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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 9/14/14 at 9:10 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 9/14/14 at 9:10 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Thursday, 15 September 1864
Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut had seen a very busy War Between the States. Right at the moment, he was probably wishing for greater haste from the Union postal authorities, because he had sent a letter 27 August to Navy Secretary Gideon Welles asking for a little time off from active service. Secretary Welles just received the dispatch today and it rather torpedoed his plans. Despite the fact that, as Farragut pointed out, he had been on duty for more than five years, with only one short furlough during that time, Welles had intended to assign him to command of the assault on Wilmington, North Carolina. In view of Farragut’s request Welles changed his strategy. He assigned Admiral David Dixon Porter to the job, who was actually Farragut’s adoptive brother.
Though the Union forces dominated Mobile Bay, the South still possessed a number of ships at Mobile itself. Farragut informed Welles that the CSS Nashville, an ironclad which, he said, had been waiting for her plating for at least 12 months, was now ready for service. Farragut described her as mounting "...six of their heaviest rifles and has heavier backing and greater speed than the Tennessee." Referring to the battle of Mobile Bay the month before, the Admiral added: "If she had gotten out fully equipped, the Rebels would have made a stronger fight on the 5th day of August. The Mobile defenses also counted on the casemated ironclads Tuscaloosa and Huntsville, "...covered with 4 inches of iron, but, I understand, very unmanageable..." and three gunboats. "I have them guarded," Farragut wrote, "by the two ironclads, the Winnebago and Chickasaw, and four of our gunboats."
Rear Admiral David Glasgow Farragut had seen a very busy War Between the States. Right at the moment, he was probably wishing for greater haste from the Union postal authorities, because he had sent a letter 27 August to Navy Secretary Gideon Welles asking for a little time off from active service. Secretary Welles just received the dispatch today and it rather torpedoed his plans. Despite the fact that, as Farragut pointed out, he had been on duty for more than five years, with only one short furlough during that time, Welles had intended to assign him to command of the assault on Wilmington, North Carolina. In view of Farragut’s request Welles changed his strategy. He assigned Admiral David Dixon Porter to the job, who was actually Farragut’s adoptive brother.
Though the Union forces dominated Mobile Bay, the South still possessed a number of ships at Mobile itself. Farragut informed Welles that the CSS Nashville, an ironclad which, he said, had been waiting for her plating for at least 12 months, was now ready for service. Farragut described her as mounting "...six of their heaviest rifles and has heavier backing and greater speed than the Tennessee." Referring to the battle of Mobile Bay the month before, the Admiral added: "If she had gotten out fully equipped, the Rebels would have made a stronger fight on the 5th day of August. The Mobile defenses also counted on the casemated ironclads Tuscaloosa and Huntsville, "...covered with 4 inches of iron, but, I understand, very unmanageable..." and three gunboats. "I have them guarded," Farragut wrote, "by the two ironclads, the Winnebago and Chickasaw, and four of our gunboats."
1
Posted on 9/15/14 at 9:41 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Friday, 16 September 1864
In the days before mechanical refrigeration, keeping ones' troops in food required some interesting logistics. Hardtack could be shipped and stored, but if the troops were to have beef one had to store it on the hoof. Confederate cavalry under Wade Hampton took advantage of superior Union stocks by staging a raid at Coggins' Point, Virginia, where they captured over 300 Federals and, more importantly, what they were guarding--a herd of some 2400 cattle. Getting them back to Petersburg would take several days and several skirmishes, but the food was desperately needed by the besieged forces there.
Another report: General Wade Hampton’s Confederate cavalry delivered a herd of cattle to General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia under siege at Petersburg. Hampton had raided Federal supply lines since 11 September, capturing 304 Federal prisoners and nearly 2,500 cattle consisting of almost two million pounds of beef for Lee’s hungry troops. This became known as the “beefsteak raid,” and Hampton’s cavalrymen were nicknamed the “cowboys.”
Commander James Dunwoody Bulloch wrote Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen R. Mallory from Liverpool: "The loss of the Alabama occurred just at a time when the financial condition of the Navy Department began to improve and...I took immediate steps to look up a successor. I have now the satisfaction to inform you of the purchase of a fine composite ship, built for the Bombay trade, and just returned from her first voyage. She is 1,160 tons builder's measurement, classed A-1...frames, beams, etc., of iron, but planked from keel to gunwhale with East Indian teak...My broker has had her carefully examined by one of Lloyd's inspectors, who pronounced her a capital ship in every respect...The log of the ship shows her to be a fast sailor under canvas, for with screw up she has made 330 miles in 24 hours by observation." Bulloch was describing the steamer Sea King, a ship which would shortly become renowned as the raider the CSS Shenandoah. He also informed Mallory that contracts had been let for the torpedo boats which the Secretary had ordered two months before.
A boat expedition from the USS Arid, Acting Master James J. Russell in charge, captured over 4,000 pounds of cotton in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, Florida.
General Nathan Bedford Forrest and about 4,500 Confederate cavalrymen left Verona, Mississippi to raid Major General William T. Sherman’s Federal supply and communication lines in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee.
Generals Hiram U. Grant and Philip H. Sheridan conferred at Charles Town, West Virginia. Sheridan informed Grant that General Jubal Early’s Confederate army in the Shenandoah was depleted because a corps had been transferred to reinforce Confederates at Petersburg. Grant approved Sheridan’s plan to cut Early’s supply lines south of Winchester.
In the days before mechanical refrigeration, keeping ones' troops in food required some interesting logistics. Hardtack could be shipped and stored, but if the troops were to have beef one had to store it on the hoof. Confederate cavalry under Wade Hampton took advantage of superior Union stocks by staging a raid at Coggins' Point, Virginia, where they captured over 300 Federals and, more importantly, what they were guarding--a herd of some 2400 cattle. Getting them back to Petersburg would take several days and several skirmishes, but the food was desperately needed by the besieged forces there.
Another report: General Wade Hampton’s Confederate cavalry delivered a herd of cattle to General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia under siege at Petersburg. Hampton had raided Federal supply lines since 11 September, capturing 304 Federal prisoners and nearly 2,500 cattle consisting of almost two million pounds of beef for Lee’s hungry troops. This became known as the “beefsteak raid,” and Hampton’s cavalrymen were nicknamed the “cowboys.”
Commander James Dunwoody Bulloch wrote Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen R. Mallory from Liverpool: "The loss of the Alabama occurred just at a time when the financial condition of the Navy Department began to improve and...I took immediate steps to look up a successor. I have now the satisfaction to inform you of the purchase of a fine composite ship, built for the Bombay trade, and just returned from her first voyage. She is 1,160 tons builder's measurement, classed A-1...frames, beams, etc., of iron, but planked from keel to gunwhale with East Indian teak...My broker has had her carefully examined by one of Lloyd's inspectors, who pronounced her a capital ship in every respect...The log of the ship shows her to be a fast sailor under canvas, for with screw up she has made 330 miles in 24 hours by observation." Bulloch was describing the steamer Sea King, a ship which would shortly become renowned as the raider the CSS Shenandoah. He also informed Mallory that contracts had been let for the torpedo boats which the Secretary had ordered two months before.
A boat expedition from the USS Arid, Acting Master James J. Russell in charge, captured over 4,000 pounds of cotton in the vicinity of Tampa Bay, Florida.
General Nathan Bedford Forrest and about 4,500 Confederate cavalrymen left Verona, Mississippi to raid Major General William T. Sherman’s Federal supply and communication lines in northern Alabama and southern Tennessee.
Generals Hiram U. Grant and Philip H. Sheridan conferred at Charles Town, West Virginia. Sheridan informed Grant that General Jubal Early’s Confederate army in the Shenandoah was depleted because a corps had been transferred to reinforce Confederates at Petersburg. Grant approved Sheridan’s plan to cut Early’s supply lines south of Winchester.
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