January 19,1864-Arkansas, a Confederate State with slaves but also many Union sympathizers, approves a new anti-slavery constitution.
January 19,1864-Navy Secretary Gideon Wells alerts Admiral Porter to warn all Union boat crews to the possibility of "coal torpedoes", cast iron replicas of coal chunks filled with black powder and powerful enough to explode a boiler.
January 20,1864-General Frederick Steele, District of Arkansas commander is instructed to schedule free elections to form a free civilian government in Arkansas. President Lincoln issues the order.
January 20,1864-Federal warships begin routine patrols at the mouth of Mobile Bay, Alabama.
January 21,1864-At Nashville, Tennessee, Pro-Union citizens gather to urge a constitutional convention to abolish slavery.
January 22,1864-In the parts of Arkansas that are free from slavery, Isaac Murphy becomes governor by vote of the free-state convention.
January 22,1864-Recently disgraced General William Rosecrans is picked to replace General John M. Schofield as commander of the Federal Department of Missouri. The command change actually will occur on January 30,1864.
January 23,1864-President Lincoln's policy directing all plantation owners to recognize the freedom of former slaves and hire them under rules of contract law is distributed.
January 25,1864-Fort Sumter comes under Union bombardment yet again.
January 25,1864-In an effort to improve the defense in middle Tennessee, Federal troops abandon Corinth, Mississippi and consolidate.
