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.

September 15 - 21, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

September 15, 1863 - Six Confederate soldiers were killed in an accidental magazine explosion at Battery Cheves, James Island, South Carolina.

September 15, 1863 - Confederate General Braxton Bragg and Union General William Rosecrans move toward a final confrontation following a skirmish at Catlett's Gap, Georgia.

September 16, 1863 - General Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland takes up positions along Chickamauga Creek, 12 miles below Chattanooga, Tennessee.

September 17, 1863 - A skirmish between Confederate and Union forces takes place at Owen's Ford, West Chickamauga Creek, Georgia. Bragg misses his last opportunity to attack the Army of the Cumberland while the corps are still separated. Rosecrans completes his move and prepares for a major clash.

September 18, 1863 - Fighting begins across Chickamauga Creek. The Confederates outnumber the Union forces 68,000 to 58,000 men. General Bragg attempts to move his army between Rosecrans' army and the Union supply base at Chattanooga but is delayed. Rosecrans, fearing he is being outflanked, directs General George Thomas on a lengthy night march.

September 19, 1863 - The Battle of Chickamauga begins when General Thomas's XIV Corps meets General Nathan B. Forrest's cavalry on the Union left. Fighting escalates and both army commanders become consumed in directing additional troops into the hottest spots. The battle becomes a series of piecemeal struggles on the immediate front with mounting losses on both sides. That evening, General James Longstreet's I Corps arrives and General Bragg appoints Longstreet to command the left wing and Leonidas Polk to direct the right.

September 20, 1863 - Braxton Bragg plans an assault at dawn but confusion and delays stall the advance until after 9:00AM. About 10:30AM, a Southern charge on the Union center nearly pushes to the Lafayette Road. Rosecrans is mistakenly informed that a gap has formed in the center of his line and he directs General Thomas Wood's division to plug the gap. As General Wood pulls his troops out of line to fill the gap, General Longstreet's six brigades pour through, pushing the Union center and right along with General Roscrans and other officers into a full retreat.

September 20, 1863 - In the afternoon, General George Thomas establishes a strong defensive position along Snodgrass Hill. Several assaults on Thomas's position are beaten back. Union gains were realized when General Gordon Granger disobeyed General Rosecrans and rushed his Reserve Corps forward to support General Thomas. General Granger held the flag of 115th Illinois aloft throughout the heavy fighting and General Thomas stubbornly held Snodgrass Hill with determination. General George Thomas is credited with saving the Army of the Cumberland and gained the "Rock of Chickamauga" designation. Fighting ceases at nightfall.

September 20, 1863 - Fighting stopped by evening and General Thomas orders his 21st Ohio, 89th Ohio, and 22nd Michigan to hold the ridge above McFarland's Gap until his column passes through. The units are out of ammunition and hold the pass with bayonets alone. Most of the soldiers in these units were captured but only after Thomas's column passed through. The Battle of Chickamauga is the bloodiest in the western theatre with each side suffering about 28% loss through killed, wounded and missing. Confederate loss is 17,804 and Union loss is 16,179. General Daniel H. Hill called Chickamauga "A Barren Victory." Both Generals Bragg and Rosecrans suffer blows to their reputations; Bragg for his lackluster leadership and failure to pursue the Army of the Cumberland and Rosecrans for his lack of managing during and after the battle.

September 20, 1863 - Confederate General Ben Hardin Helm, President Lincoln's
brother-in-law is killed at Chickamauga. Both the President and Mrs. Lincoln mourn the loss.

September 21, 1863 - General Ambrose E. Burnside refuses to leave Knoxville to reinforce General Rosecrans even with repeated orders from President Lincoln.

September 21, 1863 - General George Thomas abandons Rossville Gap and reaches Chattanooga in good order. Confederate pursuit is lax.

September 8 - 14, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

September 8, 1863 - With the final conquest of Battery Wagner, General Quincy Gillmore joins Admiral John A. B. Dahlgren in an amphibious expedition against Fort Sumter. 

September 8, 1863 - General Braxton Bragg leaves Chattanooga with his 65,000 men and moves south toward Lafayette, Georgia. 

September 8, 1863 - At the mouth of the Sabine River near the Texas/Louisiana border, a 42-man battery from the 1st Texas Heavy Artillery engages Union General William B. Franklin's 4,000-man amphibious expedition. Lieutenant Richard Dowling (age 20) of the 1st Texas positions his six heavy smoothbore cannons at Fort Griffin and waits for the Union vessels to move within close range. He also sets range markers in the river. Two of the four gunboats are disabled with 19 dead, 37 missing, and 315 captured. Dowling's unit suffers no casualties prompting President Davis to state: "One of the most brilliant and heroic achievements in the history of warfare." General Banks shifts his attention to the Rio Grande.

September 9, 1863 - The "Laird Rams" built in Britain are officially prevented from entering Confederate service by action of the British government.

September 9, 1863 - General James Longstreet's I Corps of General Robert E. Lee's army is detached and sent to Lafayette, Georgia to reinforce Braxton Bragg's Army of the Tennessee.

September 9, 1863 - General Ambrose Burnside regains control of the Cumberland Gap in eastern Tennessee.

September 9, 1863 - Chattanooga surrenders to General Rosecrans without a shot being fired. Bragg's army reaches Lafayette, Georgia and awaits reinforcements. Lafayette is about 28 miles south of Chattanooga, Tennessee.

September 9, 1863 - At Charleston Harbor, Fort Sumter again comes under assault from Admiral Dahlgren's gunboats. The Confederates had earlier recovered a code book from the sunken USS Keokuk and could decipher Union signals so were aware of the attack. They rebuffed the Union advance and took about 100 prisoners. Admiral Dahlgren requested additional monitor craft from Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles but was refused. The Charleston Harbor bombardment ceased and became a blockade.

September 10, 1863 - Georgia troops sack the "North Carolina Standard' newspaper office when an editorial favoring a negotiated settlement with the Union was published.

September 10, 1863 - Rosecrans' army is widely disbursed with General Alexander Cook's corps at Alpine, Georgia, the XIV Corps at McLamore's Cove, and General Thomas Crittenden's XXI Corps at Chattanooga. Rosecrans is unaware that Braxton Bragg is regrouping and receiving reinforcements at Lafayette, Georgia.

September 11, 1863 - President Lincoln authorized General Andrew Johnson, Military Governor of Tennessee, to form a civilian government in his state. President Lincoln also does not accept General Burnside's latest attempt to resign. 

September 12, 1863 - Heavy skirmishing takes place below Chattanooga between scattered Confederate and Union forces.

September 13, 1863 - General R. E. Lee, weakened by the detachment of Longstreet's corp, falls back across the Rapidan River. General George Meade occupies Culpeper Court House as the Confederates evacuate.

September 13, 1863 - General Ulysses S. Grant is instructed to transfer all available forces from Corinth, Mississippi to Tuscumbia, Alabama in support of General William Rosecrans at Chattanooga.

September 13, 1863 - General Leonidas K. Polk is ordered to attack Crittenden's isolated XXI Corps at Lee and Gordon's Mill, northern Georgia. Polk waits for more reinforcements and fails to move. General Rosecrans recognizes the danger his scattered army faces and all three corps begin to consolidate at Lee and Gordon's Mill on Chickamauga Creek.

September 14, 1863 - General Meade crosses the Rapadan River seeking to find General Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. Skirmishes at Somerville, Raccoon, and Robert's Fords, Virginia result.

September 1-7, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

September 1, 1863 - Tennessee Governor Isham G. Harris is reassured by President Jefferson Davis that troops, rifles, and supplies are being sent to General Braxton Bragg's forces.

September 1, 1863 - Union vessels fire another 627 rounds toward Fort Sumter and Battery Wagner at Charleston. Both positions continue to resist.

September 1, 1863 - General Rosecrans crosses the Tennessee River and marches his force toward Chattanooga, Tennessee.

September 1, 1863 - At Charleston Harbor, Admiral Dahlgren leads his ironclads in action against Fort Sumter. This night action allows the vessels to move to within 500 yards where they begin firing. The attack is suspended at daybreak. Shore batteries score 70 hits on the ironclads.

September 2, 1863 - Alabama's State Legislature approves the use of slaves to fill their military manpower shortage.

September 2, 1863 - Union forces construct earthworks within 80 yards of Battery Wagner on Morris Island, South Carolina. Confederate authorities prepare an evacuation plan.

September 2, 1863 - General William Rosecrans' Army of the Cumberland pursues retreating Confederates crossing the Tennessee River.

September 2, 1863 - General Burnside's Union force occupies Knoxville, Tennessee, which stalls all Confederate rail traffic between eastern and western Tennessee. Rail transport for the Confederate forces must now move through Georgia en route to or from Virginia and western Tennessee.

September 4, 1863 - At New Orleans, General Ulysses S. Grant is badly injured in a fall from his horse.

September 4, 1863 - Confederate guerrillas capture four prisoners from the 18th Iowa at Quincy, Missouri. They execute the four men. Federal forces ambush Confederate bushwhackers at Big Creek, Missouri and six southerners are killed.

September 4, 1863 - A joint amphibious expedition is planned by Admiral John H. Bell of the West Gulf Blockading Squadron. The ships will sail from New Orleans to Sabine Pass, Texas to dissuade French occupation forces in Mexico from crossing the Rio Grande.

September 5, 1863 - British Secretary Lord Russell confiscates the two "Laird Rams" that Britain built for the Confederacy. American Ambassador Charles F. Adams urged the delivery to be stopped. A diplomatic sore point between Washington D.C. and London ended with Lord Russell's intervention.

September 5, 1863 - General William Rosecrans divides his army into three units to cover three widely spaced mountain passes. Rosecrans is convinced that Braxton Bragg will soon flee Chattanooga. Meanwhile, President Jefferson Davis asks General Bragg, "What is your plan of Operation? Can you ascertain intentions of the enemy?"

September 6, 1863 - General Beauregard secretly evacuates Battery Wagner and Battery Gregg on Morris Island. This concludes 60 days of nearly continuous bombardment by Union land and naval forces and the loss of about 300 of the 900 man Confederate force.

September 7, 1863 - Admiral Dahlgren demands the surrender of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor. When the defenders refuse, the USS Weehawken and the USS New Ironsides approach the fort. The Weehawken runs aground and the New Ironsides protects the stricken ship by moving between Fort Moultrie and the vessel. The USS New Ironsides takes an additional 50 direct hits and both vessels retire to make repairs.

September 7, 1863 - Army General William B. Franklin arrives off the bar at Sabine Pass, Texas and joins Admiral Bell in this joint exercise.

August 25-31, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

August 25, 1863 - At Battery Wagner, Charleston Harbor, South Carolina, Union infantry attacking Confederate rifle pits are forced to retreat. 

August 25, 1863 - General Thomas Ewing, commander of the Union Border District, issues controversial General Order No. 11. The inhabitants of three Missouri counties were ordered to leave their homes for aiding and assisting guerrillas. The homes were then burned with about 20,000 people displaced. General James Lane, a noted Union frontier jayhawker and well known politician, nearly ruined Ewing's military reputation when he insisted that these harsh measures be ordered and enforced. Thomas Ewing was a native of Lancaster, Ohio. 

August 25, 1863 - Additional saltpeter mines are destroyed along Jackson's River, West Virginia. Union General William Averell then moves west toward White Sulphur Springs. 

August 26, 1863 - General Averell's Union Cavalry skirmishes heavily with Confederate forces at White Sulphur Springs, West Virginia. With 2,000 troopers, Averell's cavalry equals the Confederates' force under Colonel George S. Patton, sent to stop the Union destruction. Averell dismounts to attack across a densely wooded area and is defeated with loss of 26 dead, 125 wounded, and 67 captured. Averell then moves on to Calligan's Station. 

August 26, 1863 - Union troops defeat Colonel Stand Watie's Cherokee Confederates 
at Perryville, Indian Territory. General James Blunt is the Union leader. 

August 26, 1863 - Union troops again storm the rifle pits fronting Battery Wagner and gain the advantage. 

August 27, 1863 - General Averell ends his raid into West Virginia and reaches Beverly. 

August 29, 1863 - The experimental submarine CSS Hunley sinks in Charleston Harbor 
while on a trial run. Six of Lieutenant John A. Payne's crew are killed. The wake of a passing steamer while hatches were still open for ventilation was the apparent cause. 

August 29, 1863 - General William Rosecrans and his Union forces flank the city of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Braxton Bragg and his Confederate forces must soon fight or fall back. 

August 30, 1863 - Fort Sumter remains the focus of Union bombardment from Morris Island where the Union batteries are located. 

August 30, 1863 - U.S. Marines assigned to the Mississippi River Squadron capture 35 prisoners and three Confederate paymasters at Boliver, Mississippi. They were carrying $2.2 million of Confederate currency. 

August 31, 1863 - The Army of the Potomac Union XII Corps gets a new commander with General Alpheus S. Williams taking command.

August 18-24, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 

Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

August 18, 1863 - President Lincoln test-fires the new Spencer carbine, a rapid-fire weapon. The Federal units now have a decidedly superior weapon compared to the muzzle loaders used by the Confederate soldier.

August 18, 1863 - Fort Sumter continues to be bombarded by cannon fire. The Confederate garrison holds on in the masonry ruins of the fort.

August 18, 1863 - At Pueblo, Colorado, Federal troops commanded by Colonel Kit Carson skirmish with Pueblo Indians.

August 19, 1863 - The military draft, suspended in New York City due to rioting, resumes with no further violence.

August 19, 1863 - Saltpeter works in Franklin, West Virginia are destroyed by General William Averell's men. This works was formerly operated by Confederates but abandoned when West Virginia became a state.

August 20, 1863 - William C. Quantrill leads his Confederate force in a raid into Kansas.

August 20, 1863 - Colonel Kit Carson begins a campaign against Ute, Zuni, Navajo, and Mescalero Indians in New Mexico Territory. All captives are resettled on the Bosque Redondo reservation.

August 21, 1863 - General Quincy Gilmore's huge Parrott gun called "Swamp Angel" is in position to fire on the Charleston waterfront from swampy Morris Island. When fully functional, this weapon could lob 200-pound incendiary projectiles some 7,900 yards.

August 21, 1863 - Quantrill and his 450 Confederate and Missouri irregulars reach Lawrence, Kansas. They encounter Kansas Jayhawkers and commence the largest atrocity of the war, condemned by both North and South, when they round-up and execute about 180 men and boys, then burn at least 185 buildings.

August 21, 1863 - The Confederate CSS Torch, a torpedo boat, attacks but fails to destroy the USS New Ironsides in the channel off Morris Island, South Carolina. The 'Torch' pilot, James Carlin, approached to within 40 yards of the New Ironsides where he cut his engines and planned to drift into the Union vessel. Prevailing current turned the 'Torch' so that the approach was alongside. The New Ironsides crew worked to depress their main gun low enough to sink the intruder but the CSS Torch restarted engines and reached the harbor amid constant fire.

August 22, 1863 - The "Swamp Angel" is disabled while firing it's 36th round and abandoned. Some early incendiary rounds caused fire damage on shore.

August 22, 1863 - Admiral Dahlgren moves his ironclad fleet closer to Fort Sumter to complete the destruction of the fort. The USS Passaic accidentally grounds near the fort and the fleet withdraws, having accomplished very little.

August 23, 1863 - Union gunners fire 5,009 rounds into Fort Sumter and reduce it to rubble. The garrison, with only one gun still mounted, refuses to yield.

August 23, 1863 - Admiral Dahlgren moves his fleet back to Charleston Harbor and next concentrates on Fort Moultrie. Fog rolls in and Dahlgren signals the fleet to again withdraw.

August 24, 1863 - Major John Mosby begins a protracted raid against Union forces camped near Warrenton Junction and Alexandria, Virginia.