T.R | Title | User | Personal Name | Date | Lines |
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50.1 | October 1st - 16th | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Oct 18 1991 03:41 | 40 |
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(Late)
Oct. 1st: Confederate President Jefferson Davis and generals
J.E. Johnston, G.W. Smith and P.G.T. Beauregard meet
to discuss the future of their army in Virginia and
its strategies.
Oct. 3rd: Lincoln approves a contract for ironclad warships to be
built by John Ericsson. The Confederate government signs
treaties with the Shawnee and Seneca Indians.
Oct. 5th: The London Post backs the Confederacy in an editorial.
The Times is pro-Union.
Oct. 6th: Confederate blockade runner Alert is captured off
Charleston, S.C.
Oct. 7th: After a brief 18-month career the Pony Express comes to
an official end.
Oct. 8th: Union Brig. Gen. William T. Sherman supersedes Brig. Gen.
Robert Anderson as commander of the Department of the
Cumberland when Anderson suffers a nervous breakdown.
Oct. 11th: The steamer Theodora evades Federal blockaders and
carries Confederate Commissioner to France John Slidell
and Commissioner to Britain James Mason to Cuba.
Oct. 13th: U.S. Brig. Gen. Thomas Williams is named commander of
North Carolina. The citizens of Chincoteague Island, Va.
take the U.S. oath of allegiance. Lincoln allows Lt.
Gen. Winfield Scott to suspend the writ of habeus corpus
between Bangor, Me. and Washington.
Oct. 16th: U.S. troops recapture Lexington, Mo. from a small Rebel
garrison.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.2 | October 18th | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Oct 18 1991 03:46 | 7 |
|
The federal cabinet discusses Gen. W. Scott's possible voluntary
retirement.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.3 | October 21st | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Oct 22 1991 02:30 | 8 |
|
Battle of Ball's Bluff. Union Col. Edward D. Baker is ordered by
Brig. Gen. Charles P. Stone to lead a brigade across the Potomac River
to Ball's Bluff, Va. The ensuing slaughter of Baker and his troops by
Brig. Gen. Nathan G. Evans' Rebels is blamed on Stone.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.4 | Oct. 24th & 26th | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Oct 25 1991 03:40 | 11 |
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24th: (Late) Western Union completes the first transcontinental
telegraph. Though frequently broken by Indians, buffalo
and the elements, it is a major leao forward in
communications.
26th: (Early) Federal troops take Romney, an important post in
western Virginia.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.5 | Oct. 28th & 29th | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Oct 29 1991 03:54 | 12 |
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28th: (Late) Rebel gen. Albert S. Johnston takes over the Army of
Central Kentucky.
29th: In a combined land and sea expedition, U.S. Brig. Gen. Thomas
W. Sherman and Flag Officer Samuel F. Du Pont lead 77 vessels
and 12,000 troops to the Carolinas.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.6 | November 1st, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Nov 05 1991 02:55 | 28 |
|
(Late) Nov.1: Washington; General Winfield Scott voluntarily
relinquishes his post as General-in-Chief of United States Army.
Scott's decision allows 34-year-old General George Brinton
McClellan to assume control of the Army; President Lincoln and
the Cabinet bid General Scott farewell as the aging war hero
makes hiw way to retirement at West Point. There is a great deal
of enthusiasm for the younger McClellan, who appears to be
eminently suited for the position he now assumes.
EASTERN THEATER: In western Virginia, near Gaulery Bridge and
Cotton Hill, Confederates attack General Rosecran's troops.
The Rebel force, under the command of General John B. Floyd,
clashes with Federals for three days but ultimately withdraws
without success.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: General Fre'mont, in Missouri, communicates
with General Price's messengers, agreeing to exchange prisoners.
This decision is made without Lincoln's authorization and the
President later abrogates the arrangement.
NAVAL: Off Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, a storm has scattered
the Port Royal expedition ships, leaving a badly damaged fleet
to make its way to its destination as best it can. The USS Sabine
is lost in this heavy weather, the Marines aboard escaping to
safety before the vessel goes down.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.7 | November 4th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Nov 05 1991 03:01 | 10 |
|
Nov 4th:
THE CONFEDERACY: President Davis and General Beauregard
continue to disagree over what was appropiate at Manassas,
or Bull Run, Virginia. Davis contacts Generals Lee, and
Cooper, in order to gain their support for his position
as the president is aware of rumors circulating about
his administration's ineptitude.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.8 | My apologies for being so late! October 31st,1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Nov 05 1991 03:18 | 22 |
|
(Really late!)
Oct.31st:
WASHINGTON: General Winfield Scott makes a formal petition to
President Lincoln concerning resignation from his position as
General-in-Chief of the Union Army. Despite his experience -
he is a veteran of both the War of 1812 and the Mexican War -
Scott is promoted to this action by his advancing age and
personality clashes with younger, ambitious military personnel.
Scott convinces Lincoln to grant his retirement request and is
succeeded by General McClellan.
WESTERN THEATER: Fighting of a minor nature breaks out in
Morgantown, Kentucky with an attack on a Federal encampment by
Rebel soldiers. The Union troops are able to withstand this
attack although the Confederates suffer moderate losses.
The month ends with no major realignment on the part of either
the North or the South; both sides are waiting for spring
weather. Fre'mont continues to pursue Price's Confederates in
Missouri.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.9 | November 6th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 06 1991 02:01 | 9 |
| Nov. 6th:
THE CONFEDERACY: The South holds elections, and the results of
these prove that Jefferson Davis is a popular and respected a leader
as when first chosen provisional president.
He is elected to a six-year term of office as President of the
Confederacy and is again joined by Alexander Stephens as
Vice-President.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.10 | November 7th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Nov 07 1991 03:49 | 34 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Cairo, Illinios sees the departure of a force of
3500 Union soldiers, under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant,
which departs for a point near Columbus, Kentucky, on the Mississippi.
The troops travel in two gunboats and four other vessels,
disembarking at Belmont, Missouri, opposite Confederate defenses at
Columbus.
Rebel General Leonidas Polk quickly crosses the river with a force
of Confederates and pushes the Union troops back into their boats
which carry them northward again. This inconclusive raid was
accompanied by another, similiar, reconnaissance from Paducah, Kentucky
to Columbus, but neither of these two actions resulted in gain for the
North.
There are casualities, however; Federal losses tally 120 killed and
383 wounded. The Rebels lose 105, with 494 wounded. The strategic value
of this operation at Belmont, Missouri is insignificant but does allow
General Grant to exercise his military capabilities without having to
deal with the stresss and danger of a major battle with Confederates.
NAVAL: The Port Royal operation under Flag Officer S.F. Du'Pont is
underway, the Union squadron easily evading the relatively weak
Confederate defenses as it sails into Porty Royal Sound between Forts
Beauregard and Walker. The ensuing exchange of fire between the Federal
vessels and the shore batteries sees the Rebels retreat from the two
fortifications to take up positions further inland.
The North loses eight men in the battle, with 23 wounded and
Confederate losses are similarly light - 11 killed, 48 wounded, 3
captured, 4 missing.
The Port Royal expedition is considered a success as it places
Union troops in a strategically critical area between Savannah and
Charleston, and Port Royal proves to be important as a refueling depot
for the Federal blockaders operating in the area.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.11 | November 8th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Nov 08 1991 04:12 | 32 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: In Kentucky, pro-Unionists rise up against Rebel
troops in the eastern region of the state. The Confederate commander
in charge there, General Felix Zollicoffer, is obliged to request re-
inforcements due to the disruption caused by these ardent mountaineer
Unionists.
THE CONFEDERACY: The Port Royal operation causes telegraph offices
in the South to be beseiged with people wanting information about the
Union invasion. Newspapers seize the opportunity to promote unity for
the Cause. The Charleston "Mercury" states, 'Our Yankee enemies will,
sooner or later, learn to their cost the difference between invaders
for spoils and power'. Despite this bravado, many civilians fear the
possible outcome of this military action and hundreds prepare to
evacuate the south Atlantic coastal area.
INTERNATIONAL: The USS San Jacinto, under the command of Captain
Charles Wilkes, stops at Havana, Cuba and finds the two Confederate
commissioners, James Mason and John Slidell, awaiting passage to Europe
on the British packet Trent. As the Trent sails into open waters in the
Old Bahama Channel, the San Jacinto forces the British vessel to stop.
Wilkes demands that Mason and Slidell be turned over to him. This
accomplished, the San Jacinto sails to Hampton Roads, Virginia with the
two commissioners under armed guard. The British captain and crew make
their way back to Britain with the families of Mason and Slidell still
aboard the Trent.
More immediately it becomes an international cause celebre of such
magnitude as to provoke the possibility of armed conflict between the
United States and Britain, and it also creates an incident which the
Confederacy can use against the Federals.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.12 | November 11th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Nov 12 1991 01:44 | 8 |
|
WASHINGTON: A celebration in honor of the new General-in-Chief of
the United States Army, General George Brinton McClellan, includes a
torchlight parade in the nation's capital. On the Potomac, further
balloon ascents take place under the direction of Professor Thaddeus
Lowe.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.13 | November 13th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 13 1991 01:42 | 6 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln calls on General McClellan at his
home, waiting to speak with the new commander of the Union Army.
McClellan retires without acknowledging the President.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.14 | November 15th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Nov 15 1991 03:30 | 18 |
|
WASHINGTON: The war effort on the home front receives aid from the
Young Men's Christian Association. A committee known as the US
Christian Commission will help provide nurses for war hospitals,
supplies, and various services to the Union forces.
INTERNATIONAL: The larger ramifications of the TRENT affair become
apparent to both the North and South as the USS SAN JACINTO arrives at
Fort Monroe, Virginia. Slidell and Mason are to be transferred to a
prison at Fort Warren, in Boston Harbor, Massachusetts.
Captain Wilkes, the hero of the hour for his courageous and daring
action in seizing the Confederate commissioners, is soon to recieve
more subdued acclaim as the Cabinet and other advisors to the President
recognize the seriousness of Wilke's action.
Not only does this TRENT affair provide the Confederacy with an
incident which might garner foreign support, it also places relations
between Britain, France and the United States in a precarious position.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.15 | November 16th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Nov 15 1991 03:37 | 7 |
|
WASHINGTON: Postmaster General Montgomery Blair speaks out against
Wilke's action in capturing James Mason and John Slidell. He is joined
in this protest by Senator Charles Sumner of Massachusetts; both men
urge the surrender of the Confederate commissioners.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.16 | November 18th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Nov 18 1991 02:52 | 16 |
|
WASHINGTON: In order to arrange for a Federal expedition to New
Orleans, Commodore David Dixon Porter is charged with obtaining and
provisioning gunboats for the Union.
SECESSION: At Hatteras, North Carolina, a convention of pro-Union
delegates from 42 counties meets and repudiates the order of 20 May
1861 concerning that state's secession from the Union. The convention
appoints Marble Nash Taylor as Provisional Governor of North Carolina.
In Kentucky, Confederate soldiers convene at Russellville and
adopt a secession ordinance which results in Kentucky's having two
state governments, on pro-North and the other pro-secession, just as
in Missouri.
THE CONFEDERACY: The Provisional Government of the Confederate
States of America convenes in its fifth session at Richmond, Virginia.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.17 | November 20th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 20 1991 01:58 | 15 |
|
WASHINGTON: General McClellan reviews some 60,000 troops in the
nation's capital.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Brief confrontations break out at Butler,
Missouri. In California, Federal forces begin pursuit of a Confederate
group, the Showalter Party, and several days later the troops capture
18 men, including the leader, Daniel Showalter, southeast of Los
Angeles, California.
EASTERN THEATER: Confederate General John B. Floyd pulls his troops
out of an encampment near Gauley River, Virginia, destroying tents and
equipment in his quick withdrawal.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.18 | November 21st, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Nov 21 1991 01:29 | 13 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: Reorganization of the Confederate Cabinet places
Judah Benjamin in the post of Secretary of War.
Benjamin succeeds Leroy Pope Walker in this slot, the latter
having encountered a fair amount of criticism for what was considered
an ineffectual handling of some military issues.
The Attorney General's position goes to Thomas Bragg. General Lloyd
Tilighman is appointed commander of Forts Henry and Donelson on the
Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. These two positions are strategically
located and are important to the Confederate defense against invasion
of the South.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.19 | November 22nd, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Nov 22 1991 02:05 | 9 |
|
NAVAL: An engagement begins between Federal batteries at Fort
Pickens, Florida and Confederates at Forts McRee and Barrancas as well
as the Pensacola Naval Yard.
The Union ground forces are aided by the USS Niagara and USS
Richmond on the first day of the barrage. There is damage to both sides
but it proves to be an ultimately inconclusive exchange.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.20 | November 24th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Nov 22 1991 02:15 | 13 |
|
WASHINGTON: Lincoln and his Cabinet meet to discuss the TRENT
affair and its significance to the Northern war effort. The two
Confederate commissioners, Slidell and Mason, arrive in Boston,
Massachusetts at Fort Warren, on the USS San Jacinto.
WESTERN THEATER: Federal troops achieve a foothold on Tybee Island,
in Georgia. This location on the Savannah River is of great strategic
importance to the harbor and access to Fort Pulaski, the main
fortification protecting Savannah from attack.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.21 | November 25th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Nov 25 1991 03:07 | 8 |
|
NAVAL: The Confederate Naval Department prepares to convert the
former USS MERRIMACK, now the CSS VIRGINIA, to an ironclad vessel.
The CSS SUMTER seizes a Federal ship while the Union blockade
succeeds in capturing a blockade runner off the coast of South
Carolina.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.22 | November 26th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 27 1991 01:47 | 12 |
|
THE NORTH: In Wheeling, in western Virginia a convention adopts a
new state constitution calling for the formation of the State of West
Virginia after that area's secession from the rest of the state. In
Boston, Captain Wilkes, the instigator of the TRENT affair, is honored
for his accomplishments at a special banquet.
NAVAL: The CSS SUMTER seizes yet another Federal vessel in the
Atlantic, while at Savannah, Georgia, rebels try without success
to engage Union ships in fire from Fort Pulaski.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.23 | November 27th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 27 1991 01:53 | 11 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Ship Island, Mississippi is the destination of a
Union expeditionary force to be leaving from Hampton Roads, Virginia.
The intent is to set up a base of operations against New Orleans,
Louisianna and the general Gulf Coast area.
INTERNATIONAL: The TRENT affair is becoming more serious as word
of the unlawful seizure of Confederate diplomats reaches Great Britain.
In London, signs reading 'Outrage on the British Flag' begin to appear.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.24 | November 28th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 27 1991 01:57 | 10 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: The Provisional Congress at Richmond formally
admits Missouri to the Confederacy.
EASTERN THEATER: Federal officials in the Port Royal, South
Carolina vicinity are given authorization by Washington to seize
agricultural products and slaves. The latter will work for the Federal
defense of the area.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.25 | November 30th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 27 1991 02:22 | 13 |
|
INTERNATIONAL: In a letter to Great Britain's Minister to the
United States, Lord Lyons, the British Foreign Secretary, Lord John
Russell, communicates Britain's displeasure at the seizure of
Confederate diplomats John Slidell and James Mason.
He further requests that the Union apologize for the seizure and
release the two diplomats to Britain's jurisdiction. The British Navy
is placed on alert but is told to avoid any hostilities.
Lyons is directed to leave Washington, DC in one week's time if
there is no satisfactory response to Britain's request for redress
of the affair.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.26 | December 1st, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Nov 27 1991 02:30 | 14 |
|
WASHINGTON: In a communication to General McClellan, President
Lincoln questions the new chief about the Army's movement. The
President is somewhat concerned that little action has taken place.
He asks of the Army of the Potomac, 'How long would it require to
actually get it in motion?'
NAVAL: Successfully preventing the blockade runner ALBION from
carrying supplies to the Confederates, the United States gunboat
PENGUIN seizes the vessel and its cargo, which includes armaments,
various foodstuffs, tin, copper and military equipment valued near
$100,000.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.27 | December 2nd, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Dec 03 1991 03:10 | 24 |
|
WASHINGTON: The Thirty-Seventh Congress meets in the nation's
capital for its regularly scheduled session. The mood here is a less
positive one than it had been in July when the Congress last met.
There is continued concern over repercussions stemming from the TRENT
affair and there are some who feel that the Army in Virginia ought to
have made an offensive prior to the coming of winter. In general,
there are criticisms of Lincoln's current military plans which are made
up of a three-fold strategy: the plans call basically for the re-
accession of Tennessee to facilitate the position of the Army in the
heart of the Confederacy; taking control of the Mississippi River and
focusing on the eastern theater of war, especially between Richmond,
Virginia and Washington, D.C.
WESTERN THEATER: Federal General Henry Halleck is authorized to
suspend the writ of habeas corpus in the area commanded by the
Department of the Missouri.
NAVAL: Newport News, Virginia is the setting for a naval skirmish
between four Union gunboats and the Confederate vessel PATRICK HENRY.
As a result of the exchange, the PATRICK HENRY sustains considerable
damage.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.28 | December 3rd, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Dec 03 1991 03:18 | 14 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln makes his State of the Union address
to Congress. In his message the chief executive stresses that 'the
Union must be preserved, and hence all indispensable means must be
employed'.
WESTERN THEATER: At Ship Island, Mississippi the first of the
troops in General Butler's expedition to the Gulf Coast area are
landed. The Federal steam-ship CONSTITUTION carries this initial
offensive force, made up of the 26th Massachusetts regiment and the
9th Connecticut regiment.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.29 | December 4th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Dec 04 1991 02:45 | 19 |
|
WASHINGTON: Another Federal office holder, Senator John
Breckenridge of Kentucky, is expelled from his position, in this case
by a vote of 36-0. Formerly Buchanan's Vice-President, Breckenridge
had joined the rebel Army in November after exhausting all
possibilities for the negotiation of peace between the two opposing
forces.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: General Henry Halleck authorizes the arrest
of any persons found helping the pro-secessionist movement in
St. Louis, Missouri. Those arrested for aiding the enemy are to be
executed by the military.
INTERNATIONAL: Britain's Queen Victoria issues a statement
prohibiting any exports to the United States including armaments
or materials for their production.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.30 | December 5th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Dec 05 1991 02:34 | 8 |
|
WASHINGTON: Congress considers several bills which would abolish
slavery, particularly in territory 'in rebellion'. The Secretary of
War reports that the regular army has 20,334 men, and volunteers total
640,637. Naval Secretary Gideon Welles shows that the Federal Navy
tallies 22,000 sailors and marines.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.31 | December 7th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Dec 05 1991 02:43 | 15 |
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EASTERN THEATER: The Potomac River Dam Number Five is the site of a
small clash between Federals and Rebel soldiers.
WESTERN THEATER: Further military activity takes place as a group
of Confederate troops takes Glasgow, Missouri.
NAVAL: In a move to prevent the Confederate evasion of the
blockade, the USS SANTIAGO de CUBA stops the English ship EUGENIA
SMITH. The Union vessel, under the command of Daniel Ridgely, succeeds
in seizing J.W. Zacharie of New Orleans, Louisiana. Zacharie is a
known Confederate purchasing agent and this incident serves to increase
the agitation engendered by the TRENT affair.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.32 | December 8th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Dec 09 1991 03:51 | 6 |
|
NAVAL: The Northern whaling industry is now affected by the
conflict; the CSS SUMTER seizes the whaler EBEN DODGE in Atlantic
waters.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.33 | December 9th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Dec 09 1991 04:12 | 28 |
|
WASHINGTON: To replace John Breckenridge as Senator from
Kentucky, Garret Davis is elected. As a result of criticism and debate
over military defeats such as that at Ball's Bluff, the United States
Senate calls for the establishment of the Joint Committee on the
Conduct of the War. In a vote of 33 - 3, the approval of this committee
paves the way for a series of investigations and interrogations which
are uneven, though useful, in terms of resulting reports.
THE CONFEDERACY: Along the southern Atlantic coast, plantation
owners burn their cotton crops to prevent confiscation by the Union.
Seizing every opportunity to enlarge upon the significance of such
acts and the threats posed by the anticipated Union advance, the
Charleston, North Carolina COURIER asserts that by destroying the
cotton, planters prevent the North from enjoying 'the extensive spoils
with which they have feasted their imagination, and the obtainment of
which was one of their chief objects'.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Missouri remains the scene of brief and minor
encounters between the Union and the Confederacy. Union Mills, Missouri
witnesses skirmishing and in the Indian Territory, pro-South forces
made up largely of Indians, push pro-Union Creek Indians out of the
vicinity of Chusto-Talasah, or Bird Creek, later to be known as Tulsa,
Oklahoma. The Confederate efforts are soon briefly discontinued
however, due to a shortage of adequate provisions and to the tenacity
of the Creeks.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.34 | December 10th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Dec 11 1991 02:35 | 13 |
|
WASHINGTON: The proposal which will set up the Joint Committee on
the Conduct on the War is approved by the Federal House of
Representatives.
THE CONFEDERACY: The Congress of the Confederacy admits Kentucky
to the rebel's jurisdiction as their thirteenth state. This despite
the sentiment of a majority of Kentucky's citizens against such a move.
The tenure of Kentucky in the Confederacy is short-lived; barely one
month later, the rebel forces have virtually relinquished claim on
that state, preferring to try to hold Tennessee.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.35 | December 11th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Dec 11 1991 03:49 | 10 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: Charleston, South Carolina is ravaged by fire,
and half of the city is destroyed, including much of the business
district. Such an occurrence does psychological damage to the
Confederacy, as Charleston is an important center of operations in
the South. Combined with the Hilton Head Island occupation by Union
troops and the relatively effective Federal blockade, the fire proves
to be extremely fortuitous to the North.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.36 | December 13th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Dec 13 1991 01:56 | 9 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: Heavy fighting breaks out at Camp Allegheny,
Buffalo Mountain, in western Virginia. Union troops under General
R.H. Milroy attack the rebel encampment. Casualities in the Federal
camp total 137, causing the force to fall back to Cheat Mountain.
The Confederates suffer heavy losses (146 casualities) and they,
too, retreat to Staunton, Virginia in the Shenandoah Valley.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.37 | December 14th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Dec 13 1991 02:05 | 13 |
|
INTERNATIONAL: Britain falls into mourning at the unexpected death
of Queen Victoria's husband and consort, His Royal Highness Prince
Albert. Two weeks previous the Prince had prepared correspondence
relative to the TRENT affair and ther seizure of Confederate diplomats
Mason and Slidell; he had recommended a moderate course of action and
the avoidance of outright hostilities with the United States over the
affair.
Despite this, there remains great apprehension over possible war
between the United States and Britain.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.38 | December 17th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Dec 17 1991 02:24 | 18 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: Various military operations of a minor nature
occur on this day. At Chisolm Island, South Carolina, there is
skirmishing, and at Rockville in that state confrontations between
Union soldiers and Rebels take place.
The Union garrison at Hilton Head poses such a threat to Confederates
at Rockville that the Southerners leave the vicinity.
Near Harper's Ferry, General 'Stonewall' Jackson carries out
maneuvers along the Potomac River with his Confederate troops.
NAVAL: Savannah Harbor is the scene of efforts by Federals to
prevent shipping access: seven stone-laden vessels are sunk in the
harbor at its entrance.
On Green River in Kentucky, there is a battle which leaves 10
Union soldiers dead and 17 wounded. Confederate losses in this
exchange total 33 killed and 55 wounded.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.39 | December 18th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Dec 18 1991 03:41 | 9 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln and his Cabinet meet to discuss
the TRENT affair. Meanwhile, Lord Lyons, the British Minister in
Washington, receives his orders from London concerning Britain's
demands for Slidell and Mason's immediate release.
General McClellan and the President confer at the General's house
about upcoming military strategy concerning the Union Army.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.40 | December 19th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Dec 19 1991 02:37 | 8 |
|
INTERNATIONAL: A meeting between United States Secretary of State
Seward and the British Minister, Lord Lyons, results in an exchange
of information and terms over the TRENT affair. Lyons explains
Britain's position and gives the United States seven days in which to
respond to those demands.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.41 | December 20th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Dec 20 1991 02:15 | 12 |
|
NAVAL: In the shipping lanes off Charleston, North Carolina,
sixteen outmoded whaling vessels are sunk in order to prevent access
to the city harbor by blockade runners. Although the Union efforts
in this respect were often repeated, they were of only limited
effectiveness overall.
INTERNATIONAL: The British Navy sends two ships to Canada in order
to have forces in readiness if the TRENT affair should necessitate
formal military action against the United States.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.42 | December 21st, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Dec 20 1991 02:26 | 16 |
|
WASHINGTON: Further meetings between Lord Lyons and Secretary of
State Seward result in a communication several days to Lord Russell,
British Foreign Minister. In this letter, Lyons asserts: 'I am so
concerned that unless we give our friends here a good lesson this time,
we shall have the same trouble with them again very soon....Surrender
or war will have a very good effect on them'.
It appears that there is, in fact, some sentiment in favor of a
stepped-up confrontation between the two countries, although Britain
continues to exhibit restraint in the matter.
The Confederacy's attitude is one of hopeful anticipation,
newspapers in the South promoting the possibility of armed conflict
between the United States and Britain, and commenting on its favorable
effects for the Confederacy.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.43 | December 23rd, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Dec 23 1991 02:55 | 10 |
|
WASHINGTON: Once again, Lord Lyons requests the surrender of
Slidell and Mason in a communication with Seward.
The Cabinet meets with President Lincoln to discuss the matter
further.
After the latter conference, Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner
counsels the President on the advisability of releasing the two
Confederate commissioners.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.44 | December 24th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Dec 24 1991 01:42 | 10 |
|
WASHINGTON: In the Federal capital, Congress passes duties on
such luxury items as coffee, tea, sugar and molasses.
At the War Department orders are given which suspends enlistment
of cavarly soldiers.
The President prepares for a full Christmas day, with expected
meetings between members of the Cabinet and himself over the
TRENT affair.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.45 | December 25th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Dec 24 1991 01:58 | 11 |
|
WASHINGTON: Although the President and Mrs. Lincoln entertain
guests for Christmas dinner, a decision concerning the disposition
of Mason and Slidell is the focus of the day. The decision is to
be forthcoming within the next 24 hours.
EASTERN THEATER: The fighting continues at Cherry, in western
Virginia, and near Fort Frederick, Maryland.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.46 | December 26th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Dec 27 1991 02:58 | 23 |
|
WASHINGTON: The United States agrees to surrender Confederate
commissioners James Mason and John Slidell into the keeping of
Great Britain. After many meetings the Cabinet acknowledges the
seizure of the diplomats as illegal and terms the action a
misunderstanding on the part of Captain Charles Wilkes. Lord Lyons
receives the statement made by United States officials, and
Secretary of State Seward orders the men released from their
incarceration at Fort Warren, in Massachusetts.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: St Louis, Missouri is placed under martial
law, a ruling which also extends to all railroads in that state.
General Henry Halleck gives this order, which is unpopular at best.
Clashes between pro-Union Creek Indians and Confederates occur at
Christenahlah in Indian Territory. The retreating Creeks flee to
Kansas after suffering extensive losses.
NAVAL: Union blockaders are attacked by a small group of
Confederate vessels at the mouth of the Savannah River. Despite its
intent, the Rebel offensive succeeds in dislodging the blockade
only temporarily.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.47 | December 27th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Dec 27 1991 03:25 | 8 |
|
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Skirmishes break out at Hallsville,
Missouri and a clash between rebels and Union soldiers, under the
command of General Benjamin Prentiss at Mount Sion, Missouri results
in the dispersion of the 900 Confederates who had been stationed
there.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.48 | December 29th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Dec 27 1991 03:28 | 7 |
|
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: In Missouri, Jeff Thompson's rebels
continue to be active against pro-Union forces in that state.
The Rebels there fight forces in Commerce and also attempt an
attack against the steamer CITY OF ALTON.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.49 | December 30th, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Dec 30 1991 02:35 | 6 |
|
INTERNATIONAL: James Mason and John Slidell are transferred to
the custody of Lord Lyons, the British Minister to the United
States.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.50 | December 31st, 1861 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Dec 31 1991 02:38 | 9 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln, due to the fact that General
McClellan is ill, contacts General Halleck in Missouri. The
chief executive is concerned that the Union Army seems to lack
direction and focus. He asks Helleck, 'are General Buell and
yourself in concert?' hoping that the Western Department will be
pressed into action of some sort.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.51 | January 1st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Dec 31 1991 02:56 | 28 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: At Fort Pickens, Florida, Union troops fire
on Confederate batteries at Pensacola. At Fort Barrancas there is
a similiar exchange of fire. The Port Royal area in South Carolina
witnesses skirmishing as Federals continue their move to establish
a permanent base at this important South Atlantic Coastal location;
this latter conflict results in Rebel batteries being pushed out of
their positions on Port Royal Island, South Carolina.
WESTERN THEATER: While skirmishes at Dayton, Missouri, cause
some extensive damage to that town, General Halleck receives
communications from Washington concerning the Army's inactivity.
Halleck is encouraged to advance with his own troops, as well as
with forces under General Buell, on Nashville, Tennessee and
Columbus, Kentucky.
INTERNATIONAL: James Mason and John Slidell, the two Confederate
commissioners seized on the TRENT and now released by the Union
government, board a British Schooner off Provincetown, Massachusetts
in the first leg of their journey to England.
The British vessel RINALDO will take the two men to London where
they will continue their interrupted attempt to gain recognition and
support for the Confederacy. With their departure, the TRENT affair,
which caused so much consternation in Washington, D.C. and which
carried with it the possibility of a serious conflict between the
British and American governments, is effectively closed.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.52 | January 3rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 03 1992 02:22 | 16 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: The Confederate president, Jefferson Davis,
expresses worry over the Union presence on Ship Island, Mississippi.
In a letter to that state's governor, the president says that the
troops stationed at Ship Island have planned an offensive which
'no doubt, is intented against Mobile or New Orleans'.
EASTERN THEATER: There is some movement of Union troops in
Virginia as General Jackson's forces leave Winchester. The object
of this winter march, termed the Romney Campaign, is the destruction
of the lines of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and the dams along
the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. There is skirmishing at Big Bethel,
Virginia as the Union troops seize the town and Confederates fall
back, evacuating the area.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.53 | January 5th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 03 1992 02:37 | 7 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: The operations around Hancock, Maryland continue
unabated as Confederate troops try to rout the Federals who have
retreated to this position. The Rebel batteries are located at
positions along the Potomac River.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.54 | January 6th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Jan 06 1992 02:55 | 14 |
|
WASHINGTON: There is growing sentiment in official circles
against General McClellan as he appears to be reluctant to commit
troops to any concerted action.
Accordingly, a group of senators approach President Lincoln with
the suggestion that McClellan be replaced. Lincoln rejects this
proposal, and in like concern over what seems to be a general lack
of intent, the President communicates with General Buell, who is
positioned in Kentucky.
The President makes strong recommendations that the Union forces
advance in order to provide support for 'our friends in East
Tennessee'.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.55 | January 7th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jan 07 1992 01:24 | 9 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: The troops which have been positioned at Hancock,
Maryland are now directed away from the vicinity of the Potomac,
moving toward Romney, Virginia.
A result of this is skirmishing between Federals and Rebel soldiers
at Blue's Gap, Virginia, where Colonel Dunning's Northern troops rout
Confederates and seize two of their cannon.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.56 | January 9th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jan 09 1992 04:15 | 14 |
|
WASHINGTON: It is a matter of intense concern to the President
that neither General Buell nor Halleck have responded to the
administration's urging that the Western troops advance.
Lincoln discusses the issue with General McClellan who continues
to recuperate from probable typhoid fever.
The United States Congress is absorbed by discussions of the
slavery problem, petitions being submitted which would curtail or
terminate that institution. Some measures suggested include the
possible colonization of former slaves elsewhere in the world;
reimbursing owners for the loss of property; emancipation of slaves
and various combinations of all these solutions.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.57 | January 10th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 10 1992 01:28 | 14 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: At Cairo, Illinois, General Grant's troops make
preparations for an expedition into Kentucky by way of the Mississippi
River. Near Prestonburg, Kentucky Union forces under General Garfield
clash with Humphrey Marshall's Confederates at the forks of Middle
Creek. The result of this encounter is not completely decisive; both
sides retreat and feel that they have defeated the other.
EASTERN THEATER: Romney, Virginia is evacuated as General Jackson's
troops push into the vicinty of western Virginia. The town is taken
over by Confederates who will camp there during the cold weather.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.58 | January 11th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 10 1992 01:41 | 18 |
|
WASHINGTON: After considerable difficulty with the War Department's
adminstration, President Lincoln accepts the resignation of Simon
Cameron as War Secretary. As a conciliatory gesture, Lincoln suggests
appointing him to the post of Minister of Russia. While Cameron and
his department have been under considerable criticism for fraudulent
actions and general incompetence, there has been little actual evidence
that Cameron himself is a corrupt individual.
EASTERN THEATER: The Northern Navy carries 15,000 troops under the
command of General Ambrose Burnside to the Atlantic coast near North
Carolina. Commodore Louis Goldsborough is in charge of the naval
squadron consisting of approximately 100 ships. These forces will
augment the troops which have already established a firm hold in the
Port Royal environs, causing further threat to Confederates in that
area.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.59 | January 13th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Jan 13 1992 03:34 | 12 |
|
WASHINGTON: To fill the position in his Cabinet vacated by
Simon Cameron, the President chooses Edwin Stanton. He was the
Attorney General in Buchanan's administration and now a lawyer in
the nation's capital.
In a continuing effort to spur General Buell and General Halleck
to action in the West, President Lincoln writes both men, stating
his wish to press the Confederacy, 'menacing him with superior forces
at DIFFERENT points, at the SAME time'.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.60 | January 15th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jan 15 1992 01:59 | 12 |
|
WASHINGTON: Edwin Stanton receives the Senate's approval and
becomes Lincoln's Secretary of War. Stanton is an anti-slavery man
and is a personal friend of General McClellan.
WESTERN THEATER: General Grant moves into the Kentucky-Tennessee
area as gunboats on the Tennessee River reach toward Fort Henry.
Both the naval and land forces work in tandem for a period of
10 days, pressing further into Confederate territory, gathering
information about enemy positions.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.61 | January 16th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jan 16 1992 01:36 | 11 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Confederate troops under General Felix Zollicoffer
are positioned north of the Cumberland River despite General
Crittenden's orders to the contrary.
This arrangement proves later to be an unsatisfactory one. Union
troops are said to be pushing forward toward this Rebel encampment.
NAVAL: Cedar Keys, Florida sees the burning of blockade runners,
as well as dockside property, by the Federal Navy.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.62 | January 17th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jan 16 1992 01:58 | 5 |
|
NAVAL: General Charles Smith attacks the area around Fort Henry
on the Tennessee River.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.63 | January 18th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jan 16 1992 02:02 | 9 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Union troops are beginning to close in on
Confederate troops at Mill Springs and Somerset on the Cumberland River
in Kentucky.
General Crittenden's troops should be partially protected by
Zollicoffer's soldiers, but they are not because of the latter's
careless positioning of his men north of the Cumberland River.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.64 | January 19th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Jan 20 1992 03:27 | 17 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Rebels are defeated at Mill Springs, Kentucky by
Northern soldiers in a battle that claims 39 Union lives, wounds 207,
amd totals 15 Federals captured. The Southern forces indicate 125
killed, 309 wounded, and 99 missing.
Due to Zollicoffer's poor strategy, the Rebels are obliged to
retreat across the Cumberland River when Union General Thomas' men
force them to fall back. Zollicoffer is killed in this battle;
Crittenden, as senior officer, is castigated for having lost control
of the positioning of troops.
This exchange is perhaps most significant because the Rebel defeat
means a gap in the Confederate line of defense in the Tennessee -
Kentucky area. This clash proves invaluable to the North, as it enables
the capture of 10 cannon, 100 wagons, over 1000 horses and a large
number of boats as well as munitions and provisions.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.65 | January 20th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Jan 20 1992 04:08 | 9 |
|
NAVAL: Federals attempt to disrupt Rebel blockade running by
sinking stone-laden vessels in the harbor at Charleston, South
Carolina. Off the coast of Alabama, a Confederate ship trying to
run the Union blockade is halted; running the J.W. WILDER ashore,
Federals make an effort to board the vessel but are prevented from
doing so by Rebel troops in the area.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.66 | January 21st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jan 21 1992 01:31 | 8 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Union forces under General McClernand return
to the Columbus, Kentucky vicinity. Although this group of about
5000 men had only minimal contact with the Rebels, their presence
served to alert the Confederacy as to the strength of the Federal
army in the area; in this respect it was a significant operation.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.67 | January 22nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jan 22 1992 01:50 | 9 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: The Port Royal force poses an important threat
to Roanoke Island near Hatteras Inlet, South Carolina. The Union troops
under General Burnside are gathering strength and it is thought that,
by naming General Henry Wise to the Rebel command on Roanoke, the
Federals may be deterred from seizing yet another position in
Confederate territory.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.68 | January 23rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jan 23 1992 03:26 | 15 |
|
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Martial law in St. Louis provides for seizure
of pro-South property in the event that its owners have refused to
support pro-Union fugitives. General Halleck, who has strengthened
these martial law orders, allows for the arrest of persons attempting
to subvert the law.
NAVAL: Another group of stone-laden ships is sunk in Charleston
Harbor to prevent Confederate shipping. A clash between Union blockades
and the Rebel vessel CALHOUN near the mouth of the Mississippi River
results in that vessel being taken by the North. The following day two
more Confederate ships are run aground and burned as they try to slip
away from Federals at this Mississippi point near the Southwest Pass.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.69 | January 27th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 24 1992 01:40 | 10 |
|
WASHINGTON: After months of delay and frustration, President
Lincoln issues GENERAL WAR ORDER NUMBER ONE: 'that the 22nd of February
1862, be the day for a general movement of the Land and Naval forces of
the United States against the insurgent forces'.
The President does this only after exhortations by military and
civilian advisors and in the hopes that the forces will come to some
conclusive action with Confederates.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.70 | January 30th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 24 1992 01:46 | 13 |
|
THE NORTH: In a brief ceremony at Greenpoint, Long Island, the
ironclad MONITOR is launched. John Ericsson, the Swedish-born designer
of this ship and others like it, states that such a vessels are
critical to the Northern efforts and 'will admonish the leaders of the
Southern Rebellion that the batteries on the banks of their rivers will
no longer present barriers to the entrance of the Union forces'.
INTERNATIONAL: The two Confederate commissioners from the TRENT
affair, James Mason and John Slidell, arrive in England after their
delayed voyage is completed.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.71 | January 31st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 24 1992 02:00 | 19 |
|
WASHINGTON: Another statement, the President's "SPECIAL WAR ORDER
NUMBER ONE", is issued in the Federal capital ( this special order
supplemented Lincoln's "GENERAL WAR ORDER NUMBER ONE" of 27 January
1862 ).
Lincoln hopes to press the Army of the Potomac to confront
Confederates in Virginia as the Union troops are told to take
possession of 'a point upon the Railroad South Westward of what is
known as Manassas Junction'.
INTERNATIONAL: In Britain, Queen Victoria makes known once more
the position of nuetrality being observed by her country in the matter
of the United States Civil War.
This statement does little to encourage the Confederacy, which
hopes for support from European powers and which is now experiencing
further doubts and diminished expectations as Federal forces seem to
gather strength on all forms.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.72 | February 1st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jan 24 1992 02:05 | 8 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Cairo, Illinois sees preparations for an
expedition under General Grant. This campaign will aim for the seizure
of Fort Henry, a Confederate position on the Tennessee River.
General Halleck, in St. Louis, Missouri has approved of this
movement and Grant's troops are now readying for the upcoming action.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.73 | February 3rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Feb 03 1992 03:54 | 19 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln communicates with General McClellan,
who continues to disagree, both in public and private, with the chief
executive. The two men have different preferences for the disposition
of the Virginia forces: Lincoln favors a direct overland movement, his
General-in-Chief wishes to land troops on the coast and then march
inland to the Confederate capital at Richmond, Virginia.
WESTERN THEATER: General Grant's operation to Fort Henry gets
underway as a Federal fleet moves up the Tennessee River and tranports
head for Paducah, Kentucky from Cairo, Illinios.
INTERNATIONAL: At Southhampton Harbor, in England, the Confederate
steamer NASHVILLE prepares to leave port for the United States. A
Federal gunboat, the TUSCARORA, sets off to capture the Southern
vessel. Such an action is prevented, however, by the British ship HMS
SHANNON.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.74 | February 4th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Feb 04 1992 01:57 | 12 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: Confederate House Delegates at the Capital in
Richmond, Virginia enter into a debate concerning free blacks'
enlistment in the Southern Army.
The EXAMINER, a Richmond newspaper, exhorts citizens to support
the Cause by re-enrollment in the Army and a stronger commitment to
the struggle between the North and South.
Some observers are worried that Southerners are becoming tired and
are 'not sufficently alive to the necessity of exertion'.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.75 | February 5th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Feb 05 1992 01:53 | 9 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: General Grant's force is scheduled to open its
attack on Fort Henry on the Tennessee River within 24 hours.
General Charles Smith's men seize an evacuated Fort Heiman near
Fort Henry, establishing Union troops there.
Meanwhile, 3000 Confederates under General Lloyd Tilighman prepare
as best they can for the upcoming attack on Fort Henry.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.76 | February 6th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Feb 06 1992 02:32 | 24 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: The Confederate position at Fort Henry is
attacked by Federals. The Southern General Tilighman removes the bulk
of his troops from the fort and remains behind with a handful of men
to try to defend the post.
At around 11 in the morning the Union forces strike, shelling the
fort from gunboats. The troops at the fort respond with their
artillery, striking both the ESSEX and the CINCINNATI; by 2 that
afternoon the battle is over as the Confederate guns are destroyed by
Union fire.
Tilighman surrenders 78 soldiers and 16 hospital patients to Flag
Officer Andrew Foote. Southern losses tally at 5 killed, 11 wounded,
and 5 missing; the Federals lose 11 men and sustain 31 injuries.
The ground troops, some 15,000 strong, under General Grant, arrive
too late to engage in the fighting. Having sent the major portion of
his garrison to Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River, General
Tilighman has at least prevented the Union force from easily taking
immediate possession of the entire area.
The Federals move from the vicinity to fortify their vessels as
Confederate General Bushrod Johnson assumes command of Fort Donelson
and puts out a request for reinforcements and provisions.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.77 | February 7th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 07 1992 02:29 | 16 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Federal Troops under General Grant himself make
an expedition to Fort Donelson near Dover, Tennessee, in preparation
for the upcoming attempt to seize that Confederate position.
Conferate troops are ordered into the area as the Kentucky defenses
further deteriorate.
Meetings among Confederate Generals Johnston, Beauregard and Hardee
attest to the severity of this most recent military development between
North and South.
Roanoke Island sees the advance of General Burnside's forces.
Commodore Goldsborough succeeds in routing some minor Southern
positions there, and later in the day Burnside's troops land. On the
Tennessee River, Union guns destroy two Confederate transports.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.78 | February 8th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 07 1992 03:08 | 27 |
|
WASHINGTON: Lincoln confers with General McClellan, asking for
information about the Department of the West, and for reports on
vessels sent toward Harper's Ferry on the Potomac River. The President,
besieged with worry over the nation's military strength, is also filled
with concern for his son, Willie, who lies ill with typhoid.
WESTERN THEATER: The Confederates at Roanoke Island are moved to
the northern end of their position as General Burnside's 7500 Union
soldiers attack. Colonel Shaw's Confederates are seriously outnumbered
and their regular commander, General Henry Wise, is too ill to be in
charge, necessitating the temporary command of Shaw.
The latter makes an attempt to hold the Southern position, but it
is an exercise in futility. He surrenders after 23 men are killed and
62 are wounded. The Confederates relinquish 30 guns in this takeover
and lose an important position on the Atlantic coast, a severe blow to
the Southern efforts. Union losses in this exchange are totalled at
37 killed, 214 wounded, 13 missing.
NAVAL: Two Confederate vessels, the SALLIE WOOD and the MUSCLE,
are taken by the Federals at Chickasaw, Mississippi. In a follow-up
of Confederates fleeing the Roanoke Island battle, 13 Union gunboats
traverse the Pasquotank River in the direction of Elizabeth City,
North Carolina.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.79 | February 10th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Feb 10 1992 02:55 | 16 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Clean-up operations at Roanoke Island, North
Carolina are finished, and General Burnside, now firmly established
at this position, prepares for further campaigning against the
Confederates in the area of New Berne.
General Grant completes preparations for his troops offensive
against Fort Donelson.
NAVAL: Gunboats under Union control meet Confederates at Elizabeth
City, North Carolina and demolish the remaining vessels in the
Confederate fleet.
On the Tennessee River, Union gunboats capture three Confederate
vessels while six more are burned by secessionists to prevent their
falling into Union hands.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.80 | February 11th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Feb 11 1992 02:52 | 10 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: The action against Fort Donelson commences as
General Grant's troops begin to march and General McClernand's Union
forces move out from their position at Fort Henry.
Federal gunboats begin to advance, traveling up the Cumberland
River. This Union activity provokes the evacuation by Confederates of
Bowling Green, Kentucky and renders the previously fortified Kentucky
line defenseless; only Columbus, Kentucky remains relatively secure.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.81 | February 12th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Feb 12 1992 01:24 | 9 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: As Grant's forces of 40,000 encircle the hills
around Fort Donelson and the town of Dover, Tennessee, the Federal
gunboats move into position to attack from the river.
Confederates at the fort number about 18,000. Further action in
the Roanoke Island vicinity results in the possession of Edenton,
North Carolina by Union forces.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.82 | February 13th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Feb 13 1992 02:01 | 12 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: The awaited attack on Fort Donelson occurs.
The Confederate command has transferred to General John Floyd, whose
arrival with Confederate reinforcements proves to be ultimately
useless.
The Federal attack from the right and left is led by General C.F.
Smith and General McClernand, respectively, and Grant soon receives
further aid from auxiliary troops by the end of the day.
Fort Heiman nearby sees some brief action and protions of Bowling
Green, Kentucky are burned as the Southern evacuation continues.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.83 | February 14th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 14 1992 01:56 | 21 |
|
WASHINGTON: The War Secretary, with the President's approval,
issues orders releasing political prisoners who will take the oath of
allegiance to the United States. A general amnesty is proclaimed for
all those who comply with the oath and who agree to comply in no
further aid of the rebellion.
WESTERN THEATER: The battle at Fort Donelson in the Cumberland
River area is expanded by the arrival of four Union ironclads and
several wooden vessels although the easy victory which Grant
anticipated is not forthcoming.
The Union General sees a temporary withdrawal of this river fire as
shore batteries threaten serious damage to the Federal vessels. The
Union ironclads ST. LOUIS and LOUISVILLE are badly hit and rendered
virtually useless. Flag Officer Andrew Foote, who so ably performed
at Fort Henry, is wounded in this rain of Southern shelling.
Bowling Green, Kentucky is taken by Federals. A meeting of
Confederate commanders recommends that Gideon Pillow's forces attack
the Federal right flank to the south of Fort Donelson.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.84 | February 15th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 14 1992 02:19 | 16 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Fighting continues on the Cumberland River as
Confederates under General Gideon Pillow attempt to break through
Federal lines which surround the fort.
The Southerners succeed in this effort, providing their troops
with an escape route toward Nashville, Tennessee. Hesitation on the
part of several commanders places the Confederates back at their posts,
while Grant tries to close the line with the help of Generals Smith
and McClernand. He is partially successful in this attempt.
In Dover, Tennessee, Confederate generals discuss their options:
surrender seems inevitable but there is resistance from General Floyd.
In the end, Floyd does leave the battle area with General Pillow,
placing General Buckner in the position of having to surrender the
fort.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.85 | February 16th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 14 1992 02:34 | 23 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: In a statement which leaves the Southerners no
room for negotiations, General Grant issues his terms for the
disposition of Fort Donelson: "No terms except unconditional and
immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately
upon your works."
General Buckner is left with no alternative, and so relinquishes
possession of the military position which had proved to be a costly
one to hold.
Estimates of Southern casualities hover around 1500, and it appears
that somewhere near 1200 soldiers surrendered. Union troops under
General Grant show losses of 500 killed, 2100 wounded, and 224 missing
out of a total fighting force of 27,000. Needless to say, this victory
of the North is of major importance and proves to be similarly
significant a defeat in Southern eyes.
Tennessee and Kentucky are lost and the Cumberland and Tennessee
Rivers are in Union control now. The following day, news of the battle
reaches Washington, D.C., where there is rejoicing over the outcome.
The battle proves to be important to General Grant's career - he is now
promoted to Major General of Volunteers. The Confederacy sees
disruption throughout Tennessee as civilians attempt to flee the area.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.86 | February 18th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Feb 18 1992 01:40 | 9 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: The dismissal on the previous day of the
Provisional Congress of the Confederacy is followed by the initial
meeting of the First Congress of the Confederate States of America.
Structured now as a two-part government, the Congress is
composed of representatives exclusively from slaveholding states in
the South, with the exception of Delaware and Maryland.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.87 | February 20th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Feb 20 1992 02:41 | 16 |
|
WASHINGTON: President and Mrs. Lincoln suffer the tradegy of losing
their twelve-year-old son, Willie, to typhoid fever. This personal
stress is compounded by news of fatalities at Fort Donelson; the
President seems engulfed by sorrow.
WESTERN THEATER: Further pullbacks of Confederate troops result in
the evacuation of Columbus, Kentucky. In Tennessee, the Confederate
Governer, Isham Harris, decrees that the state capital will be fixed at
Memphis as Nashville is in line of Union troop advances.
At the latter location, the Southern army is commanded by General
Albert Johnston to move to a position southeast of the city near
Murfreesboro. A group of 1000 late arrivals to the Southern defense at
Fort Donelson is captured by Union troops.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.88 | February 21st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Feb 20 1992 02:51 | 15 |
|
THE NORTH: The convicted slave trader Nathaniel Gordon is hanged
at New York City, the first time the Union has ever imposed this
punishment.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: A Confederate victory results when the forces
of General H.H. Sibley attack Union troops near Fort Craig, at
Valvarde, New Mexico Territory.
The Federals under the command of Colonel E.R.S. Canby lose 68 men,
with 160 wounded and 35 missing out of a total of 3810 men. Southerners
numbering 2600 suffer 31 deaths, 154 wounded and 1 missing.
The Confederates move toward Santa Fe after seizing six pieces of
Union artillery.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.89 | February 22nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Feb 20 1992 02:59 | 9 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: After his election to the presidency of the
Confederacy (up to now he has been provisional president), Jefferson
Davis' inauguration is held at Richmond, Virginia.
In his address to the Confederate nation, Davis says, "We are in
arms to renew such sacrifices as our fathers made to the holy cause of
constitutional liberty."
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.90 | February 24th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Feb 24 1992 03:43 | 10 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: Harper's Ferry is taken over by General Banks'
Union soldiers. Near Pohick Church, Virginia, there is minor
skirmishing between Southern and Northern troops.
WESTERN THEATER: At Nashville, Tennessee, Buell's Federals take
over and the Confederate cavalry troops there under General Nathan
Forrest are pressed to retreat.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.91 | February 27th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Feb 27 1992 02:05 | 10 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: Jefferson Davis is given authorization by the
Confederate Congress to suspend the privilege of habeas corpus. The
Confederate president issues a call for martial law in both Norfolk
and Portsmouth, Virginia.
NAVAL: The Federal ironclad MONITOR leaves its New York harbor
under sealed orders.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.92 | February 28th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 28 1992 02:40 | 14 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: Southerners hold a day of fasting at the request
of President Davis. In writing to his commander of the Army of Northern
Virginia, General Joseph Johnston, Jefferson Davis observes that there
is a need for thoughtful, planned defense.
He tells Johnston that 'traitors show the tendencies heretofore
concealed, and the selfish grow clamorous...at such an hour, the wisdom
of the trained, and the steadiness of the brave, possess a double
value'.
EASTERN THEATER: Charleston, Virgina is occupied by Federal troops.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.93 | March 1st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 28 1992 02:49 | 18 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: Richmond, Virginia witnesses the arrest of John
Minor Botts for treason against the Confederacy. Botts, a former
Virginian congressman and avowed neutral, is seized along with thirty
others, among them the Reverend Alden Bosserman, a Universalist
minister. The latter has prayed for an end to 'this unholy rebellion'.
The Confederate capital is now under martial law, President
Jefferson Davis placing General John Winder in control of the city.
WESTERN THEATER: General Beauregard positions troops along the
Mississippi River while General Henry Halleck directs General Grant
to take his forces toward Eastport, Mississippi.
There are brief clashes between Union and Confederate soldiers at
Pittsburg Landing, where gunboats have traveled up the Tennessee River.
They destroy a Confederate battery positioned there by General
Beauregard's troops.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.94 | March 3rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 28 1992 02:54 | 10 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Accusations are leveled at General Ulysses Grant
by General Henry Halleck concerning Grant's tardy appearance during the
Fort Donelson takeover.
Halleck is given permission by President Lincoln to transfer
General C.F. Smith to command the troops going up the Tennessee River
out of Fort Henry; it is felt that Grant's recent conduct does not
warrant his taking responsibility for the upcoming action.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.95 | March 4th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Feb 28 1992 03:04 | 16 |
|
WASHINGTON: General Andrew Johnston receives Senate approval as
the military governor of Tennessee.
THE CONFEDERACY: General Robert E. Lee is replaced by General
John Pemberton as commander of the Confederate Department of South
Carolina, Georgia and East Florida. Lee has been called to Richmond
by President Jefferson Davis to assume duties as a military advisor
in Virginia.
The Confederate president runs into problems with various
congressmen dissatisfied with the defense of the Mississippi River.
These congressmen demand additional batteries to cover the river
despite the efforts of Davis' administration to provide the best
defense possible.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.96 | March 5th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Mar 05 1992 01:25 | 16 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: At Jackson, Tennessee, General Beauregard takes
charge of defenses of the Mississippi Valley. Federals begin to
position themselves around Savannah, Tennessee as General Johnston's
Confederates begin a move to prevent the further entrenchments of
Union forces in the area. General C.F. Smith's Federals at Savannah are
quickly joined by three gunboats and 80 troop transports.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Fighting continues in Arkansas as Sterling
Price's Southerners combine with General Van Dorn's forces against
Union General Samuel Curtis. An attack is imminent, Van Dorn
positioning his troops just past Fayetteville and Elm Springs,
Arkansas.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.97 | March 6th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 06 1992 02:34 | 22 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln, in part responding to suggestions
from various senators, requests the states' cooperation in devising
ways to abolish slavery. This message to Congress indicates the
availability of Federal financial funding for aiding emanicipation
efforts in individual states.
THE CONFEDERACY: A proclamation is issued by the Confederate
Congress concerning the destruction of valauble cotton and tobacco
crops in the event that Northern troops advance further into Virginia.
Military authorities are charged with the responsibility for
carrying out this disposal of Confederate property if the need arises.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: In Arkansas, near Fayetteville, forces under
Confederate General Earl Van Dorn clash with Union soldiers under
General Samuel Curtis. While this fighting is limited, it presages an
upcoming battle.
Van Dorn is anxious to command an optimum position and therefore
moves his troops to a situation at Pea Ridge, to the right of Curtis'
encampment.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.98 | March 7th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 06 1992 02:45 | 19 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: McClellan takes the Federal Army of the Potomac
toward the southwestern region of Virginia where General Joseph
Johnston's Confederates are encamped at Manassas. The Union soldiers
are well positioned and are prepared to do battle with the Confederates
whom they expect to vanquish easily. In Winchester, Virginia, there is
skirmishing.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: The Federal forces at Pea Ridge, or Elkhorn
Tavern, Arkansas, are surprised by General Van Dorn's Confederate
troops in an attack from the latter's northern position.
About 17,000 Confederates, including some Indian troops, make
valiant attempts to rout the Union soldiers, but the North is
ultimately victorious.
Van Dorn's forces are made up of Missouri state guards under
Sterling Price, as well as General McCulloch's division and General
Pike's troops which are comprised of three Indian regiments.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.99 | March 8th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 06 1992 03:26 | 37 |
|
WASHINGTON: The President and General McClellan discuss plans for
the Army of the Potomac, and other military advisors concur with
McClellan's desire to enter Virginia by way of the peninsula southeast
of Richmond. In GENERAL WAR ORDER NUMBER TWO, the chief executive
provides for certain of the Union troops to be positioned as defenses
for the Federal capital during the upcoming campaign, despite the fact
that this will draw off troop strength from the offensive.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: The battle at Pea Ridge, Arkansas, the most
significant of Civil War battles in the trans-Mississippi west, sees
the deaths of both Generals McCulloch and McIntosh, depriving the
Confederacy of two able commanders.
Federals under General Curtis continue to hold out for a second
day of fighting, which ends as Van Dorn and his men retreat to the
Arkansas River with orders to leave the state and remove to the
Mississippi River to aid in the defense of Confederate positions
there.
The tally of casualities for Southerners shows that the Confederacy
has lost about 800 men, while the North suffers 1384 dead and wounded.
NAVAL: In Virginia, at Hampton roads, the ironclad MERRIMACK
approaches a squadron of Federal vessels, all much less well defended
and ill-equipped to battle with the heavily armored Confederate ship.
In the ensuing encounter, two Union vessels are put out of
commission - the USS CUMBERLAND and the USS ROANOKE - the USS MINNESOTA
is heavily damaged. Flag Officer Franklin Buchanan of the MERRIMACK is
slightly wounded during the fight, though in general, few Confederates
suffer serious injury. The Union forces suffer a greater number of
casualities and damage to their ships is especially severe.
A Confederate military observer notes, 'Pains, death, wounds,
glory - that was the sum of it'. Late in the day of the battle between
the MERRIMACK and these various Federal vessels, the USS MONITOR
appears in the harbor at Hampton Roads after a difficult journey south
from New York.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.100 | March 9th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Mar 11 1992 02:01 | 20 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: The Confederate army in Virginia under General
Joseph Johnston moves near a position at Rappahannock Station close to
the Rappahannock River. Union soldiers under McClellan move out, but do
not engage rebels in any fighting. They soon return to Alexandria after
finding only empty camps left behind by Confederates.
NAVAL: In a battle of special significance to naval warfare, the
CSS Virginia (Merrimack) and the USS MONITOR clash in the harbor at
Hampton Roads. Beginning around 9 in the morning, fighting continues
for nearly two hours until injuries force both commanders to pull back.
While the exchange of fire is impressive, there is relatively
little damage done to either vessel and the battle has no real victor.
Federals are considered to have a stronger position as the VIRGINIA
(Merrimack) is unable to easily maneuver elsewhere due to unwieldy
construction. There is concern that the Confederate vessel may make its
way to Washington, DC or New York City, but this worry is soon
dispelled.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.101 | March 11th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Mar 11 1992 02:17 | 19 |
|
WASHINGTON: In issuing another major military order, WAR ORDER
NUMBER THREE, President Lincoln removes General George McClellan from
his command as General-in-Chief of the Union Armies. McClellan is given
the Army of the Potomac, and he, along with the other generals, will
be under the direction of the Secretary of War; no General-in-Chief is
to be yet appointed.
THE CONFEDERACY: After their flight from the military action at
Fort Donelson, Generals Floyd and Pillow submit reports to Confederate
President Jefferson Davis. The president does not accept these reports
and removes both Pillow and Floyd from their commands.
EASTERN THEATER: Manassas Junction, Virginia is investigated by
Union troops, who find little of value left in the wake of retreating
Confederate soldiers. At Winchester, Virginia, 4600 Confederates are
under the command of General Jackson who takes his troops southward.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.102 | March 13th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 13 1992 01:43 | 29 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: General Robert E. Lee is given the responsibility
of overseeing Confederate military positions. Confederate president
Jefferson Davis does not define the specific nature of this advisory
post held by Lee.
EASTERN THEATER: Meetings between General McClellan and his staff
provide a clearing house for plans concerning placement of the Army
of the Potomac. General Johnston is situated near the Rappahannock and
there is great concern in avoiding direct confrontation there as
Federals march on Richmond, Virginia.
McClellan intends to bring troops to the Confederate capital via
the York and James Rivers. McClellan, intent on moving via the
Peninsula, is warned by President Lincoln's Secretary of War that
Washington, DC must remain protected, as must Manassas Junction,
Virginia.
General McClellan is told to 'at all events, move such remainder
of the army at once in pursuit of the enemy'.
WESTERN THEATER: General Burnside's troops disembark at New Berne,
North Carolina, on the western branch of the Nuese River.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Skirmishing occurs at Point Pleasant, Missouri,
leading to the area's capture by General Pope who also provoked the
evacuation of New Madrid by his military actions. In this move, the
Confederates abondon large quantities of arms and provisions estimated
at a value of $1 million.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.103 | March 14th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 13 1992 01:53 | 21 |
|
WASHINGTON: In a continuing discussion of his position concerning
slavery, President Lincoln attempts to justify the proposed financial
compensation to slaveholders. Lincoln feels that such recompense
'would not be half as onerous as would be an equal sum, raised now,
for the indefinite prosecution of the war'.
WESTERN THEATER: In North Carolina, the town of New Berne is taken
by General Burnside's 11,000 men, who push General Branch's 14,000
Confederates out. This position is maintained by Federals for the
duration of the war, proving an effective point of departure for inland
expeditions.
There are some 600 Confederate casualities after this battle,
including 64 deaths. Union troops tally 90 killed with 380 wounded.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: The capture of New Madrid, Missouri by General
John Pope's Federals places the Northern forces in a position which
will enable them to make an assault on Island Number Ten in the
Mississippi River. This latter Confederate post defends east Tennessee.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.104 | March 15th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 13 1992 01:55 | 6 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: General Grant resumes command of field forces
in Tennessee after General Halleck absolves Grant of charges of
misconduct at Fort Donelson.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.105 | March 17th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Mar 17 1992 02:44 | 5 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: General McClellan and the Army of the Potomac move
out on the Peninsular Campaign, heading for the James and York Rivers.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.106 | March 18th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Mar 18 1992 01:52 | 12 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: Jefferson Davis names Judah Benjamin Secretary
of State. Benjamin has up until now served as War Secretary and has
been under considerable criticism in that position.
EASTERN THEATER: At Aquia Creek, Virginia, Confederates occupy the
town.
WESTERN THEATER: General Albert Johnston's Confederates begin
arriving in Corinth, Kentucky, from Murfreesboro.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.107 | March 20th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 20 1992 02:46 | 7 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: At Strasburg, Virginia, where
the day before had seen some action, there is a general pullback of
Federals as General Jackson's forces advance. At Phillippi, western
Virginia, there is light skirmishing.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.108 | March 22nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 20 1992 02:49 | 6 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Light fighting takes place
at Kernstown, Virginia between General Shields' Union soldiers and
General Jackson's advancing Confederates.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.109 | Stonewall Jackson's Way | JUPITR::ZAFFINO | | Fri Mar 20 1992 04:48 | 22 |
| The result is a tactical defeat for Jackson, as his 4,600 man "army" is
driven from the field by Shields' 11,000. Jackson is pleased with the
performance of the Valley Regiments, despite a subordinate's
disobeyance of orders at the crucial juncture which cost what could
have been a victory. His goal is achieved, though. Lincoln is
convinced that Jackson's army is much larger; otherwhise he would
not dare to attack Shields. This is the result Jackson had hoped for,
and the result is that Shields is to remain in the Valley instead of
marching for Richmond as part of McDowell's northern wing in the
Penninsular Campaign. McDowell is also held at Fredericksburg instead
of advancing, as Lincoln fears for the safety of Washington from
Jackson's "Army of the Valley". This gives "Little Mac" cause for
delay, as Lincoln ties up 40,000 men which were to advance on
Richmond from the north. These 40,000 were virtually unopposed, and
would have guaranteed the fall of the Confederate capital. Lee, with
the same foresight as Jackson to Lincoln's fears for the capital,
sends Jackson reinforcements from the defenses of Richmond. These
will be used far better in the field than languishing in the trenches.
It is fortunate for the Confederacy that Lee, as Davis' military
advisor, has the president's complete confidence at this juncture.
Ziff
|
50.110 | March 23rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Mar 23 1992 03:30 | 25 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: About 9000 Union troops clash
with 4200 Confederates at Kernstown, Virginia. Skirmishing of the
previous day has led the Confederates to assume a smaller force, but,
although outnumbered, Jackson's troops perform admirably.
They retreat, ultimately, after suffering 80 killed, 375 wounded,
263 missing, compared to Union losses of 118 killed, 450 injured and
22 missing.
This battle is the preliminary to the Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
Strategically important, the battle provides a diversion important to
the Southern forces: Lincoln, now fearing an offensive on the Federal
capital, issues orders that General McDowell's troops remain as part
of Washington's defense.
This means fewer troops for the Peninsular Campaign. In addition,
this assault at Kernstown suggests the possibility of a threat on
Harper's Ferry, and General Bank's troops are ordered to return to that
vicinity rather than join McClellan.
WESTERN THEATER: Fort Macon, at Beaufort, North Carolina, is the
object of the next move by Burnside's Federals. The following day sees
General John Parke's soldiers approach Fort Macon and request its
surrender. The subsequent refusal results in a Union siege of that
Confederate position.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.111 | March 24th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Mar 24 1992 02:54 | 9 |
|
SLAVERY: The emancipation issue continues to be one fraught with
emotion. In Cincinnati, Ohio, the abolitionist Wendell Phillips speaks
and is greeted with a barrage of eggs and rocks.
Lincoln, commenting on the prospect of compensated emancipation,
notes in a letter to newspaperman Horace Greeley that 'we should urge
it persuasively, and not menacingly upon the South'.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.112 | March 26th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Mar 26 1992 01:55 | 13 |
|
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: State Militia in Missouri clash at Hammondsville
with Confederate forces; at Warrensburg pro-Unionists confront
Confederates; the latter are repelled in both cases.
In Colorado Territory there is an encounter between Southern
cavalry and Union forces near Denver City resulting in the capture of
50 Confederate cavalrymen.
In New Mexico Territory, Confederates meet a troop of Union
soldiers coming toward Santa Fe from Fort Union. There is a fight
between the two forces at Apache Canyon, resulting in a victory for
Union troops who fall back to an area near Glorietta.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.113 | March 28th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 27 1992 01:43 | 16 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Brief fighting occurs on the
Orange and Alexandria Railroad in Virginia over a period of several
days. Shipping Point, Virginia is occupied by Federal troops.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: The New Mexico Territory sees a major battle
between North and South at La Glorietta Pass. Union troops under
Colonel John Slough clash with Confederates under Colonel W.R. Scurry,
pushing the Federals back.
Confederate supply wagons ay nearby Johnson's Ranch are attacked
by Major John Chivington's men, causing the Confederates to fall back
to Santa Fe and effectively stopping the Southern invasion.
Of 1100 Confederates, 36 are killed, 60 wounded; Union troops
totalling 1324 lose 31, with over 50 wounded.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.114 | March 29th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Mar 27 1992 02:09 | 12 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: In western Virginia, William
Rosecrans' command of the Mountain Department is given over to
General Fre'mont. Middlebury, Virginia witnesses a cavalry charge by
Union troops in pursuit of a fleeing Confederate detachment.
WESTERN THEATER: General Albert Johnston pulls the Confederate
forces together at Corinth, Mississippi; General Beauregard is his
next in command. Generals Polk, Bragg, Hardee, and Crittenden are
also there with their troops.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.115 | April 1st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Apr 01 1992 03:11 | 12 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: General John Wool's force
of 12,000 men at Fort Monroe, in Virginia, is supplemented by General
McClellan's movement of 12 divisions of the Northern Army of the
Potomac. In addition, the Federal Shenandoah forces are pushing toward
General Jackson's position near Woodstock and Edenburg, Virginia.
NAVAL: Northern troops move, via gunboats, up the Tennessee River
and Federal forces are able to complete a mission at Island Number Ten
on the Mississippi River.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.116 | April 2nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Apr 02 1992 02:58 | 23 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln's suggestions about compensated
emancipation recieve favorable attention in the United States Senate.
This plan - which would allow Federal support to Northern states
willing to provide compensation - is intended as a means by which to
encourage the freeing of slaves. Although proposed by Lincoln it is a
plan which will never be implemented.
WESTERN THEATER: Shiloh, or Pittsburgh Landing, in Tennessee, is
the goal that General A.S. Johnston's Confederates have in mind as they
are ordered to move out of the Federal position from Corinth,
Mississippi. Confederate troops succeed in encircling a portion of the
2nd Illinois Cavalry at Farmington, Mississippi. The Northern troops
are able, however, to break through the enemy lines and escape.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: In Missouri, various military actions continue
as Confederates and Northern soldiers skirmish at Walkersville, and as
a Union reconnaissance sets out for Jackson, Whitewater and Dallas,
from Cape Girardeau. Along the Mississippi River, from Cairo, Illinois
to New Madrid, Missouri, there is a great deal of damage done to
various installations as a result of severe tornados.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.117 | April 3rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Apr 03 1992 02:48 | 18 |
|
WASHINGTON: The United States Senate passes a bill, 29-14 to
abolish slavery in the District of Columbia. President Lincoln is
gravely concerned about the defense of the nation's capital. He finds
that General McClellan has arranged for the distribution of troops so
as to provide for less than 20,000 men in the Washington, DC area.
Accordingly, the chief executive orders the retention of an
additional corps to ensure the safety of the Northern capital; the
impact on McClellan's troop strength for the Peninsular Campaign is
negligible, as McClellan has nearly 112,000 men for his siege of
Yorktown, to begin the following day.
WESTERN THEATER: General A.S. Johnston's Confederates move to
attack Shiloh, on the Tennessee River, where General Grant's Northern
troops are encamped.
Apalachicola, Florida surrenders to Federal troops.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.118 | April 4th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Apr 03 1992 03:14 | 12 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: The Campaign continues to
take shape as General McClellan proceeds to bear down on Yorktown.
The Southern forces are greatly outnumbered; General Johnston's troops
total around 17,000 as compared to McClellan's enormous Army of the
Potomac consisting of over 100,000 troops.
Much of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia has been shifted
into position on the Peninsular to afford some increased defense of the
Southern position there. The Confederate line of defense stretches
along an eight-mile front; the prospects for the South are not good.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.119 | April 5th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Apr 03 1992 03:23 | 17 |
|
THE NORTH: Difficulties over the oath of allegiance to the Union
occur between the military governor of Tennessee, Andrew Johnston, and
city officials of Nashville. The result is the suspension of the mayor,
alderman, and councilmen of that occupied area.
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: In a valiant, but seemingly
futile effort, General Joseph Johnston's troops continue to gather
reinforcements for the imminent conflict at Yorktown, Virginia.
The Confederates are outnumbered by McClellan's stronger and
larger Army of the Potomac.
WESTERN THEATER: General Grant's forces continue to be relatively
unaware of the Confederate troops bearing down on their position at
Shiloh, in Tennessee.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.120 | April 6th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Apr 06 1992 04:49 | 32 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: The battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburgh Landing, in
Tennessee, comes after several days of Confederate preparations which
have gone largely unnoticed by Federals.
General Grant's troops fall back after several hours, despite the
fierce defense of their positions at the Hornet's Nest, a defense
orchestrated by General Prentiss' division. While the initial force of
Confederates under General Johnston presses General William Nelson's
Federals to the breaking point, the day ends without any conclusive
victory for either North or South.
The following day sees the destruction of Prentiss' division and
the concurrent wearing down of Beauregard's troops. The Confederate
command has been assumed by Beauregard after General Johnston is killed
on the previous day.
Fresh troops from Union General Wallace's division and from General
Nelson and Crittenden, give Grant's forces the necessary reinforcement
and bolstering. In like manner, General Beauregard is waiting for
20,000 men under General Van Dorn, hoping to make another offensive for
the Confederates; without Van Dorn's forces this is clearly impossible.
Unfortunately for the Confederates, Van Dorn's men do not arrive;
Beauregard orders a retreat to Corinth, Mississippi, leaving Northern
troops to remain in much the same position they had occupied prior to
the battle of Shiloh.
While it is unclear whether or not the Union has gained a great
deal from the two-day clash, the Federals have maintained a firm hold
on positions that they had previously taken, and they also achieve a
splitting of the Rebel forces along the Mississippi River and an
evacuation of much of the Confederate force in Tennessee.
Losses at the battle of Shiloh total 13,047 for the North; 10,694
for the Confederates.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.121 | April 7th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 03:05 | 11 |
|
NAVAL: The Federal gunboats CARANDOLET and PITTSBURGH run the
Confederate installations at Island Number Ten in the Mississippi
River near New Madrid, Missouri.
Under the direction of General John Pope, troops succeed in cutting
a canal through the marshy area near the island, thus allowing the
Federal vessels to go southward around the island and land four
regiments in Tennessee below the Confederate position on Island Number
Ten.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.122 | April 10th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 03:18 | 18 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Skirmishing occurs at Fernandina, Florida, and in
Illinois. Union General W.H.L. Wallace succumbs to injuries he received
at the battle of Shiloh.
In the harbor of Savannah, Georgia, Fort Pulaski readies itself for
an attack by Federals. Commanded by General Quincy Adams Gillmore, the
Northern assault takes place from a position opposite the fort on Tybee
Island.
The Confederates have about 40 guns but the Federals' long range
guns and penetrating shells are no match for the masonery fort, which
sustains heavy damage. The bombardment at Fort Pulaski begins at 8 in
the morning and continues throughtout the night, the Federal guns at
Tybee Island being stilled the following day at around 2 in the
afternoon.
Three hundred and sixty Confederates are taken prisoner; one Union
soldier is killed, as is one Southerner.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.123 | April 11th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 03:44 | 22 |
|
WASHINGTON: In a vote of 93-39, the House of Representatives passes
a bill which calls for the gradual abolition of slavery in the District
of Columbia.
WESTERN THEATER: In Tennessee, several hundred Confederates are
captured when the town of Huntsville is occupied by Federals.
The Memphis and Charleston Railroad is close by this site and this
is another example of how the South is slowly losing its grip on
Tennessee.
The Union begins to marshall its forces for a push toward
Confederate positions in Corinth, Mississippi. General Henry Halleck
has assumed command of these troops with Generals Buell, Grant and Pope
directly beneath him.
NAVAL: At Newport News, Virginia the MERRIMACK, the South's
ironclad, seizes three small merchant ships but does not engage in
conflict with the Federal vessel MONITOR, as anticipated. The MONITOR
has been awaiting the approach of the Confederate vessel, but then
gives no indication of desiring an actual encounter.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.124 | April 12th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 03:56 | 15 |
|
THE NORTH: James Andrews, a spy for the Union, had led a group of
21 men through the Confederate lines in order to seize a train on the
Western and Atlantic Railroad. Taking the locomotive, the GENERAL,
Andrews and his men head northward, followed by Confederates in the
locomotive TEXAS. Andrews and his men are caught by the Southern forces
and are eventually executed, with the exception of 14 who are
imprisoned.
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: General Joseph Johnston sends
troops to support besieged Yorktown, Virginia. The situation of the
Peninsular Campaign is still one which bodes ill for the vastly
outnumbered Confederates.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.125 | April 13th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 04:25 | 10 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Fort Pulaski, Georgia is termed a free area by
General David Hunter, providing for the confiscation and setting free
of all slaves in the vicinity.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: The evacuation of New Mexico Territory by
Confederates continues, with Union soldiers pressing Southern troops
as far as El Paso.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.126 | April 16th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 04:42 | 16 |
|
WASHINGTON: president Lincoln signs into law a bill which will
prohibit slavery in the District of Columbia.
THE CONFEDERACY: In a culmination of several weeks' preparations,
President Jefferson Davis gives his approval to a Congressional
proposal that will require a military draft in the Confederate states.
This law states that 'all persons residing within the Confederate
states, between the ages of 18 and 35 years...shall be held to be in
the military service'. This action, while believed to be necessary by
many due to the critical need to upgrade the military strength of the
Confederacy, is nevertheless a move which is at variance with the
generally accepted traditions embracing states' rights and rugged
individualism endorsed by many in the Confederacy.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.127 | April 17th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 04:47 | 11 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: Confederate attention is focused on the increase
in military strength of Federal troops at Ship Island, Mississippi,
which is now supplemented by Union vessels on the Mississippi River.
The latter include a fleet under Flag Officer David Farragut and
Commander David Porter with a mortar fleet. The intention of these
Union forces is the takeover of New Orleans, Louisiana, which is
situated in what is rapidly becoming a vulnerable and defenseless
position upriver.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.128 | April 18th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 04:57 | 10 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Northern troops under
General McDowell occupy Falmouth, Virginia, and at Yorktown, a
Confederate attack on Union troops is unsuccessful, the latter forces
pushing the Southern troops back.
NAVAL: As they had feared, the Confederates are subject to a
barrage of mortar fire from Federal gunboats.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.129 | April 20th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 07 1992 05:00 | 6 |
|
NAVAL: In a continuing bombardment of the Fort Jackson and Fort
St. Philip area, Federal troops attempt to open the river further by
removing obstructions placed there by Confederates.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.130 | April 23rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Apr 23 1992 02:42 | 8 |
|
NAVAL: Flag Officer David Farragut orders the Federal fleet on
the Mississippi River to move past Forts Jackson and St Philip.
Due to the inconclusive nature of the recent attacks on these two
fortifications, it seems appropriate that the North push onward to
its ultimate goal of New Orleans, Louisianna.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.131 | April 24th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Apr 24 1992 02:16 | 10 |
|
NAVAL: Farragut's fleet is able to slip past the Confederate forts
on the Mississippi despite valiant attempts on the part of Southern
forces to prevent this.
The Union force makes it way up-river towards New Orleans.
Encountering further Confederate resistance in the form of a ram,
MANASSAS, Federals counter with their own fire, ultimately losing only
the ship VARUNA and 36 men. The Confederates lose 8 ships and 61 men.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.132 | April 25th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Apr 24 1992 02:25 | 15 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: North Carolina's Fort Macon under Confederate
Colonel Moses White surrenders to the Federal forces which have been
besieging it for nearly a month. The next day, formal ceremonies
relinquish Southern jurisdiction of Fort Macon to Union General John
Parke, and 400 Confederate soldiers become Northern prisoners-of-war.
NAVAL: Farragut's forces seize the city of New Orleans, Louisianna,
which has been left defenseless after Confederate General Mansfield
Lovell and his 4000 troops withdraw.
There is little resistance to the Union takeover by the civilian
populations, and 4 days later, on 29 April, New Orleans is formally
surrendered to Federal forces.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.133 | April 27th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Apr 27 1992 03:37 | 16 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: as a result of the capture several days earlier
of New Orleans, four Confederate forts - Livingston, Quitman, Pike and
Wood - surrender to the North.
At Fort Jackson, to the south, Confederate troops mutiny against
their own officers and many flee in the face of their impending
imprisonment.
The following day both Forts Jackson and St Philip surrender,
totally removing any Confederate resistance to Northern action on the
Mississippi River as far up as New Orleans.
General Benjamin Butler arrives with troops, landing just north of
Fort St Philip. Butler will see to the management of the captured city
which is, according to his written observation of several days later, a
'city under the dominion of the mob'.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.134 | April 28th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Apr 28 1992 03:03 | 5 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: In Mississippi, General Halleck is preparing
to move on General Beauregard's position at Corinth.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.135 | April 29th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Apr 29 1992 02:49 | 11 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: General Halleck continues to ready his force
of over 100,000 troops so as to attack Beauregard, whose forces are
considerably smaller.
Skirmishing breaks out at Cumberland Gap, Kentucky and near
Bridgeport, Alabama.
The conquering Federals at New Orleans post a United States flag
on the New Orleans Custom House and on the City Hall, much to the
sorrow and anger of the citizenry.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.136 | Slammer, come back | ELMAGO::JPALLONE | | Wed May 06 1992 13:17 | 32 |
| Slammer, we miss you and your chronology....let me subsitute for you
and get us caught up...
1-may-1862
EASTERN THEATER: Peninsular Campaign Yorktown, Virginia continues as
Federals under McClellan prepare to attack. Guns are readied for the
assault scheduled to begin in several days.
3-May-1862
EASTERN THEATER: Peninsular Campaign Yorktown, Virginia is evacuated
by General Joesph Johnston's troops. The enormous force of the Army
of the Potomac has overwhelmed the Confederates without a major battle,
and the Southern troops now move towards Richmond. McMlellan's forces
have been successful with their siege tactics, and they enter Yorktown
the following day.
WESTERN THEATER: Near Corinth, Mississippi, where General Beauregard's
troops are stationed there is minor skirmishing at Farmington.
General Halleck's Federals are moving now in the direction of Corinth,
hoping to arrive there on the following day.
5-May-1862
Washington: President Lincoln and his Secretaries of War and the
Treasury, Stanton and Chase, leave the capital. They travel by ship
to Fort Monroe where they will observe the Federal troops' advance
into Virginia.
EASTERN THEATER: Peninsular Campaign...As a result of the Confederate
evacuation of Yorktown, there is serious fighting between advancing
Federals and retreating Confederates at Williamsburg. In all, 1703
Southern soldiers are lost during the encounter which claims 456
Union troops, with 373 listed as miss
Jim
|
50.137 | 7-MAY-1862 | ELMAGO::JPALLONE | | Thu May 07 1992 12:39 | 10 |
| EASTERN THEATER: Peninsular Campaign...Further clashes occur in the
Shenondoah Valley; General Franklin's Federals are attacked by General
G.W. Smith's Confederates who hope to keep the road from Williamsburg
to Yorktown, Virginia protected. This clash at Eltham's Landing, Vir-
ginia foreshadows the events of the upcoming week. In order to boost
morale and to help encourage General McClellan to move on to Richmond,
President Lincoln visits the Monitor and meets with various military
officials.
Jim
|
50.138 | 8-MAY-1862 | ELMAGO::JPALLONE | | Fri May 08 1992 11:30 | 7 |
| EASTERN THEATER: The Battle of McDowell, a major battle of the Shenan-
doah Valley Campaign, sees General Stonewall Jackson's Confederates
repulse an attack by Federals under the command of General Robert
Schenk. The Southern troops, numbering around 10,000, fight the 6000
Union troops. Jackson's forces pursue the fleeing Federals toward
Franklin, West Virginia, but continue only for several days, returning
to the Shenandoah.
|
50.139 | May 9th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon May 11 1992 04:12 | 20 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENNINSULAR CAMPAIGN: President Lincoln meets with
General McClellan, who is advancing slowly toward Richmond, Virginia.
The chief executive admonishes McClellan for his difficulties in
maintaining cooperation between himself and corps leaders. Norfolk,
Virginia is evacuated by Confederates in a costly move. While they
destroy much of their supplies and equipment, they still leave a large
amount of valuable material to the Federals pushing into the area the
following day.
WESTERN THEATER: At Hilton Head, South Carolina General David
Hunter, commander of the Department of the South, frees slaves in
South Carolina, Florida and Georgia. This move, not given Congressional
authorization nor approval by President Lincoln, is later repudiated
by the chief executive. Mississippi is the scene of clashes between
Confederates and advancing Federals near Corinth. Pensacola, Florida
is evacuated by Confederates and within three days the Union Army has
taken hold of the area.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.140 | May 10th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon May 11 1992 04:34 | 20 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: The Federal push to gain further control in
Virginia continues unabated. Jackson moves in on Franklin, West
Virginia; Norfolk and Portsmouth are occupied by 5000 Union troops.
This operation began by troops landing at Willoughby Point and
involved, among other things, the burning of the naval yard at Gosport,
Virginia. President Lincoln is personally involved in this action in
that he superintends the movement of this Federal expeditionary force.
NAVAL: At Fort Pillow, Tennessee, on the Mississippi River, a
Confederate force of eight gunboats attacks seven Union vessels, the
latter made up of sturdy ironclads. The Confederate flotilla is
singularly ill-equipped to make this offensive at Plum Run Bend a
successful one, but Captain James Montgomery commands the Confederates
in a valiant manner and under his direction the Southern boats succeed
in sinking the Union ironclads CINCINNATI and MOUND CITY. Despite this,
the Confederates gunboats are forced, ultimately, to retreat to
Memphis, Tennessee after the Union guns disable their ships.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.141 | May 11th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon May 11 1992 05:04 | 9 |
|
NAVAL: The Confederate ironclad CSS VIRGINIA, after having
confronted the Union ironclad MONITOR in a spectacular stand-off on
9 March 1862, is destroyed by the Confederate navy: The Union troops
advancing on Virginia have placed the Confederates in a situation
requiring destruction of a valuable naval vessel, which would otherwise
revert to enemy hands.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.142 | May 12th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue May 12 1992 02:17 | 9 |
|
WASHINGTON: In a reversal of his blockade order, President Lincoln
issues a proclamation which opens the ports of Beaufort, North
Carolina; Port Royal, South Carolina; and New Orleans, Louisiana.
This order will take effect on 1 June 1862 and will provide for the
resumption of commercial operations at these formerly Confederate-held
ports.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.143 | May 13th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed May 13 1992 02:25 | 17 |
|
THE CONFEDERACY: The situation at the Confederate capital of
Richmond, Virginia assumes crisis proportions in the face of advancing
Federal troops. As McClellan's Army of the Potomac presses the
Southerners, President Davis' wife, Varina, joins many others who
decide to leave the threatened city.
EASTERN THEATER: General Jackson prepares to confront Union
General Nathaniel Banks and his troops at Strasburg, Kentucky, as
part of his Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
NAVAL: The Confederate steamer PLANTER is seized in Charleston
Harbor by eight blacks. They pilot the vessel, which has seven guns,
out of the harbor. At Natchez, Mississippi Union gunboats under
David Farragut, take over jurisdiction of the city.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.144 | Addendum on "Planter" | NEMAIL::RASKOB | Mike Raskob at OFO | Wed May 13 1992 11:42 | 17 |
| The story of the steamer Planter is interesting. One of the men
who seized her, Robert Smalls, was a slave deckhand. One night when
all the white officers were ashore, Smalls was clowning around in the
pilot house and put on the captain's straw hat. Others commented on
how much he looked like the captain (especially from a distance). This
led to a plan for getting the Planter out of Charleston to the Union
blockading fleet.
On a later evening, when the officers were again ashore, the crew
of the Planter picked up their families and took her out past the forts
with Smalls pretending to be the captain. They exchanged normal
signals with Fort Sumter, and after a nervous wait got permission to
pass. Once past the fort, they went to full speed and headed out to
the Union fleet. The Planter became a U.S. vessel, and Smalls became
her captain.
MikeR
|
50.145 | May 15th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri May 15 1992 02:47 | 15 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Land forces pressing in on
Richmond, Virginia move closer to the Confederate capital. Nearby,
General Joseph Johnston's troops are moving back across the
Chickahominy River. In west Virginia, at Ravenswood and Princeton,
minor skirmishing occupies Confederate and Federal troops. Major
fighting breaks out at Drewey's Bluff in Virginia, where Federals
invading near the Confederate capital deal with gunfire from Fort
Darling.
NAVAL: The battle at Drewey's Bluff involves the Northern ironclad
MONITOR and the gunboat GALENA. the Union force is eventually forced to
retreat as the Confederate defenses at Fort Darling prove adequate.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.146 | May 16th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri May 15 1992 02:57 | 19 |
|
WESTERN THEATER: In one of his most controversial actions to date,
General Benjamin Butler at New Orleans, Louisiana issues what is known
as the 'Woman Order'. The full text of his GENERAL ORDER NUMBER 28 is
indicative of Butler's complete disregard for convention and his, at
times, tryannical attitude toward the citizens of this vanquished city.
The order reads, in part, 'As the officers and soldiers of the
United States have been subjected to repeated insults from the women
(calling themselves ladies) of New Orleans....when any female shall...
show contempt for the United States, she shall be regarded as a woman
of the town plying her avocation'.
The Woman Order, while not revoked by the Lincoln administration,
helped to set the stage for Butler's removal from the military
governorship of New Orleans on 16 December 1862.
The day after the issuance of the Woman Order, Butler stops the
New Orleans newspapers, BEE and DELTA uner the control of Federal
authorities.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.147 | May 17th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri May 15 1992 03:00 | 7 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: General McDowell is at
Fredericksburg, Virginia and recieves orders to advance toward the
Confederate capital at Richmond in order to be in concert with
McClellan's forces.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.148 | May 18th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon May 18 1992 04:19 | 15 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: In Virginia, Union troops
press closer to Richmond, taking Suffolk and occupying that town 17
miles south of Norfolk. In the Shenandoah Valley, Confederate General
Stonewall Jackson continues to push the Federals, clashing with
General Nathaniel Banks.
NAVAL: Vicksburg, on the Mississippi River, is the object of David
Farragut's advance with a Federal fleet, the city being under the
protection of Confederate General M.L. Smith who will not surrender
jurisdiction to the North. It is important to the Federals to take
possession of this Confederate city since it commands an important
position on the Mississippi.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.149 | May 19, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue May 19 1992 02:32 | 19 |
|
WASHINGTON: In an action reversing an earlier decision made by
General David Hunter, President Lincoln countermands the order of
9 May 1862 which liberated slaves in the Department of the South.
Lincoln's position is that General Hunter had exceeded his offical
authority in issuing such a liberation order, and that such decisions
are to made only by the chief executive.
THE CONFEDERACY: President Jefferson Davis, in continued
communication with his wife, indicates the Confederate position
concerning preparation for the Federal offensive on Richmond, Virginia:
'We are uncertain of everything except that a battle must be near at
hand.'
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: There is little change in the
continuing buildup of Union troop strength in the area surrounding
Richmond, Virginia.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.150 | May 20th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed May 20 1992 02:40 | 20 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln signs into law a bill authorizing
the Homestead Act. Designed to aid both the private citizen who wishes
to obtain quality land at affordable rates, the Homestead Act makes
160-acre quarter sections available for a nominal fee to those who can
improve the parcel of land for five years. This is later to be
considered a critical instrument in the settlement of the West and the
developement of western agricultural lands.
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: The Army of the Potomac under
General McClellan is now only eight miles from Richmond, Virginia, the
Confederate capital. In an attempt to prevent Union General Nathaniel
Banks from moving troops to meet and support McClellan, Confederate
General Stonewall Jackson and General Richard Ewell take their 16,000
men into the Luray Valley area of the Shenandoah.
By moving north Jackson hopes to block Banks' path out of the
western reaches of the Shenandoah. The Virginia Central railroad is
attacked by Union troops at Jackson's River Depot.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.151 | May 21st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu May 21 1992 03:32 | 7 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: General McClellan continues
to ask President Lincoln for more troops to augment the Army of the
Potomac; this time he requests help from McDowell's forces which are
enroute to Richmond, Virginia.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.152 | May 22nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu May 21 1992 03:39 | 10 |
|
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: General Stonewall Jackson
pushes further toward Front Royal, West Virginia, in preparation for
a major engagement with Federals on the following day.
WESTERN THEATER: General Henry Halleck continues to direct his
troops in the skirmishing which occurs at Corinth, Mississippi between
the Federals and the Confederate forces under General Beauregard.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.153 | May 23rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu May 21 1992 04:22 | 15 |
|
EASTERN THEATER: After having journeyed to Fredericksburg,
Virginia, President Lincoln confers with General McDowell who is
positioned at Aquia Creek and Fredericksburg.
The following day, Lincoln sends orders to McDowell, telling the
general to direct 20,000 troops into the Shenandoah area in order to
prevent Confederates from moving their forces any closer to Banks'
troops of the Army of the Potomac. Lincoln tells McDowell, 'Your object
will be to capture the forces of Jackson and Ewell'.
At Front Royal, West Virginia, General Jackson's troops encounter
8000 Union soldiers and take the area from Federal control. This
victory is a relatively easy one, and does little to improve Banks'
position, which is now seriously threatened.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.154 | May 24th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu May 21 1992 04:30 | 11 |
|
WASHINGTON: President Lincoln confers with his Cabinet; the result
of this discussion is the issuance of new military orders to General
Fre'mont. The general is instructed to advance against General
Jackson's forces in the Shenandoah Valley.
Because of Lincoln's new orders to General McDowell, also
concerning Jackson, the President communicates the information to
General McClellan that an increase in his troop strength is at this
time impossible.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.155 | May 25th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu May 21 1992 04:41 | 22 |
|
WASHINGTON: Communications between the President and General
McClellan continue as Lincoln presses his General-in-Chief to 'either
attack Richmond or give up the job and come to the defense of
Washington'.
The Union Secretary of War, Edwin Stanton, puts out a call for
additional men to be supplied by any state that can spare more troops.
Orders go out to give military transport top priority on railroad
lines in the North.
EASTERN THEATER: In the Shenandoah Valley, at Winchester, Virginia,
General Jackson attacks Federal positions. While the Federals maintain
their stance for a time, the offensive on the right by troops under
the command of Jackson, and on the left by Ewell's troops, eventually
compel General Nathaniel Banks' forces to pull back in a retreat
toward Harper's Ferry, Virginia.
This encounter at Winchester claims 400 Confederate casualties -
68 dead, 329 wounded, 3 missing. General Banks' troops had totaled
nearly 8000 at the start of this clash; he lost 62 men, with 243
wounded and 1714 either missing or captured.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.156 | May 26th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed May 27 1992 02:36 | 12 |
|
WASHINGTON: The discussion over allocation of troop strength and
troop movement continues as President Lincoln asks General McClellan
'Can you get near enough to throw shells into the city?'
EASTERN THEATER: There is little that Union General Nathanial
Banks can do but to continue to move back away from Jackson's
Confederates after the defeat at Winchester, Virginia. Banks moves
the following day across the Potomac River into Federal territory
near Williamsport.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.157 | May 29th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri May 29 1992 03:52 | 14 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Various actions occur to
consolidate the Federal position near Richmond, Virginia. Approximately
40,000 Union troops gather near Jackson's Confederates at Harper's
Ferry. There is skirmishing at the South Anna River in Virginia, where
Federals burn a 500 foot bridge and ultimately capture the nearby town
of Ashland.
WESTERN THEATER: The pressure that General Halleck's Federals have
put on General Beauregard's troops at Corinth, Mississippi has finally
caused the Confederate general to give orders to retreat toward
Tupelo, Mississippi.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.158 | May 30th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri May 29 1992 04:00 | 15 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: At Front Royal, in West
Virginia, Union troops under General Shields occupy the town after a
minor clash with General Jackson's retreating Confederates. Jackson is
pulling away from the Harper's Ferry area so as to avoid being cut off
by Fre'mont and McDowell.
WESTERN THEATER: At Corinth, Mississippi, over 2000 prisoners are
taken by Federal troops moving into the city. General Beauregard's
Confederates have destroyed much of value that could not be taken out
of Corinth; General Halleck's success in occupying the city is a real
one but it is a success which lacks some degree of triumph simply
because the campaign has taken over one month to reach fruition.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.159 | May 31st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri May 29 1992 04:07 | 14 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Movements by Confederate
General Joseph Johnston and McClellan's Army of the Potomac result in
a major operation at the battle of Fair Oaks and Seven Pines. This
somewhat delayed offensive by Johnston is only marginally effective
strategically, causing the Federal troops to pull back on the following
day, but doing little to lessen the threat posed to the Confederate
capital at Richmond, Virginia.
In all, Confederate losses are tallied at 6,134 while Union troops
lose 5,031. General Johnston is wounded in this battle, causing
Confederate President Jefferson Davis to name General Robert E. Lee as
commander of the Army of Northern Virginia.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.160 | June 1st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Jun 01 1992 04:35 | 11 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln sends a telegram to General McClellan
concerning the situation at Richmond, Virginia. He tells the general:
'Hold all your ground, or yield any only inch by inch and in good
order'.
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: General Jackson's
Confederate troops meet those of Union General McDowell as Jackson
continues to retreat to a position near Harrisonburg, Virginia.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.161 | June 3rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jun 03 1992 03:31 | 9 |
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WESTERN THEATER: The Confederate garrison at Fort Pillow, near
Memphis, Tennessee, evacuates its position, leaving the city helpless
in the face of advancing Union troops which have already taken Corinth,
Mississippi. McClellan's forces meet and skirmish with Confederates on
James Island, South Carolina. This is a position near Charleston, which
is the object of the Federal advance in that area.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.162 | June 4th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 04 1992 03:32 | 9 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Richmond, Virginia remains
threatened by the Union Army of the Potomac which is resting after the
Fair Oaks and Seven Pines battle earlier in the week.
Some skirmishing does occur, however, mainly in West Virginia,
near Big Bend. General Stonewall Jackson and his Confederate troops
continue to pull back into the Shenandoah Valley.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.163 | June 5th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 04 1992 03:42 | 18 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Inclement weather prevents
General McClellan's forces from pushing further toward Richmond,
Virginia, where the Confederates anticipate attack from the Union Army
and where Confederate General Robert E. Lee is preparing a defensive
operation with the Army of Northern Virginia.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Skirmishing breaks out at various locations -
Sedalaia, Missouri, Round Grove, in Indian Territory and near the
Little Red River in Arkansas.
NAVAL: The Federal fleet which is moving toward Memphis, Tennessee
passes Fort Wright and Fort Randolph unharrassed. The five ironclads
and four rams making up the Union flotilla are under the direction of
Commodore Charles Davis. They come to rest at anchor two miles above
Memphis.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.164 | June 6th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 04 1992 03:53 | 15 |
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NAVAL: Confederate Captain James Montgomery, with an inadequate
force of gunboats, engages the Union flotilla at a point near Memphis,
Tennessee. Commodore Davis' resources far exceed those of the
Confederates, who have only 28 guns compared to the Union strength of
68 guns.
As crowds gather in the pre-dawn hours, the Federals and
Confederates clash, and within two hours the latter force has been
almost completely disabled. The one vessel, VAN DORN, left to the
Confederates after the river battle, escapes.
Triumphant Federals accept the surrender of Memphis shortly before
noon. This battle is significant in that it opens the Mississippi, the
target of future Union operations against Confederates in the area.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.165 | June 7th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 04 1992 04:17 | 17 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: As Confederates retreat,
coming closer to Harrisburg, skirmishing breaks out at Union Church,
Virginia when they meet advancing Northern troops. Reconnaissance
efforts on the part of Federals at Chickahominy Creek bring those
troops close to the Confederate capital of Richmond, where General Lee
is readying his Confederates for an offensive, as well as for the
defense of the city.
WESTERN THEATER: The difficult relations engendered by Union
General Benjamin Butler's treatment of New Orleans citizens are made
even more uncomfortable when Butler orders William Mumford hanged.
Mumford, having removed and destroyed the United States flag on
display over the New Orleans Mint, was seized, imprisoned, tried,
and found guilty of treason against the Federal government.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.166 | June 8th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jun 09 1992 04:31 | 10 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Near Port Republic, Virginia,
the battle of Cross Keys nearly causes the retreat of Confederate
forces. While Jackson's troops are advancing against General Fre'mont's
Federals, Confederate General R S Ewell was the commander of forces
which are able to hold off the Union troops and defend General
Jackson's men. The Federals, numbering 10,500, were held off by 6500
of Ewell's troops.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.167 | June 9th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jun 09 1992 04:38 | 13 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Fighting continues in the
area of Cross Keys, Virginia, but the battle today between Jackson's
troops and those of Fre'mont and Shields takes place at Port Republic.
The Confederates make a strong stand and eventually push the
Northern troops back. General Ewell's Confederates are an important
resource in this offensive as they hold Fre'mont's men away from
Jackson's main force.
The battle here at Port Royal and the previous day's encounter at
Cross Keys signal the end of Jackson's current campaign in the
Shenandoah.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.168 | June 12th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jun 12 1992 04:02 | 18 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: In one of the more flamboyant
moves of the war, Confederate General J.E.B. Stuart takes a force of
cavalry and artillery out on a reconnaissance of the Federal positions
on the Peninsular. This action, which covers a period of several days,
is an important one as it disturbs supply and communication networks.
Riding completely around McClellan's Union Army force, General
Stuart seriously disrupts the morale of the Federals who feel
threatened by what is a seemingly larger enemy force than actually
exists.
This move (which comes to be known as Stuart's First Ride Around
McClellan), is responsible for encouraging Southerners who have been
suffering from numerous defeats and invasions over the past few months.
Stuart's move is buttressed by Jackson's forces who are reinforced at
Lee's command, and who add to the threat posed by a mobile cavalry
under Stuart.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.169 | June 16th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jun 16 1992 03:15 | 11 |
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WESTERN THEATER: At James Island, South Carolina, Federal troops
engage in a battle at Secessionville. The losses are significant,
Union General H W Benham's forces losing 107 men, with 487 wounded and
89 missing.
The Confederates under General N G Evans lose 52, with 144 injured
and 8 missing. The Union force is repulsed despite its vigorous assault
on a position which is critical to the control of Charleston Harbor.
In Winchester, Tennessee, skirmishes break out.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.170 | June 17th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jun 17 1992 03:48 | 15 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln oversees the reorganization of
commands in the East. Resentful at being placed under General John
Pope, General John Fre'mont resigns from the new Army of Virginia.
General Franz Sigel steps into the vacancy created by Fre'mont's
resignation. This move by Fre'mont places him in a position of
ambiguity and he spends the remainder of the war in New York, hoping
for further orders.
NAVAL: In Arkansas, on the White River, Union gunboats draw fire
from Confederate batteries positioned at St Charles. The Federal
steamer MOUND CITY is severely damaged when her boiler explodes,
killing and wounding 125 men.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.171 | June 19th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 18 1992 03:10 | 6 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln outlines his controversial
Emancipation Proclamation which outlaws slavery in all the states
which continue to be in rebellion against the Federal government.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.172 | June 20th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 18 1992 03:15 | 9 |
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WESTERN THEATER: The Federal advance against Vicksburg, Mississippi
has begun under the command of General Thomas Williams. Admiral David
Farragut aids in the attempt by providing gunboat protection.
Confederates under General Van Dorn, who commands the Department
of Southern Mississippi and Louisiana, attempt to further fortify the
city.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.173 | June 21st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 18 1992 03:20 | 10 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: While the Richmond, Virginia
area remains calm and quiet as a whole, there is some minor skirmishing
between Federals and Confederates at the Chickahominy Creek.
The Northern and Confederate armies are both awaiting the
inevitable battle; as the President of the Confederacy, Jefferson
Davis, points out in a latter, 'A total defeat of McClellan will
relieve the Confederacy of its embarassments in the East'.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.174 | June 23rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jun 23 1992 05:03 | 6 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln leaves the Federal capital on a trip
to New York and West Point. The President intends to discuss current
and future military strategies with the retired General Winfield Scott.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.175 | June 24th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jun 24 1992 03:12 | 9 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: White House, Virginia is
evacuated as McClellan's troops press forward, and at Mechanicsville
there is minor skirmishing between Confederate and Union soldiers.
WESTERN THEATER: General Van Dorn's troops are at beleagured
Vicksburg, Mississippi where 3,000 Federals are encamped closeby.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.176 | June 25th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jun 25 1992 03:50 | 17 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: An effort by Confederates
to deflect what they fear will be a crippling blow to Richmond, the
Confederate capital, begins with the Seven Day's Campaign.
The first of a series of engagements, the Oak Grove Battle, sees
Confederate General John Magruder conduct operations calculated to
confuse Federals into assuming a larger Confederate force than is
actually assembled.
While Magruder attempts this, General Lee attacks McClellan's
forces gathered east of Richmond; despite a relatively ineffective
assault on the Union troops, General McClellan is considerably more
concerned than he had previously been about his army's safety.
A total of 51 killed, 401 wounded, and 64 missing on the Federal
side results from this engagement; Confederates lose 40 men with
263 injuries and 13 missing.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.177 | June 27th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jun 26 1992 02:26 | 17 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: The battle of Gaines'
Mills, the third in a series in the Seven Days' Campaign, sees
General Lee's troops break through the Federal lines and follow the
Northern force as it heads for Harrison's Landing, Virginia.
The Federals are undaunted however, and the Confederate command
is not able to take advantage of the weaknesses in the Union line.
General Porter takes his Federal troops abck across the Chickahominy
to rejoin McClellan's main army.
General Magruder, south of the Chickahominy, continues to press
the Union troops there with a greatly outnumbered force of
Confederates. The results of the Gaines Mills battle is a total of
6837 casualities for the North as compared to 8750 for the South.
As McClellan pulls his army back, the Confederates see some relief
in the strain placed on their defenses at Richmond.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.178 | June 28th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jun 26 1992 02:35 | 15 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: At Garnett's and Golding's
Farms, fighting between Confederate and Union troops continued in
Virginia. The Northern forces are pulling away from Richmond in the
direction of the Potomac River.
At White House Landing, Northern troops destroy supplies and
equipment as they complete their evacuation of the area.
NAVAL: Admiral David Farragut takes his fleet past Confederate
shore batteries at Vicksburg, Mississippi, losing 15 men and sustaining
injuries to 30 others. All but three Federal vessels succeed in
slipping past the Confederates at Vicksburg. The Northern offensive
will continue for over a year.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.179 | June 29th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Jun 29 1992 03:44 | 8 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: The Seven Days Campaign
continues as Southern troops clash with Union forces at Savage's
Station. This battle sees Federals withdraw east of Richmond, Virginia,
toward the James River, leaving behind over 2000 injured and ailing
soldiers. It is a battle that can only be considered inconclusive.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.180 | June 30th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jun 30 1992 04:38 | 11 |
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EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: At White Oaks Swamp,
Virginia, the sixth in a series of battles occurs as Union soldiers
under General McClellan attempt to consolidate forces, succeeding to
a certain degree in comparison to Longstreet's and Jackson's troops
which seem plagued with confusion.
It is in part this confusion and lack of coordination which allows
McClellan to assume a safely entrenched position on Malvern Hill to the
north of the James River.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.181 | July 1st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jul 01 1992 04:37 | 23 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln signs into law a Federal income tax
which levies a three percent tax on annual incomes of $600 to $10,000
and five percent on incomes above $10,000. Unlike a similar act passed
in the previous year, this one actually goes into effect.
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: The defeat of Confederate
troops after a short battle at Malvern Hill spells the end of the
Seven Day's Campaign in Virginia. Confederate troops under General
Lee attack McClellan's Army of the Potomac at a point north of
Richmond, Malvern Hill.
In this battle, the Confederate forces appear disorganized and make
only minimal impact on Union troops which are equipped with better
guns. Despite this final assualt which goes badly for the South, the
Northern army is prevented from taking the Southern capital of
Richmond, Virginia. And despite the ability of Lee's forces to hold
the Federals at bay, the Union Army of the Potomac is not destroyed or
even seriously disabled.
Throughtout the Seven Days' Campaign there are thousands of
casualities - the North tallying nearly 16,000 dead, injured and
missing. Confederates estimate over 20,000 casualities.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.182 | July 2nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jul 02 1992 06:09 | 14 |
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WASHINGTON: In a move which is later to become important to the
further development of vast agricultural lands in the west, President
Lincoln signs the Morrill Land Grant Act into law. This law will give
states apportionments of public land on which to build agricultural
colleges. This act is introduced in Congress by Senator Justin Morrill
of Vermont.
EASTERN THEATER, PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN: Harrison's Landing, Virginia
is the goal of McClellan's army which is retreating from its recent
battle at Malvern Hill. Some minor skirmishing breaks out as the Union
forces pull away.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.183 | July 4th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jul 02 1992 06:13 | 10 |
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WASHINGTON: This eighty-sixth celebration of Independence Day is
observed with more than the usual enthusiasm.
WESTERN THEATER: In Kentucky, Confederate Colonel John Hunt Morgan
begins a series of raids which later earn him recognition from the
Confederate Congress for his 'varied, heroic, and invaluable services
in Tennessee and Kentucky'.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.184 | July 7th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jul 07 1992 03:11 | 15 |
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THE NORTH: General McClellan, having reached Harrison's Landing
on the James River, is visited by President Lincoln. In view of the
recent difficulties faced by the Army of the Potomac which were, in
McClellan's opinion, exacerbated by Lincoln's refusal to send more
troops to aid in the Peninsular Campaign, the general delivers a
letter to the President.
In this letter, General McClellan points out what he percieves as
weaknesses in Lincoln's current military and political strategies. He
attempts tp persuade the President to maintain a more conservative
approach in conducting the war, urging that the war 'should not be at
all a war upon population, but against armed forces and political
organizations.'
The Alabama Slammer
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50.185 | July 9th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jul 09 1992 02:49 | 11 |
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WESTERN THEATER: Confederate John Hunt Morgan seizes Tompkinsville,
Kentucky. The Confederate Colonel and his cavalry unit are continuing
to carry out a series of raids against Federal positions.
NAVAL: At Hamilton, North Carolina, Confederate positions on the
banks of the Roanoke River fall into Federal hands. Several Confederate
vessels are taken by the North, and about 35 Southerners are killed.
The Federals lose two men and sustain 10 injuries.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.186 | July 10th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jul 10 1992 03:51 | 13 |
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EASTERN THEATER: The Northern Army of Virginia, commanded by
General John Pope, is positioned in the Shenandoah Valley. General Pope
makes clear that civilians in the area are obligated to give aid to and
prevent disruption of the Federal military efforts there.
Pope prescribes harsh treatment in response to any resistance from
the people in the Shenadoah Valley.
WESTERN THEATER: Colonel Morgan and his raiders press Federals in
Kentucky, and the Southern commander urges the people of the area to
'rise and arm, and drive the Hessian invaders from their soil'.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.187 | July 11th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jul 10 1992 03:55 | 9 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln appoints General Henry Halleck to the
position of General-in-Chief of the Federal Army.
Halleck has proven to be an able and far-sighted leader, and his
most recent actions at the successful seizure of Corinth, Mississippi,
suggest that he will continue to exhibit sound judgement in military
matters.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.188 | July 13th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jul 16 1992 02:58 | 21 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln is in correspondence with General
McClellan over the allotment of soldiers for the attempted seizure of
Richmond, Virginia. It is becoming increasingly difficult for Lincoln
to ignore the fact that McClellan has yet to launch an effective
offensive against Confederates on the Peninsular.
EASTERN THEATER: Movement of General Lee's Confederates away from
Richmond, Virginia suggests the beginning of another campaign against
the threatening Northern forces. A bridge near Rapidan Station,
Virginia is destroyed by Northern troops as they skirmish with
Confederates at this point on the Rapidan River.
WESTERN THEATER: At Murfreesboro, Tennessee, Federal forces are
defeated by General Nathan Bedford Forest's 1000 troops. Northern
General Thomas Crittenden and his men make a valiant defense but are
overpowered and nearly all are captured by the Confederates. The North
loses a large amount of valuable military supplies and equipment in
this raid on their position at Murfreesboro.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.189 | July 14th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jul 16 1992 03:15 | 17 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln asks Congress to approve a law which
will compensate 'any state which may abolish slavery within its limits'
The congressional approval that Lincoln seeks is not forthcoming,
however, as 20 border states disagree with the President's plan. In a
seperate action, Congress passes a law creating the state of West
Virginia which has seceded from the state of Virginia as a result of
the split between North and South.
EASTERN THEATER: the Union Army of Virginia under General John
Pope's command receives orders from him concerning its conduct towards
the enemy. In this famous address to the Northern troops, General Pope
makes clear his stance and that which he expects his army to take:
'The strongest position a soldier should desire to occupy is one from
which he can most easily advance against the enemy.'
The Alabama Slammer
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50.190 | July 15th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jul 16 1992 03:21 | 10 |
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NAVAL: In a spectacular battle on the Mississippi, the Southern
ironclad ARKANSAS engages three Federal vessels, and proceeds
downriver. Near the city of Vicksburg, Admiral David Farragut attacks
the ARKANSAS with the Federal fleet but to no avail. The Union loses
18 men, sustains 50 injuries and lists 10 men as missing. Confederates
tally 10 killed and 15 wounded.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.191 | July 17th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Fri Jul 17 1992 05:22 | 17 |
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WASHINGTON: The Second Confiscation Act is signed into law by
President Lincoln. This act provides for the freedom of those slaves
coming into Federal jurisdiction from outside the Union, and also
gives the president ceretain powers to grant amnesty and pardon in
cases where he deems such actions appropriate. (This act supplements,
in many ways, the Emancipation Proclamation as it deals with slaves
who are in the territories in rebellion.)
WESTERN THEATER: Confederate raiders under Colonel John Hunt Morgan
make a surprise attack on Northern troops ay Cynthiana, Kentucky.
After several hours of fighting to defend their positions there, the
Federals are overcome and Southern troops occupy the town. At this
engagement, 17 Federal soldiers and 24 Confederates are killed.
Skirmishing occurs at Columbia, Tennessee.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.192 | July 20th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jul 21 1992 04:54 | 7 |
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WESTERN THEATER: Colonel Morgan's Confederate raiders are
surprised by Union cavalry near Owensville, Kentucky, with the
result that the Southern soldiers are dispersed, the Federals
taking horses and equipment from them.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.193 | July 22nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jul 22 1992 04:58 | 7 |
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WASHINGTON: President Lincoln presents his Emancipation
Proclamation to his Cabinet. This action produces surprise in most
quarters. The War Department announces that the military is
empowered to employ as paid laborers any persons of African descent.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.194 | July 23rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Jul 23 1992 05:16 | 11 |
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EASTERN THEATER: Confederates near Carmel Church, Virginia are
attacked by Federal cavalry. In Northern Virginia, General John Pope
announces that all disloyal citizens within his jurisdiction are to
be arrested.
WESTERN THEATER: Confederate troops under General Braxton Bragg
are advancing on Chattanooga, Tennessee from their base at Tupelo,
Mississippi.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.195 | July 27th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Jul 27 1992 06:39 | 7 |
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TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: There is skirmishing at various points
between Federals and Confederates: near Brown's Spring, Missouri;
in Carroll, Ray and Livingston counties in that state; and near
Fort Gibson in Indian Territory.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.196 | July 28th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Jul 28 1992 02:58 | 5 |
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TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Confederates lose 10 men at Bollinger's Mills,
Missouri, as Federal forces make a successful assault on the
Southern position there.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.197 | July 29th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Jul 29 1992 04:33 | 13 |
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TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: At Moore's Mills in Missouri, Confederates are
routed by Union guerillas. Southern losses tally at 62 dead, 100
wounded. Federals lose 16 men and sustain 30 injuries.
INTERNATIONAL: Union officials in England are unsuccessful in an
attempt to prevent the Confederate vessel ALABAMA from sailing out of
Liverpool. Commanded by Captain Raphael Semmes, the ALABAMA will
inflict much damage to Federal vessels in Atlantic waters, and is the
ship responsible for a series of claims against the British
government brought by United States ambassador Charles F. Adams.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.198 | August 1st, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Aug 03 1992 05:28 | 14 |
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EASTERN THEATER: Federal troops under General McClellan, stationed
at Harrison's Landing, Virginia are bombarded by Confederate batteries.
The Federals return fire and are able, after losing six men, to silence
the Confederate guns.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Skirmishing breaks out in Missouri at Ozark,
Grand River and Carrolton. In addition, at Newark, Missouri, Northern
troops battle unsuccessfully with Southern troops resulting in
surrender after several hours. About 70 Federals surrender to the
Confederates in this action, while Southern casualities tally over 100
dead and injured.
The Alabama Slammer
|
50.199 | August 2nd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Aug 03 1992 05:36 | 15 |
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WASHINGTON: Secretary of State Seward communicates the Federal
government's position on mediation offers from Britain. Seward counsels
United States Ambassador to Britain, Charles F. Adams, to decline any
suggested mediation of the ongoing civil conflict in the United States.
EASTERN THEATER: Orange Court House, Virginia, having been occupied
by several Southern cavalry regiments, is seized by troops from General
John Pope's Army of Virginia. These forces cross the Rapidan River,
clashing with Confederates who lose 11 men and see 52 taken as
prisoners; the Federals sustain five casualities in this encounter.
Malvern Hill, Virginia is retaken by troops from General McClellan's
Army of the Potomac.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.200 | August 3rd, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Mon Aug 03 1992 05:40 | 11 |
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WASHINGTON: General-in-Chief Henry Halleck sends orders to General
McClellan that the Army of the Potomac is to be relocated. In order to
better provide for the defense of the Federal capital, McClellan's
troops are to be stationed at Alexandria and Aquia Landing, in
Virginia.
This conflicts with McClellan's views of the military needs of the
Pennisula, and the general clashes bitterly with Halleck over this
order.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.201 | August 4th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Tue Aug 04 1992 03:48 | 9 |
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WASHINGTON: The President issues military orders which are to
provide for a draft of upwards of 300,000 men. This order never goes
into effect, but in a separate action Lincoln makes provision for
the recognition and promotion of competent military personnel.
President also declines the opportunity to enlist two black
regiments from Indiana.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.202 | August 5th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Aug 05 1992 03:15 | 13 |
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THE WESTERN THEATER: At Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Confederate forces
attack Union troops stationed there. General John Breckenridge and
about 2600 Southerners fight with 2500 Union soldiers under the
command of General Thomas Williams, who is subsequently killed.
The Confederates are eventually pushed back to a point some 10
miles out of the city, due in part to the inability of the Southern
gunboat ARKANSAS to relieve the land forces.
At this battle, Federals lose 383 men, the South tallies 453 dead.
In Tennessee, Fort Donelson is attacked and the Union troops
garrisoned there push the Southerners back after a fierce fight.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.203 | August 7th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Aug 12 1992 06:55 | 13 |
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EASTERN THEATER: Confederate troops in Virginia push toward Union
positions at Culpepper Court House and Madison Court House. Federals
pull back from their recently recovered position at Malvern Hill, and
there is skirmishing between Federals and southern troops at Wolftown,
Virginia.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Fort Fillmore, in the New Mexico Territory,
witnesses the routing of Confederate troops in the area by Federal
forces under Colonel E.R.S. Canby. Montevallo, Missouri is the site
of skirmishing.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.204 | August 8th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Aug 12 1992 06:59 | 10 |
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WASHINGTON: Secretary of War Stanton orders that anyone attempting
to evade military service shall be subject to arrest.
WESTERN THEATER: At Cumberland Gap in Tennessee, Confederates and
Federals engage each other in fighting which ultimately leaves the
Southern troops the losers - they tally 125 killed and injured as
compared to Union casualities of 3 dead and 15 wounded.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.205 | August 9th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Aug 12 1992 07:07 | 18 |
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EASTERN THEATER, SECOND BULL RUN CAMPAIGN: At Cedar Mountain,
Virginia, General Jackson's Confederates are positioned near Culpepper,
and intend to strike the Union forces under General John Pope.
In what is ultimately an unsuccessful action, General Banks and his
Federals attack Jackson. This attack is foiled by General A.P. Hill's
arrival; the Confederate troops under Hill manage to push Bank's
forces back.
It is now clear to General Jackson that McClellan's Army of the
Potomac will be moving into the region with reinforcements foe Pope's
troops.
At this battle of Cedar Mountain, the beginning of the Second Bull
Run Campaign (also known as Second Manassas) that lasts until September
1862, Union losses tally at 314 dead, 1445 injured, 622 missing.
Southern forces report 1341 casualities.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.206 | August 11th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Aug 12 1992 07:12 | 9 |
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WESTERN THEATER: Various actions occur - near Columbia, Tennessee
there is minor fighting between Southern troops and Northern forces
while similar clashes occur near Williamsport, also in Tennessee.
In Corinth, Mississippi, an annoucement by Union General Ulyssess
Grant states that those fugitive slaves in the area under his
jurisdiction shall be employed by the military.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.207 | August 12th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Wed Aug 12 1992 07:15 | 8 |
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WESTERN THEATER: Confederate Colonel John Hunt Morgan carries out
a raid on Gallatin, Tennessee, the result of which is the capture of
the town where a Federal garrison, composed of four companies, is
stationed. This takeover is short-lived, however, as Gallatin falls
back into Union hands within 24 hours.
The Alabama Slammer
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50.208 | August 13th, 1862 | OGOMTS::RICKER | Lest We Forget, 1861 - 1865 | Thu Aug 13 1992 04:30 | 16 |
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EASTERN THEATER, SECOND BULL RUN CAMPAIGN: Various minor skirmishes
occur between Southerners and Northern troops in Virginia near Orange
Court House. General Robert E. Lee's forces begin to advance on
Gordonsville, where this Army of Northern Virginia will soon be
immersed in the Second Battle of Bull Run.
TRANS-MISSISSIPPI: Confederates clash with, and are defeated by,
Northern forces at Yellow Creek, in Missouri. Around 60 Southern
soldiers fall into Union hands after this engagement.
NAVAL: The Potomac River is the site of a collision between two
Federal steamers, the GEORGE PEABODY and the WEST POINT. A total of
83 lives are lost in this accident.
The Alabama Slammer
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