This week in the Civil War

Courtesy of the Associated Press

This Week in The Civil War: Lincoln’s proclamation

On April 15, 1861, President Abraham Lincoln issues a proclamation seeking to muster 75,000 volunteer troops and calling a special session of Congress to open July 4th.

Lincoln’s war secretary sends dispatches to the governors of several states designating troop quotas for each under the proclamation, but several slaveholding states refuse to comply. Virginia is considered crucial, and a state convention being held when the hostilities at Fort Sumter erupt goes into secret session after the president’s call for troops.

On April 17, Virginia secedes from the Union and will be followed within weeks by more states in what will emerge as an 11-state Confederacy.

On April 19, 1861, Lincoln issues a proclamation of a blockade against Southern ports, seeking to cripple the South’s ability to supply itself in wartime.

About civilwarweek

Member - Minnesota Civil War Commemoration Task Force, Civil War reenactor and historian since 1993, holds Bachelor's Degree in History from Concordia University-St. Paul, currently pursuing Master's Degree in History at St. Cloud State University and is author of the forthcoming book, "Muskets and Memories: A Modern Man's Journey through the Civil War."
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