What was the most significant event on March 8 during the US Civil War?

What is the most significant date 1862, 1863, 1865, or other?
In the mid-19th century, many people lived relatively normal days as farmers, business people, students, teachers, doctors, nurses, policemen and clergy. Those who served in the Federal or Confederate military experienced long periods of drudgery and boredom, punctuated with relatively short and violent extreme-combat at close range.
The winter months tended to see less direct major force engagements.

Images
1. CSS Virginia ramming and sinking USS Cumberland, 1862.
2. Battle of Pea Ridge - Elkhorn Tavern - March 8, 1862
3. Abraham Lincoln and George B McClellan after Antietam 1862-10-03
4. CSA General Robert F. Hokes, map of Battle of Wyse Fork and USA General Joseph D. Cox

On March 8, 1862 The Battle of Hampton Roads. The CSS Virginia [which was formerly the USS Merrimack] battles the USS Congress and the USS Cumberland, destroying both frigates and killing more than 240 of their crewmen.
“At mid-day on 8 March 1862, CSS Virginia (formerly USS Merrimack, and persistently mis-identified by that name or as "Merrimac") steamed down the Elizabeth River from Norfolk and entered Hampton Roads. It was the newly converted ironclad's trial trip, a short voyage that would deeply influence naval opinion at home and abroad.
Anchored on the opposite side of Hampton Roads were five major Union warships: the frigate Congress and large sloop of war Cumberland off Newport News, and the frigates St. Lawrence, Minnesota and Roanoke a few miles to the east, off Fortress Monroe. All were powerful conventional wooden men o'war. Minnesota and Roanoke, of the same type as the pre-war Merrimack, had auxiliary steam propulsion, but the other three were propelled by sails alone, and thus were at the mercy of wind conditions and the availability of tugs. As Virginia crossed the Roads, looking (as one witness described her) "like the roof of a very big barn belching forth smoke as from a chimney on fire", the Union ships called their crews to quarters and prepared for action. Turning west, the Confederate ironclad shrugged off steady fire from ships and shore batteries as she steamed past the Congress. Firing her heavy cannon into both ships, she pushed her ram into Cumberland 's starboard side. The stricken ship began to sink, though her gun crews kept up a heavy fire as she went down. In the words of one of Cumberland 's enemies, "No ship was ever fought more gallantly."
Virginia backed clear, tearing off most of her iron ram, and slowly turned toward the Congress, which had gone aground while trying to get underway. Confederate gunners put several raking shells into the frigate's hull, and maintained a relentless fire as they came alongside. After an hour's battle, in which Congress ' crew suffered heavy casualties, she raised the white flag of surrender. As the Confederates began to take off her crew, several men on both sides were hit by gunfire from ashore, among them the Virginia 's Commanding Officer, Captain Franklin Buchanan, who ordered Congress set afire with hot shot. She blazed into the night, exploding as the fire reached her powder magazines about two hours after midnight.
Virginia had meanwhile made a brief demonstration in the direction of the big steam frigate Minnesota, which had also gone aground. However, with the day's light about to fade, the ironclad turned back toward the southern side of Hampton Roads and anchored. Though two of her guns had their muzzles shot off and most external fittings were swept away or rendered useless, she had dramatically demonstrated the horrible vulnerability of unarmored wooden warships when confronted with a hostile ironclad, and was still battle worthy. Her casualties, less than two-dozen, were removed and command passed from the injured Buchanan to Lieutenant Catesby ap R. Jones, who would take Virginia out the next day to deal with the Minnesota.”
{[americancivilwar.com/tcwn/civil_war/Navy_Ships/CSS_Virginia_USS_Cumberland_Congress.html]
On March 8, 1862 Joseph E. Johnston orders the Confederate Army of the Potomac to withdraw from Centerville/Manassas to the Rappahannock River based on reports from JEB Stuart of increased Yankee activity. [The Union was preparing to launch the Peninsula campaign]
On March 8, 1862 Abraham Lincoln demotes George McClellan to commander of just Army of the Potomac due to his cautiousness of prosecuting the Union war effort. Abraham Lincoln was chagrined at McClellan for not appointing corps commanders therefore Lincoln named Edwin Vose Sumner [II Corps], Samuel Heintzelman [III Corps], Erasmus Keyes [IV Corps] and Irvin McDowell as Corps Commander for him. These four commanders disagreed with McClellan’s plans and agreed with Lincoln’s plan to attack the Armies of the Confederacy directly.
On March 8, 1865 Battle of Kinston, North Carolina begins. “23rd Army Corps and Provisional Division, District of Beaufort. Wilmington was occupied by the Union troops under Gen. Schofield on Feb. 22, and steps were immediately taken to open railroad communications between the seacoast and Goldsboro, in order to get supplies to Sherman's army. It was soon discovered, however, that communications could be more easily established from New Berne and the base of operations was transferred to that point. On Feb. 26, Maj.-Gen. J.D. Cox was ordered to assume command of the movement. Cox reached New Berne on the last day of February, organized his forces into two divisions, commanded by Brig.-Gens. I.N. Palmer and S.P. Carter, and at once commenced the work of repairing the railroad. A little later he was joined by Ruger's division of the 23rd corps. The first opposition was met near Kinston, about 30 miles from New Berne. About 3 miles from Kinston is a stream called Southwest creek, along the banks of which some skirmishing occurred on March 7, and the enemy was found to be in greater force than had been anticipated. Several roads leading to Kinston crossed Southwest creek. Near the mouth of the stream was the Neuse road, running almost parallel to the river of that name. Between Kinston and Southwest creek two roads - the Upper Trent and Dover - branched off from the Beuse road and followed a general southeasterly direction. On the east side of the creek, and nearly parallel to it, was the British road, while the Lower Trent road left the Neuse road a short distance east of the creek and ran for some distance nearly sue south, crossing the British and Dover roads a little way south of the railroad. The crossing of the British and Dover roads was known as "Wise's Forks." After the skirmishing on the 7th along Southwest creek (q.v.) Cox placed Upham's brigade of Carter's division at this point to cover the left of the Federal position, a strong picket line was pushed up to the bank of the creek, and Ruger's division was stationed at Gum swamp, where it could move to the support of any part of the line at short notice.
Cox had received information that Hoke's division was at Kinston, ad that a Confederate ironclad was lying in the Neuse in front of the town. He did not know, however, that Gen. J.E. Johnston, who had just been assigned to the command of the Confederate forces in North Carolina, had ordered Gen. Braxton Bragg to move with his command from Goldsboro, unite with the remnant of Hood's army, under Gens. Clayton and D.H. Hill, at Smithfield, and strike a decisive blow at the Union column coming up from New Berne, in the hope of cutting off Sherman's supplies, after which his intention was to concentrate the entire force at some available point to prevent Sherman from forming a junction with Schofield. On the morning of the 8th, while Schofield and Cox were in consultation as to what course was best to pursue, the enemy suddenly appeared in force between Upham and the rest of the division. Upham's troops were principally new recruits and could not be rallied after the first attack in time to meet the second. The result was that three-fourths of the brigade were captured. Ruger was hurried to Carter's support and the two divisions, protected by a light breastwork, held their position against the repeated assaults of the Confederates. In order to create a diversion Palmer was ordered to make a vigorous demonstration in his front, as though he intended to force a crossing. Here a few prisoners were taken, from whom it was learned that at least three divisions of the enemy were engaged at Wise's Forks, and that Bragg was in command. Upon receiving this information Schofield directed Cox to act on the defensive, holding his position if possible, until the remainder of the 23rd corps could be brought up. Skirmishing was kept up during the 9th, but no serious attack was made on any part of the Union lines. A short time before noon on the 10th Hoke's division made a desperate assault on Cox's left. McQuiston's brigade of Ruger's division was moved on the double-quick to Carter's left, and at the same time both Carter's and Ruger's batteries began pouring a perfect shower of shrapnel and canister into the Confederate ranks. After an hour they broke and fled, closely pursued by McQuiston until the latter was recalled to support the center, where the line was too thin to successfully resist an attack should one be made. At 3:45 p.m. Bragg sent the following dispatch to Johnston: "The enemy is strongly entrenched in the position to which we drove him. Yesterday and today we have moved on his flanks, but without gaining any decided advantage. His line is extensive, and prisoners report large reinforcements. Under these conditions I deem it best, with the information you give, to join you, which I shall proceed to do, unless otherwise directed."
That night the ironclad was burned and sunk, and Bragg moved to Goldsboro to effect a junction with the main body of Johnston's army. Kinston was occupied by the Federal forces on the 14th. The Union losses in the several engagements about Kinston were 65 killed, 319 wounded and 953 captured, most of the last being members of Upham's brigade, which was surprised on the morning of the 8th. No detailed report of the Confederate casualties was made. The number of prisoners taken was 266, and as the enemy was the attacking party it is quite probable that their loss in killed and wounded was equal to or greater than that of the Union army.”
background from {[civilwarindex.com/battles/NC/battle_of_kinston.html]}
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