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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 1/20/14 at 6:44 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 1/20/14 at 6:44 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Thursday, 21 January 1864
A little-discussed aspect of the United States during the War of Northern Aggression was that the nation was divided into Departments by the Army. Usually named after states, they did not necessarily follow existing state borders, and frequently contained more than one state. The Department of Ohio, for example, was immense, stretching from the western half of Pennsylvania to include all of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and, for a time, Missouri. Although departmental commanders did not have the full authority of martial law, they did have the responsibility to coordinate not just collection and assignment of state troop quotas, but considerable influence over what would normally be “private sector” activities. For example, today in that same Department of Ohio, an order was issued forbidding the distillation of whiskey by Major General John Gray Foster. The reasons given were a shortage of grain and the need to save what was available for food purposes.
The Unadilla-class gunboat USS Sciota, under Lieutenant Commander George H. Perkins, in company with the side wheel-propelled USS Granite City, Acting Master Charles W. Lamson in charge, joined several hundred troops in a reconnaissance of the Texas coast. The Sciota and Granite City covered the troops at Smith's Landing, Texas, and the subsequent foray down the Matagorda Peninsula. From the war's outset, this type of close naval support and cooperation with the army had been a potent factor in Union success in all theaters of the conflict.
The movement of the cavalry belonging to the Federal forces, in their hurried retreat from Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, reached Sevierville. Skirmishing was kept up all day between the Union troops on one side of the Holston River, and the Confederates on the other. The latter had a battery on College Hill, near Strawberry Plains, from which they played on the Yankees, while crossing the river. Comparatively little damage was done, the Union loss being little over a half-dozen wounded.
The shelling of Charleston, South Carolina, from Fort Putnam continued night and day at intervals of ten minutes. One gun alone has fired over one thousand, one hundred rounds, at an elevation of forty degrees.
Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, accompanied by his staff, arrived at New Orleans this morning.
A little-discussed aspect of the United States during the War of Northern Aggression was that the nation was divided into Departments by the Army. Usually named after states, they did not necessarily follow existing state borders, and frequently contained more than one state. The Department of Ohio, for example, was immense, stretching from the western half of Pennsylvania to include all of Ohio, Indiana, Illinois and, for a time, Missouri. Although departmental commanders did not have the full authority of martial law, they did have the responsibility to coordinate not just collection and assignment of state troop quotas, but considerable influence over what would normally be “private sector” activities. For example, today in that same Department of Ohio, an order was issued forbidding the distillation of whiskey by Major General John Gray Foster. The reasons given were a shortage of grain and the need to save what was available for food purposes.
The Unadilla-class gunboat USS Sciota, under Lieutenant Commander George H. Perkins, in company with the side wheel-propelled USS Granite City, Acting Master Charles W. Lamson in charge, joined several hundred troops in a reconnaissance of the Texas coast. The Sciota and Granite City covered the troops at Smith's Landing, Texas, and the subsequent foray down the Matagorda Peninsula. From the war's outset, this type of close naval support and cooperation with the army had been a potent factor in Union success in all theaters of the conflict.
The movement of the cavalry belonging to the Federal forces, in their hurried retreat from Strawberry Plains, Tennessee, reached Sevierville. Skirmishing was kept up all day between the Union troops on one side of the Holston River, and the Confederates on the other. The latter had a battery on College Hill, near Strawberry Plains, from which they played on the Yankees, while crossing the river. Comparatively little damage was done, the Union loss being little over a half-dozen wounded.
The shelling of Charleston, South Carolina, from Fort Putnam continued night and day at intervals of ten minutes. One gun alone has fired over one thousand, one hundred rounds, at an elevation of forty degrees.
Rear Admiral David G. Farragut, accompanied by his staff, arrived at New Orleans this morning.
1
Posted on 1/21/14 at 8:52 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Friday, 22 January 1864
In a major shake-up of military commands in the western areas of the Union, Major General William S. Rosecrans was appointed military governor of the Department of the Missouri. Missouri was something of a booby prize for Union generals being kicked upstairs out of combat command. This territory, although no longer under attack by official “Confederate” military forces, was riddled with militia units which had started out as “home guards” but in too many cases degenerated into bands of armed thugs. In addition, it had its own mini-civil war going on between different factions of Union supporters. The former officer, Major General John McAllister Schofield, fared no better than his numerous predecessors had at managing the mess. He would shortly be reassigned to the larger, but calmer, Department of the Ohio.
Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren wrote Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus V. Fox regarding Charleston: "...do not suppose that I am idle because no battles are fought; on the contrary, the blockade by four monitors of such a place as this, and the determined intentions of the Rebels to operate with torpedoes, keep all eyes open."
Acting Ensign James J. Russell, commanding the USS Restless, accompanied by two sailors, captured the blockade running schooner William A. Kain in St. Andrew's Bay, Florida. Russell and his men had intended originally to reconnoiter only, but after discovering and capturing the Captain and several of the crew members of the blockade runner in the woods near the vessel, he determined to take her himself. Compelling his prisoners to row him out to Kain, Russell captured the remaining crew members and managed to sail Kain from Watson's Bayou out into the bay and under the protection of the Restless' guns.
Skirmishing took place at Armstrong's Ferry, a point six miles above Knoxville, Tennessee.
Captain George P. Edgar was ordered to the headquarters of Major General Benjamin "Spoons" Butler to investigate into the condition of the poor of Norfolk, Virginia, and to organize a system for their relief.
In a major shake-up of military commands in the western areas of the Union, Major General William S. Rosecrans was appointed military governor of the Department of the Missouri. Missouri was something of a booby prize for Union generals being kicked upstairs out of combat command. This territory, although no longer under attack by official “Confederate” military forces, was riddled with militia units which had started out as “home guards” but in too many cases degenerated into bands of armed thugs. In addition, it had its own mini-civil war going on between different factions of Union supporters. The former officer, Major General John McAllister Schofield, fared no better than his numerous predecessors had at managing the mess. He would shortly be reassigned to the larger, but calmer, Department of the Ohio.
Rear Admiral John A. Dahlgren wrote Assistant Secretary of the Navy Gustavus V. Fox regarding Charleston: "...do not suppose that I am idle because no battles are fought; on the contrary, the blockade by four monitors of such a place as this, and the determined intentions of the Rebels to operate with torpedoes, keep all eyes open."
Acting Ensign James J. Russell, commanding the USS Restless, accompanied by two sailors, captured the blockade running schooner William A. Kain in St. Andrew's Bay, Florida. Russell and his men had intended originally to reconnoiter only, but after discovering and capturing the Captain and several of the crew members of the blockade runner in the woods near the vessel, he determined to take her himself. Compelling his prisoners to row him out to Kain, Russell captured the remaining crew members and managed to sail Kain from Watson's Bayou out into the bay and under the protection of the Restless' guns.
Skirmishing took place at Armstrong's Ferry, a point six miles above Knoxville, Tennessee.
Captain George P. Edgar was ordered to the headquarters of Major General Benjamin "Spoons" Butler to investigate into the condition of the poor of Norfolk, Virginia, and to organize a system for their relief.
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