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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 3/17/15 at 9:08 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 3/17/15 at 9:08 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Saturday, 18 March 1865
The Confederate Congress ended its session in a fit of contention with President Jefferson Davis. Many essential war measures were left unpassed and for the last few days its main business was to argue with Davis whether he or Congress had delayed action and was responsible for some of the difficulties facing the Confederacy. It was symptomatic of the need to blame someone for the obvious impending disaster. Both branches were continuing to accuse each other of inactivity; many war measures to improve finances, mobilize subsistence, or enhance army recruiting did not pass. Davis wrote to a friend: "Faction has done much to cloud our prospects and impair my power to serve the country."
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was attempting to concentrate his forces against Major General William T. Sherman’s Federals, who were advancing towards Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Confederates had fewer than 20,000 troops versus well over 30,000 Union forces that were just south of Bentonville. Johnston planned to attack one section of Sherman’s army at a time, thus diminishing Sherman’s numerical superiority. The target was Sherman’s left wing under Generals Henry W. Slocum and Judson Kilpatrick.
Skirmishing occurred along Mingo Creek, Bush Swamp and near Benton’s Cross Roads, North Carolina; Livingston, Tennessee; near Dranesville, Virginia and on the Amite River in Louisiana.
A Federal expedition began from Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.
At Mobile Bay, approximately 1,700 Federal troops advanced from Dauphin Island on the west side of the bay to deceive the Confederate defenders as to which side would be attacked; the main effort would be to the east.
A naval expedition, led by Lieutenant Commander Thomas H. Eastman, consisting of the U.S.S Don, Stepping Stones, Heliotrope and Resolute, proceeded up the Rappahannock River and its tributary, Mattox Creek, on 16 March to the vicinity of Montrose, Virginia, where it destroyed a supply base that had been supporting Confederate guerrillas on the peninsula between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. Eastman led a landing force of 70 Marines and sailors up the right fork of Mattox Creek where he found and destroyed four boats. The landing party, led by Acting Ensign William H. Summers, that cleared the left fork encountered heavy musket fire but successfully destroyed three schooners. Houses in the vicinity were also searched and contraband destroyed. Acting Ensign John J. Brice, who led the 40 man search party,"...found himself opposed by about 50 cavalry. He formed his men to receive their attack. While doing this, 8 or 10 cavalry came down on his left flank, which he drove off. The main portion, on seeing this, retired to the woods."
The Confederate Congress ended its session in a fit of contention with President Jefferson Davis. Many essential war measures were left unpassed and for the last few days its main business was to argue with Davis whether he or Congress had delayed action and was responsible for some of the difficulties facing the Confederacy. It was symptomatic of the need to blame someone for the obvious impending disaster. Both branches were continuing to accuse each other of inactivity; many war measures to improve finances, mobilize subsistence, or enhance army recruiting did not pass. Davis wrote to a friend: "Faction has done much to cloud our prospects and impair my power to serve the country."
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was attempting to concentrate his forces against Major General William T. Sherman’s Federals, who were advancing towards Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Confederates had fewer than 20,000 troops versus well over 30,000 Union forces that were just south of Bentonville. Johnston planned to attack one section of Sherman’s army at a time, thus diminishing Sherman’s numerical superiority. The target was Sherman’s left wing under Generals Henry W. Slocum and Judson Kilpatrick.
Skirmishing occurred along Mingo Creek, Bush Swamp and near Benton’s Cross Roads, North Carolina; Livingston, Tennessee; near Dranesville, Virginia and on the Amite River in Louisiana.
A Federal expedition began from Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.
At Mobile Bay, approximately 1,700 Federal troops advanced from Dauphin Island on the west side of the bay to deceive the Confederate defenders as to which side would be attacked; the main effort would be to the east.
A naval expedition, led by Lieutenant Commander Thomas H. Eastman, consisting of the U.S.S Don, Stepping Stones, Heliotrope and Resolute, proceeded up the Rappahannock River and its tributary, Mattox Creek, on 16 March to the vicinity of Montrose, Virginia, where it destroyed a supply base that had been supporting Confederate guerrillas on the peninsula between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. Eastman led a landing force of 70 Marines and sailors up the right fork of Mattox Creek where he found and destroyed four boats. The landing party, led by Acting Ensign William H. Summers, that cleared the left fork encountered heavy musket fire but successfully destroyed three schooners. Houses in the vicinity were also searched and contraband destroyed. Acting Ensign John J. Brice, who led the 40 man search party,"...found himself opposed by about 50 cavalry. He formed his men to receive their attack. While doing this, 8 or 10 cavalry came down on his left flank, which he drove off. The main portion, on seeing this, retired to the woods."
1
Posted on 3/18/15 at 9:17 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Sunday, 19 March 1865
Union Major General William T. Sherman did not expect an attack when the Federals resumed their march and ran headlong into waiting Confederates near Bentonville, North Carolina. Initially, there did not seem to be a serious obstacle, but by early afternoon they were being pressed. The Northerners fended off cavalry attacks by General Wade Hampton, but then General Joseph E. Johnston’s main force advanced.
At first the Confederates crashed through the Yankee breastworks, partially demoralizing one section of the Federal force and completely routing the left flank.In the aftermath of the attack, a strong stand by Major General Jefferson C. Davis held firm, giving Sherman time to gather reinforcements. Other Federal units from their vast reserves came in to stem the advance. The battle lasted until after dark when the three main Confederate assaults were finally beaten off. Late that night, the Confederates pulled back to their starting points and both sides spent the night preparing their positions. Meanwhile, Sherman hurried his right wing to the scene.
The next day, Johnston would establish a strong defensive position and hope for a Yankee assault. More Union troops will arrive and give Sherman a nearly three to one advantage over Johnston. When a Union force threatens to cut off the Southerners' only line of retreat on 21 March, Johnston withdraws his army northward.
The Union lost 194 men killed, 1,112 wounded, and 221 missing, while the Confederates lost some 240 killed, 1,700 wounded, and 1,500 missing. About Sherman, Johnston wrote to Lee that: "I can do no more than annoy him." A month and a week later, Johnston would surrender his army to Sherman.
Federal Major General Phillip H. Sheridan’s Union cavalry made it to White House on the Pamunkey River in Virginia after wrecking the Virginia Central Railroad and the James River Canal in its successful march from Winchester to join Lieutenant General Hiram U. Grant’s Army of the Potomac at Petersburg, Virginia.
The First U.S. Sharpshooters Company I members mustered out of Federal service. Those with time remaining were transferred to the First Battalion of Minnesota Infantry.
Skirmishing at Celina, Tennessee; Welaka and Saunders, Florida rounded out the day.
Brigadier General Thomas Kilby Smith, USA, assumes the command of the District of South Alabama, in the Mobile, Alabama, Campaign.
Federals scout from Warrensburg to Columbus, Missouri, and skirmish with partisan guerrillas near Greenton.
The USS Massachusetts, under Acting Lieutenant William H. West, struck a torpedo in Charleston Harbor; "...fortunately..." West reported, "...it did not explode." The incident took place only two days after the Coast Survey steamer Bibb had been damaged by a torpedo in the harbor and occurred within 50 yards of the wreck of the USS Patapsco, which had been sunk by a torpedo two months before. The danger to those attempting to clear torpedoes from the waters previously controlled by the South was constant, as was the risk to ships that were simply operating in these waters.
A new battalion of white hospital convalescents and black hospital orderlies began drilling on Richmond’s Capitol Square in accordance with the new Confederate law permitting the recruitment of slaves into the Southern armies.
Union Major General William T. Sherman did not expect an attack when the Federals resumed their march and ran headlong into waiting Confederates near Bentonville, North Carolina. Initially, there did not seem to be a serious obstacle, but by early afternoon they were being pressed. The Northerners fended off cavalry attacks by General Wade Hampton, but then General Joseph E. Johnston’s main force advanced.
At first the Confederates crashed through the Yankee breastworks, partially demoralizing one section of the Federal force and completely routing the left flank.In the aftermath of the attack, a strong stand by Major General Jefferson C. Davis held firm, giving Sherman time to gather reinforcements. Other Federal units from their vast reserves came in to stem the advance. The battle lasted until after dark when the three main Confederate assaults were finally beaten off. Late that night, the Confederates pulled back to their starting points and both sides spent the night preparing their positions. Meanwhile, Sherman hurried his right wing to the scene.
The next day, Johnston would establish a strong defensive position and hope for a Yankee assault. More Union troops will arrive and give Sherman a nearly three to one advantage over Johnston. When a Union force threatens to cut off the Southerners' only line of retreat on 21 March, Johnston withdraws his army northward.
The Union lost 194 men killed, 1,112 wounded, and 221 missing, while the Confederates lost some 240 killed, 1,700 wounded, and 1,500 missing. About Sherman, Johnston wrote to Lee that: "I can do no more than annoy him." A month and a week later, Johnston would surrender his army to Sherman.
Federal Major General Phillip H. Sheridan’s Union cavalry made it to White House on the Pamunkey River in Virginia after wrecking the Virginia Central Railroad and the James River Canal in its successful march from Winchester to join Lieutenant General Hiram U. Grant’s Army of the Potomac at Petersburg, Virginia.
The First U.S. Sharpshooters Company I members mustered out of Federal service. Those with time remaining were transferred to the First Battalion of Minnesota Infantry.
Skirmishing at Celina, Tennessee; Welaka and Saunders, Florida rounded out the day.
Brigadier General Thomas Kilby Smith, USA, assumes the command of the District of South Alabama, in the Mobile, Alabama, Campaign.
Federals scout from Warrensburg to Columbus, Missouri, and skirmish with partisan guerrillas near Greenton.
The USS Massachusetts, under Acting Lieutenant William H. West, struck a torpedo in Charleston Harbor; "...fortunately..." West reported, "...it did not explode." The incident took place only two days after the Coast Survey steamer Bibb had been damaged by a torpedo in the harbor and occurred within 50 yards of the wreck of the USS Patapsco, which had been sunk by a torpedo two months before. The danger to those attempting to clear torpedoes from the waters previously controlled by the South was constant, as was the risk to ships that were simply operating in these waters.
A new battalion of white hospital convalescents and black hospital orderlies began drilling on Richmond’s Capitol Square in accordance with the new Confederate law permitting the recruitment of slaves into the Southern armies.
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