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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 11/24/13 at 7:45 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 11/24/13 at 7:45 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Wednesday, 25 November 1863
The Battle of Missionary Ridge opened today with General William T. Sherman attacking the north end, and making no progress against the troops of General Patrick Cleburne. General Joseph Hooker was attacking the south end, the Confederate left wing, with a similar lack of success. Around 2 p.m. the true attack began: General Hiram U. Grant ordered General George Thomas’ men to attack the center. Fighting straight uphill should have been disastrous for the Federals--but in one of the great mysteries of the war, the artillery had been improperly placed and could only shoot over the heads of the attackers. It was anticipated that about half the hill could be taken today, but the blue-clad fighters, outrunning their commanders, simply didn’t stop until they took the top of the hill. Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur, who much later in life would have a son named Douglas, won the Medal of Honor for his part in this charge.
The valiant, but overpowered Confederate Navy faced many problems in the struggle for survival. One of them was the inability to obtain enough ordnance. Commander Brooke reported to Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory this date that ordnance workshops had been established at Charlotte, Richmond, Atlanta, and Selma, Alabama. While great efforts were made to meet Southern needs, Brooke wrote: "The deficiency of heavy ordnance has been severely felt during this war. The timely addition of a sufficient number of heavy guns would render our ports invulnerable to the attacks of the enemy's fleets, whether ironclads or not."
The USS Fort Hindman, under Acting Lieutenant John Pearce, captured the steamer Volunteer off Natchez Island, Mississippi.
An expedition composed of details from the First North Carolina volunteers, Twelfth New York cavalry, and the Twenty fourth New York battery, under command of Captain George W. Graham, First North Carolina volunteers, (Captain R. R. West, Twelfth [14] New York cavalry, having generously waived his rank, in deference to Captain Graham's familiarity with the country to be traversed,) attacked a camp of Rebels near Greenville, North Carolina, and after a brief and gallant contest, more than fifty prisoners, a hundred stand of arms, and a considerable amount of subsistence and quartermaster's stores fell into the hands of the Federals, while but one of their men was fatally wounded.
It was an affair in which the sterner virtues of the soldier, patience and fortitude, were equally exhibited with gallantry and daring, but twenty-four hours having been occupied in all, and a march of nearly seventy miles having been performed.
The Battle of Missionary Ridge opened today with General William T. Sherman attacking the north end, and making no progress against the troops of General Patrick Cleburne. General Joseph Hooker was attacking the south end, the Confederate left wing, with a similar lack of success. Around 2 p.m. the true attack began: General Hiram U. Grant ordered General George Thomas’ men to attack the center. Fighting straight uphill should have been disastrous for the Federals--but in one of the great mysteries of the war, the artillery had been improperly placed and could only shoot over the heads of the attackers. It was anticipated that about half the hill could be taken today, but the blue-clad fighters, outrunning their commanders, simply didn’t stop until they took the top of the hill. Lieutenant Arthur MacArthur, who much later in life would have a son named Douglas, won the Medal of Honor for his part in this charge.
The valiant, but overpowered Confederate Navy faced many problems in the struggle for survival. One of them was the inability to obtain enough ordnance. Commander Brooke reported to Secretary of the Navy Stephen Mallory this date that ordnance workshops had been established at Charlotte, Richmond, Atlanta, and Selma, Alabama. While great efforts were made to meet Southern needs, Brooke wrote: "The deficiency of heavy ordnance has been severely felt during this war. The timely addition of a sufficient number of heavy guns would render our ports invulnerable to the attacks of the enemy's fleets, whether ironclads or not."
The USS Fort Hindman, under Acting Lieutenant John Pearce, captured the steamer Volunteer off Natchez Island, Mississippi.
An expedition composed of details from the First North Carolina volunteers, Twelfth New York cavalry, and the Twenty fourth New York battery, under command of Captain George W. Graham, First North Carolina volunteers, (Captain R. R. West, Twelfth [14] New York cavalry, having generously waived his rank, in deference to Captain Graham's familiarity with the country to be traversed,) attacked a camp of Rebels near Greenville, North Carolina, and after a brief and gallant contest, more than fifty prisoners, a hundred stand of arms, and a considerable amount of subsistence and quartermaster's stores fell into the hands of the Federals, while but one of their men was fatally wounded.
It was an affair in which the sterner virtues of the soldier, patience and fortitude, were equally exhibited with gallantry and daring, but twenty-four hours having been occupied in all, and a march of nearly seventy miles having been performed.
1
Posted on 11/26/13 at 5:52 am to BadLeroyDawg
Thursday, 26 November 1863
A major battle had just been fought and won yesterday on Missionary Ridge, and normal custom would be for the victors to rest, reorganize, gather and tend the wounded and bury the dead, while General Braxton Bragg led the Army of Tennessee a short distance away to do the same. General Hiram U. Grant was not a big believer in custom, however, so he sent Generals William T. Sherman and George Thomas on a major pursuit of the retreating Confederate army. It was to Bragg’s great good fortune that his rear guard was under the command of the outstanding General Pat Cleburne. At Ringgold, Georgia, he turned and fought a short but severe action. Persistence was shown by both sides and other fights occurred at Chickamauga Station, Pea Vine Valley, and Pigeon Hill, Tennessee, and Graysville, Georgia. In the end, the Federals were held off and the Southern retreat protected.
The USS James Adger, under Commander Patterson, seized the British blockade runner Ella off Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina, with a cargo of salt.
The USS Antona, Acting Master Zerega in charge, captured the schooner Mary Ann southeast of Corpus Christi with a cargo of cotton.
At Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a meeting of the United States Christian Commission was held, on behalf of the National prisoners at Richmond. Bishop Potter of Pennsylvania presided, and addresses were made by Governor Brough, of Ohio, Major Boles, late from Libby Prison, G. H. Stuart, President of the Christian Commission, and others.
An engagement took place at Warm Springs, North Carolina. “It shows,” says a Confederate correspondent, “that it was a very gallant affair on the part of our men. Lieutenant Colonel Bryson, of the Twenty-fifth North Carolina troops, with a detachment of eighty men, crossed the French Broad, and was joined that night by twenty militia, under Major Haywood. Proceeding on the march, and arriving at the enemy's outpost at daylight, he was found in line of battle, having already discovered the plan. Although numbering about four hundred, the Yankees were charged and driven from the field. They came up the second time with the same result. A third time they were reenforced, perceiving which, Colonel Bryson gave the order to fall back, which was done in good order. In a hand-to-hand encounter, Sergeant Collins rushed forward and sacrificed his life to save Colonel Bryson's. The enemy's loss was thirty killed and wounded.”
By President Abraham Lincoln's proclamation, Thanksgiving day is celebrated in all of the Northern States.
The Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of Major General George Meade, advanced, crossing the Rapidan River at several points. General Robert E. Lee, commanding the Confederate forces known as the Army of Northern Virginia, noticing the movement, issued the following general order:
The enemy is again advancing upon our capital, and the country once more looks to this army for its protection. Under the blessings of God, your valor has repelled every previous attempt, and, invoking the continuance of his favor, we cheerfully commit to him the issue of the coming contest.
A cruel enemy seeks to reduce our fathers and our mothers, our wives and our children to abject slavery; to strip them of their property and drive them from their homes. Upon you these helpless ones rely to avert these terrible calamities, and to secure to them the blessings of liberty and safety. Your past history gives them the assurance that their trust will not be in vain. Let every man remember that all he holds dear depends upon the faithful discharge of his duty, and resolve to fight, and, if need be, to die, in defense of a cause so sacred and worthy the name won by this army on so many bloody fields.
A major battle had just been fought and won yesterday on Missionary Ridge, and normal custom would be for the victors to rest, reorganize, gather and tend the wounded and bury the dead, while General Braxton Bragg led the Army of Tennessee a short distance away to do the same. General Hiram U. Grant was not a big believer in custom, however, so he sent Generals William T. Sherman and George Thomas on a major pursuit of the retreating Confederate army. It was to Bragg’s great good fortune that his rear guard was under the command of the outstanding General Pat Cleburne. At Ringgold, Georgia, he turned and fought a short but severe action. Persistence was shown by both sides and other fights occurred at Chickamauga Station, Pea Vine Valley, and Pigeon Hill, Tennessee, and Graysville, Georgia. In the end, the Federals were held off and the Southern retreat protected.
The USS James Adger, under Commander Patterson, seized the British blockade runner Ella off Masonboro Inlet, North Carolina, with a cargo of salt.
The USS Antona, Acting Master Zerega in charge, captured the schooner Mary Ann southeast of Corpus Christi with a cargo of cotton.
At Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, a meeting of the United States Christian Commission was held, on behalf of the National prisoners at Richmond. Bishop Potter of Pennsylvania presided, and addresses were made by Governor Brough, of Ohio, Major Boles, late from Libby Prison, G. H. Stuart, President of the Christian Commission, and others.
An engagement took place at Warm Springs, North Carolina. “It shows,” says a Confederate correspondent, “that it was a very gallant affair on the part of our men. Lieutenant Colonel Bryson, of the Twenty-fifth North Carolina troops, with a detachment of eighty men, crossed the French Broad, and was joined that night by twenty militia, under Major Haywood. Proceeding on the march, and arriving at the enemy's outpost at daylight, he was found in line of battle, having already discovered the plan. Although numbering about four hundred, the Yankees were charged and driven from the field. They came up the second time with the same result. A third time they were reenforced, perceiving which, Colonel Bryson gave the order to fall back, which was done in good order. In a hand-to-hand encounter, Sergeant Collins rushed forward and sacrificed his life to save Colonel Bryson's. The enemy's loss was thirty killed and wounded.”
By President Abraham Lincoln's proclamation, Thanksgiving day is celebrated in all of the Northern States.
The Union Army of the Potomac, under the command of Major General George Meade, advanced, crossing the Rapidan River at several points. General Robert E. Lee, commanding the Confederate forces known as the Army of Northern Virginia, noticing the movement, issued the following general order:
The enemy is again advancing upon our capital, and the country once more looks to this army for its protection. Under the blessings of God, your valor has repelled every previous attempt, and, invoking the continuance of his favor, we cheerfully commit to him the issue of the coming contest.
A cruel enemy seeks to reduce our fathers and our mothers, our wives and our children to abject slavery; to strip them of their property and drive them from their homes. Upon you these helpless ones rely to avert these terrible calamities, and to secure to them the blessings of liberty and safety. Your past history gives them the assurance that their trust will not be in vain. Let every man remember that all he holds dear depends upon the faithful discharge of his duty, and resolve to fight, and, if need be, to die, in defense of a cause so sacred and worthy the name won by this army on so many bloody fields.
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