Timeline July 1863

Events in July 1863 8

• 1793 – 1863 Sam Houston (1793-1863) Died 26 July 1863, aged 70 Houston commanded Texan forces to victory over Mexico at the Battle of San Jacinto and served as the first and third president of the Republic of Texas. He later served as a US Senator and Governor of Texas, and was removed from office for refusing to support secession.
• 1820 – 1863 John F. Reynolds (1820-1863) Died 1 July 1863, aged 42 Reynolds was a Union general regarded as one of the Army of the Potomac's most capable commanders. He was killed by a sharpshooter on the first day of the Battle of Gettysburg while positioning his troops.
• 1837 – 1863 Robert Gould Shaw (1837-1863) Died 18 July 1863, aged 26 Shaw commanded the 54th Massachusetts Infantry, one of the first Black regiments raised in the North during the Civil War. He was killed leading the regiment's assault on Fort Wagner, South Carolina.
• 1863 Siege of Vicksburg ends in Confederate surrender Union gains control of the Mississippi River After a prolonged siege, Confederate forces surrendered the fortress city of Vicksburg, Mississippi to Ulysses S. Grant on 4 July 1863. The victory gave the Union control of the entire Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two.
• 1863 Abolition of slavery Emancipation in the colonies The Netherlands abolishes slavery in Suriname and the Caribbean colonies, freeing tens of thousands — though with a ten-year forced "apprenticeship".
• 1863 Battle of Gettysburg Turning point of the American Civil War Union forces under George Meade repelled Robert E. Lee's Confederate army in Pennsylvania between 1 and 3 July 1863, inflicting heavy casualties on both sides. The battle ended Lee's second invasion of the North and is widely regarded as the war's turning point.
• 1863 New York City draft riots Violent protests against Civil War conscription Mobs, largely of working-class immigrants, rioted in New York City from 13 to 16 July 1863 in protest against a new military draft law. The unrest turned into some of the deadliest riots in American history, including attacks on Black residents, before being put down by federal troops.
• 1863 Second Battle of Fort Wagner Famed assault by the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Union forces, spearheaded by the Black 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment, assaulted the Confederate-held Fort Wagner in South Carolina on 18 July 1863. Though the attack failed, the regiment's valor helped demonstrate the effectiveness of Black soldiers in the Union Army.