Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President
Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable
February 24, 1863 - The Yazoo Pass is finally clear of overhanging vegetation that took three weeks for Union Troops to clear. General Leonard F. Ross plans to move his armada of transports and ironclads downstream.
February 24, 1863 - The New Mexico Territory is divided to yield the new Arizona Territory, by act of Congress.
February 24, 1863 - The U.S. fleet continues to capture and in some cases destroy Confederate vessels and blockade runners. The USS "Mahaska" sinks the Confederate sloop "Mary Jane" and the barge "Ben Bolt" on the York River, Virginia. The USS "State of Georgia" captures the blockade runner "Annie" near Cape Romain, South Carolina, and the USS "Tahoma" captures the schooner "Stonewall" off Key West, Florida.
February 24, 1863 - Admiral David D. Porter abandons efforts to blockade the Red River with a single ship detached from his fleet after the CSS "Warren H. Webb," "Beatty," and "Queen of the West" ram the ironclad "USS Indianola" repeatedly and partially sink her.
February 25, 1863 - Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase completes a new banking system and congress adopts his proposal. Participating institutions reserve up to one-third of their capital in U.S. Securities and these serve to back national bank notes issued to the public. This was designed to help finance the war effort but remained in effect until the Federal Reserve was established in 1913.
February 25, 1863 - A large flotilla of light draft Union gunboats enter the Yazoo Pass.
February 25, 1863 - A British diplomatic protest follows the capture of the British merchant vessel by the crew of the USS "Vanderbilt." The protest involved the disposition of mail and President Lincoln orders the craft and all mail to be returned to their owners.
February 25, 1863 - The USS "Indianola," captured one day earlier by the Confederates, is scuttled as they attempt to refloat the vessel and "a formidable Union warship" approaches. The Union "ship" is actually an old coal barge disguised as an ironclad with dummy stacks, guns, and superstructure floated downriver by Admiral Porter.
February 26, 1863 - Confederate Army leadership moves include General Longstreet gaining command of the Department of Virginia and North Carolina while General Sterling Price is transferred back to the Trans-Mississippi Department.
February 26, 1863 - The National Council of Cherokee Indians renounces their alliance with the Confederacy and rejoins the Union. They agree to abolish slavery.
February 27, 1863 - Captain Raphael Semmes, in command of the CSS "Alabama" raider, takes another prize; this time the Union ship "Washington" which is released on bond.
February 28, 1863 - On the Yazoo River, the expedition made possible by clearing overgrowth moves into the Coldwater River ahead of army transports.
February 28, 1863 - The USS "Wynandank" captures the schooners "Vista" and "Thompson" off Piney Point, Virginia. The ironclad USS "Montauk" with Captain John Worden commanding, sinks the blockade runner CSS "Rattlesnake" (formerly Nashville) near Fort McAllister, Georgia. They are aided by the USS "Seneca," "Wisshocken," and "Dawn." The "Montauk" strikes a torpedo and is intentionally run aground on a mud bank for crew repair.
March 1, 1863 - General Nathan B. Forrest's Confederate raiders skirmish with Union force at Bradyville, Tennessee.
March 2, 1863 - The U.S. Congress dismisses 33 ranking officers on a variety of charges. They authorize four major generals and nine brigadier generals for Army service and an additional forty major generals and 200 brigadier generals for volunteer service.
March 2, 1863 - The CSS "Alabama" crew captures and burns the Federal ship "John A. Parks."
