THE ARMY ALMANAC Army retirement system inaugurated on a limited scale for officers. Port Royal, South Carolina, captured by Navy. Battle between ironclads Monitor and Merrimac, Hampton Roads. -7 April, Shiloh Campaign. -17 June, (Shenandoah) Valley Campaign. The Morrill Act grants public lands for establishment of colleges, Halleck becomes General-in-Chief. -2 September, Manassas Campaign. -17 September, Antietam (Sharpsburg) Campaign. Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation, exercising his au- Lincoln appoints Maj. Gen. Ambrose E. Burnside commander of the -15 December, Fredericksburg campaign. -4 January 1863, Murfreesboro (Stone River) Campaign. Maj. Gen. Joseph Hooker replaces Burnside as commander of the Signal Corps established. Congress passes the Enrollment Act, the first national draft law. -4 July, Vicksburg Campaign. -6 May, Chancellorsville Campaign. Maj. Gen. George G. Meade replaces Hooker as commander of the -3 July, Gettysburg Campaign. -22 September, Chickamauga Campaign. -27 November, Chattanooga Campaign. Lincoln relieves Halleck as General-in-Chief, makes Ulysses S. Grant -7 May, Wilderness Campaign. -2 April, 1865, Petersburg Campaign. -12 July, Maj. Gen. Jubal Early's Confederate corps reaches outskirts of Washington, skirmishes briskly in vicinity of Fort Steven. and withdraws. -28 November, Shenandoah Campaign. -21 December, Sherman's "March to the Sea." Confederate forces evacuate Savannah on 21 December. Battle of Franklin. -16 December, Nashville Campaign. Carolinas. march northward Lincoln inaugurated for second term. -9 April, Appomattox Campaign. Union forces under Maj. Gen. Edward R. B. Canby capture Mobile, President Lincoln is shot; dies next day. Lee surrenders to Grant. 12 April Maj. Gen. Howell Cobb, Confederate District of Georgia, surrenders General Edmund Kirby Smith, Confederate Trans-Mississippi Depart- Civil War officially ended by President Johnson. Grand Army of Republic holds first national encampment at U.S. purchases Alaska from Russia. The Army is sent to establish military occupation, which lasts until June 1877. "Wagon Box Fight." Comanches Campaign. Capt. Charles W. Raymond, C. E., explores Yukon River. The weather service is established Service. as part of the Army Signal Modocs Campaign. Army adopts breech-loading rifle, Springfield model 1873. Little Big Horn Campaign. Lt. Col. George A. Custer with five companies of 7th Cavalry surrounded and massacred on 25 June 1876. Nez Percés Campaign. U. S. troops withdraw from their quarters in the Orleans_Hotel, near Louisiana State House, New Orleans, marking end of "Reconstruction" period. Bannocks Campaign. Cheyennes Campaign. -November, 1880, Utes Campaign. Maj. George N. Sternberg, army surgeon, discovers pneumococcus germ as result of long research. Command and General Staff College established. Greely Arctic Expedition under Lt. A. W. Greely, U. S. Army. Thirteen years' work completed on geographic-topographic surveys Last spike driven at Cajon Pass on California-Southern Railway. Maxim gun, forerunner of machine gun, tested successfully at Anna- -January 1891, Pine Ridge Campaign. Battle of Wounded Knee Creek against the Sioux; last major Indian battle in the U. S. Miners' strike begins in Idaho. Following violence, martial law declared and Federal troops called in on 14 July. Army adopts Krag-Jorgenson repeating rifle; its cartridge is the first adopted by Army which uses smokeless powder. Beginning of Pullman Strike. Army called out in Chicago (Ill.) and in five other States. -1898, Cuban insurrection against Spain, arousing increasing sympathy in U. S. U.S.S. Maine blown up in Havana Harbor. Army establishes safety zone in Alaska to protect life and property during gold rush. Congress passes resolution proclaiming Cuba free and independent, and authorizing the President to use land and naval forces to expel Spain from the island. President calls for 125,000 volunteers. Congress declares that war with Spain has existed since 21 April. Spanish fleet under Adm. Cervera enters Santiago Harbor. 11 July, Santiago Campaign. Cervera's squadron, attempting to run American blockade, destroyed by U. S. fleet. -13 August, Puerto Rico Campaign. -13 August, Manila Campaign. Spain signs U. S. peace protocol, ending hostilities. Treaty of Peace -17 March, Manila Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. -16 August, Malolos Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. -17 April, Laguna de Bay Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. -30 May, and 15 October-19 November, San Isidro Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. Zapote River Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. 4 January-9 February, 1900, Cavite Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. -20 November, Tarlac Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. Yang-tsin Campaign, China Relief Expedition. -15 August, Peking Campaign, China Relief Expedition. Army War College established. -31 December, 1904 and 22 October, 1905, Mindanao Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. An act of Congress, the "Dick Bill," is an important step in the development of the National Guard. Congress establishes a General Staff Corps and provides for a Chief of Staff. Army adopts Springfield rifle. First Chief of Staff, Lt. Gen. S. B. M. Young, takes office. Orville Wright flies 120 feet in a 12-second flight at Kitty Hawk (N. C.); first time that a machine carrying a man raises itself into the air in full flight by its own power. 6-8 March 1906, 11-15 June 1913, Jolo Campaign, Philippine Insurrection. San Francisco hit by earthquake and fire. U. S. Army assumes control, establishes order, and organizes relief. The Coast Artillery Corps and the Field Artillery are established as separate branches of the Army. Signal Corps establishes Aeronautical Division to take "charge of War Department accepts its first military airplane. School of Fire established at Fort Sill, Oklahoma; redesignated the Compulsory typhoid vaccination adopted in the Army. Floods in the valleys of the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers render many homeless. Army called out to alleviate suffering of refugees. School of Musketry, forerunner of present Infantry School, established at Fort Sill, Oklahoma. U. S. forces occupy Vera Cruz, Mexico. Archduke Francis Ferdinand of Austria and his wife assassinated at Congress establishes Aviation Section in Signal Corps. British liner Lusitania torpedoed by German submarine with_loss -7 February 1917, Mexico 1916-1917 Campaign. National Defense Act of 1916 provides, among other things, that the Army of the United States shall consist of the Regular Army, Volunteer Army, Officers' Reserve Corps, Enlisted Reserve Corps, National Guard while in the service of the United States, and such other land forces as are now or may hereafter be authorized by law. Veterinary Corps established. Germany notifies U. S. of resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare on 1 February. U. S. severs diplomatic relations 3 February. U. S. declares war on Germany. The Selective Service Act provides for an emergency increase in the Army and for: (1) draft of National Guard into active service; (2) raising by draft of 500,000 enlisted men for service; and (3) an additional draft of 500,000 men for training. Maj. Gen. John J. Pershing designated Commander-in-Chief of the American Expeditionary Forces (AEF). Pershing lands in France on 13 June. First contingent of U. S. 1st Division (as First Expeditionary Divi- Pershing establishes Line of Communications, AEF; redesignated Maj. Gen. Tasker H. Bliss appointed Chief of Staff, U. S. Army. Kerensky government overthrown by Bolshevik (October) Revolution, led by Lenin and Trotsky. -4 December, Cambrai Campaign. This was the first major offensive in which American troops participated. The 11th, 12th, and 14th Engineer Regiments served with the British. U. S. declares war on Austria-Hungary. President Wilson outlines fourteen-point peace program which includes a proposal for a League of Nations. Tank Corps established. First number of The Stars and Stripes, service newspaper of the -6 April, Somme Defensive Campaign. General Ferdinand Foch appointed "to coordinate the operations of Maj. Gen. Peyton C. March appointed Chief of Staff, U. S. Army. Capture of Cantigny by 1st Division, supported by American and 2d Division (with Marine brigade) counterattacks successfully -13 June, Montdidier-Noyon Campaign. Chemical Corps established. -18 July, Champagne-Marne Campaign. -6 August. Aisne-Marne Campaign. -11 November, Somme Offensive Campaign. U. S. troops land at Vladivostok as part of a joint Allied expedition. -11 November, Oise-Aisne Campaign. -11 November, Ypres-Lys Campaign. Murmansk Expedition (later designated American Expeditionary Force, North Russia) arrives at Archangel, Russia. -11 November, Meuse-Argonne Campaign. Military Police Corps established in the AEF. November, Vittorio Veneto Campaign. Armistice signed in Forest of Compiegne, France, at 5 AM, to take effect 11 AM. American Third Army designated the Army of Occupation (Ger- Treaty of Versailles signed; never ratified by U. S. American expedition to Siberia withdrawn. Army Chemical Corps and Army Finance Department established. Joint resolution of Congress declares war with Germany at end. American Unknown Soldier (of World War I) buried at Arlington American flag lowered from Fortress Ehrenbreitstein at Coblenz, end- First term of Army Industrial College opens. An Act of Congress establishes the Air Corps of the U. S. Army. The Kellogg-Briand Pact, signed at Paris, outlaws war as an instru- Chief of Staff given rank of general by Congress. -22 April. The London Naval Conference results in three-power Bonus Marchers in Washington dispersed by Army troops under Civilian Conservation Corps established. Placed under Army control A General Headquarters Air Force established. Germany reoccupies Rhineland in violation of Treaty of Versailles. Army issues new Protective Mobilization Plan. Japanese airmen sink U. S. gunboat Panay in Chinese waters. By the Munich Conference and Agreement Hitler acquires all of Czechoslovakia dismembered by Hitler and placed under German German-Russian nonaggression pact signed at Moscow. An entire battalion is airborne for first time in American history Congress provides that service in the Army during time of war will War Department releases war material to Great Britain upon ap- Test Parachute Platoon organized by Chief of Infantry. Congress authorizes the President to call into active service members Fifty American destroyers transferred to Great Britain in exchange Congress provides for Selective Service to increase forces, and provides for: (a) draft quotas; (b) training of draftees. Air Corps Ferrying Command established; redesignated Air Transport President Roosevelt proclaims an unlimited state of national emergency. Army Air Forces established. U. S. forces land in Iceland. Military Police Corps established. Atlantic Charter (joint declaration of peace aims) issued by Roose- Bill signed permitting Army to keep men in service 18 months or "Pearl Harbor Day." Without warning, Japanese planes bomb Pearl -6 December 1943, Central Pacific Campaign. United States declares a state of war with Japan. Japanese bomb islands of Wake and Guam, Clark and Iba Airfields in the Philippines; invade Malaya and Thailand, and seize International Settlement at Shanghai. Japanese bomb Nichols Field near Manila. Japanese capture Guam, and begin landings on North Luzon. Chennault's American Volunteer Group (Flying Tigers) enters com- Japanese begin main landings along coast of Lingayen Gulf on -7 January 1942, Gen. Douglas MacArthur evacuates Manila and Japan captures Wake Island. -14 January 1942, Anglo-American Conference (ARCADIA) meets in Washington. -22 July, East Indies Campaign. The Combined Chiefs of Staff (American and British), to conduct high-level control of war, are established; also the U. S. Joint Chiefs of Staff. American-British-Dutch-Australian Java. Command (ABDA) opens on First convoy of American troops arrives in Northern Ireland. Gen. Joseph W. Stilwell designated Chief of Staff to Supreme Com- Enemy submarine shells oil refinery near Santa Barbara (Cal.); first Battle of Java Sea; organized Allied naval resistance in that area Japanese land at Salamaua and Lae, New Guinea; occupy Burma, Antiaircraft Command established. War Department reorganized; Army units land in Australia. MacArthur arrives 17 March. MacArthur designated Allied Supreme Commander, Southwest Pacific U. S. forces on Bataan surrender. -3 September 1945, Air Offensive, Japan. 16 planes from carrier Hornet, led by Lt. Col James H. Doolittle, Gen. Jonathan Wainwright forced to surrender unconditionally all Battle of the Coral Sea. Women's Army Corps (originally Women's Army Auxiliary Corps) established. -24 August 1943, Aleutian Islands Campaign. Battle of Midway. Japanese land on Attu and Kiska, Aleutian Islands. European Theater of Operations established. U. S. air forces bomb oilfield at Ploesti, Rumania. Japanese submarine shells Ft. Stevens Military Reservation at mouth of Columbia River; first foreign attack on a continental military installation since War of 1812. Stilwell becomes commander of U. S. forces in CBI Theatre. -4 May 1945, China Defensive. 4 July 4 July -5 June 1944, Air Offensive, Europe. -12 February 1943, Egypt-Libya Campaign. -23 January 1943, Papua Campaign. Transportation Corps established. -21 February 1943, Guadalcanal Campaign. |