December 21,1864-Union General Benjamin H. Grierson, best known for his cavalry raids at Vicksburg, leaves Memphis to destroy the Mobile and Ohio Railroad in northern Alabama and Mississippi.
December 22,1864-Union General George Stoneman led a cavalry raid to Saltsville in western Virginia and returns to Knoxville. The raid lasted 12 days, covered 460 miles, and his troops capture 900 men and 19 cannon.
December 23,1864-President Lincoln approves the congressional legislation that created the rank of vice admiral. David G. Farragut is the first to hold the rank, equivalent to a lieutenant general.
December 23,1864- Benjamin F. Butler and his 65,000 man expedition finally arrives at Fort Fisher aboard warships under David D. Porter's command. Fort Fisher in Wilmington, North Carolina, is the most formidable coastal fortification in the confederacy. An earth work structure 480 yards long and 60 feet high protects 50 mounted cannon and a 1,500 man garrison under Colonel William Lamb.
December 24,1864-The USS Louisiana, laden with explosives intended to be detonated under the guns of Fort Fisher, prematurely explodes 250 yards away from the objective, with little damage to the fort. The other 60 warships under Admiral Porter's control bombard the fort at a rate of 115 shells per minute, also with little damage.
December 25,1864-General Butler lands 2,200 men 75 yards from Fort Fisher and they move toward the fort, capturing Half Moon Battery as they advance. A strong fire from the 1,500 man garrison and the advance of 500 more men sent by General R.E. Lee checks Butler's advance. Deciding any further assault could be too costly, Butler withdraws and transports his troops to Hampton Roads.
December 25,1864-Butler's hasty retreat results in about 700 Union soldiers remaining trapped on the beach for the next two days.
December 26,1864-General John B. Hood begins to ferry remaining Confederate troops over the Tennessee River at Bainbridge, Tennessee, en-route to Tupelo, Mississippi. This concludes the ill-fated Nashville campaign.
December 27,1864-General Grant learns of General Butler's rebuff at Wilmington and is enraged. The normally docile Grant calls the Fort Fisher attack a complete fiasco and insists that Butler be sacked for "gross and culpable failure". Butler arrives back at Fortress Monroe.
Saturday, December 20, 2014
Sunday, November 23, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - November 23-29, 1864
November 23,1864-As General Hood continues the march toward Columbia, Tennessee, skirmishes break out at Fouche Springs, Henryville, and Mount Pleasant, Tennessee.
November 23,1864-The two wings of General Sherman's army converge on Milledgeville, Georgia where state militia and the Federal's engage in more fighting. Additional fighting takes place at Ball's Ferry and at the Georgia Central railroad bridge over the Oconee River.
November 24,1864-Union General Jacob D. Cox, in charge of General Schofield's lead unit, arrives in Columbia, Tennessee just in time to assist the Federal Cavalry troops against General Forrest's Confederate Cavalry, driving them off.
November 25,1864-Southern arsonists under orders from agents in Canada set fire to ten hotels, two downtown theaters, several other buildings, and P.T. Barnum's Museum in New York City. None of the fires resulted in serious damage as they were quickly extinguished. In February, 1865 Confederate Captain Robert Cobb Kennedy, an escapee from Johnson's Island prison and the only arsonist identified, was arrested for setting the Barnum Museum blaze. He was executed on March 23,1865.
November 26,1864-Sanderson, Georgia is the site of more skirmishing between Confederates and elements of Sherman's army.
November 26,1864-In the Nebraska Territory, fighting between Federal soldiers and local Indians sympathetic to the Confederacy takes place at Plum Creek Station and Spring Creek.
November 27,1864-The siege of Petersburg continues. On the James River, the steamer Greyhound, General Benjamin Butler's floating headquarters, is damaged by a coal torpedo believed to have been planted by southern saboteurs.
November 27,1864-General Schofield moves his forces north of the Duck River some 25 miles south of Franklin, Tennessee and burns bridges behind his move. The Confederates of General Hood are believed to be planning their attack from the south.
November 28,1864-Union General John P. Hatch marches 5,500 men from Hilton Head, South Carolina to transports waiting off shore. Sailing down the Broad River, he intends to land at Boyd's Neck and march overland to cut the Savannah and Charleston Railroad to stop Confederate troops from moving from Charleston to Savannah as General Sherman approaches that city.
November 28,1864-Confederate General Thomas L. Rosser leads his cavalry troops on a raid into Maryland where they destroy a bridge on the B&O Railroad. They then move back up the valley into Virginia.
November 28,1864-General Hood deploys part of his force south of Columbia, Tennessee to give the impression that he will attack from the south. He then shifts the bulk of his army east to cross the Duck River above the town and cut off any Union retreat. General Schofield withdraws his Union force across the Duck River before the trap is sprung. Schofield is alerted by Union Cavalry General James Wilson when General Nathan Forrest's Cavalry surprises Wilson at Spring Hill and drives his cavalry toward Franklin in defeat.
November 29-30,1864-General John P. Hatch with a brigade of infantry, a brigade of sailors, and eight cannon marches from Boyd's Neck, South Carolina toward Grahamville. The predominately black soldiers are from the Massachusetts 54th and 55th plus the 32nd, 34th and 35th U.S. Colored Troops. Mislead by poor maps, the Federals march and counter march aimlessly for several hours at night. When the Confederates arrive, the battle, sometimes called the battle of Honey Hill, is a disaster for the Union with 89 killed, 629 wounded and 29 missing. Light losses were recorded by the Confederates.
November 23,1864-The two wings of General Sherman's army converge on Milledgeville, Georgia where state militia and the Federal's engage in more fighting. Additional fighting takes place at Ball's Ferry and at the Georgia Central railroad bridge over the Oconee River.
November 24,1864-Union General Jacob D. Cox, in charge of General Schofield's lead unit, arrives in Columbia, Tennessee just in time to assist the Federal Cavalry troops against General Forrest's Confederate Cavalry, driving them off.
November 25,1864-Southern arsonists under orders from agents in Canada set fire to ten hotels, two downtown theaters, several other buildings, and P.T. Barnum's Museum in New York City. None of the fires resulted in serious damage as they were quickly extinguished. In February, 1865 Confederate Captain Robert Cobb Kennedy, an escapee from Johnson's Island prison and the only arsonist identified, was arrested for setting the Barnum Museum blaze. He was executed on March 23,1865.
November 26,1864-Sanderson, Georgia is the site of more skirmishing between Confederates and elements of Sherman's army.
November 26,1864-In the Nebraska Territory, fighting between Federal soldiers and local Indians sympathetic to the Confederacy takes place at Plum Creek Station and Spring Creek.
November 27,1864-The siege of Petersburg continues. On the James River, the steamer Greyhound, General Benjamin Butler's floating headquarters, is damaged by a coal torpedo believed to have been planted by southern saboteurs.
November 27,1864-General Schofield moves his forces north of the Duck River some 25 miles south of Franklin, Tennessee and burns bridges behind his move. The Confederates of General Hood are believed to be planning their attack from the south.
November 28,1864-Union General John P. Hatch marches 5,500 men from Hilton Head, South Carolina to transports waiting off shore. Sailing down the Broad River, he intends to land at Boyd's Neck and march overland to cut the Savannah and Charleston Railroad to stop Confederate troops from moving from Charleston to Savannah as General Sherman approaches that city.
November 28,1864-Confederate General Thomas L. Rosser leads his cavalry troops on a raid into Maryland where they destroy a bridge on the B&O Railroad. They then move back up the valley into Virginia.
November 28,1864-General Hood deploys part of his force south of Columbia, Tennessee to give the impression that he will attack from the south. He then shifts the bulk of his army east to cross the Duck River above the town and cut off any Union retreat. General Schofield withdraws his Union force across the Duck River before the trap is sprung. Schofield is alerted by Union Cavalry General James Wilson when General Nathan Forrest's Cavalry surprises Wilson at Spring Hill and drives his cavalry toward Franklin in defeat.
November 29-30,1864-General John P. Hatch with a brigade of infantry, a brigade of sailors, and eight cannon marches from Boyd's Neck, South Carolina toward Grahamville. The predominately black soldiers are from the Massachusetts 54th and 55th plus the 32nd, 34th and 35th U.S. Colored Troops. Mislead by poor maps, the Federals march and counter march aimlessly for several hours at night. When the Confederates arrive, the battle, sometimes called the battle of Honey Hill, is a disaster for the Union with 89 killed, 629 wounded and 29 missing. Light losses were recorded by the Confederates.
Sunday, October 26, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - October 26-November 1, 1864
October 26,1864-General Hood arrives in Decatur, Alabama, expecting to launch his Tennessee Campaign from that city. He finds that General Forrest has not arrived with his cavalry and that Union troops occupy parts of Decatur. Hood fires on the Union positions but soon moves his Army of Tennessee further west.
October 27,1864-Union forces assault enemy positions on Boydton Road and Southside Railroad southwest of Petersburg, Virginia. General Ambrose P. Hill has strong defensive positions and the Union troops are unable to dislodge them. The Union has about 40,000 men involved and no more reinforcements available. The Confederates have about 20,000 men on the lines. Union casualties total 1656 in killed, wounded or missing. No report of Confederate loss.
October 27,1864-Lieutenant William B. Cushing led 15 men in an attack on the Confederate ram Albemarle on the Roanoke River. Their steam craft was outfitted to ram through the protective log shell and explode a torpedo next to the hull of the Albemarle. The bold scheme worked and Lieutenant Cushing was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.
October 28,1864-General Hood continues to move his army westward. General Forrest has not arrived yet.
October 29,1864-The Confederates under General Hood cross the Tennessee River and seize the town of Florence. General Forrest is still near Fort Henry and Fort Heiman where a trap has been constructed on the river to snag Federal vessels. Three craft have been captured in the past two days; two transports and the gunboat 'Undine'.
October 30,1864-Union General George Thomas moves Federal Troops out of Chattanooga to Pulaski, Tennessee to be in position to meet the invading Army of Tennessee.
October 31,1864-Nevada enters the United States as the 36th State. Presidential voting has taken place in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania with President Lincoln somewhat assured of re-election. Nevada is expected to give him their 3 electoral votes.
October 31,1864-Seven Federal vessels commanded by William H. Macomb capture Plymouth, North Carolina. From here, the Federals can control traffic on the Albemarle Sound and the Roanoke River.
November 1,1864-To help meet the threat of General Hood's Army, General Alfred J. Smith moves his men to Nashville as reinforcements for General George Thomas.
November 1,1864-General Forrest takes his captured Federal vessels upriver, stopping at Reynolds Island just south of Johnsonville, Tennessee where he prepares another ambush for enemy ships.
October 27,1864-Union forces assault enemy positions on Boydton Road and Southside Railroad southwest of Petersburg, Virginia. General Ambrose P. Hill has strong defensive positions and the Union troops are unable to dislodge them. The Union has about 40,000 men involved and no more reinforcements available. The Confederates have about 20,000 men on the lines. Union casualties total 1656 in killed, wounded or missing. No report of Confederate loss.
October 27,1864-Lieutenant William B. Cushing led 15 men in an attack on the Confederate ram Albemarle on the Roanoke River. Their steam craft was outfitted to ram through the protective log shell and explode a torpedo next to the hull of the Albemarle. The bold scheme worked and Lieutenant Cushing was promoted to Lieutenant Commander.
October 28,1864-General Hood continues to move his army westward. General Forrest has not arrived yet.
October 29,1864-The Confederates under General Hood cross the Tennessee River and seize the town of Florence. General Forrest is still near Fort Henry and Fort Heiman where a trap has been constructed on the river to snag Federal vessels. Three craft have been captured in the past two days; two transports and the gunboat 'Undine'.
October 30,1864-Union General George Thomas moves Federal Troops out of Chattanooga to Pulaski, Tennessee to be in position to meet the invading Army of Tennessee.
October 31,1864-Nevada enters the United States as the 36th State. Presidential voting has taken place in Ohio, Indiana, and Pennsylvania with President Lincoln somewhat assured of re-election. Nevada is expected to give him their 3 electoral votes.
October 31,1864-Seven Federal vessels commanded by William H. Macomb capture Plymouth, North Carolina. From here, the Federals can control traffic on the Albemarle Sound and the Roanoke River.
November 1,1864-To help meet the threat of General Hood's Army, General Alfred J. Smith moves his men to Nashville as reinforcements for General George Thomas.
November 1,1864-General Forrest takes his captured Federal vessels upriver, stopping at Reynolds Island just south of Johnsonville, Tennessee where he prepares another ambush for enemy ships.
Sunday, September 14, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - September 14-20, 1864
September 14,1864-The Confederate forces in the Shenandoah Valley are weakened when General Richard H. Anderson's corps leaves General Early's army to rejoin General R.E. Lee at Petersburg, Virginia.
September 14,1864-General Wade Hampton's Confederate Cavalry rides southwest then southeast and finally northwest toward Coggins Point, Virginia on the Rowdy River. There are about 4,000 head of cattle at Coggin's Point being herded by Union guards. The roundabout Confederate approach is to confuse the Union guards.
September 15,1864-General Hampton's force arrives at Blackwater Creek, Virginia, undetected after riding 18 miles on a circuitous route.
September 16,1864-General Hampton engages and defeats a group of Federal troops herding cattle and leads over 2400 head back to Petersburg. They also take 300 prisoners.
September 16,1864-Rebecca West, a Union spy in Winchester, Virginia, observes the departure of General Joseph Kershaw's Confederate Cavalry with 12 cannon as they detach from General Early's army. She relays the intelligence to General Sheridan and then confers with General Grant concerning strategy at Charlestown, Virginia. The transfer of forces back to Richmond induces General Sheridan to attack immediately.
September 17,1864-John C. Fremont, nominated as a candidate for President at the spring convention of Radical Republicans dissatisfied with President Lincoln's conduct of the war, withdraws from the race. Fremont fears a Democratic victory, leading to recognition of the Confederacy or, at least, the re-establishment of slavery. While still disappointed with the war's progress, he swings his support to Lincoln and pledges to work for emancipation.
September 17,1864-General Jubal Early, outnumbered three to one, advances toward Martinsburg, Virginia, to cut the Baltimore & Ohio RR.
September 18,1864-When his Confederate troops encounter enemy cavalry, General Early falls back toward Winchester again. The 12,000 man Southern force is widely scattered and poorly positioned defensively. General Sheridan decides to attack first thing the next morning.
September 18,1864-General John M. Schofield orders Union cavalry commanded by General Stephen Burbridge to depart Mount Sterling, Kentucky to Saltville on the Virginia border. This diversionary force is to mask the major raid under the command of General Alvan C. Gillem moving from Tennessee into southwestern Virginia.
September 19,1864-General Sheridan attacks the Confederates in Winchester. Bottlenecks develop as the Union troops try to cross the Opequon River and the Confederates outnumber the attackers for a time. By afternoon, the Union is at full force against the Southern breastworks and General Early's troops are forced into a full retreat. The Confederates suffer 3000 men killed or wounded, leaving many on the field. An additional 2000 are taken prisoner. This major victory causes jubilation in the North, especially in the Republican party seeking the re-election of President Lincoln. Republican James Garfield later writes "Phil Sheridan has made a speech in the Shenandoah Valley more powerful and valuable to the Union cause than all the stumpers of the Republic can make."
September 19,1864-The "Lake Erie Conspiracy" takes place as two Confederate agents launch their plan to capture the USS Michigan and free Confederate prisoners being held at Johnson's Island in Sandusky Harbor. The plan fails when Confederate agent Charles H. Cole, aboard the USS Michigan as a plant, is discovered when he signals the boarding party. The other boat is scuttled by Confederate Navy Captain John Yates Beall who is later captured and hanged.
September 20,1864-General Early regroups his scattered forces at Fisher's Hill, Virginia. While he has a strong natural defensive position, he is short of manpower to man it effectively. Union cavalry continues the pursuit.
September 20,1864-President Jefferson Davis travels from Richmond to Georgia to bolster Southern morale in the state.
September 14,1864-General Wade Hampton's Confederate Cavalry rides southwest then southeast and finally northwest toward Coggins Point, Virginia on the Rowdy River. There are about 4,000 head of cattle at Coggin's Point being herded by Union guards. The roundabout Confederate approach is to confuse the Union guards.
September 15,1864-General Hampton's force arrives at Blackwater Creek, Virginia, undetected after riding 18 miles on a circuitous route.
September 16,1864-General Hampton engages and defeats a group of Federal troops herding cattle and leads over 2400 head back to Petersburg. They also take 300 prisoners.
September 16,1864-Rebecca West, a Union spy in Winchester, Virginia, observes the departure of General Joseph Kershaw's Confederate Cavalry with 12 cannon as they detach from General Early's army. She relays the intelligence to General Sheridan and then confers with General Grant concerning strategy at Charlestown, Virginia. The transfer of forces back to Richmond induces General Sheridan to attack immediately.
September 17,1864-John C. Fremont, nominated as a candidate for President at the spring convention of Radical Republicans dissatisfied with President Lincoln's conduct of the war, withdraws from the race. Fremont fears a Democratic victory, leading to recognition of the Confederacy or, at least, the re-establishment of slavery. While still disappointed with the war's progress, he swings his support to Lincoln and pledges to work for emancipation.
September 17,1864-General Jubal Early, outnumbered three to one, advances toward Martinsburg, Virginia, to cut the Baltimore & Ohio RR.
September 18,1864-When his Confederate troops encounter enemy cavalry, General Early falls back toward Winchester again. The 12,000 man Southern force is widely scattered and poorly positioned defensively. General Sheridan decides to attack first thing the next morning.
September 18,1864-General John M. Schofield orders Union cavalry commanded by General Stephen Burbridge to depart Mount Sterling, Kentucky to Saltville on the Virginia border. This diversionary force is to mask the major raid under the command of General Alvan C. Gillem moving from Tennessee into southwestern Virginia.
September 19,1864-General Sheridan attacks the Confederates in Winchester. Bottlenecks develop as the Union troops try to cross the Opequon River and the Confederates outnumber the attackers for a time. By afternoon, the Union is at full force against the Southern breastworks and General Early's troops are forced into a full retreat. The Confederates suffer 3000 men killed or wounded, leaving many on the field. An additional 2000 are taken prisoner. This major victory causes jubilation in the North, especially in the Republican party seeking the re-election of President Lincoln. Republican James Garfield later writes "Phil Sheridan has made a speech in the Shenandoah Valley more powerful and valuable to the Union cause than all the stumpers of the Republic can make."
September 19,1864-The "Lake Erie Conspiracy" takes place as two Confederate agents launch their plan to capture the USS Michigan and free Confederate prisoners being held at Johnson's Island in Sandusky Harbor. The plan fails when Confederate agent Charles H. Cole, aboard the USS Michigan as a plant, is discovered when he signals the boarding party. The other boat is scuttled by Confederate Navy Captain John Yates Beall who is later captured and hanged.
September 20,1864-General Early regroups his scattered forces at Fisher's Hill, Virginia. While he has a strong natural defensive position, he is short of manpower to man it effectively. Union cavalry continues the pursuit.
September 20,1864-President Jefferson Davis travels from Richmond to Georgia to bolster Southern morale in the state.
Saturday, September 6, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - September 7-13, 1864
September 7,1864-An additional 573 rounds are fired into the rubble of Fort Sumter with no surrender.
September 7,1864-General Sherman's Special Field Order #67 requires about 1,600 families to begin an evacuation of Atlanta. Sherman's message to the city's mayor--"War is cruelty and you cannot refine it. When peace comes you may call on me for anything. Then I will share with you the last cracker".
September 8,1864-George McClellan accepts the Democratic Party nomination for president but rejects the platform that labels the war a failure. He calls President Lincoln a failure for the way he handled the war and disagrees with the Union push for unconditional surrender and recognition of Emancipation in the South. He insists only on reunion; individual states of the South re-entering the Union with full guarantee of all constitutional rights.
September 8,1864-Federal ships escort an army transport into the Bonsecours River near Mobile and destroy more than 50 Confederate salt furnaces at Salt House Point.
September 9,1864-General Grant urges General Sherman to resume offensive pressure on General Hood's Army. No specific decision on Sherman's next move is discussed but the goal is to keep Hood away from the stalemate at Petersburg/Richmond.
September 9,1864-In Tennessee, General Wheeler completes his raid on Union supply lines and crosses the Tennessee River at Florence, Alabama. Union work crews quickly repair the railroads. The net result of Wheeler's raid is to deprive General Hood of cavalry and additional fighting troops at Atlanta.
September 10,1864-General Sheridan, aware that some of General Early's troops have been moved to Richmond, proposes offensive action at Winchester against Early's remaining strength. General Grant agrees.
September 11,1864-Generals Sherman and Hood agree on a ten day truce to allow the Atlanta citizens to evacuate with their belongings. A citizens committee presents a formal protest and General Sherman is blunt saying "You might as well appeal against the thunderstorm as against these terrible hardships of war".
September 12,1864-President Lincoln, anxious to break the stalemate between Sheridan and Early at Winchester, Virginia, suggests to General Grant to "quietly but suddenly" supply additional troops to Sheridan to allow him to strike.
September 12,1864-General Sterling Price's Confederates cross the White River, Arkansas, and march to Pocahontas to unite with General Joseph Shelby's Cavalry Division. The Army of Missouri is then organized into three divisions under Shelby, James Fagan, and John S. Marmaduke. Price commands 12,000 men and 14 cannon but about half of his men are untrained or unarmed. His plan is to capture Union weapons as they cross Missouri, marching in three distinct columns.
September 7,1864-General Sherman's Special Field Order #67 requires about 1,600 families to begin an evacuation of Atlanta. Sherman's message to the city's mayor--"War is cruelty and you cannot refine it. When peace comes you may call on me for anything. Then I will share with you the last cracker".
September 8,1864-George McClellan accepts the Democratic Party nomination for president but rejects the platform that labels the war a failure. He calls President Lincoln a failure for the way he handled the war and disagrees with the Union push for unconditional surrender and recognition of Emancipation in the South. He insists only on reunion; individual states of the South re-entering the Union with full guarantee of all constitutional rights.
September 8,1864-Federal ships escort an army transport into the Bonsecours River near Mobile and destroy more than 50 Confederate salt furnaces at Salt House Point.
September 9,1864-General Grant urges General Sherman to resume offensive pressure on General Hood's Army. No specific decision on Sherman's next move is discussed but the goal is to keep Hood away from the stalemate at Petersburg/Richmond.
September 9,1864-In Tennessee, General Wheeler completes his raid on Union supply lines and crosses the Tennessee River at Florence, Alabama. Union work crews quickly repair the railroads. The net result of Wheeler's raid is to deprive General Hood of cavalry and additional fighting troops at Atlanta.
September 10,1864-General Sheridan, aware that some of General Early's troops have been moved to Richmond, proposes offensive action at Winchester against Early's remaining strength. General Grant agrees.
September 11,1864-Generals Sherman and Hood agree on a ten day truce to allow the Atlanta citizens to evacuate with their belongings. A citizens committee presents a formal protest and General Sherman is blunt saying "You might as well appeal against the thunderstorm as against these terrible hardships of war".
September 12,1864-President Lincoln, anxious to break the stalemate between Sheridan and Early at Winchester, Virginia, suggests to General Grant to "quietly but suddenly" supply additional troops to Sheridan to allow him to strike.
September 12,1864-General Sterling Price's Confederates cross the White River, Arkansas, and march to Pocahontas to unite with General Joseph Shelby's Cavalry Division. The Army of Missouri is then organized into three divisions under Shelby, James Fagan, and John S. Marmaduke. Price commands 12,000 men and 14 cannon but about half of his men are untrained or unarmed. His plan is to capture Union weapons as they cross Missouri, marching in three distinct columns.
Monday, August 25, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - August 25-30, 1864
August 25,1864-At Ream's Station, Virginia, General Ambrose P. Hill's 10,000 men assaults the Union II Corps of General Winfield S. Hancock in General Nelson Miles division sector and drives them back. The Confederates then capture several cannon and hundreds of prisoners. When the Union reserves from General John Gibbon's division try to fill the gap, they stumble and eventually run. Nearly 2,000 prisoners are captured in this embarrassing encounter.
August 25,1864-General Early bypasses entrenched Union forces at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia and moves on to Shepherdstown with the intent to try another invasion into Maryland.
August 25,1864-General Sherman is unwilling to attack fully entrenched Confederate forces at Atlanta and his cavalry has failed to cut Confederate supply lines. He commits a large portion of his Division of the Mississippi against the Macon and Western Railroad near Rough and Ready and at Jonesboro, to sever this single supply route. He orders his XX Corps to guard his own supply lines.
August 26,1864-At Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the convention of African Americans calls for a resolution to allow the commissioning of black military officers.
August 26,1864-General Jubel Early crosses the Potomac and enters Maryland for the third time. Union forces skirmish with Early's cavalry at Williamsport.
August 27,1864-Admiral David Farragut requests sick leave from the West Gulf Blockading Squadron at Mobile Bay, Alabama. He has served in the Gulf and Caribbean Sea for over five years.
August 27,1864-General Hood and General Sherman commit large columns of soldiers to the Macon and Western railroad at Jonesboro, Georgia. If Hood fails to save the railroad, he will be trapped inside Atlanta. General Sherman's Army of the Cumberland controls the Montgomery and Atlanta Railroad and his Army of the Tennessee moves to Fairburn, Georgia on the Macon and Western line.
August 28,1864-General Sheridan advances from Harper's Ferry back toward the Shenandoah.
August 29,1864-The Democratic National Convention convenes at Chicago, Illinois. Clement L. Vallandigham, a Copperhead, delivers the keynote speech.
August 29,1864-General Sterling Price again plans to conquer Missouri for the South. He is gathering troops at Princeton, Arkansas for a final attempt.
August 29,1864-A Confederate torpedo mine explodes in Mobile Bay killing five Union sailors with several wounded. Admiral Farragut vows to clear all explosive weapons from the bay before he goes on leave.
August 30,1864-The Democratic Convention adopts a peace platform calling for an immediate end to all hostilities between the North and South. This platform is virtually 'exactly opposite' President Lincoln and the Republican's stand.
August 30,1864-The Northern and the Southern Army units near Jonesboro, Georgia, each with about 20,000 men, make final moves and preparations for a huge battle over the control of the Macon and Western line. General O.O. Howard crosses the Flint River and General Hood moves to push him back across the river.
August 25,1864-General Early bypasses entrenched Union forces at Harper's Ferry, West Virginia and moves on to Shepherdstown with the intent to try another invasion into Maryland.
August 25,1864-General Sherman is unwilling to attack fully entrenched Confederate forces at Atlanta and his cavalry has failed to cut Confederate supply lines. He commits a large portion of his Division of the Mississippi against the Macon and Western Railroad near Rough and Ready and at Jonesboro, to sever this single supply route. He orders his XX Corps to guard his own supply lines.
August 26,1864-At Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the convention of African Americans calls for a resolution to allow the commissioning of black military officers.
August 26,1864-General Jubel Early crosses the Potomac and enters Maryland for the third time. Union forces skirmish with Early's cavalry at Williamsport.
August 27,1864-Admiral David Farragut requests sick leave from the West Gulf Blockading Squadron at Mobile Bay, Alabama. He has served in the Gulf and Caribbean Sea for over five years.
August 27,1864-General Hood and General Sherman commit large columns of soldiers to the Macon and Western railroad at Jonesboro, Georgia. If Hood fails to save the railroad, he will be trapped inside Atlanta. General Sherman's Army of the Cumberland controls the Montgomery and Atlanta Railroad and his Army of the Tennessee moves to Fairburn, Georgia on the Macon and Western line.
August 28,1864-General Sheridan advances from Harper's Ferry back toward the Shenandoah.
August 29,1864-The Democratic National Convention convenes at Chicago, Illinois. Clement L. Vallandigham, a Copperhead, delivers the keynote speech.
August 29,1864-General Sterling Price again plans to conquer Missouri for the South. He is gathering troops at Princeton, Arkansas for a final attempt.
August 29,1864-A Confederate torpedo mine explodes in Mobile Bay killing five Union sailors with several wounded. Admiral Farragut vows to clear all explosive weapons from the bay before he goes on leave.
August 30,1864-The Democratic Convention adopts a peace platform calling for an immediate end to all hostilities between the North and South. This platform is virtually 'exactly opposite' President Lincoln and the Republican's stand.
August 30,1864-The Northern and the Southern Army units near Jonesboro, Georgia, each with about 20,000 men, make final moves and preparations for a huge battle over the control of the Macon and Western line. General O.O. Howard crosses the Flint River and General Hood moves to push him back across the river.
Saturday, August 16, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - August 17-24, 1864
August 17,1864-General Jubel Early attacks the Union rear guard at Winchester, Virginia.
August 17,1864-At Halifax, Nova Scotia, the CSS Tallahassee takes on a supply of coal. U.S. Consul, Mortimor M. Jackson, protests its arrival and alerts Commander George A. Stevens of the USS Pontoosuc at Eastport, Maine that the Tallahassee is in the area.
August 18,1864-The Confederate government again requests the resumption of prisoner exchanges. General U.S. Grant again refuses. The position taken deprives the South of needed soldiers but prolongs the hardship of Union captives.
August 18,1864-General Grant's plan to attack Confederate units near Deep Bottom Run has the desired effect of keeping General Lee from sending reinforcements to the Shenandoah Valley but the Union suffers 2,900 killed, wounded, or missing compared to about 1,500 Southern losses.
August 18,1864-Outside Petersburg, Virginia, General Gouverneur K. Warren's V Corp captures the Globe Tavern and portions of the Weldon Railroad. This extends the Union siege line and forces the Confederates to defend more ground with fewer troops. General Lee's supply line is the Weldon Railroad so General Lee prepares to take it back by force.
August 18,1864-General Sherman's cavalry, commanded by General Hugh Kilpatrick, captures the Atlantic and West Point Railroad and moves on to Lovejoy Station, 20 miles southeast of Atlanta, to attack the Macon and Western rail line.
August 19,1864-At Weldon's Station, Confederates commanded by General Ambrose P. Hill attack General Warren's V Corp and four Union Division supporting from the IX and II Corps. After rugged fighting throughout the day, the Union remains in control but suffers 4,455 casualties while the Confederates records 1,600 lost.
August 20,1864-The Macon and Western Railroad is further damaged at Lovejoy's Station. The Union forces of General Kilpatrick then scramble back toward Atlanta and General Sherman's main Army.
August 20,1864-The USS Pontoosuc fails to stop the Confederate raider CSS Tallahassee, arriving seven hours after the Tallahassee departs.
August 21,1864-General Robert E. Lee abandons the Weldon Railroad outside Petersburg, Virginia when General Hill cannot dislodge the defenders at Globe Tavern.
August 21,1864-General Richard Page, commander at Fort Morgan, Mobile Bay, Alabama destroys the remaining powder supply to avoid any chance hits from Union shells. Admiral Farragut has 25 army cannon and 16 mortars in addition to his Squadron's mounted guns, all directing fire on the fort.
August 21,1864-General Nathan Bedford Forrest captures Memphis in a surprise raid by 2,000 Confederate cavalry. General Cadwallader C. Washburn narrowly escapes in his nightclothes.
August 22,1864-The weary soldiers from General Hancock's units as well as support units of Generals John Gibbons and Nelson Miles plus General David Gregg's cavalry are transferred to Ream's Station on the Weldon Railroad to rest while doing light fatigue duty.
August 23,1864-General Page surrenders Fort Morgan in Mobile Bay, Alabama. Wilmington, North Carolina is the only remaining port open to Southern shipping.
August 23,1864-President Lincoln is pessimistic about his re-election. He is sure that any rival candidate will make promises that will be difficult to keep and he stated "It will be my duty to co-operate with the President elect, as to save the Union between the election and the inauguration, as he will have secured his election on such ground that he cannot possibly save it afterwards".
August 24,1864-At Gunter's Prairie, Indian Territory, the 2nd Kansas Cavalry with about 420 troops is attack by 800 Confederate Cherokee's commanded by General Stand Watie and 1,200 Texas cavalry with Colonel Richard M. Gano in command. The Kansas force escapes with 20 casualties. The Southern units move northwest past Fort Gibson and attacks a small Union force at Flat Rock Ford.
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