Friday, November 22, 2013

January 6 - 12, 1863

Compiled by Jim Hachtel, President 
Gen. William T. Sherman Memorial Civil War Roundtable

January 6, 1863 - Fort Lawrence is burned by Confederate cavalry troops commanded by General John S. Marmaduke. They then join with Colonel Williams Quantrill's raiders at Springfield, Missouri. 

January 7, 1863 - President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation is condemned by the Illinois state legislature for "turning the war into a crusade for liberating African-American slaves."

January 7, 1863 - General in Chief Henry Halleck allows General Burnside to proceed with his plan to attack across the Rappahannock River in spite of the hazards of winter marches.

January 8, 1863 - General John H. Marmaduke occupies Ozark, Missouri and joins General Sterling Price there. General Marmaduke then leads an unsuccessful raid on Springfield, Missouri.

January 9, 1863 - The Army of the Cumberland is reorganized by General Rosecrans with Generals George H. Thomas-XIV Corps, Alexander M. McCook-XX Corps, and Thomas L. Crittenden-XXI Corps.

January 9, 1863 - General Marmaduke leads the assault and capture of Hartville, Missouri.

January 9, 1863 - Arkansas Post (Fort Hindman) is garrisoned by 5,000 men and mounts 17 cannons. General Thomas J. Churchill commands. General McClernand, aboard Admiral Porter's flotilla, plans to exchange fire with the fort to cover troop landing, then run past the fort.

January 10, 1863 - General Fitz John Porter is cashiered and dropped from army rolls for disobeying orders at the Battle of Second Manassas. The order was overturned in 1879.

January 10, 1863 - Admiral Porter's flotilla consists of the USS Louisville, Baron deKalb, Cincinnati, Lexington, Black Hawk, Glide and Rattler. The troops land under cover of shelling but the flotilla fails to get past the heavy fire from the fort. Rattler has her cabin knocked off. 

January 11, 1863 - General McClernand attacks Fort Hindman and makes little headway until gunboats reduce the fort's batteries. General Churchill surrenders late in the day. General McClernand captures 11 cannons, thousands of weapons, tons of ammunition, as well as 4,791 Confederate soldiers.

January 11, 1863 - The CSS Alabama, Captain Raphael Semmes commanding, sinks the paddle steamer "Hatteras" ending a 13-minute engagement off Galveston, Texas. Captain Semmes rescues the entire crew. Commanders of Union ships redouble efforts to track and corner or sink the "Alabama"

January 11, 1863 - Federal gunboats of Admiral Porter's flotilla reduce Fort Hindman. "No fort ever received a worse battering," according to Admiral Porter.

January 11, 1863 - Confederate General Marmaduke suffers the loss of 150 men at Wood's Fork, Missouri while Federal Colonel Lewis Merrill has 35 causalities.

January 12, 1863 - The Confederate Congress convenes at Richmond. President Davis condemns the Emancipation Proclamation but still expects eventual European recognition of the Confederacy.