May 4,1864-General Grant and General Meade lead a veteran 122,000 man Army of the Potomac across the Rapidan River into a heavily forested area called the Wilderness. General Lee and his 66,000 men advance to engage the Union force, trying to force the battle to the thickest pine scrub forested area to negate the numerical odds.
May 4,1864-General Lee orders General Longstreet to march his I Corps to the Wilderness woods to augment General Ewell's II Corps and General Ambrose Hill's III Corp. Meanwhile, Union General Benjamin Butler transports his Army of the James from Fortress Monroe toward Richmond.
May 4,1864-In the West, General Sherman leaves Chattanooga, Tennessee with his 110,000 man Army. General Joseph E. Johnston is just below Chattanooga in northern Georgia. Sherman's immediate goal is Atlanta.
May 5,1864-The Battle of the Wilderness erupts along the Orange Turnpike. In a seesaw struggle with heavy casualties on both sides, neither Army could claim significant advances.
May 5,1864-General Butler's Army of the James arrives at Bermuda Hundred, Virginia. They are within marching distance of Richmond which is lightly defended due to the Wilderness area fighting.
May 5,1864-In the Albemarle Sound off Plymouth, North Carolina, the ironclad ram CSS Albemerle, under Commander James W. Cooke, and escorts CSS Bombshell and CSS Cotton Plant engage Union warships. Commander Cooke has two banded Brooke rifles and heavy armor in his favor while the Union vessels have a combined total of 60 cannons. After broadside exchanges, the ironclad Albemarle is undamaged. Union Captain Melancthon Smith orders his USS Sassacus to charge the CSS Albemarle at full steam. The collision damages both ships but the Albemarle puts a point blank shot through the Sasscus's boiler. This exchange is a technical draw but leaves the coastal Confederate forces without naval support.
May 6,1864-Stand Watie, a Cherokee Chief, is appointed brigadier general,C.S.A.
May 6,1864-The Battle of the Wilderness continues along the Orange Plank Road. General Longstreet arrives with his I Corps and attacks General Winfield Hancock's II Corps. General Longstreet is seriously wounded by friendly fire and General Micah Jenkin's, riding alongside him, is killed. This incident occurred very near the spot where General "Stonewall" Jackson was killed. The Union forces begin a march 25 miles south toward Rocky Face Ridge.
May 8,1864-Near Spotsylvania Court House, a three mile skirmish line forms opposite Confederate earthworks. General Gouverneur Warren's V Corps and John Sedgewick's VI Corps are repelled. General Lee orders trees to be felled, trenches dug, and defensive lines strengthened within the existing earthworks. A protruding double salient is named the "Mule Shoe". Confederate troops are heavily entrenched and have ample supplies.
May 9,1864-The Army of the Potomac deploys by forming an arc outside the Confederate lines at Spotsylvania Court House, Virginia. The Federals outnumber the Confederates about 100,00 to 60,000.
May 9,1864-General Philip H. Sheridan commands seven cavalry brigades with about 10,000 men and plans a raid against Richmond. This effort is to lure General J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate Cavalry out of Richmond where Sheridan can overwhelm Stuart. The raid deprives General Grant's Army of the Potomac the ability to reconnoiter Confederate positions.
May 9,1864-General John Sedgwick is killed by a sniper at Spotsylvania just moments after stating "They couldn't kill an elephant at this distance".
May 9,1864-The railroad breastworks at Cloyd's Mountain, Virginia becomes a major battle site when Union troops try to destroy the Virginia and Tennessee Railroad. Colonel Rutherford B. Hayes leads the Union soldiers on the right with stiff resistance. Losses on both sides are heavy and Confederate General Albert Jenkins is seriously wounded. The New River bridge is burned, cutting the railroad.
May 9,1864-The Buzzard's Roost, Georgia and nearby Rocky Face Ridge are skirmish sites. General James B. McPherson moves through Snake River Gap and gets behind General Joseph Johnston's, Confederate Army.
May 10,1864-General Grant orders an attack on the center of the Confederate line at Spotsylvania Court House after General Lee weakens his center by moving reinforcements to the flanks. The center assault is at the "Mule Shoe".
May 10,1864-General J.E.B. Stuart moves through Beaver Dam Station, Virginia in pursuit of General Sheridan's raiding army that has destroyed Confederate meat and bread rations vital to Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. A Union force under Generals Lunsford Lomax and William Wickham move into blocking position at Yellow Tavern, six miles north of Richmond.
May 10,1864-Colonel John Mosby attacks Union Cavalry at Front Royal, Virginia and General John Morgan battles General William Averell's cavalry at Wytheville, Virginia.
May 10,1864-On the Red River near Alexandria, Louisiana, Admiral David Porter reports that his four ship squadron successfully slips through rapids created when a hastily constructed log and earthen dam designed to raise the water level suddenly collapses, causing an effective chute. Porter reports to Navy Secretary Welles, "The passage of these vessels was a beautiful sight, only to be realized when seen".
Sunday, May 4, 2014
Monday, April 28, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - April 27 - May 3,1864
April 27,1864-The Confederacy asks Canada for assistance in negotiations with the U.S. Government. President Davis sends a special commissioner to Canada.
April 27,1864-The CSS Alabama, a Confederate Raider under Captain Raphael Semmes, captures and burns the Federal bark 'Tycoon' in Brazilian waters. It turns out to be the last ship captured by the CSS Alabama.
April 27,1864-General Steele's 13,500 men escape Camden, Arkansas and head for Little Rock. They are 70 miles behind Confederate lines, low on supplies, mired in mud, outnumbered, and Confederates are in pursuit. General Edmond Kirby-Smith lays a pontoon bridge over the Ouachita River, losing several hours, and Steele gains some distance ahead of the Confederates.
April 27,1864-Admiral Porter's second attempt to run past Confederate batteries on the Red River at Alexandria, Louisiana results in the loss of the pump steamer "Champion #3" and damage to the USS Hindman and the USS Juliet. The USS Neosho arrives from downstream to assist. The three vessels proceed below Alexandria.
April 28,1864-Union forces pound the remnants of Fort Sumter with 510 additional rounds.
April 28,1864-General Egbert B. Brown orders Union forces in Johnson County, Missouri, to pursue Confederate Guerrilla William C. Quantrill.
April 28,1864-Receding water levels cause Admiral Porter to consider scuttling his squadron's three remaining vessels to prevent their capture. His message to Navy Secretary Gideon Wells states "you may judge my feelings at having to perform so painful a duty".
April 29,1864-Duty fees on all goods coming into the United States were increased by 50% to help fund the war.
April 29,1864-General Steele's Union column reaches the Saline River at Jenkin's Ferry and prepares to cross on a pontoon bridge. Confederates in pursuit are close behind.
April 29,1864-While Admiral Porter is nearly stranded at Alexandria, Colonel Joseph Bailey proposes a series of dams to raise the river level to seven feet, then open a chute and let the vessels slip through. Porter said "the proposition looks like madness and the best engineers ridicule the plan" but Porter asks General Banks to assign troops to try the plan. The result proves to be one of the most remarkable improvisations of the entire war.
April 30,1864-President Davis orders all captured slaves found fighting for the Union to be returned to their rightful owners "on proof and payment of charges".
April 30,1864-President & Mrs. Davis mourn the death of their five year old son, Joe Davis. The lad died of injuries from a fall at the Confederate White House in Richmond.
April 30,1864-The Battle of Jenkin's Ferry takes place when General John S. Marmaduke attacks the rear guard of General Steele's army. Steele manages to get the bulk of his army across the Sabine River to safety and rescues most of the rear guard soldiers. General Kirby-Smith lost his final chance to destroy Federal forces in Arkansas. The North lost 521 while the South lost 442 at Jenkin's Ferry. The U.S. 2nd Colored Infantry murdered an unknown number of prisoners in retaliation for the atrocities inflicted on African American soldiers at Poison Springs on April 18, 1864.
May 1,1864-Colonel John S. Mosby captures eight wagons at Bunker Hill, West Virginia during a raid on General Franz Sigel's army.
May 2,1864-The first session of the second Confederate Congress begins at Richmond. President Davis opens with a speech accusing the North of "barbarism" due to "plunder and devastation of the property of noncombatants, destruction of private dwellings, and even of edifices devoted to the worship of God".
May 2,1864-General Franz Sigel leads 6,500 Union troops out of Winchester, Virginia toward New Market. His orders are to destroy food and cattle in this Southern "breadbasket" territory.
May 3,1864-President Lincoln's cabinet meets with the President to discuss the recent murder of African American prisoners at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
May 3,1864-General Grant begins the move of his 122,000 man army to an area called the Wilderness which is between General Lee's forces and Richmond, Virginia. General Meade disputes this strategy and wants to assault Lee's left flank. General Lee is confident his 66,000 men can hold off the larger force due to the tough terrain in the Wilderness area.
May 3,1864-General Steele's forces make it back to Little Rock ending the failed Red River Campaign. The disgruntled troops lost 2,750 of their members, nine cannons and 640 wagons. The Union was able to maintain partial control of the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy.
April 27,1864-The CSS Alabama, a Confederate Raider under Captain Raphael Semmes, captures and burns the Federal bark 'Tycoon' in Brazilian waters. It turns out to be the last ship captured by the CSS Alabama.
April 27,1864-General Steele's 13,500 men escape Camden, Arkansas and head for Little Rock. They are 70 miles behind Confederate lines, low on supplies, mired in mud, outnumbered, and Confederates are in pursuit. General Edmond Kirby-Smith lays a pontoon bridge over the Ouachita River, losing several hours, and Steele gains some distance ahead of the Confederates.
April 27,1864-Admiral Porter's second attempt to run past Confederate batteries on the Red River at Alexandria, Louisiana results in the loss of the pump steamer "Champion #3" and damage to the USS Hindman and the USS Juliet. The USS Neosho arrives from downstream to assist. The three vessels proceed below Alexandria.
April 28,1864-Union forces pound the remnants of Fort Sumter with 510 additional rounds.
April 28,1864-General Egbert B. Brown orders Union forces in Johnson County, Missouri, to pursue Confederate Guerrilla William C. Quantrill.
April 28,1864-Receding water levels cause Admiral Porter to consider scuttling his squadron's three remaining vessels to prevent their capture. His message to Navy Secretary Gideon Wells states "you may judge my feelings at having to perform so painful a duty".
April 29,1864-Duty fees on all goods coming into the United States were increased by 50% to help fund the war.
April 29,1864-General Steele's Union column reaches the Saline River at Jenkin's Ferry and prepares to cross on a pontoon bridge. Confederates in pursuit are close behind.
April 29,1864-While Admiral Porter is nearly stranded at Alexandria, Colonel Joseph Bailey proposes a series of dams to raise the river level to seven feet, then open a chute and let the vessels slip through. Porter said "the proposition looks like madness and the best engineers ridicule the plan" but Porter asks General Banks to assign troops to try the plan. The result proves to be one of the most remarkable improvisations of the entire war.
April 30,1864-President Davis orders all captured slaves found fighting for the Union to be returned to their rightful owners "on proof and payment of charges".
April 30,1864-President & Mrs. Davis mourn the death of their five year old son, Joe Davis. The lad died of injuries from a fall at the Confederate White House in Richmond.
April 30,1864-The Battle of Jenkin's Ferry takes place when General John S. Marmaduke attacks the rear guard of General Steele's army. Steele manages to get the bulk of his army across the Sabine River to safety and rescues most of the rear guard soldiers. General Kirby-Smith lost his final chance to destroy Federal forces in Arkansas. The North lost 521 while the South lost 442 at Jenkin's Ferry. The U.S. 2nd Colored Infantry murdered an unknown number of prisoners in retaliation for the atrocities inflicted on African American soldiers at Poison Springs on April 18, 1864.
May 1,1864-Colonel John S. Mosby captures eight wagons at Bunker Hill, West Virginia during a raid on General Franz Sigel's army.
May 2,1864-The first session of the second Confederate Congress begins at Richmond. President Davis opens with a speech accusing the North of "barbarism" due to "plunder and devastation of the property of noncombatants, destruction of private dwellings, and even of edifices devoted to the worship of God".
May 2,1864-General Franz Sigel leads 6,500 Union troops out of Winchester, Virginia toward New Market. His orders are to destroy food and cattle in this Southern "breadbasket" territory.
May 3,1864-President Lincoln's cabinet meets with the President to discuss the recent murder of African American prisoners at Fort Pillow, Tennessee.
May 3,1864-General Grant begins the move of his 122,000 man army to an area called the Wilderness which is between General Lee's forces and Richmond, Virginia. General Meade disputes this strategy and wants to assault Lee's left flank. General Lee is confident his 66,000 men can hold off the larger force due to the tough terrain in the Wilderness area.
May 3,1864-General Steele's forces make it back to Little Rock ending the failed Red River Campaign. The disgruntled troops lost 2,750 of their members, nine cannons and 640 wagons. The Union was able to maintain partial control of the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy.
Monday, April 21, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - April 20-26, 1864
April 20,1864-Confederates capture Plymouth, North Carolina. Led by General Robert F. Hoke, a three day siege ended with the capture of 2,800 Union soldiers and a large store of supplies. Key to the Confederate success was the arrival of the Confederate ram, CSS Albemarle.
April 20,1864-Due to reports of mistreatment of Union prisoners in Southern prison camps, the U.S. Government reduced rations to prisoners held in the North.
April 20,1864-General James H. Wilson's Union cavalry captures Macon, Georgia.
April 20,1864-General Frederick Steele receives some supplies from Pine Bluff but is soon confronted by General Edmund Kirby-Smith's forces near Camden, Arkansas. The Confederates maneuver to come between Steele and the capital at Little Rock.
April 21,1864-General Nathaniel Banks withdraws from Grand Ecore, Louisiana back to Cloutiersville while pursued by Confederate cavalry.
April 21,1864-The Federal gunboat USS Eastport, repaired and re-floated, moves down the Red River. Over the next five days, the vessel grounds itself eight time to make further repairs. The make only about 60 miles in five days.
April 22,1864-The first coins to have the "In God we trust" inscription are minted per act of congress.
April 22,1864-General Leonidas K. Polk confers by mail with President Jefferson Davis about how to treat African American prisoners. President Davis writes "If the negroes are escaped slaves, they should be held safely for recovery by their owners. If otherwise, inform me".
April 23,1864-During General Banks' retreat from Grand Ecore, Louisiana, the ford at Cane River Crossing is contested. As the only fordable point on the river, Confederate cavalry led by General Hamilton Bee seize the only ferry. Union forces counterattack and force General Bee to withdraw. General Bee is criticized for his inept operation and the Union forces lay a pontoon bridge to escape. Light losses on both sides.
April 23,1864-General Steele has a wagon train on the way to Pine Bluff to obtain supplies. Confederate General James F. Fagan sends a large cavalry force to intercept.
April 24,1864-General Steele's wagon train continues to Pine Bluff, Arkansas guarded by 500 Iowa cavalrymen. They are accompanied by about 300 escaping former slaves. Confederate forces are nearby.
April 25,1864-General Nathaniel Banks forces begin to straggle into Alexandria, Louisiana, ending the ill-fated Red River Campaign.
April 25,1864-Confederate troops under General Edmond Kirby-Smith capture 211 of General Steele's wagons at Mark's Mills, Arkansas. About 1,700 Union prisoners are taken. Enraged Southerners murder 150 African-American slaves. General Steele abandons the campaign.
April 25,1863-The CSS Alabama commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes captures the Federal vessel 'Rockingham' west of the Cape Verde Islands and sinks the Rockingham with cannon fire. The CSS Alabama has undergone an overhaul and is active after several months of slow action.
April 26,1864-Following the fall of Plymouth, North Carolina, General Ulysses S. Grant orders troops to evacuate Washington, North Carolina.
April 26,1864-General Banks enters Alexandria, Louisiana and awaits the arrival of Admiral Porter's gunboat fleet. When the Mississippi Squadron arrives, they have a running fight while passing shore batteries. The USS Cricket has heavy pump damage and the pump steamer 'Champion No 3' is crippled, drifts and is captured. The badly damaged gunboat USS Eastport is scuttled after being grounded yet again.
April 26,1864-General Steele slips his forces past the Confederate troops of Generals Kirby-Smith and Sterling Price and march back to Little Rock.
April 20,1864-Due to reports of mistreatment of Union prisoners in Southern prison camps, the U.S. Government reduced rations to prisoners held in the North.
April 20,1864-General James H. Wilson's Union cavalry captures Macon, Georgia.
April 20,1864-General Frederick Steele receives some supplies from Pine Bluff but is soon confronted by General Edmund Kirby-Smith's forces near Camden, Arkansas. The Confederates maneuver to come between Steele and the capital at Little Rock.
April 21,1864-General Nathaniel Banks withdraws from Grand Ecore, Louisiana back to Cloutiersville while pursued by Confederate cavalry.
April 21,1864-The Federal gunboat USS Eastport, repaired and re-floated, moves down the Red River. Over the next five days, the vessel grounds itself eight time to make further repairs. The make only about 60 miles in five days.
April 22,1864-The first coins to have the "In God we trust" inscription are minted per act of congress.
April 22,1864-General Leonidas K. Polk confers by mail with President Jefferson Davis about how to treat African American prisoners. President Davis writes "If the negroes are escaped slaves, they should be held safely for recovery by their owners. If otherwise, inform me".
April 23,1864-During General Banks' retreat from Grand Ecore, Louisiana, the ford at Cane River Crossing is contested. As the only fordable point on the river, Confederate cavalry led by General Hamilton Bee seize the only ferry. Union forces counterattack and force General Bee to withdraw. General Bee is criticized for his inept operation and the Union forces lay a pontoon bridge to escape. Light losses on both sides.
April 23,1864-General Steele has a wagon train on the way to Pine Bluff to obtain supplies. Confederate General James F. Fagan sends a large cavalry force to intercept.
April 24,1864-General Steele's wagon train continues to Pine Bluff, Arkansas guarded by 500 Iowa cavalrymen. They are accompanied by about 300 escaping former slaves. Confederate forces are nearby.
April 25,1864-General Nathaniel Banks forces begin to straggle into Alexandria, Louisiana, ending the ill-fated Red River Campaign.
April 25,1864-Confederate troops under General Edmond Kirby-Smith capture 211 of General Steele's wagons at Mark's Mills, Arkansas. About 1,700 Union prisoners are taken. Enraged Southerners murder 150 African-American slaves. General Steele abandons the campaign.
April 25,1863-The CSS Alabama commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes captures the Federal vessel 'Rockingham' west of the Cape Verde Islands and sinks the Rockingham with cannon fire. The CSS Alabama has undergone an overhaul and is active after several months of slow action.
April 26,1864-Following the fall of Plymouth, North Carolina, General Ulysses S. Grant orders troops to evacuate Washington, North Carolina.
April 26,1864-General Banks enters Alexandria, Louisiana and awaits the arrival of Admiral Porter's gunboat fleet. When the Mississippi Squadron arrives, they have a running fight while passing shore batteries. The USS Cricket has heavy pump damage and the pump steamer 'Champion No 3' is crippled, drifts and is captured. The badly damaged gunboat USS Eastport is scuttled after being grounded yet again.
April 26,1864-General Steele slips his forces past the Confederate troops of Generals Kirby-Smith and Sterling Price and march back to Little Rock.
Sunday, April 13, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - April 13-19, 1864
April 13,1864-The USS Rachel Seaman captures the British blockade runner Maria Alford on the Mermentua River, Louisiana and the USS Nyanza captures the Confederate schooner Mandoline at Atchafalaya Bay, Louisiana.
April 14,1864-The Manhattan Fair in New York City raises $1 million for the Sanitary Commission, a relief organization for the U.S. Army. President Lincoln was guest speaker.
April 14,1864-Confederate cavalry troops commanded by General Abraham Buford read in the local newspaper that General Forrest's recent raid missed 140 army horses concealed in a foundry in Paducah, Kentucky. Buford moves on the lightly guarded foundry and takes the horses when the Union guards retreat to Fort Anderson.
April 15,1864-Tennessee Governor Andrew Jackson endorses the principles of emancipation in a speech at Knoxville.
April 15,1864-The Federal gunboat USS Eastport grounds itself on shore after striking a Confederate torpedo in the Red River near Grand Ecore, Louisiana. Repair are made.
April 16,1864-The U.S. Army reports 146,634 Confederate prisoners of war under Army control.
April 17,1864-General Ulysses S. Grant suspends all prisoner exchanges severely restricting the number of trained soldiers in the South.
April 17,1864-General Frederick Steele dispatched a foraging expedition to Camden, Arkansas in search of corn. The bulk of the 695 soldiers involved are from the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers traveling with two cannons and 198 wagons. En route, and additional 475 men join the expedition.
April 17,1864-About 7,000 Confederate's under General Robert Hoke attack at Plymouth, North Carolina where 2,834 Union infantry, cavalry, and artillery are housed. The Union post is further supported by offshore batteries.
April 18,1864-General Hoke continues the attack and captures Fort Wessels. The Union forces resist strongly and move to Fort Williams. Hoke's success depends on the arrival of the Confederate ram CSS Albemarle.
April 18,1864-Confederate Generals John S. Marmaduke and Samuel B. Maxey combine forces and attack General Steele's small Union camp at Poison Springs, Arkansas. The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer troops resist but are far outnumbered and eventually yield. General Marmaduke orders cannon fire but is overruled by General Maxey. General Maxey secures the wagons. Poison Springs is a significant Union defeat. Most of the Union dead are African American volunteers captured in battle and slaughtered by Missouri, Arkansas, and Choctaw Confederates.
April 18,1864-The CSS Albemarle departs Hamilton, North Carolina and sails down the Roanoke River toward the beseiged Plymouth. Engine trouble and steering problems slow progress.
April 19,1864-The huge Confederate steam ram CSS Albemarle attacks at Plymouth, North Carolina, sinking the USS Southfield, killing ship commander C.W. Flusser. The Union vessels draw off and the Confederates control the water approaches to Plymouth.
April 14,1864-The Manhattan Fair in New York City raises $1 million for the Sanitary Commission, a relief organization for the U.S. Army. President Lincoln was guest speaker.
April 14,1864-Confederate cavalry troops commanded by General Abraham Buford read in the local newspaper that General Forrest's recent raid missed 140 army horses concealed in a foundry in Paducah, Kentucky. Buford moves on the lightly guarded foundry and takes the horses when the Union guards retreat to Fort Anderson.
April 15,1864-Tennessee Governor Andrew Jackson endorses the principles of emancipation in a speech at Knoxville.
April 15,1864-The Federal gunboat USS Eastport grounds itself on shore after striking a Confederate torpedo in the Red River near Grand Ecore, Louisiana. Repair are made.
April 16,1864-The U.S. Army reports 146,634 Confederate prisoners of war under Army control.
April 17,1864-General Ulysses S. Grant suspends all prisoner exchanges severely restricting the number of trained soldiers in the South.
April 17,1864-General Frederick Steele dispatched a foraging expedition to Camden, Arkansas in search of corn. The bulk of the 695 soldiers involved are from the 1st Kansas Colored Volunteers traveling with two cannons and 198 wagons. En route, and additional 475 men join the expedition.
April 17,1864-About 7,000 Confederate's under General Robert Hoke attack at Plymouth, North Carolina where 2,834 Union infantry, cavalry, and artillery are housed. The Union post is further supported by offshore batteries.
April 18,1864-General Hoke continues the attack and captures Fort Wessels. The Union forces resist strongly and move to Fort Williams. Hoke's success depends on the arrival of the Confederate ram CSS Albemarle.
April 18,1864-Confederate Generals John S. Marmaduke and Samuel B. Maxey combine forces and attack General Steele's small Union camp at Poison Springs, Arkansas. The 1st Kansas Colored Volunteer troops resist but are far outnumbered and eventually yield. General Marmaduke orders cannon fire but is overruled by General Maxey. General Maxey secures the wagons. Poison Springs is a significant Union defeat. Most of the Union dead are African American volunteers captured in battle and slaughtered by Missouri, Arkansas, and Choctaw Confederates.
April 18,1864-The CSS Albemarle departs Hamilton, North Carolina and sails down the Roanoke River toward the beseiged Plymouth. Engine trouble and steering problems slow progress.
April 19,1864-The huge Confederate steam ram CSS Albemarle attacks at Plymouth, North Carolina, sinking the USS Southfield, killing ship commander C.W. Flusser. The Union vessels draw off and the Confederates control the water approaches to Plymouth.
Monday, April 7, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - April 6-12,1864
April 6,1864-At New Orleans, the Louisiana legislature adopts a new state constitution abolishing slavery.
April 6,1864-General Nathaniel Banks continues his march with units strung out on a narrow road some distance from the Red River. He is rapidly approaching General Richard Taylor's Confederate forces at Mansfield.
April 7,1864-General Longstreet's Confederate I Corps is ordered to return to the Army of Northern Virginia. They depart Greeneville, Tennessee.
April 8,1864-The 13th Amendment to the Constitution is approved by the U.S. Congress on a 38 to 6 vote. Slavery is abolished in all territories controlled by the United States.
April 8,1864-The 18,000 man Union army under General Banks confronts General Taylor's 8,000 Confederates at Sabine Crossroads near Mansfield, Louisiana. Bank's unit is strung out nearly single file while Taylor's troops are behind field works. Mansfield proves to be the decisive battle of the Red River Campaign and the largest battle waged in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. Taylor's Division Commander General Alfred Moulton is killed along with about 1000 other Confederates. Banks losses are severe with 2,235 killed, missing, or wounded plus 20 cannons, 200 wagons, 1,000 draft animals lost.
April 9,1864-The Union strategy for the final push of the war, with five major components, is announced by General Grant. General Nathaniel Banks will capture Mobile, General William Sherman will seize Atlanta, General Fritz Seigel will advance down the Shenandoah Valley destroying the food source, General Benjamin Butler will descend on Richmond, and General George Meade will follow General Robert E. Lee where ever he goes.
April 9,1864-General Banks consolidates his scattered force and is joined by reinforcement from General Andrew Smith's XVI Corps. Near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, the Northern forces await General Taylor's appearance. Taylor's troops mount an attack around 4:30 PM but are forced to pull back by nightfall. This tactical victory is the Union's last battle of the Red River Campaign.
April 10,1864-The Red River Campaign grounds are abandoned as General Banks withdraws to Grand Ecore, Louisiana and General Taylor is ordered back to Mansfield by General Edmund Kirby Smith.
April 10,1864-Confederate troops south of the Tennessee-Georgia line capture Mary Edwards Walker, the U.S. Army's only woman surgeon. She is released about four months later.
April 10,1864-Admiral Porter reaches Springfield Landing, Louisiana, 30 miles below Shreveport. The sunken Confederate steamer 'New Falls City' blocks the river. Falling water levels and news of the defeat at Sabine Crossing hinders further progress.
April 11,1864-Admiral Porter works to move his gunships over the Alexandria Rapids and continue upstream. The majority of his Squadron becomes trapped upstream due to the dipping water levels.
April 11,1864-Arkansas inaugurates the pro-Union administration of Dr. Isaac Murphy at Little Rock.
April 12,1864-1,500 Confederate cavalry troops surround Fort Pillow, Tennessee on the Mississippi River. Fort Pillow, an open design earthwork with little protection, is defended by 557 Union soldiers, 262 of them African Americans, all commanded by Major Lionel F. Booth.
General James R. Chambers leads the Confederate cavalry charge and seizes the outer works and cannons. Confederate reinforcements arrive mid morning with General Nathan B. Forrest who concludes the fort cannot be defended. Major Booth is killed and successor Fort Pillow commander Major William F. Bradford refuses Forrest's surrender demand. The earthwork fort soon falls with 231 Union soldiers killed, 100 wounded, and 226 captured. Only 58 African American troops survived and Forrest is accused of a massacre of black soldiers. "Remember Fort Pillow" became a rallying cry for black troops.
April 12,1864-Admiral David Porter moves the Mississippi Squadron and several transport back down the Red River and they engage Southern troops at Blair's Landing, Louisiana. Confederate General Thomas Green, commander of cavalry and artillery units on shore and is one of the first of about 300 Confederates killed. Interesting side note: the USS Osage crew successfully uses a jerry-rigged periscope to direct naval fire.
April 6,1864-General Nathaniel Banks continues his march with units strung out on a narrow road some distance from the Red River. He is rapidly approaching General Richard Taylor's Confederate forces at Mansfield.
April 7,1864-General Longstreet's Confederate I Corps is ordered to return to the Army of Northern Virginia. They depart Greeneville, Tennessee.
April 8,1864-The 13th Amendment to the Constitution is approved by the U.S. Congress on a 38 to 6 vote. Slavery is abolished in all territories controlled by the United States.
April 8,1864-The 18,000 man Union army under General Banks confronts General Taylor's 8,000 Confederates at Sabine Crossroads near Mansfield, Louisiana. Bank's unit is strung out nearly single file while Taylor's troops are behind field works. Mansfield proves to be the decisive battle of the Red River Campaign and the largest battle waged in the Trans-Mississippi Theater. Taylor's Division Commander General Alfred Moulton is killed along with about 1000 other Confederates. Banks losses are severe with 2,235 killed, missing, or wounded plus 20 cannons, 200 wagons, 1,000 draft animals lost.
April 9,1864-The Union strategy for the final push of the war, with five major components, is announced by General Grant. General Nathaniel Banks will capture Mobile, General William Sherman will seize Atlanta, General Fritz Seigel will advance down the Shenandoah Valley destroying the food source, General Benjamin Butler will descend on Richmond, and General George Meade will follow General Robert E. Lee where ever he goes.
April 9,1864-General Banks consolidates his scattered force and is joined by reinforcement from General Andrew Smith's XVI Corps. Near Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, the Northern forces await General Taylor's appearance. Taylor's troops mount an attack around 4:30 PM but are forced to pull back by nightfall. This tactical victory is the Union's last battle of the Red River Campaign.
April 10,1864-The Red River Campaign grounds are abandoned as General Banks withdraws to Grand Ecore, Louisiana and General Taylor is ordered back to Mansfield by General Edmund Kirby Smith.
April 10,1864-Confederate troops south of the Tennessee-Georgia line capture Mary Edwards Walker, the U.S. Army's only woman surgeon. She is released about four months later.
April 10,1864-Admiral Porter reaches Springfield Landing, Louisiana, 30 miles below Shreveport. The sunken Confederate steamer 'New Falls City' blocks the river. Falling water levels and news of the defeat at Sabine Crossing hinders further progress.
April 11,1864-Admiral Porter works to move his gunships over the Alexandria Rapids and continue upstream. The majority of his Squadron becomes trapped upstream due to the dipping water levels.
April 11,1864-Arkansas inaugurates the pro-Union administration of Dr. Isaac Murphy at Little Rock.
April 12,1864-1,500 Confederate cavalry troops surround Fort Pillow, Tennessee on the Mississippi River. Fort Pillow, an open design earthwork with little protection, is defended by 557 Union soldiers, 262 of them African Americans, all commanded by Major Lionel F. Booth.
General James R. Chambers leads the Confederate cavalry charge and seizes the outer works and cannons. Confederate reinforcements arrive mid morning with General Nathan B. Forrest who concludes the fort cannot be defended. Major Booth is killed and successor Fort Pillow commander Major William F. Bradford refuses Forrest's surrender demand. The earthwork fort soon falls with 231 Union soldiers killed, 100 wounded, and 226 captured. Only 58 African American troops survived and Forrest is accused of a massacre of black soldiers. "Remember Fort Pillow" became a rallying cry for black troops.
April 12,1864-Admiral David Porter moves the Mississippi Squadron and several transport back down the Red River and they engage Southern troops at Blair's Landing, Louisiana. Confederate General Thomas Green, commander of cavalry and artillery units on shore and is one of the first of about 300 Confederates killed. Interesting side note: the USS Osage crew successfully uses a jerry-rigged periscope to direct naval fire.
Saturday, March 29, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - March 30-April 5, 1864
March 29&30,1864-Forces under Colonel Powell Clayton move south from Mount Elba, Arkansas and surprises a Confederate supply train near Long View on the Sabine River. With 35 captured wagons and 260 prisoners, they return to Mt. Elba and establish a supply route to assist General Frederick Steele.
April 1,1864-General John M. Taylor fails to arrive at Arkadelphia, Arkansas with cavalry reinforcements in time to assist General Steele who departs for the Red River. With scant rations, men and pack animals are put on half rations. Confederate Cavalry under Generals Joseph Shelby and John S. Marmaduke continue to shadow and slow Steele's column.
April 2,1864-General Shelby's Confederate cavalry overtake the Union rear guard unit at Okolona, Arkansas, taking 160 prisoners.
April 3,1864-After encountering Confederate resistance, General Nathaniel Banks and his Army reach Grand Encore, Louisiana where they meet several army transports. The USS Eastport, Cricket, Mound City, Chillicothe, Pittsburg, Ozark, Neosho, Osage, Lexington, Fort Hindeman, and Louisville are carrying General Andrew Smith's corps. The combined armies prepare to move to attack Shreveport.
April 3,1864-Admiral Porter's 13 gunboats and 30 transports have difficulty at the Alexandria Rapids due to low water levels and may not be able to continue to Shreveport.
April 4,1864-The French policies of Napoleon III toward Mexico cause the U.S. House of Representatives to protest, resolving never to recognition a Monarch in the Western Hemisphere. America extended support of rebel forces under President Benito Juarez. (Ferdinand Maximilian became the second Emperor of Mexico on April 10,1864 and was ruler until he was executed on June 19,1867)
April 4,1864-The Army of the Potomac continues to reorganize. The XI and XII Corps are consolidated under General Joseph Hooker as the new XX Corps. General Jacob D. Cox takes charge of the XXIII Corps, and General Philip H. Sheridan succeeds General David M. Gregg as calvary commander.
April 4,1864-General John M. Schofield takes charge of the Union Army of the Tennessee's XXIII Corps. Army of the Tennessee commander is General James McPherson. He received command when General W.T. Sherman was promoted on March 12, 1864.
April 1,1864-General John M. Taylor fails to arrive at Arkadelphia, Arkansas with cavalry reinforcements in time to assist General Steele who departs for the Red River. With scant rations, men and pack animals are put on half rations. Confederate Cavalry under Generals Joseph Shelby and John S. Marmaduke continue to shadow and slow Steele's column.
April 2,1864-General Shelby's Confederate cavalry overtake the Union rear guard unit at Okolona, Arkansas, taking 160 prisoners.
April 3,1864-After encountering Confederate resistance, General Nathaniel Banks and his Army reach Grand Encore, Louisiana where they meet several army transports. The USS Eastport, Cricket, Mound City, Chillicothe, Pittsburg, Ozark, Neosho, Osage, Lexington, Fort Hindeman, and Louisville are carrying General Andrew Smith's corps. The combined armies prepare to move to attack Shreveport.
April 3,1864-Admiral Porter's 13 gunboats and 30 transports have difficulty at the Alexandria Rapids due to low water levels and may not be able to continue to Shreveport.
April 4,1864-The French policies of Napoleon III toward Mexico cause the U.S. House of Representatives to protest, resolving never to recognition a Monarch in the Western Hemisphere. America extended support of rebel forces under President Benito Juarez. (Ferdinand Maximilian became the second Emperor of Mexico on April 10,1864 and was ruler until he was executed on June 19,1867)
April 4,1864-The Army of the Potomac continues to reorganize. The XI and XII Corps are consolidated under General Joseph Hooker as the new XX Corps. General Jacob D. Cox takes charge of the XXIII Corps, and General Philip H. Sheridan succeeds General David M. Gregg as calvary commander.
April 4,1864-General John M. Schofield takes charge of the Union Army of the Tennessee's XXIII Corps. Army of the Tennessee commander is General James McPherson. He received command when General W.T. Sherman was promoted on March 12, 1864.
Sunday, March 23, 2014
Civil War - 150 Years ago this week - March 23-29, 1864
March 23,1864-The Union I Corps is discontinued and absorbed into the V Corps, commanded by General Gouverneur K. Warren. I Corp had been under General George Sykes since Malvern Hill in June of 1862.
March 23,1864-General Grant returned to Washington from his meeting in Nashville with General Sherman and begins to implement his plan to advance four different armies simultaneously across the South.
March 23,1864-General Frederick Steele cites chronic shortages of food and fodder for troops and pack animals as the reason for delaying the departure of his 10,400 Union troops out of Little Rock, Arkansas. He is to march east and link up with the Red River expedition being led by General Nathaniel Banks. He also was hesitant due to poor roads and the threat of Confederate Cavalry raids.
March 24,1864-General Winfield S.Scott returns to action for the first time since his injuries at Gettysburg. He is not fully recovered but resumes command of the II Corps, Army of the Potomac.
March 24,1864-The Union III Corp of the Army of the Potomac is disbanded and troops are folded into the II and VI Corps.
March 24,1864-A surprise raid by General Nathan B. Forrest captures Union City, Tennessee then moves on to Paducah, Kentucky, capturing Paducah the following day.
March 24,1864-General Nathaniel P. Butler arrives at Alexandria, Louisiana, a full week behind schedule. He was delayed in starting the Red River expedition due to the need to establish a civilian government in New Orleans. He discovers that General Andrew J. Smith's 10,000 troops have to re-joined General Sherman's Army no later that April 25th, and that water levels on the Red River continue to fall. While Admiral Porter may not be able to navigate the river due to low water, Butler orders the campaign to continue.
March 25,1864-The Army of the Potomac sees another staff change when General David Gregg replaces General Alfred M. Pleasonton as commander of the cavalry.
March 25,1864-At Paducah, Colonel Stephen G. Hicks refuses to surrender to General Forrest and withdraws into Fort Anderson. Forrest decides not to attack the strong fortification but Colonel Albert Thompson charges at the head of his 3rd and 7th Kentucky Cavalry. They are repulsed with bloody losses, including Colonel Thompson being killed. General Forrest does collect about 500 horses from area civilians.
March 26,1864-As Union forces approached Paducah, Kentucky, General Forrest retreats to Fort Pillow, Tennessee on the Mississippi River.
March 27,1864-General Grant rejoins the Army of the Potomac now at Culpeper Court House, Virginia.
March 27,1864-Large numbers of Northern prisoners begin to arrive at Camp Sumter in Andersonville, Georgia.
March 28,1864-General Banks advances from Alexandria, Louisiana to Shreveport.
March 28,1864-A violent anti-war riot in Charleston, Illinois results in gunfire between Union soldiers home on furlough and Knight's of the Golden Circle (Copperheads) in town to hear anti-war congressional candidate John R. Eden's speech. Six are killed and 20 injured. After extended prison time, President Lincoln grants clemency to the 29 Democrats jailed during the riot.
March 28,1864-Secretary of the Navy Gideon Wells urges Commander John C. Carter to have the USS Michigan ready to sail as soon as the Lake Erie ice breaks. Rumors of a Confederate takeover of the USS Michigan to raid and release Confederate Prisoners held on Johnson's Island at Sandusky, Ohio have been received.
March 29,1864-General George Meade is convinced by President Lincoln to drop his Court of Inquiry demand concerning newspaper coverage of Meade's performance at Gettysburg.
March 29,1864-Union forces under General Banks reach Natchitoches, Louisiana and move inland to a more direct route to Shreveport. Admiral Porter has been slowed by low water and has lost a vessel. Banks move inland takes his column away from Admiral Porter's gunboats and the protection the gunboats provide.
March 23,1864-General Grant returned to Washington from his meeting in Nashville with General Sherman and begins to implement his plan to advance four different armies simultaneously across the South.
March 23,1864-General Frederick Steele cites chronic shortages of food and fodder for troops and pack animals as the reason for delaying the departure of his 10,400 Union troops out of Little Rock, Arkansas. He is to march east and link up with the Red River expedition being led by General Nathaniel Banks. He also was hesitant due to poor roads and the threat of Confederate Cavalry raids.
March 24,1864-General Winfield S.Scott returns to action for the first time since his injuries at Gettysburg. He is not fully recovered but resumes command of the II Corps, Army of the Potomac.
March 24,1864-The Union III Corp of the Army of the Potomac is disbanded and troops are folded into the II and VI Corps.
March 24,1864-A surprise raid by General Nathan B. Forrest captures Union City, Tennessee then moves on to Paducah, Kentucky, capturing Paducah the following day.
March 24,1864-General Nathaniel P. Butler arrives at Alexandria, Louisiana, a full week behind schedule. He was delayed in starting the Red River expedition due to the need to establish a civilian government in New Orleans. He discovers that General Andrew J. Smith's 10,000 troops have to re-joined General Sherman's Army no later that April 25th, and that water levels on the Red River continue to fall. While Admiral Porter may not be able to navigate the river due to low water, Butler orders the campaign to continue.
March 25,1864-The Army of the Potomac sees another staff change when General David Gregg replaces General Alfred M. Pleasonton as commander of the cavalry.
March 25,1864-At Paducah, Colonel Stephen G. Hicks refuses to surrender to General Forrest and withdraws into Fort Anderson. Forrest decides not to attack the strong fortification but Colonel Albert Thompson charges at the head of his 3rd and 7th Kentucky Cavalry. They are repulsed with bloody losses, including Colonel Thompson being killed. General Forrest does collect about 500 horses from area civilians.
March 26,1864-As Union forces approached Paducah, Kentucky, General Forrest retreats to Fort Pillow, Tennessee on the Mississippi River.
March 27,1864-General Grant rejoins the Army of the Potomac now at Culpeper Court House, Virginia.
March 27,1864-Large numbers of Northern prisoners begin to arrive at Camp Sumter in Andersonville, Georgia.
March 28,1864-General Banks advances from Alexandria, Louisiana to Shreveport.
March 28,1864-A violent anti-war riot in Charleston, Illinois results in gunfire between Union soldiers home on furlough and Knight's of the Golden Circle (Copperheads) in town to hear anti-war congressional candidate John R. Eden's speech. Six are killed and 20 injured. After extended prison time, President Lincoln grants clemency to the 29 Democrats jailed during the riot.
March 28,1864-Secretary of the Navy Gideon Wells urges Commander John C. Carter to have the USS Michigan ready to sail as soon as the Lake Erie ice breaks. Rumors of a Confederate takeover of the USS Michigan to raid and release Confederate Prisoners held on Johnson's Island at Sandusky, Ohio have been received.
March 29,1864-General George Meade is convinced by President Lincoln to drop his Court of Inquiry demand concerning newspaper coverage of Meade's performance at Gettysburg.
March 29,1864-Union forces under General Banks reach Natchitoches, Louisiana and move inland to a more direct route to Shreveport. Admiral Porter has been slowed by low water and has lost a vessel. Banks move inland takes his column away from Admiral Porter's gunboats and the protection the gunboats provide.
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