Started By
Message
re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 3/14/15 at 9:31 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 3/14/15 at 9:31 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Wednesday, 15 March 1865
In North Carolina, both wings of Major General William T. Sherman’s Union army cross the Cape Fear River, moving north to feint against Raleigh before heading to join Major Generals John M. Schofield and Jacob D. Cox at Goldsboro. Meanwhile, General William Joseph Hardee’s Confederates entrenched between the Cape Fear River and a swamp near Averasboro, which Sherman’s left wing would have to pass to get to either Raleigh or Goldsboro. This evening, the left wing, commanded by General Henry Warner Slocum, arrived and camped about eight miles south of Averasboro. Union cavalry under General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick had contacted some of Hardee’s men along the old Plank Road northeast of Fayetteville earlier this afternoon and skirmished, but could not punch through, so Kilpatrick withdrew and regrouped to wait on Slocum.
In Virginia, Major General Philip Sheridan’s Federals reached Hanover Court House, skirmishing near Ashland.
Thomas Casimer Devin, USA, is appointed Brigadier General.
Skirmishes broke out at Boyd's Station and Stevenson's Gap, Alabama, as the almost vanquished Confederates do everything they can to garner Southern Independence. This morning, they attack and capture men of the 101st US Colored Infantry.
Federal troops scout from Fort Sumner, in the New Mexico Territory, to the Rio Conchas, Rio Turpentine, Anton Chico, the Pecos, as well as around the town of Anton Chico, to ascertain the truth of whether Navajo and Apache Indians from the local reservation were stealing sheep and cattle. The Yankees are convinced this is not the case but more of unscrupulous white men who sell inferior stock and to save themselves, blame the Indians when they disappear. In addition, there are even reports a group of Navajoes returned a large flock of sheep they found that were lost in the blinding snowstorms. And finally, it appears that anytime livestock is missing, the natives are blamed for it.
A skirmish occurs near Smith's Mills, on the Black River, North Carolina, as Major General William T. Sherman marches on; meanwhile General Joseph E. Johnston attempts to assemble a respectable Confederate force to contest his advance.
Another skirmish flares up at South River, North Carolina.
Rear Admiral Samuel P. Lee, commanding the Mississippi Squadron, warned of the receipt from "...the highest military sources..." of the information "...that the Rebel Navy is reported to have been relieved from duty on the Atlantic coast and sent to operate on the Western rivers." He added: "The design of the enemy is believed to be to interfere with the naval vessels and the transports on these rivers, or to cover the transfer of Rebel troops from the west side of the Mississippi..."
Acting Lieutenant Robert P. Swann, commanding the USS Lodona, reported to Rear Admiral John A. B. Dahlgren that he had destroyed an extensive salt work on Broro Neck, in McIntosh County, Georgia. Destroyed were 12 boilers, 10 buildings, 100 bushels of salt, a large quantity of timber and a number of new barrels and staves.
In North Carolina, both wings of Major General William T. Sherman’s Union army cross the Cape Fear River, moving north to feint against Raleigh before heading to join Major Generals John M. Schofield and Jacob D. Cox at Goldsboro. Meanwhile, General William Joseph Hardee’s Confederates entrenched between the Cape Fear River and a swamp near Averasboro, which Sherman’s left wing would have to pass to get to either Raleigh or Goldsboro. This evening, the left wing, commanded by General Henry Warner Slocum, arrived and camped about eight miles south of Averasboro. Union cavalry under General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick had contacted some of Hardee’s men along the old Plank Road northeast of Fayetteville earlier this afternoon and skirmished, but could not punch through, so Kilpatrick withdrew and regrouped to wait on Slocum.
In Virginia, Major General Philip Sheridan’s Federals reached Hanover Court House, skirmishing near Ashland.
Thomas Casimer Devin, USA, is appointed Brigadier General.
Skirmishes broke out at Boyd's Station and Stevenson's Gap, Alabama, as the almost vanquished Confederates do everything they can to garner Southern Independence. This morning, they attack and capture men of the 101st US Colored Infantry.
Federal troops scout from Fort Sumner, in the New Mexico Territory, to the Rio Conchas, Rio Turpentine, Anton Chico, the Pecos, as well as around the town of Anton Chico, to ascertain the truth of whether Navajo and Apache Indians from the local reservation were stealing sheep and cattle. The Yankees are convinced this is not the case but more of unscrupulous white men who sell inferior stock and to save themselves, blame the Indians when they disappear. In addition, there are even reports a group of Navajoes returned a large flock of sheep they found that were lost in the blinding snowstorms. And finally, it appears that anytime livestock is missing, the natives are blamed for it.
A skirmish occurs near Smith's Mills, on the Black River, North Carolina, as Major General William T. Sherman marches on; meanwhile General Joseph E. Johnston attempts to assemble a respectable Confederate force to contest his advance.
Another skirmish flares up at South River, North Carolina.
Rear Admiral Samuel P. Lee, commanding the Mississippi Squadron, warned of the receipt from "...the highest military sources..." of the information "...that the Rebel Navy is reported to have been relieved from duty on the Atlantic coast and sent to operate on the Western rivers." He added: "The design of the enemy is believed to be to interfere with the naval vessels and the transports on these rivers, or to cover the transfer of Rebel troops from the west side of the Mississippi..."
Acting Lieutenant Robert P. Swann, commanding the USS Lodona, reported to Rear Admiral John A. B. Dahlgren that he had destroyed an extensive salt work on Broro Neck, in McIntosh County, Georgia. Destroyed were 12 boilers, 10 buildings, 100 bushels of salt, a large quantity of timber and a number of new barrels and staves.
1
Posted on 3/15/15 at 8:56 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Thursday, 16 March 1865
The Battle of Averasboro occurred in North Carolina, as Major General William T. Sherman's Federals, advancing from Fayetteville, attacked a smaller force of Confederates blocking their path. The Confederates withdrew toward Smithfield after suffering some 865 virtually irreplaceable casualties; the Federals lost 682.
Full report: On this day in 1865, the mighty "Bummer" army of Union General William T. Sherman encounters its most significant resistance as it continues tearing through the Carolinas on its way to join General Hiram U. Grant’s army at Petersburg, Virginia. Confederate General William J. Hardee tried to block one wing of Sherman’s force, commanded by General Henry W. Slocum, but the patchwork Rebel force was eventually swept aside at the Battle of Averasboro, North Carolina.
Sherman’s army left Savannah, Georgia, in late January 1865 and began to drive through the Carolinas with the intention of inflicting the same damage, or worse, on those states as it infamously had done on Georgia two months prior. The vastly outnumbered Confederates could offer little opposition save a few well placed cavalry skirmishes, and Sherman rolled northward while engaging in only a few other small battles. Now, however, the Rebels had mobilized more soldiers and dug in their heels as the Confederacy entered its final days.
Hardee placed his troops across the main roads leading away from Fayetteville in an effort to determine Sherman’s objective. Union cavalry under General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick contacted some of Hardee’s men along the old Plank Road northeast of Fayetteville on 15 March. Kilpatrick could not punch through, so he regrouped and waited until this morning to renew the attack. When they tried again, the Yankees still could not break the Confederate lines until two divisions of Slocum’s infantry finally arrived. In danger of being outflanked and possibly surrounded, Hardee adroitly withdrew his troops and headed toward a rendezvous with General Joseph Johnston’s gathering army at Bentonville, North Carolina.
The Yankees lost approximately 95 men killed, 530 wounded, and 50 missing, while Hardee lost about 865 total. The battle did little to slow the march of Sherman’s army.
Several members of the Confederate Congress submitted a rebuttal to President Jefferson Davis' message from three days ago: "Nothing is more desirable than concord and cordial cooperation between all departments of Government. Hence your committee regrets that the Executive deemed it necessary to transmit to Congress a message so well calculated to excite discord and dissension..."
Major General Edward R. S. Canby requested Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher to provide naval gunfire and transport support to the landing and movement of Federal troops against Mobile, Alabama. The response again demonstrated the close coordination with ground operations which was so effective throughout the conflict; Thatcher replied: "I shall be most happy and ready to give you all the assistance in my power. Six tinclads are all the light-draft vessels at my disposal. They will be ready at any moment."
The USS Pursuit, Acting Lieutenant William R. Browne in charge, captured the British schooner Mary attempting to run the blockade into the Indian River on the East Coast of Florida. Her cargo consisted of shoes, percussion caps, and rum.
The USS Quaker City, under Commander William F. Spicer, captured the small blockade running sloop Telemico in the Gulf of Mexico with a cargo of cotton and peanuts.
The Battle of Averasboro occurred in North Carolina, as Major General William T. Sherman's Federals, advancing from Fayetteville, attacked a smaller force of Confederates blocking their path. The Confederates withdrew toward Smithfield after suffering some 865 virtually irreplaceable casualties; the Federals lost 682.
Full report: On this day in 1865, the mighty "Bummer" army of Union General William T. Sherman encounters its most significant resistance as it continues tearing through the Carolinas on its way to join General Hiram U. Grant’s army at Petersburg, Virginia. Confederate General William J. Hardee tried to block one wing of Sherman’s force, commanded by General Henry W. Slocum, but the patchwork Rebel force was eventually swept aside at the Battle of Averasboro, North Carolina.
Sherman’s army left Savannah, Georgia, in late January 1865 and began to drive through the Carolinas with the intention of inflicting the same damage, or worse, on those states as it infamously had done on Georgia two months prior. The vastly outnumbered Confederates could offer little opposition save a few well placed cavalry skirmishes, and Sherman rolled northward while engaging in only a few other small battles. Now, however, the Rebels had mobilized more soldiers and dug in their heels as the Confederacy entered its final days.
Hardee placed his troops across the main roads leading away from Fayetteville in an effort to determine Sherman’s objective. Union cavalry under General Hugh Judson Kilpatrick contacted some of Hardee’s men along the old Plank Road northeast of Fayetteville on 15 March. Kilpatrick could not punch through, so he regrouped and waited until this morning to renew the attack. When they tried again, the Yankees still could not break the Confederate lines until two divisions of Slocum’s infantry finally arrived. In danger of being outflanked and possibly surrounded, Hardee adroitly withdrew his troops and headed toward a rendezvous with General Joseph Johnston’s gathering army at Bentonville, North Carolina.
The Yankees lost approximately 95 men killed, 530 wounded, and 50 missing, while Hardee lost about 865 total. The battle did little to slow the march of Sherman’s army.
Several members of the Confederate Congress submitted a rebuttal to President Jefferson Davis' message from three days ago: "Nothing is more desirable than concord and cordial cooperation between all departments of Government. Hence your committee regrets that the Executive deemed it necessary to transmit to Congress a message so well calculated to excite discord and dissension..."
Major General Edward R. S. Canby requested Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher to provide naval gunfire and transport support to the landing and movement of Federal troops against Mobile, Alabama. The response again demonstrated the close coordination with ground operations which was so effective throughout the conflict; Thatcher replied: "I shall be most happy and ready to give you all the assistance in my power. Six tinclads are all the light-draft vessels at my disposal. They will be ready at any moment."
The USS Pursuit, Acting Lieutenant William R. Browne in charge, captured the British schooner Mary attempting to run the blockade into the Indian River on the East Coast of Florida. Her cargo consisted of shoes, percussion caps, and rum.
The USS Quaker City, under Commander William F. Spicer, captured the small blockade running sloop Telemico in the Gulf of Mexico with a cargo of cotton and peanuts.
Page 1 of 1
Back to top
Follow SECRant for SEC Football News