Today in History

Month
Feb. 1, 1781
Sketch of the Catawba River at McCowan's Ford

Battle of Cowan’s Ford

Feb. 2, 1802
Portrait of David Hunter, 1861

David Hunter, Union Major General during the Civil War, born

Feb. 3, 1779

Battle of Port Royal Island

Feb. 4, 1861
The Southern States Secede

Delegates from the seceded states meet to establish the Confederate government

Feb. 5, 1865

Battle of Hatcher's Run, fought from February 5 to 7, started

Feb. 6, 1778
Signing of the Treaty of Alliance with France

The Treaty of Alliance with France was signed, establishing a formal alliance between the United States and France

Feb. 6, 1862

Battle of Fort Henry

Feb. 6, 1864

Battle of Morton’s Ford, fought from February 6-7, started

Feb. 7, 1864

Battle of Morton’s Ford, fought from February 6-7, ended

Feb. 7, 1865

Battle of Hatcher's Run, fought from February 5 to 7, ended

Feb. 8, 1873

John White Geary, Union Brigadier General in the Civil War, died

Feb. 9, 1737
Portrait of Thomas Paine

Thomas Paine, author of Common Sense and The American Crisis, was born

Feb. 9, 1802
Painting of Admiral Lord Thomas Graves

Thomas Graves, British Admiral during the American Revolution, died

Feb. 10, 1763
Map of North America after the Treaty of Paris (1763)

The Treaty of Paris of 1763 ends the French and Indian War

Feb. 10, 1862
An engraving from Harper's Weekly titled 'The Destruction of Commodore Lynch's Fleet by Union Gunboats,' 1862

Union forces destroy the Confederate "Mosquito" fleet at Elizabeth City, North Carolina

Feb. 11, 1768
Vue de Boston

Massachusetts Assembly issues the Massachusetts Circular Letter, denouncing Townshend Acts

Feb. 12, 1789
A sketched illustration of Ethan Allen

Ethan Allen, Patriot Colonel during the American Revolution, died

Feb. 12, 1809

Abraham Lincoln, 16th President of the United States, was born

Feb. 13, 1818
Sketched portrait of George Rogers Clark

George Rogers Clark, Patriot Brigadier General during the American Revolution, died

Feb. 13, 1862
Painted illustration of the Fort Donelson Battle

Battle of Fort Donelson, fought from February 13-16, started

Feb. 14, 1779
Illustration of the Battle of Kettle Creek

Battle of Kettle Creek

Feb. 15, 1864
Representative Henry Winter Davis of Maryland and Senator Benjamin Wade of Ohio depicting in front of the Wade-Davis Bill

The Wade-Davis Bill was formally introduced to Congress

Feb. 16, 1862
Fort Donelson 2

Battle of Fort Donelson, fought from February 13-16, ended

Feb. 17, 1814
Painting of the signing of the Treaty of Ghent

The Treaty of Ghent went into effect

Feb. 17, 1864
A metal submarine is shown on a dock with two men in this color illustration.

Confederate submarine H.L. Hunley sinks the USS Housatonic

Feb. 17, 1865

Confederate forces evacuation Charleston, South Carolina, and Fort Sumter

Feb. 18, 1817

Lewis Armistead, Confederate Brigadier General during the Civil War, was born

Feb. 18, 1861
Photograph of Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis is selected as provisional President of the Confederacy

Feb. 19, 1865
Brunswick Town / Fort Anderson State Historic Site, Winnabow, N.C.

Confederate forces abandon Fort Anderson in North Carolina

Feb. 20, 1815
Painting of 3 larges ships on the water. All of them are smoking and seem to be engaged in battle.

The USS Constitution engages the HMS Cyane and HMS Levant, not knowing the War of 1812 was over

Feb. 20, 1864
Map detailing the region surrounding Olustee

Battle of Olustee, also known as Ocean Pond

Feb. 20, 1893

P. G. T. Beauregard, Confederate General during the Civil War, died

Feb. 20, 1895
Photograph of Frederick Douglass

Frederick Douglass, American author and abolitionist, died

Feb. 21, 1862

Battle of Valverde

Feb. 22, 1862
Photograph of Jefferson Davis

Jefferson Davis is inaugurated as President of the Confederacy

Feb. 23, 1779
This is a painting depicting the surrender at Vincennes.

Battle of Vincennes, fought from February 23 - 25, started

Feb. 23, 1848

John Quincy Adams, 6th President of the United States, died

Feb. 24, 1723
Portrait of John Burgoyne

John Burgoyne, British Lieutenant General during the American Revolution, was born

Feb. 24, 1782

Battle of Wambaw Bridge

Feb. 24, 1914
Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain

Joshua Chamberlain, Union Brigadier General during the Civil War, died

Feb. 25, 1779
Siege of Fort Vincennes | Feb 23-25, 1779 (October 2021)

Battle of Vincennes, fought from February 23 - 25, ended

Feb. 25, 1781
Pyle's Defeat

Battle of Pyle’s Defeat

Feb. 26, 1813

Robert Livingston, American statesman most famous for negotiating the terms of the Louisiana Purchase, died

Feb. 27, 1776
Map of North Carolina drawn in the eightenth-century

Battle of Moores Creek Bridge

Feb. 27, 1795
Francis Marion Portrait

Francis “The Swamp Fox” Marion, Patriot Brigadier General during the American Revolution, died

Feb. 28, 1752

William Washington, Patriot Lieutenant Colonel during the American Revolution, was born

Month