1864 LIBERTY HEAD $10 MS55

In 1864, the American Civil War entered one of its most decisive phases, characterized by significant military campaigns and battles that would profoundly influence the conflict's outcome. The Battle of the Wilderness, fought from May 5-7, marked a brutal confrontation between General Ulysses S. Grant's Union forces and General Robert E. Lee's Confederate army in Virginia, resulting in heavy casualties on both sides without a clear victor. This year also saw General William Tecumseh Sherman's March to the Sea, a strategic campaign that began on November 15, devastating a wide swath from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. Sherman's use of scorched-earth tactics significantly undermined the Confederate war effort, marking a turning point in the war by breaking the Confederacy's economic and psychological capacity to fight. Beyond the battlefields, 1864 was notable for international and scientific advancements. The adoption of the first Geneva Convention laid the groundwork for modern international humanitarian law and the establishment of the Red Cross, aiming to protect the wounded in wars. In the realm of science, the discovery of helium by astronomers Jules Janssen and Joseph Norman Lockyer, through the observation of the solar spectrum, marked a significant leap in understanding the universe. Meanwhile, Louis Pasteur's groundbreaking experiments refuted the theory of spontaneous generation, laying the foundations for germ theory and modern microbiology. Collectively, these events from 1864 reflect a year of intense conflict, pivotal changes, and remarkable discoveries, shaping the course of American history and leaving a lasting legacy on the scientific and international community. "