April 24, 1863---The burning of Webber's Falls

APRIL 24, 1863:         

Union troops burn Webber’s Falls, Indian Territory (now Oklahoma), the headquarters of Confederate/Cherokee General Stand Watie, but fail to capture Watie.

On this same day, President Lincoln promulgates General Orders 100, also known as the “Lieber Code” or “Instructions for the Government of Armies of the United States in the Field,” detailing what constitutes proper ethical and humane behavior for Union troops in war zones. The Lieber Code makes illegal such activities such as war crimes, pillage and rape, and specifies varying dire punishments for violators. It is the first code of ethics ever created for soldiers and forms the basis for The Hague Convention of 1899, the Geneva Conventions, the Nuremberg Trials, and other international agreements relating to war and Crimes Against Humanity.