1861:  
The Bull Run Campaign continues in Virginia

Action at Searey, West Virginia

Skirmish near Fulton, Missouri

The U. S. begins issuing demand notes commonly called "Greenbacks"


1862:
In a big step toward emancipation, President Lincoln approves the Confiscation Act, which declares that any slaves whose owners were in rebellion against the government, would be freed when they came into contact with the Union army.

 
Confederate Forces under Morgan capture Cynthiana, Kentucky

Skirmish near Mount Pleasant and Columbia, Tennessee


1863:  
In Indian Territory (present-day Oklahoma) 65 miles west of Fort Smith, Federal forces defeat Confederates in the battle of Honey Springs

Skirmish near North Mountain, West Virginia

Skirmish at Snicker's Gap, Virginia Skirmishes at Berlin and near Hamden, Ohio

Union Forces occupy Jackson, Mississippi

Skirmish at Skirmish at Bear Creek, Mississippi

Skirmish on Stone's River, Tennessee


1864:  
Engagement at Sniker's Ferry and skirmish at Herring Creek, Virginia

Action near Fredericksburg, Missouri

John Bell Hood takes command of the Army of Tennessee
On this day, Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaces General Joseph Johnston with John Bell Hood as commander of the Army of Tennessee. Davis, impatient with Johnston's defensive strategy in the Atlanta campaign, felt that Hood stood a better chance of saving Atlanta from the forces of Union General William T. Sherman.

For nearly three months, Johnston and Sherman had maneuvered around the rugged corridor from Chattanooga to Atlanta. Although there was constant skirmishing, there were few major battles; Sherman kept trying to outflank Johnston, but his advances were blocked. Though this kept losses to a minimum, there was also a limit to how long Johnston could maintain this strategy as each move brought the armies closer to Atlanta. By July 17, 1864, Johnston was backed into the outskirts of Atlanta. Johnston felt his strategy was the only way to preserve the Army of Tennessee, but Davis felt that he had given up too much territory.

In a telegram informing Johnston of his decision, Davis wrote, "Ýyou failed to arrest the advance of the enemy to the vicinity of Atlanta, far in the interior of Georgia, and express no confidence that you can defeat or repel him, you are hereby relieved from command of the Army and Department of Tennessee, which you will immediately turn over to General Hood."

Davis selected Hood for his reputation as a fighting general, in contrast to Johnston's cautious nature. Hood did what Davis wanted and quickly attacked Sherman at Peachtree Creek on July 20 but with disastrous results. Hood attacked two more times, losing both and destroying his army's offensive capabilities.



Primary sources:
Official Records of the War of the Rebellion
A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion ; by Frederick Dyer;
The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac 1861-1865 by E. B. Long with Barbara Long;
National Archives Guide Index

Quote :

GrumpyDave wrote : John Bell Hood takes command of the Army of Tennessee On this day, Confederate President Jefferson Davis replaces General Joseph Johnston with John Bell Hood as commander of the Army of Tennessee.

Hood's career in the Confederate Army is the perfect example of the Peter Principle at work. This was a man who was definitely promoted to the level of his incompetentence.  

Quote :

Bill wrote :   Hood's career in the Confederate Army is the perfect example of the Peter Principle at work. This was a man who was definitely promoted to the level of his incompetentence.

I totally agree with your statement and understand that there was a lot of politics in the military...140+ years ago as well as today. That being said, I wonder how much attrition played a role in the promotion of bad officers.  Someone has to lead the large units, so someone has to be promoted, right?  Unfortunately, the more officers like Hood were moved up, the more vacancies were made due to deaths caused by bad command decisions (i.e.: the Battle of Franklin).

The way my pro-Union eyes see it, it was a good thing Hood was promoted above his level of competence!  It helped to restore the Union faster!!  

There's another notible problem the South had; they kept running out of competent leadership, while the North kept finding more and more.

Quote :

GrumpyDave wrote : There's another notible problem the South had; they kept running out of competent leadership, while the North kept finding more and more.

Could the reduction of competent officers in the CSA military be the result of "Confederate honor" requiring the officers to lead from the front?  Or is it just a usual attrition problem made worse by the shortage of manpower?

Both things you stated compounded the Confederacy's problems, along with a lack of forsight(Mostly because the State governments couldn't agree on just about anything).

We have no manufacturing, where will we get the tools of war?
We have no navy, how will we protect our coasts and ports?
If the war becomes protracted, how will we fill our ranks?
We lack good transportation to move and suppy our armies, or to take the war to the North; how will we build more?
How will we get foreign aid, we have no allies?

The Civil War ended America's Fudalistic Society. WW 1 took care of it in the rest of the world.