure did not state that blacks who fought for the Confederacy would be free, although that was apparently the understanding
March 14, 1865	General Jacob Cox occupies Kinston	North Carolina
March 16, 1865	Battle of Averasborough (Taylor's Hole) William Hardee tries to halt the federal advance near this small town. Slocum easily turned his flank.	North Carolina
	Lafayette McLaws
	William Hardee
March 19, 1865 March 21, 1865	Battle of Bentonville William Hardee, D. H. Hill and A. P. Stewart combine to attack Slocum's wing on the federal advance. In spite of initial gains they are repulsed. Sherman reinforces Slocum on the second day and Slocum nearly enveloped the Confederate forces on the third day.	North Carolina
	Lafayette McLaws
	Joseph E. Johnston
	William Tecumseh Sherman
	William Hardee
	Daniel Harvey Hill
March 22, 1865	Major General James Wilson [US] begins a "raid" in Selma.	Alabama
March 23, 1865	Abraham Lincoln leaves Washington for Ulysses S. Grant's headquarters in City Point.	Virginia
	Abraham Lincoln
March 25, 1865	Battle of Fort Stedman Confederates break Union line at Petersburg General John B. Gordon captured Fort Stedman, a Union outpost on the line around besieged Petersburg, eventually punching a hole 3/4 of mile wide. Confederate units then made a desperate attempt to hit the federal supply base at City Point. With overwhelming force the federal troops turned back the advance, recaptured the fort and retook the lines	Virginia
	Siege of Petersburg
March 27, 1865	Battle of Spanish Fort	Alabama
March 27, 1865	Lincoln held a council of war with Ulysses S. Grant, William Tecumseh Sherman, and David Porter on the River Queen at City Point
	Abraham Lincoln
	Ulysses S. Grant
	William Tecumseh Sherman
	David Porter
March 30, 1865	As Ulysses S. Grant extends his lines east of Richmond, Phil Sheridan's cavalry, along with some infantry support, come in contact with the Confederate right flank at Dinwiddie Court House.
	Ulysses S. Grant
	Philip Sheridan
March 31, 1865	Battle of White Oak Road	Virginia
	Siege of Petersburg
March 31, 1865	Battle of Dinwiddle Court House In a tactical victory for the Confederates, George Pickett [CS] turns back Phil Sheridan cavalry and elements of the Fifth Corps.	Virginia
	George Pickett
	Philip Sheridan