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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 10/9/14 at 10:37 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 10/9/14 at 10:37 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Monday, 10 October 1864
A year to the day after William T. Sherman had his difficulties on the waters of the Western theater, another group of Union men found themselves in an even more dire situation. A group of gunboats were offloading troops at Eastport, Mississippi, on the Tennessee River. Suddenly there was the sound of cannon fire and the men and ships were under a blistering cross fire from hidden Confederate shore batteries. The transports Aurora and Kenton were hit almost at once and began to drift downstream out of control. Lieutenant King, captain of the USS Key West and commander of the expedition, ordered another vessel, the Undine, to follow and corral the stray ships. King remained behind to evacuate the men who had already gone ashore, and to cover the escape of the lightly-armed and armored USS Pekin.
Second account: The USS Key West, under Acting Lieutenant King, and the USS Undine, Acting Master Bryant in charge, in company with transports City of Pekin, Kenton, and Aurora, were surprised by Confederate shore batteries off Eastport, Mississippi, on the Tennessee River, and after a severe engagement, were forced to retire downriver. The combined operation to take Eastport was designed to secure the river at that point against the crossing of General Forrest's cavalry and provide an outpost against the threatened advance of Confederate General Hood from the East. Departing Clifton, Tennessee, on 9 October with the gunboats in the van, the force steamed up the river and cautiously approached Eastport. Finding no evidence of the Southerners, the Federal troops began to land. Suddenly, masked batteries on both sides of the river opened a severe crossfire, immediately disabling transports Aurora and Kenton and causing widespread confusion among the troops. Key West and Undine, both steamers of about 200 tons, engaged the batteries hotly. Seeing the two disabled transports drifting downstream out of control, Lieutenant King ordered Undine to follow them, while he stayed at Eastport to cover City of Pekin as troops re-embarked and to escort her downstream in retreat.
The USS Montgomery, piloted by Lieutenant Faucon, captured the blockade running British steamer Bat near Wilmington with a cargo of coal and machinery.
General Philip Sheridan established positions near Cedar Creek, north of Strasburg. Believing he had suppressed Confederate resistance in the Valley, Sheridan was unaware that General Jubal Early was planning an attack. A corps of Sheridan’s army was transferred to Petersburg, which made the personnel in the armies of Sheridan and Early slightly more even. Early seized the opportunity.
Union President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Maryland politician Henry W. Hoffman: “I wish all men to be free. I wish the material prosperity of the already free which I feel sure the extinction of slavery would bring. I wish to see, in process of disappearing, that only thing which ever could bring this nation to civil war.”
General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederates clashed with Federal gunboats on the Tennessee River near Eastport, Mississippi.
General John Bell Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee fought Federal supply guards near Rome, Georgia.
A year to the day after William T. Sherman had his difficulties on the waters of the Western theater, another group of Union men found themselves in an even more dire situation. A group of gunboats were offloading troops at Eastport, Mississippi, on the Tennessee River. Suddenly there was the sound of cannon fire and the men and ships were under a blistering cross fire from hidden Confederate shore batteries. The transports Aurora and Kenton were hit almost at once and began to drift downstream out of control. Lieutenant King, captain of the USS Key West and commander of the expedition, ordered another vessel, the Undine, to follow and corral the stray ships. King remained behind to evacuate the men who had already gone ashore, and to cover the escape of the lightly-armed and armored USS Pekin.
Second account: The USS Key West, under Acting Lieutenant King, and the USS Undine, Acting Master Bryant in charge, in company with transports City of Pekin, Kenton, and Aurora, were surprised by Confederate shore batteries off Eastport, Mississippi, on the Tennessee River, and after a severe engagement, were forced to retire downriver. The combined operation to take Eastport was designed to secure the river at that point against the crossing of General Forrest's cavalry and provide an outpost against the threatened advance of Confederate General Hood from the East. Departing Clifton, Tennessee, on 9 October with the gunboats in the van, the force steamed up the river and cautiously approached Eastport. Finding no evidence of the Southerners, the Federal troops began to land. Suddenly, masked batteries on both sides of the river opened a severe crossfire, immediately disabling transports Aurora and Kenton and causing widespread confusion among the troops. Key West and Undine, both steamers of about 200 tons, engaged the batteries hotly. Seeing the two disabled transports drifting downstream out of control, Lieutenant King ordered Undine to follow them, while he stayed at Eastport to cover City of Pekin as troops re-embarked and to escort her downstream in retreat.
The USS Montgomery, piloted by Lieutenant Faucon, captured the blockade running British steamer Bat near Wilmington with a cargo of coal and machinery.
General Philip Sheridan established positions near Cedar Creek, north of Strasburg. Believing he had suppressed Confederate resistance in the Valley, Sheridan was unaware that General Jubal Early was planning an attack. A corps of Sheridan’s army was transferred to Petersburg, which made the personnel in the armies of Sheridan and Early slightly more even. Early seized the opportunity.
Union President Abraham Lincoln wrote to Maryland politician Henry W. Hoffman: “I wish all men to be free. I wish the material prosperity of the already free which I feel sure the extinction of slavery would bring. I wish to see, in process of disappearing, that only thing which ever could bring this nation to civil war.”
General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederates clashed with Federal gunboats on the Tennessee River near Eastport, Mississippi.
General John Bell Hood’s Confederate Army of Tennessee fought Federal supply guards near Rome, Georgia.
1
Posted on 10/11/14 at 5:49 am to BadLeroyDawg
Tuesday, 11 October 1864
Surely, they thought in Richmond, surely this would be the year it would sink in to the voters of the North. After Manassas, after Chancellorsville, after Gettysburg...after all the blood and slaughter and disease and death, surely they would decide that it was not worth fighting any longer to keep a part of the country that wanted to leave. Actually President Abraham Lincoln in Washington was deeply afraid that the voters might think exactly that way. The elections were today for some governorships as well as the House and one-third of the Senate. Lincoln stayed half the night in the telegraph room of the War Department waiting for the results to arrive. Again, the last, best hope of the South was dashed: support for Republicans was far stronger than had been expected, as Oliver Morton won the governor’s office in Indiana, and Republican gains were made in both the House and Senate. The War would not likely end by negotiation.
Second account: Several northern states held elections, which pleased President Lincoln by resulting in sizeable Republican majorities. In Ohio, Republicans won 12 congressional seats and a 50,000 popular vote majority. In Indiana, Republican Oliver P. Morton was elected governor, and Republicans won eight of the state’s 11 congressional seats. In Pennsylvania, Republicans won a narrow victory mainly because of the pro-Republican absentee soldier vote. These elections demonstrated that soldiers’ votes would be crucial in next month’s national election. Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton arranged as many soldier furloughs as possible so troops could go home and vote. In places like Kentucky, Lincoln operatives were rigging the vote and arresting the opposition.
Major General Sterling Price’s Southerners fought near Boonville and Brunswick as they continued with the Confederate thrust into Missouri.
Federal expeditions began from Stony Creek Station, Virginia; they skirmished 2 miles south of Petersburg, West Virginia, with some of Brigadier General John D. Imboden's Confederate cavalry.
This morning, a Confederate attack on the steamer, Resolute, took place on the White River about 12 miles above Clarendon, Arkansas, by partisan guerrillas who fire repeatedly into the vessel.
The Federals begin an expedition from Atlanta to Hat Creek, Georgia, and skirmish with Confederates, as Union Major General William T. Sherman concentrates his forces around Rome, Georgia. The bulk of Lieutenant General John Bell Hood's much smaller force is located just south of the city.
Union troops scout from Camp Palmer to Gum Swamp, North Carolina, as the Yankees capture several Southerners, as well as some freed Negroes all hired by the Confederate Government to work on repairing the railroad there.
Skirmishes occur near Fort Donelson, Tennessee, as Confederate Cavalry attempts but fails to raid the Union recruiting post there.
Federals scout toward Stony Creek Station, in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign and skirmishes took place near White Plains, Virginia.
Surely, they thought in Richmond, surely this would be the year it would sink in to the voters of the North. After Manassas, after Chancellorsville, after Gettysburg...after all the blood and slaughter and disease and death, surely they would decide that it was not worth fighting any longer to keep a part of the country that wanted to leave. Actually President Abraham Lincoln in Washington was deeply afraid that the voters might think exactly that way. The elections were today for some governorships as well as the House and one-third of the Senate. Lincoln stayed half the night in the telegraph room of the War Department waiting for the results to arrive. Again, the last, best hope of the South was dashed: support for Republicans was far stronger than had been expected, as Oliver Morton won the governor’s office in Indiana, and Republican gains were made in both the House and Senate. The War would not likely end by negotiation.
Second account: Several northern states held elections, which pleased President Lincoln by resulting in sizeable Republican majorities. In Ohio, Republicans won 12 congressional seats and a 50,000 popular vote majority. In Indiana, Republican Oliver P. Morton was elected governor, and Republicans won eight of the state’s 11 congressional seats. In Pennsylvania, Republicans won a narrow victory mainly because of the pro-Republican absentee soldier vote. These elections demonstrated that soldiers’ votes would be crucial in next month’s national election. Lincoln and Secretary of War Edwin M. Stanton arranged as many soldier furloughs as possible so troops could go home and vote. In places like Kentucky, Lincoln operatives were rigging the vote and arresting the opposition.
Major General Sterling Price’s Southerners fought near Boonville and Brunswick as they continued with the Confederate thrust into Missouri.
Federal expeditions began from Stony Creek Station, Virginia; they skirmished 2 miles south of Petersburg, West Virginia, with some of Brigadier General John D. Imboden's Confederate cavalry.
This morning, a Confederate attack on the steamer, Resolute, took place on the White River about 12 miles above Clarendon, Arkansas, by partisan guerrillas who fire repeatedly into the vessel.
The Federals begin an expedition from Atlanta to Hat Creek, Georgia, and skirmish with Confederates, as Union Major General William T. Sherman concentrates his forces around Rome, Georgia. The bulk of Lieutenant General John Bell Hood's much smaller force is located just south of the city.
Union troops scout from Camp Palmer to Gum Swamp, North Carolina, as the Yankees capture several Southerners, as well as some freed Negroes all hired by the Confederate Government to work on repairing the railroad there.
Skirmishes occur near Fort Donelson, Tennessee, as Confederate Cavalry attempts but fails to raid the Union recruiting post there.
Federals scout toward Stony Creek Station, in the Richmond-Petersburg Campaign and skirmishes took place near White Plains, Virginia.
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