Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - December 29, 1863- January 4, 1864

December 29,1863-General Winfield S. Hancock resumes his active participation in the war by returning to the Army of the Potomac as commander of the Union II Corps five months after suffering serious wounds at Gettysburg.

December 29,1863-Armed boats from the USS Stars and Stripes burn the Confederate Blockade runner Caroline Gertrude near the mouth of the Ocklockonee River, Florida.

December 30,1863-Two Confederate salt works are destroyed at St. Joseph Bay, Florida by crews from the USS Pursuit.

December 31,1863-Navy Secretary Gideon Wells sums up the past year of war saying "The war has been waged with success, although there have been in some instances errors and misfortunes. But the heart of the nation is sounder and it's hopes higher".

December 31,1863-President Davis appoints North Carolina senator George Davis as interim Confederate Attorney General replacing outgoing Wade Keyes.

January 1,1864-Confederate General William "Extra Billy" Smith becomes governor of Virginia. General Smith fought at Gettysburg.

January 2,1864-Suffering manpower shortages, Confederate General Patrick L. Cleburne and other officers petition for the use of African American in the Confederate Army. President Davis ignores the petition and denies a well deserved promotion for Cleburne (to Lieutenant General) because of it.

January 2,1864-George Davis formally replaces Wade Keyes as Attorney General.

January 2,1864-Union troops occupy Santa Catalina Island, off the coast of California.

January 3,1284-General William E. Jones leads his Confederate Cavalry in a surprise attack on General Orlando Wilcox' forces near Jonesville, Virginia. Union losses are 383 prisoners, 27 wagons, and 3 cannons.

January 3,1864-General Fitzhugh Lee's cavalry seizes a large supply train and 250 head of cattle in a raid on Union General Benjamin F. Kelly's force moving in Hardy County, West Virginia. 

January 4,1864-President Davis instruct General Robert E. Lee to begin requisitioning food from civilians as necessary in support of Lee's Army.

Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - December 22-28, 1863

December 22,1863-Confederate General Leonidas K. Polk becomes commander of the Department of Mississippi and Louisiana.

December 23,1863-Admiral David G. Farragut announced to Navy Secretary Gideon Wells that his flagship, the USS Hartford, is ready to depart. Admiral Farragut is eager to resume active duty but a shortage of crew members delayed his departure.

December 24,1863-Union cavalry leader General William W. Averall concludes his third railroad and bridge raid of the year and returns to Beverly, West Virginia. Confederate General Samuel Jones was unable to intercept Averall's smaller force and was ultimately dismissed as commander of the Western Department.

December 24,1863-Captain Semmes is still active aboard the CSS Alabama, this time capturing and burning the Union bark 'Texan Star'  in the Straits of Malacca, Dutch West Indies.

December 25,1863-Major John S. Mosby's partisan raiders encounter a small Union force near Leesburg, Virginia and several raiders are captured.

December 25,1863-In an unexpected bombardment, the USS Marblehead is hit by 20 rounds from Confederate batteries at Lagareville, South Carolina on the Stono River. Landing parties from the nearby USS Pawnee and USS C.P. Williams drive the Confederate raiders off.

December 26,1863-In the Straits of Malacca, the CSS Alabama's crew captures and burns the Union barks Sonora and Highlander.

December 27,1863-President Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin Stanton visit Confederate prisoners at Point Lookout, Maryland as a goodwill gesture.

December 27,1863-General Joseph E. Johnston arrives in Dalton, Georgia to take command of the battered Confederate Department of Tennessee,  recently defeated at Chattanooga. General Johnston replaces General Bragg.

December 28,1863-The Confederate Congress abolishes the practice of allowing hired substitutes to replace drafted men.

Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - December 15-21, 1863

December 15,1863-General Jubel A. Early is appointed commander of the Confederate Valley District, Virginia. General Early leads a sortie from Hanover Junction, Virginia to cut off General Averell at Millborough where he continues to destroy railroad assets.

December 16,1863-Union General John Buford dies of tuberculosis at Washington, D.C. at the age of 37.

December 16,1863-General Averell's cavalry column enters Salem, Virginia, occupies the town, destroys the depot and railroad bridges in the area.

December 17,1863-President Lincoln releases plans for a Federal Bureau of Emancipation to assist freed slaves. Congress fails to enact legislation forming this bureau until March, 1865.

December 17,1863-The steamer 'Chesapeake', commandeered by Confederate sympathizers, is apprehended in Sambro Harbor, Nova Scotia and released back to its original owners.

December 18,1863-General John M. Schofield is removed from duty in Missouri due to his poor handling of civilian affairs. President Lincoln simultaneously sacks the General and promotes him to major general to avoid and ugly conflict in Army leadership.

December 19,1863-The USS Restless, Bloomer, and Caroline patrol off Florida near St. Andrews Bay. In 10 days of raids, they eliminate 290 Southern owned saltworks and 268 buildings.

December 20,1863-The USS Sunflower, USS Fox, and USS Governor Buckingham capture Confederate blockade runners near Frying Pan Shoals, North Carolina, Tampa Bay and Suwannee River, Florida.

December 21,1863-General Jacob D. Cox is appointed commander of the Department of Mississippi and Louisiana, replacing General Schofield.

Civil War - 150 Years Ago This Week – December 8 - 15, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 


Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

December 8, 1863 - President Lincoln offers his Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction in an opening address to the 38th Congress, in session in Washington. All Southerners in any of the seceded states can take a loyalty oath and, when fully 10% of the voters of that state have taken the oath and that state abolishes slavery that state's sitting government can reorganize. Radical Republicans in the north find the offer too conciliatory.

December 8, 1863 - General William W. Averell moves to Salem, Virginia to carry out a raid on the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. General Eliakim P. Scammon's cavalry rides from Charleston, West Virginia to Lewisburg in support.

December 9, 1863 - Citing his slow reaction to orders during the Chattanooga Campaign, General Ambrose E. Burnside is replaced as commander of the Department of the Ohio by order of General Grant. The new commander is General John G. Foster. In the Confederate Army, General James Longstreet draws up charges against several members of his staff for slow reaction to his order to storm Fort Saunders at Knoxville.

December 11, 1863 - At Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, a random Union shot hits the ammunition magazine which explodes killing 11 and wounding 41 Confederate soldiers. The defenders refuse to surrender.

December 12, 1863 - Beginning on this date, many supplies sent by Sanitary Commissions and packages from families of men in Southern prisons are refused by Confederate authorities.

December 12, 1863 - Charles City Court House, Virginia is the scene of a Union raid that captures 90 Southerners.

December 13, 1863 - General Mosby's Partisan Raiders attack a sleeping Union camp at Germantown, Virginia. They capture two soldiers and several horses.

December 13, 1863 - A force of 4,000 Union cavalry occupies Bean's Station, Tennessee while in pursuit of General James Longstreet's force as they leave Knoxville. General James M. Shackleford continues to push his Union soldiers further from his supporting infantry. General Longstreet turns on his pursuers and attempts to destroy Shackleford's force but fails. Later that night, Longstreet sends Generals William Martin and William Jones on circuitous routes to get behind General Shackleford's small force.

December 14, 1863 - Using artillery, General Longstreet tries to distract General Shackleford's force while two columns strike their flank and rear. The Union troops make an orderly retreat through Bean's Gap to Blain's Crossroad and dig in behind a rail breastwork. Confederate forces decline to attack this strong position and withdraw. Bean's Station is the last action of the dreary Knoxville campaign. Confederate losses are 182 dead, 768 wounded, and 142 missing (1,092). Union losses are 92 dead, 394 wounded, and 207 missing (693).

December 14, 1863 - Emilie Todd Helm, Mrs. Lincoln's half sister, is granted general amnesty when she visits the White House and takes the loyalty oath.

December 15, 1863 - General Jubel A. Early is appointed commander of the Confederate Valley District, Virginia. General Early leads a sortie from Hanover Junction, Virginia to cut off General Averell at Millborough where he continues to destroy railroad assets.

Civil War - 150 Years Ago This Week – December 1 - 7, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

December 1, 1863 - Southern spy Isabella “Belle” Boyd is released from the Federal Prison at Washington D.C. and is again warned to stay out of Union territory. She is suffering from typhoid fever leading to her early release.

December 1, 1863 - General Meade's Army of the Potomac crosses the Rapidan River officially ending the Mine Run campaign. The army enters winter quarters.

December 1, 1863 - Near Mount Sterling, Kentucky, Confederate General Samuel Jones' forces capture Union stores worth $700,000, 250 horses, and 100 prisoners without any loss of men. 

December 2, 1863 - General Robert E. Lee plans a strike on General Meade's army but finds the position completely deserted. General Lee was later quoted as saying, "I am too old to command this army; we should never have permitted those people to get away.”  General Lee was impressed with the strength of Meade's entrenchments and plans to use this tool if he has the opportunity.

December 2, 1863 - General Hardee succeeds General Braxton Bragg as commander of the Army of Tennessee in an emotional ceremony at Dalton, Georgia.

December 3, 1863 - General James Longstreet quits Knoxville, Tennessee and moves into winter quarters at Greenville, Tennessee. Union General Ambrose Burnside fails to pursue Longstreet's move. With Longstreet nearby, General Grant is forced to maintain a sizable Union force in Tennessee to monitor Longstreet's expected moves, possibly to join General Lee in Virginia.

December 4, 1863 - The bombardment of Fort Sumter continues with more than 1,300 rounds fired in the past seven days.

December 4, 1863 - General Longstreet begins to withdraw 15,000 of his men toward Virginia, moving northeast of Knoxville. Cavalry General James M. Shackleford follows with 4,000 troops.

December 5, 1863 - At Murrell's Inlet, South Carolina, a boat crew from the USS Perry is captured while searching for blockade-runners.

December 6, 1863 - General William T. Sherman and staff arrive at the command tent of General Burnside in Knoxville.

December 7, 1863 - The fourth session of the 1st Confederate Congress meets in Richmond, Virginia and following the acknowledgement of failures of the previous year officially proclaims:  "The patriotism of the people has proven equal to every sacrifice demanded by their country's need.” 

December 7, 1863 - The 38th Congress convenes in Washington, D.C. for their first session. Secretary Gideon Welles makes his third annual report of Naval strength. He reports 34,000 seamen, 588 warships displacing 467,967 tons and carrying 4,443 guns. These vessels claim the capture or destruction of more than 1,000 foreign and Southern blockade-runners plus several land batteries and fortifications.

December 7, 1863 - At New York, 15 Confederate sympathizers board the Union steamer “Chesapeake” scheduled to move to Portland. They take control of the Chesapeake and steam to Nova Scotia.

November 24 - 30, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 


Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

November 24, 1863 - The Union forces continue to pour rounds into the ruins of Fort Sumter, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. In the past week, more than 1,600 shots were fired.

November 24, 1863 - Early this morning, General Joseph Hooker marched his three divisions to the base of Lookout Mountain, Chattanooga, Tennessee and they began to scale the 1,100 foot mountain. Their activity is shrouded by fog and the Confederate opposition is out-manned. General Carter L. Stephenson requests reinforcements but General Braxton Bragg fails to respond. Around 2:30 pm, Bragg orders a retreat and General Stephenson directs that bridges should be burned during the retreat. By 8:00 pm, Hooker reaches the Craven Farm, about halfway up the mountain and places a Federal flag at this point. The flag is first observed by Union leadership at daybreak the next morning when the fog is gone. The battle is forever known as the "Battle above the Clouds.”

November 24, 1863 - General William T. Sherman moves his forces to what he thinks is the north end of Missionary Ridge in Chattanooga. Unaware that he is on a parallel ridge separated by a wide ravine, General Bragg is forewarned that an attack is coming.

November 25, 1863 - Another 799 rounds pound Fort Sumter's crumbling walls, with little effect.

November 25, 1863 - General Ulysses S. Grant leads 64,000 men against General Bragg's 46,000 Confederates while General Sherman, with 16,000 men, assaults the Confederate right anchored on Missionary Ridge. Sherman attacks piecemeal and makes little progress against General R. Patrick Cleburne's division. This clash moved from Missionary Ridge toward Tunnel Hill where Cleburne, nearly out of ammunition, mounts a bayonet charge, scattering tired Union forces. General Grant generates diversions to prevent General Bragg from transferring reinforcements to the right. There is a pause in activity around midday.

In the afternoon, General Hooker is ordered to attack Bragg's left and rear by moving from Lookout Mountain to Rossville Gap. Hooker is delayed rebuilding a bridge over Chickamauga Creek so General Grant directs General George Thomas to demonstrate in front of Confederate rifle pit on Missionary Ridge, primarily to hold Bragg's Confederates until the flank attack succeeds. General Thomas' 20,000 troops, led by Generals Thomas Wood and Phillip Sheridan, raise cheers and ultimately overrun the lightly held rifle pits and stand victorious at the crest of the ridge. This "Miracle of Missionary Ridge" ruptures Bragg's center and the stranglehold of Chattanooga ends.

November 25, 1863 - General Grant is slated to receive promotion to lieutenant general. General Thomas and his troops feel somewhat vindicated for their humiliation in the loss at Chickamauga Creek two months earlier.

November 26, 1863 - Generals William T. Sherman and George H. Thomas pursue the Confederate Army fleeing south through Rossville Gap.

November 26, 1863 - General George Meade's Army of the Potomac is on the move, crossing the Rapidan River with General William H. French commanding the lead element. French takes the wrong road causing enough delay for the Army of Northern Virginia to block the path. General Meade has lost the element of surprise and General R. E. Lee has time to prepare for the enemy's attack.

November 27, 1863 - General John H. Morgan and several of his officers stage a daring escape from the State Penitentiary in Columbus, Ohio. They have been in the penitentiary since they were captured at Salineville, Ohio on July 26th.

November 27, 1863 - At Ringgold Gap, Georgia, Confederates led by General Patrick R. Cleburne mount an effective rear-guard action as the Army of Tennessee falls back to Dalton, Georgia. Holding off a Union force of at least twice his size, Cleburne's force inflicts heavy losses on the Union and ample time for the Confederates to entrench at Dalton.

November 27, 1863 - General William Sherman is ordered to provide relief to Knoxville, currently under siege. Sherman sends two divisions of the IV Corps commanded by General Gordon Granger.

November 28, 1863 - General Lee holds a strong defensive position along Mine Run Creek suggesting that no Union attack by General Meade's Army of the Potomac can succeed.

November 28, 1863 - General Braxton Bragg, humiliated by his loss at Chattanooga and hated by his subordinates, submits his resignation to President Jefferson Davis.

November 28, 1863 - General Sherman marches to the aid of General Ambrose E. Burnside at Knoxville. Parts of the Union XI, XIV, and XV Corps are involved.

November 28, 1863 - General James Longstreet plans an attack on Fort Saunders in an attempt to capture Knoxville. Evening fog forces him to cancel the assault but Longstreet sends sharpshooters forward to cover the pending attack, alerting the firmly entrenched Union defenders.

November 29, 1863 - President Lincoln, recently back from Gettysburg, recovers from a mild case of smallpox. His son Tad also recovered.

November 29, 1863 - The Confederates attack Fort Saunders at 6:00 am in unusually cold weather. Without prior reconnaissance, the southern troops are surprised when they encounter telegraph wire strung at knee level from tree to tree, steep ditches filled with icy water surrounding the works, and the need for ladders. Longstreet’s siege of Knoxville ends. Longstreet plans his withdrawal upon receiving word of Bragg's defeat at Chattanooga.

November 30, 1863 - General Gouverneur K. Warren urges General George Meade to drop his planned attack on Confederates along Mine Run. Meade's planned Mine Run Campaign never materializes.

November 30, 1863 - President Davis grants General Braxton Bragg's request to be relieved of command of the Army of Tennessee at Dalton, Georgia. General William J. Hardee is appointed temporary commander.

November 17 - 23, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

November 17, 1863 - The siege of Knoxville tightens as General James Longstreet begins to position his corps near the city.

November 18, 1863 - President Lincoln boards a special train that takes him to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to dedicate the military cemetery there. The President is concerned over the illness of his son Tad.

November 18, 1863 - Several of Major John S. Mosby's Partisan Rangers are captured by Union troops between Vienna, Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

November 18, 1863 - The Federal schooner "Joseph L. Garrity" is seized by passengers sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Taken to British Honduras, the schooner is converted into the blockade-runner "Eureka."

November 19, 1863 - The Gettysburg Address was presented to a crowd of about 15,000 people. The President's remarks followed a two-hour speech by Edward Everett, a stirring orator. With only 272 words, the President summarized the ideals of the republic, a message that resonates today.

November 19, 1863 - General Ambrose E. Burnside enters Knoxville and begins to fortify the city. General William P. Saunders leads his 700 cavalrymen in a defensive stand against General Longstreet's Confederates for several hours before being killed. General Saunders is the highest-ranking Southern born officer in the Union Army to be killed. Burnside renames Fort Loudon, located in northwestern Knoxville, as Fort Saunders.

November 20, 1863 - President Lincoln feels disappointment with his speech and tells Edward Everett: "I am pleased to know that, in your opinion, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.

November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 18, 1863 - President Lincoln boards a special train that takes him to Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to dedicate the military cemetery there. The President is concerned over the illness of his son Tad.
November 18, 1863 - Several of Major John S. Mosby's Partisan Rangers are captured by Union troops between Vienna, Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains.

November 18, 1863 - The Federal schooner "Joseph L. Garrity" is seized by passengers sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Taken to British Honduras, the schooner is converted into the blockade-runner "Eureka."

November 19, 1863 - The Gettysburg Address was presented to a crowd of about 15,000 people. The President's remarks followed a two-hour speech by Edward Everett, a stirring orator. With only 272 words, the President summarized the ideals of the republic, a message that resonates today.

November 19, 1863 - General Ambrose E. Burnside enters Knoxville and begins to fortify the city. General William P. Saunders leads his 700 cavalrymen in a defensive stand against General Longstreet's Confederates for several hours before being killed. General Saunders is the highest-ranking Southern born officer in the Union Army to be killed. Burnside renames Fort Loudon, located in northwestern Knoxville, as Fort Saunders.

November 20, 1863 - President Lincoln feels disappointment with his speech and tells Edward Everett: "I am pleased to know that, in your opinion, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.

November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 18, 1863 - Several of Major John S. Mosby's Partisan Rangers are captured by Union troops between Vienna, Virginia and the Blue Ridge Mountains.
November 18, 1863 - The Federal schooner "Joseph L. Garrity" is seized by passengers sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Taken to British Honduras, the schooner is converted into the blockade-runner "Eureka."

November 19, 1863 - The Gettysburg Address was presented to a crowd of about 15,000 people. The President's remarks followed a two-hour speech by Edward Everett, a stirring orator. With only 272 words, the President summarized the ideals of the republic, a message that resonates today.

November 19, 1863 - General Ambrose E. Burnside enters Knoxville and begins to fortify the city. General William P. Saunders leads his 700 cavalrymen in a defensive stand against General Longstreet's Confederates for several hours before being killed. General Saunders is the highest-ranking Southern born officer in the Union Army to be killed. Burnside renames Fort Loudon, located in northwestern Knoxville, as Fort Saunders.

November 20, 1863 - President Lincoln feels disappointment with his speech and tells Edward Everett: "I am pleased to know that, in your opinion, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.

November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 18, 1863 - The Federal schooner "Joseph L. Garrity" is seized by passengers sympathetic to the Confederate cause. Taken to British Honduras, the schooner is converted into the blockade-runner "Eureka."
November 19, 1863 - The Gettysburg Address was presented to a crowd of about 15,000 people. The President's remarks followed a two-hour speech by Edward Everett, a stirring orator. With only 272 words, the President summarized the ideals of the republic, a message that resonates today.

November 19, 1863 - General Ambrose E. Burnside enters Knoxville and begins to fortify the city. General William P. Saunders leads his 700 cavalrymen in a defensive stand against General Longstreet's Confederates for several hours before being killed. General Saunders is the highest-ranking Southern born officer in the Union Army to be killed. Burnside renames Fort Loudon, located in northwestern Knoxville, as Fort Saunders.

November 20, 1863 - President Lincoln feels disappointment with his speech and tells Edward Everett: "I am pleased to know that, in your opinion, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.

November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 19, 1863 - The Gettysburg Address was presented to a crowd of about 15,000 people. The President's remarks followed a two-hour speech by Edward Everett, a stirring orator. With only 272 words, the President summarized the ideals of the republic, a message that resonates today.
November 19, 1863 - General Ambrose E. Burnside enters Knoxville and begins to fortify the city. General William P. Saunders leads his 700 cavalrymen in a defensive stand against General Longstreet's Confederates for several hours before being killed. General Saunders is the highest-ranking Southern born officer in the Union Army to be killed. Burnside renames Fort Loudon, located in northwestern Knoxville, as Fort Saunders.

November 20, 1863 - President Lincoln feels disappointment with his speech and tells Edward Everett: "I am pleased to know that, in your opinion, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.

November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 19, 1863 - General Ambrose E. Burnside enters Knoxville and begins to fortify the city. General William P. Saunders leads his 700 cavalrymen in a defensive stand against General Longstreet's Confederates for several hours before being killed. General Saunders is the highest-ranking Southern born officer in the Union Army to be killed. Burnside renames Fort Loudon, located in northwestern Knoxville, as Fort Saunders.
November 20, 1863 - President Lincoln feels disappointment with his speech and tells Edward Everett: "I am pleased to know that, in your opinion, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."

November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.

November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 20, 1863 - President Lincoln feels disappointment with his speech and tells Edward Everett: "I am pleased to know that, in your opinion, the little I did say was not entirely a failure."
November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.

November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 21, 1863 - Major John Mosby loses more Partisan Rangers in a sweeping Union raid from Bealeton to Thoroughfare Gap, Virginia. Major Mosby's Partisan Rangers are successful in the attack and capture of several Union wagons at Liberty, Virginia.
November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.
November 22, 1863 - The Battle of Chattanooga begins with General Grant directing a preliminary move to improve the Union army's position prior to an attack. General George Thomas parades his IV Corps along Orchard Knob, a long, low mound that is in full view of the Confederate force. With flags in proper order, two divisions march out and appear to be marching in review. Confederates in their rifle pits on Missionary Ridge relax and watch the parade. One hour after the first movement by the Union, bugles and drummers sound the charge and troops mount a charge, overrunning the Confederate rifle pit. Orchard Knob serves as the location of General Grant's headquarters for the remainder of the campaign.

November 10 - 16, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

November 10, 1863 - The Signal Corps transfers all telegraph equipment to the Military Telegraph Service as directed by Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

November 10, 1863 - Admiral John Dahlgren reports that in the past two weeks his ironclad squadron has delivered 9,036 artillery rounds into Fort Sumter and still this does not prompt a Confederate surrender.

November 10, 1863 - In the Straits of Sunda off Java, the CSS Alabama is successful in capturing and burning the Union clipper ship 'Winged Racer' and the Union clipper 'Contest' is captured and burned in the Gasper Straits the next day.

November 11, 1863 - At Chattanooga, Confederate President Davis warned General Braxton Bragg to: "not allow the enemy to get up all his reinforcements before striking him, if it can be avoided."

November 12, 1863 - The weather and marching conditions continue to be a problem as Generals James Longstreet and Joseph Wheeler mass their respective commands at Loudon, Tennessee and begin to move toward Knoxville.

November 12, 1863 - The Union batteries and ironclads continue to bombard Fort Sumter.

November 14, 1863 - General Longstreet begins crossing the Tennessee River at Loudon. He directs General Wheeler to move his cavalry toward the Holston River southeast of Knoxville, which effectively takes his best fighting force out of the skirmishing and small engagements that erupt as they move toward Knoxville. Union General Ambrose Burnside supervises the evacuation of 5,000 Union troops from Louden and begins to move them to Knoxville.

November 15, 1863 - General Wheeler arrives across the Holston River from the Knoxville heights. He decides that the Union force is too strong to attack and withdraws.

November 15, 1863 - General Burnside and General Longstreet slog through the mud on parallel routes to Knoxville, sometimes within a mile of each other. Both are aware of the other force and the race is on. Both forces encamp at Lenoir for the night.

November 15, 1863 - After a 675 mile trip by rail, boat, and road, General Sherman arrives at Bridgeport, Alabama with four divisions (17,000 men) destined as a relief force at Chattanooga. Sherman rides ahead, arrives in Chattanooga and begins a personal reconnaissance of the northern end of Missionary Ridge, near the right wing of Braxton Bragg's Army of Tennessee.

November 16, 1863 - Departing Lenoir, Tennessee in the early morning darkness, both armies dispatch mounted forces ahead of their infantry to capture Campbell's Station, ten miles ahead. General Burnside, knowing the importance of gaining the Campbell's Station crossroad, burns his baggage and supply wagons and arrives 15 minutes ahead of General Longstreet. Confederate Generals Evander M. Laws and Lafayette McLaws are dispatched to hit the Union right but Burnsides detects the move and falls back. When General Laws attacks the adjusted Union line, he is repulsed and beaten back. General Longstreet concedes Campbell's Station but moves on toward Knoxville, planning to besiege the city.

November 3 - 9, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

November 3, 1863 - The ruins of Fort Sumter are pounded by another 661 rounds from Union guns, without effect.

November 3, 1863 - Heavy skirmishing along the Bayou Borbeau, Louisiana results in an embarrassing and hasty Union retreat. Union General William B. Franklin's XIX Corps encamps beyond the reach of mutual support and with lax security. Confederate General Richard Taylor outnumbered two to one, launches a sudden attack, including the cavalry under General Thomas Green emerging out of a ravine, scattering the Union camp. The Union loss is 25 dead, 129 wounded, and 562 captured.

November 3, 1863 - Near Charleston, West Virginia, 1,700 Union cavalry move against Confederates at Lewisburg. Their goal is to destroy the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad.

November 3, 1863 - Federal gunboats transport General Nathaniel P. Banks' troops and land at Brazos Island, Texas. This is the first Union unit to establish a presence in Texas.

November 4, 1863 - At Jefferson Davis' direction, General Braxton Bragg sends General Longstreet with 15,000 men to support Knoxville. This move is partially to tie down Union troops at Knoxville but also to separate the two feuding Southern Generals. Bragg is seriously weakened at Chattanooga as General Grant prepares for an attack.

November 4, 1863 - Generals Nathaniel Banks and Napoleon J. T. Dana occupy Brownsville, Texas.

November 5, 1863 - General Grant urges General W. T. Sherman to hasten his move to Chattanooga so the Union forces can attack Bragg's force before Longstreet can attack General Burnsides at Knoxville.

November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."

November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 3, 1863 - Heavy skirmishing along the Bayou Borbeau, Louisiana results in an embarrassing and hasty Union retreat. Union General William B. Franklin's XIX Corps encamps beyond the reach of mutual support and with lax security. Confederate General Richard Taylor outnumbered two to one, launches a sudden attack, including the cavalry under General Thomas Green emerging out of a ravine, scattering the Union camp. The Union loss is 25 dead, 129 wounded, and 562 captured.
November 3, 1863 - Near Charleston, West Virginia, 1,700 Union cavalry move against Confederates at Lewisburg. Their goal is to destroy the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad.

November 3, 1863 - Federal gunboats transport General Nathaniel P. Banks' troops and land at Brazos Island, Texas. This is the first Union unit to establish a presence in Texas.

November 4, 1863 - At Jefferson Davis' direction, General Braxton Bragg sends General Longstreet with 15,000 men to support Knoxville. This move is partially to tie down Union troops at Knoxville but also to separate the two feuding Southern Generals. Bragg is seriously weakened at Chattanooga as General Grant prepares for an attack.

November 4, 1863 - Generals Nathaniel Banks and Napoleon J. T. Dana occupy Brownsville, Texas.

November 5, 1863 - General Grant urges General W. T. Sherman to hasten his move to Chattanooga so the Union forces can attack Bragg's force before Longstreet can attack General Burnsides at Knoxville.

November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."

November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 3, 1863 - Near Charleston, West Virginia, 1,700 Union cavalry move against Confederates at Lewisburg. Their goal is to destroy the East Tennessee and Virginia Railroad.
November 3, 1863 - Federal gunboats transport General Nathaniel P. Banks' troops and land at Brazos Island, Texas. This is the first Union unit to establish a presence in Texas.

November 4, 1863 - At Jefferson Davis' direction, General Braxton Bragg sends General Longstreet with 15,000 men to support Knoxville. This move is partially to tie down Union troops at Knoxville but also to separate the two feuding Southern Generals. Bragg is seriously weakened at Chattanooga as General Grant prepares for an attack.

November 4, 1863 - Generals Nathaniel Banks and Napoleon J. T. Dana occupy Brownsville, Texas.

November 5, 1863 - General Grant urges General W. T. Sherman to hasten his move to Chattanooga so the Union forces can attack Bragg's force before Longstreet can attack General Burnsides at Knoxville.

November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."

November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 3, 1863 - Federal gunboats transport General Nathaniel P. Banks' troops and land at Brazos Island, Texas. This is the first Union unit to establish a presence in Texas.
November 4, 1863 - At Jefferson Davis' direction, General Braxton Bragg sends General Longstreet with 15,000 men to support Knoxville. This move is partially to tie down Union troops at Knoxville but also to separate the two feuding Southern Generals. Bragg is seriously weakened at Chattanooga as General Grant prepares for an attack.

November 4, 1863 - Generals Nathaniel Banks and Napoleon J. T. Dana occupy Brownsville, Texas.

November 5, 1863 - General Grant urges General W. T. Sherman to hasten his move to Chattanooga so the Union forces can attack Bragg's force before Longstreet can attack General Burnsides at Knoxville.

November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."

November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 4, 1863 - At Jefferson Davis' direction, General Braxton Bragg sends General Longstreet with 15,000 men to support Knoxville. This move is partially to tie down Union troops at Knoxville but also to separate the two feuding Southern Generals. Bragg is seriously weakened at Chattanooga as General Grant prepares for an attack.
November 4, 1863 - Generals Nathaniel Banks and Napoleon J. T. Dana occupy Brownsville, Texas.

November 5, 1863 - General Grant urges General W. T. Sherman to hasten his move to Chattanooga so the Union forces can attack Bragg's force before Longstreet can attack General Burnsides at Knoxville.

November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."

November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 4, 1863 - Generals Nathaniel Banks and Napoleon J. T. Dana occupy Brownsville, Texas.
November 5, 1863 - General Grant urges General W. T. Sherman to hasten his move to Chattanooga so the Union forces can attack Bragg's force before Longstreet can attack General Burnsides at Knoxville.

November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."

November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 5, 1863 - General Grant urges General W. T. Sherman to hasten his move to Chattanooga so the Union forces can attack Bragg's force before Longstreet can attack General Burnsides at Knoxville.
November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."

November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 5, 1863 - President Lincoln scolds General Nathaniel Banks for leaving Louisiana before he re-establishes a constitutional government thereby assuring the African Americans "on the question of their permanent freedom."
November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.

November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 6, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour visiting Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina is further reduced.
November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.

November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 6, 1863 - Captain Raphael Simmes' crew, aboard the CSS Alabama, captures and burns the Union bark 'Amanda' in the Dutch East Indies.
November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.

November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 7, 1863 - General George Meade surprises General R. E. Lee by installing two pontoon bridges across the Rappahannock River at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. Three Union Corps cross and attack the 2nd and 30th North Carolina units of General Robert Rode's division and establish a position on the south bank of the Rappahannock. Five miles upstream, General John Sedgwick's V and VI Corps defeat the "Louisiana Tigers." General Lee assumes no further fighting is planned and fails to guard the bridgehead. General Sedgwick leads the 6th Marines and the 5th Wisconsin in a bayonet charge against the "Louisiana Tigers," driving the Confederates from the bridgehead with 2,023 casualties. Lee withdraws south to Culpepper Court House.
November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.

November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 9, 1863 - President Davis returns to Richmond from his morale-boosting trip. His train is delayed by an early snowstorm.
November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.
November 9, 1863 - President Lincoln attends the play 'The Marble Heart' featuring actor John Wilkes Booth at a theater in Washington, D.C.

October 27 - November 2, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

October 27, 1863 - General Ulysses S. Grant directs General W. T. Sherman to move quickly toward Chattanooga from Meridian, Mississippi where Sherman's army was resting after the Vicksburg victory. General in Chief Halleck previously had ordered Sherman to repair rail lines while in route.

October 27, 1863 - General Joseph Hooker moves to re-open the Tennessee River to Union supply lines into Chattanooga. Hooker moves the XI and XII Corps from Bridgeport, Alabama toward Brown's Ferry and directs General John Geary's XII Corps to guard Union lines of communication. This large Union presence forces General Evander M. Law's division of Confederates to abandon Raccoon Mountain and move to the west side of Lookout Mountain.

October 28, 1863 - General Longstreet is ordered to mount an attack on the Union bridgehead at Brown's Ferry by General Braxton Bragg. General Longstreet instead sends General Micah Jenkins' division to Wauhatchie Station to attack the Union rearguard. After becoming lost at night, Jenkins is late to attack and General Geary mounts a strong defense of his position.

October 29, 1863 - In a series of bombardments of Fort Sumter, the Union expends 2,691 rounds, killing 33 Confederate guards. The defenders still refuse to yield.

October 29, 1863 - President Davis continues his morale building tour in the Deep South with a stop in Atlanta, Georgia. He agrees to allow General Nathan B. Forrest to detach from the Army of Tennessee after a long running feud with General Bragg, Forrest's Commanding Officer. Forrest now operates as an independent command in northern Mississippi.

October 29, 1863 - General Micah Jenkins' division is held off by General Geary's Federal troops once again with causalities in both armies. The fragile supply line into Chattanooga remains secure.

October 30, 1863 - Unionists gather at Fort Smith, Arkansas to elect representatives to the U.S. Congress.

October 30, 1863 - The Army of the Cumberland is re-supplied when the Federal transport 'Chattanooga' docks at Chattanooga on the Tennessee River.

October 30, 1863 - The USS Lexington, Hastings, Key West, Cricket, Tobb, Romeo, and Peosta steam from the Mississippi River into the Tennessee River in support of General William T. Sherman.

October 31, 1863 - Shelling of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina resumes with an additional 768 rounds fired over the next two days.

November 1, 1863 - The attempt to reach Sabine Pass, Texas, via the Bayou Teche is abandoned when General William B. Franklin withdraws from Opelousas, Louisiana back to New Iberia.

November 1, 1863 - Additional Union steam transports arrive at Brown's Ferry, Tennessee ending Braxton Bragg's siege of Chattanooga. The hungry troops at first get mainly hard tack, leading to the new route being called the "Cracker Line."

November 2, 1863 - The Gettysburg Union Cemetery committee invites President Lincoln to speak at the dedication ceremony scheduled for November 19. Lincoln accepts the invitation, surprising the committee members.

November 2, 1863 - President Davis visits Charleston, South Carolina where he witnesses another 793 rounds of Union artillery against Fort Sumter. President Davis states, "I did not believe Charleston would ever be taken."

October 20 - 26, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

October 20, 1863 - At Murrell's Inlet, North Carolina, the crew of the USS T. A. Ward sends a party ashore to locate fresh water. The party is surprised by Confederate cavalry and 10 men are captured.

October 20, 1863 - Union General Cadwallader Colden Washburn is named commander of the XIII Corps in Mississippi. Prior to the Civil War, several Washburn brothers started Washburn Flour Company, forerunner of General Mills.

October 21, 1863 - Opelousas, Louisiana is occupied by Union forces under General William B. Franklin. This is the end point of the Bayou Teche operation.

October 22, 1863 - Major John S. Mosby's partisan rangers are overrun near Annandale, Virginia.

October 22, 1863 - Admiral David D. Porter advises General William T. Sherman that no steamer should be allowed to dock at any ports except military or gunboat protected ports. This after the unescorted Union steamer 'Mist' is destroyed by Confederate guerrillas at Ship Island, Mississippi.

October 23, 1863 - General Leonidas Polk is relieved of command as corps commander of the Army of Tennessee by President Jefferson Davis and replaced by General William Hardee. Tension between General Braxton Bragg and Polk led to this command change.

October 23, 1863 - General U. S. Grant arrives in Chattanooga and takes command of the Army of the Cumberland. General George Thomas accompanies Grant to study Confederate positions below Lookout Mountain. Grant then orders a new supply route west of Chattanooga from Bridgeport. This so-called "cracker line" weakens the Confederate siege. General Sherman's XV Corps and Joseph Hooker's XI and XII Corps are expected to arrive in Chattanooga within days.

October 24, 1863 - General Grant begins to extend the "cracker line" on the Tennessee River below Raccoon Mountain.

October 24, 1863 - General Grant names General William T. Sherman as commander of the Army of the Tennessee effective as soon as Sherman's army arrives in Chattanooga.

October 25, 1863 - Confederate forces led by General John S. Marmaduke occupy Pine Bluff, Arkansas.

October 26, 1863 - Union batteries again pound the remains of Fort Sumter firing 625 heavy rounds into the crumbled structure.

October 26, 1863 - General William B. Hazen of IV Corps directs the laying of a pontoon bridge across the Tennessee River at Brown's Ferry, opposite Raccoon Mountain and near Confederate outposts. A bridgehead is established when the 15th Alabama is routed by General John B. Turchin's brigade. The siege is broken.

October 13 - 19, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

October 13, 1863 - Elections in Indiana, Iowa, Ohio, and Pennsylvania resulted in Republican governors being elected. Governor Curtin of Pennsylvania was pro war and a staunch Lincoln ally while Peace Democrat Clement Vallandigham, running in Ohio, was defeated and exiled to Canada.

October 13, 1863 - President Jefferson Davis approves the transfer of General Daniel H. Hill out of Braxton Bragg's command. Bragg asked for this approval during President Davis's recent visit to Georgia.

October 14, 1863 - General A.P. Hill discovers the rear guard of General Meade's Army fording the Broad Run at Bristoe Station near Warrenton, Virginia. He decides to attack and commits two brigades of General Heath's division to attack General George Sykes' V Corps. Unknown to either General Hill or General Sykes, the entire II Corps of General Gouveneur K. Warren is in wait behind a railroad embankment, positioned at a right angle to the Confederate line. A continuous artillery and musket attack led to a one-sided slaughter. When Hill tried to explain the huge death toll, General Lee curtly replied, "Bury these poor men and let us say no more about it."

October 15, 1863 - The experimental submarine 'CSS Hunley' flounders for a second time in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina. This just one day prior to the planned use of the Hunley in combat. All seven crewmen, including the inventor of the craft, Horace L. Hunley, died. General Beauregard ordered the vessel raised and prepared for service.

October 16, 1863 - President Lincoln sends a message through General Halleck's office urging General George Meade to attack General Robert E. Lee's force. Meade again resists any suggestion regarding troop use. General Lee moves to a strong defensive position behind the Rappahannock.

October 16, 1863 - General Ulysses S. Grant takes control of the new Military Division of the Mississippi which is a combination of the old Departments of the Ohio, the Cumberland, and the Tennessee. Grant now controls military operations from the Appalachians to the Mississippi River.

October 17, 1863 - A call for 300,000 additional volunteers is issued by President Lincoln.

October 17, 1863 - General Lee marches his Army of Northern Virginia away from Bull Run. To mask this move, General J.E.B. Stuart divides his cavalry command, sending General Wade Hampton's brigade through Gainesville and Haymarket while General Fitzhugh Lee moves his brigade toward Manassas Junction and Bristoe Station.

October 17, 1863 - General Rosecrans is formally relieved from the Army of the Cumberland at Chattanooga. General George Thomas takes command and declares "We will hold this town till we starve."

October 18, 1863 - Confederate divers locate the CSS Hunley and begin recovery operations.

October 18, 1863 - Major John S. Mosby leads his men to capture 100 horses, prisoners, and equipment near Annandale, Virginia. General John Imboden's Confederates capture 250 men of the 9th Maryland at Charles Town, West Virginia.

October 18, 1863 - Near Groveton, Virginia, General Stuart encounters General Hugh Kilpatrick's Union Cavalry. Stuart withdraws to wait for General Fitzhugh Lee's second brigade. Once the forces unite, they decide to wait until morning, then attack Kilpatrick's left flank and rear as Kilpatrick attempts to cross the Broad Run.

October 19, 1863 - General Stuart's cavalry attacks General Kilpatrick's calvary forces at Warrenton. Kilpatrick sends General Custer's Michigan brigade into the trap of Lee's 2nd Virginia cavalry secretly posted at Buckland Mills near Broad Run. Custer is routed and flees. Kilpatrick orders a retreat and the Confederates give chase. A five mile pursuit finally ends with 150 prisoners taken and 8 wagons captured. The Southern horsemen hereafter called this engagement the "Buckland Races."

October 19, 1863 - General Robert E. Lee was unsuccessful in luring General Meade into battle but the Union forces were pushed back about 40 miles from the Rappahannock River. General Lee established a defensive position along the Rappahannock River with bridgeheads at Kelly's Ford and Rappahannock Station. The Bristoe Campaign ended with 1,381 Confederates lost and 2,292 Union dead, missing, or wounded.

October 6 - 12, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

October 6, 1863 - Confederate raiders attack Union positions at Humansville, Missouri. General James R. Chambers commands. General Joseph Selby's Confederate Cavalry skirmishes near Coldwater River, Mississippi, and Union General Robert B. Mitchell's 2nd Cavalry Division drives General Joseph Wheeler's cavalry to the banks of the Duck River before they escape.

October 6, 1863 - At Baxter Springs, Kansas, Confederate guerrilla leader William C. Quantrill attacks Union troops. Quantrill is surprised when 90 men of the 2nd Kansas Colored Infantry and the 3rd Wisconsin Cavalry repel his attack on what he thought was an isolated post. A second column of Quantrill's raiders attack General James G. Blunt's troops as they move from Fort Scott to Fort Smith, Arkansas. The guerillas are dressed in captured blue uniforms and move close to Blunt's unit before they start firing. Only one-third of the Union force escapes. One casualty is the son of General Samuel R. Curtis, and Blunt is ultimately dismissed from the Army for negligence.

October 7, 1863 - Robert E. Lee plans to strike the right flank of the Army of the Potomac now located south of the Rapidan River. Lee is aware that two corps of the Union Army have detached to Chattanooga. 

October 9, 1863 - General Lee moves across the Rapidan River and marches toward Washington, D.C. Lee's army is also short handed as one corps has been sent to Tennessee. Lee musters the II Corps of Ewell's Army and the III Corps of Ambrose P. Hill's forces, plus J.E.B. Stuart's Cavalry to bolster his force. 

October 9, 1863 - General Joseph Wheeler continues to be successful in the West. At Muscle Shoals, Alabama, he captures more Union supplies and men bringing his total for the week to 2,000 Union casualties, 1,000 wagons captured, five bridges burned, miles of track destroyed, and millions of dollars of Union equipment captured or destroyed. The Army of the Cumberland, already short of supplies in Chattanooga, goes on half rations due to this largest destructive raid of the war.

October 10, 1863 - The War Department orders additional gunboats in support of General W.T. Sherman at Eastport, Tennessee.

October 10, 1863 - General Meade informs a disappointed President Lincoln that he is falling back behind the Rappahannock River to stay between General Lee's army and Washington D.C. General Lee takes the offensive and moves toward Meade's Army of the Potomac.

October 10, 1863 - Confederate authorities attempt to suppress mounting Union sentiment at Elizabeth City and Edonton, North Carolina by sending 1,000 southern troops to support conscription efforts.


October 10, 1863 - President Jefferson Davis arrives in Chattanooga, Tennessee to confer with General Braxton Bragg over military strategy. Unrest between Bragg and his senior subordinates was most likely the major topic of discussion.

October 11, 1863 - Heavy skirmishing erupts near the Rapidan and Rappahannock Rivers as the Confederate Army occupies Culpeper, Virginia. General A.P. Hill moves his III Corps around the Union right while General Ewell moves along the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. 

October 12, 1863 - Confederates at Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, Alabama fire on the USS Kenawha and Eugenia as they chase a Confederate steamer.

September 29 - October 5, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

September 29, 1863 - Confederate Cavalry under General John S. Williams overruns and takes the Union position at Jonesborough, Tennessee.

September 30, 1863 - On the Sanibel River, Florida, the USS Rosalie captures the British blockade runner "Dictator."

October 1, 1863 - President Lincoln sends this message to General John M. Schofield, Union Commander in Missouri: "Your immediate duty, in regard to Missouri, now is to advance the efficiency of that establishment and to so use, as far as practicable, to compel the excited people there to leave one another alone." In Lincoln's view, the time had come where civilian rule and domestic tranquility should replace the guerrilla warfare.

October 1, 1863 - General Robert Ransom arrives in Jonesboro, Tennessee and directs General Williams to use his 1,700-man Confederate cavalry troop to seize the Cumberland Gap. General Williams moves through the Cumberland Gap and occupies Greenville, exceeding his orders.

October 1, 1863 - General Joseph Hooker reaches Nashville, Tennessee and awaits the arrival of his XI and XII Corps.

October 1, 1863 - Colonel George Crook, commanding the 4th Ohio Cavalry at Smith's Cross Roads, Tennessee, skirmishes with General Joseph Wheeler's 4,000 Confederate cavalry. Wheeler is trying to disrupt Union supply lines. Marauding Southerners capture a large Federal wagon train.

October 2, 1863 - The XI and XII Corps reach Bridgeport, Alabama after an impressive journey by rail. They are about 50 miles from Chattanooga.

October 2, 1863 - General Joseph Wheeler's cavalry attacks a Union supply train in the Sequatchie Valley, Tennessee and captures 800 wagons, 1,200 prisoners, and 4,000 mules.

October 2, 1863 - The Army of the Cumberland begins to suffer food shortages in Chattanooga.

October 3, 1863 - President Lincoln designates the last Thursday in November as Thanksgiving Day.

October 3, 1863 - Ex-slaves are authorized to enlist in Maryland, Tennessee, and Missouri by order of Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

October 3, 1863 - Union batteries on Morris Island, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina end the bombardment of the remnants of Ft. Sumter after 560 more shells are directed toward that target.

October 3, 1863 - Union forces are compelled to withdraw from Greenville, Tennessee after General John Williams' cavalry attacks General Samuel P. Carter's cavalry troops. McMinnville, Tennessee is seized by General John A. Warton's 2,500 Confederate Cavalrymen who take 585 Union prisoners.

October 3, 1863 - In the west, General William B. Franklin leads his 19,500 Union XIX Corps from Berwick Bay, Louisiana westward toward Fort Bisland, Louisiana. General Cadwaller C. Washburn moves his XIII Corps from Berwick to Bayou Carrion Crow. Both columns plan to move up to Bayou Tech as far as Lafayette and then into Texas.

October 5, 1863 - General Hooker's XI and XII Corps arrive at the besieged city of Chattanooga. Lead elements of XV Corps from Vicksburg also arrive.

October 5, 1863 - At Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, the low silhouette torpedo boat "CSS David" steams out of the harbor to attack the USS New Ironside. One special feature of the "CSS David" is an exploding spar used to jab an enemy ship at or below the waterline. As the Confederate ship approaches the New Ironside, she is hit by small arms fire as the Union crew defends. The spar explosive is detonated and both ships are damaged. The CSS David's boilers are extinguished by the blast and she is dead in the water alongside the New Ironside. The boilers are eventually relit and the "CSS David" steams away. Admiral Dahlgren anticipates further attacks.

September 22 - 28, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

September 22, 1863 - General Rosecrans tries to rally his Army of the Cumberland, now in Chattanooga after being defeated at Chickamauga. General Ulysses S. Grant sends three divisions of the XV Corps from Vicksburg to assist. General William Tecumseh Sherman is sent to assist Rosecrans.

September 22, 1863 - The Confederate Army of Tennessee occupies the high ground around Chattanooga. A siege operation soon begins.

September 22, 1863 - Naval attacks and counter attacks continue. The Union Schooners 'Samuel Pearsall' and 'Alexandria' are seized by Confederate raiders aboard the commandeered 'Alliance' in Chesapeake Bay. The USS 'Connecticut' captures British blockade runner 'Juno' off Wilmington, North Carolina. The USS 'Desoto' recaptures the Federal tug 'Leviathan' in the Gulf of Mexico, and the crew of the USS 'Seneca' destroys salt works near Darien, Georgia.

September 23, 1863 - In the largest ever shuttle of military personnel during the Civil War, Secretary of War Edwin Stanton directs the transfer of 20,000 men of the XI and XII Corps from the Army of the Potomac to Chattanooga. They are moved by rail over 1,233 miles of track with seven different railroad companies and at least two different track gauges.

September 23, 1863 - The commandeered 'Alliance' is run aground by the USS 'Thomas Freeborn' and burned at Milford Haven, Virginia.

September 24, 1863 - Ambrose D. Mann is appointed special agent to the Papal State in Rome by the Confederate government. This after Britain informed the Confederate government that they would not become involved in the United States Civil War.

September 24, 1863 - General Joseph Hooker is appointed to command the XI and XII Corps enroute to Chattanooga. General Rosecrans moves his force into the City of Chattanooga rather than defend Missionary Ridge or Lookout Mountain, both naturally strong positions. Rosecrans adds to his timid reputation.

September 25, 1863 - President Lincoln drafts a letter scolding General Ambrose E. Burnside for failing to reinforce General Rosecrans at Chickamauga. He wrote in frustration ".... to get you to assist General Rosecrans, and you have repeatedly declared you would do it, and yet you move the contrary way". The letter was never completed or sent.

September 27, 1863 - President Lincoln orders General Burnside at Knoxville to forward reinforcements to assist at Chattanooga and follows with this message: "My order to you meant simply that you should save Rosecrans from being crushed out, believing if he lost his position, you could not hold East Tennessee in any event."

September 27, 1863 - General Braxton Bragg orders General Joseph Wheeler to use his cavalry to raid the 60-mile long Union supply line that goes through the Sequatchie Valley. Wheeler has no experience as a raider but tells subordinates: "I have my orders, gentlemen, and I will attempt the work."

September 28, 1863 - General William Rosecrans accuses Generals Alexander McCook and Thomas Crittenden with failing to obey orders at Chickamauga. They are both relieved of command pending a court of inquiry.