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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 3/18/15 at 9:17 pm to BadLeroyDawg
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.
1
Posted on 3/19/15 at 8:28 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Monday, 20 March 1865
In North Carolina, Major General William T. Sherman’s right wing of Union reinforcements under Major General Oliver O. Howard arrived at daybreak for the second's day fighting around Bentonville, and soon Sherman’s entire 100,000-man army took up positions to confront General Joseph E. Johnston's barely 16,000 Confederates. Considerable amounts of heavy skirmishing ensued as Sherman prepared for a general counter attack.
Major General George Stoneman and over 4,000 Federal cavalrymen left Jonesboro, Tennessee, to support Sherman in North Carolina with destruction operations.
Union General-in-Chief Hiram U. Grant sent a message to President Abraham Lincoln: "Can you not visit (Grant's headquarters at) City Point for a day or two?" Lincoln immediately accepted the invitation. The visit was intended to be part vacation, part observation, and part conference with Grant on future plans.
Grant also messaged Major General Philip H. Sheridan at White House, Virginia: "Start for this place as soon as you conveniently can." Grant instructed Sheridan to wreck the Southside and Danville railroads, "...and then either return to this army or go on to Sherman, as you may deem most practicable." Grant emphasized that "...the principal thing being the destruction of the only two roads left to the enemy at Richmond."
The advance of the Union forces--Major General Frederick Steele's column, of Major General Edward R. S. Canby's Army--operating with the main attack on Mobile, Alabama, moved towards that city from Pensacola, Florida.
Skirmishing occurred near Falling Creek, North Carolina; Ringgold, Georgia; and at Talbot’s Ferry, Arkansas.
A Federal column advanced on Mobile from Pensacola, Florida. Federal expeditions began from Brashear City, Louisiana; Lexington, Missouri; Kabletown and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; and Winchester, Virginia.
A Federal expedition sailed with the 93rd US Colored Infantry from Brashear City aboard the gunboat, No. 49, to Bayou Pigeon, Louisiana, to bring within the Union lines the family of a government employee, with a skirmish at Bayou Teche.
Federals scout against guerrillas from Lexington, Missouri, to Tabo Church, 12 miles east, Wellington and the Snibar Hills. The Yankees commence with the banishment of certain widows--including the widow of the late partisan Wilhite, killed a year ago--who are suspected of continuing to aid and abet the Rebels in the vicinity.
Union troops scout from Winchester to Edenburg, Virginia, with a skirmish near Fisher's Hill, in the Shenandoah Valley.
Other Federals scout from Harper's Ferry into Loudoun County, Virginia, with skirmishes near Hamilton and at Goose Creek.
A Federal expedition moves to Kabletown, Myerstown, and Myers' Ford, West Virginia.
Commander William H. Macomb, operating the USS Shamrock, reported the successful raising of the Confederate ram Albemarle. The formidable ironclad had been sunk the previous autumn on 27 October in a daring attack led by Lieutenant William B. Cushing in an improvised torpedo boat.
In North Carolina, Major General William T. Sherman’s right wing of Union reinforcements under Major General Oliver O. Howard arrived at daybreak for the second's day fighting around Bentonville, and soon Sherman’s entire 100,000-man army took up positions to confront General Joseph E. Johnston's barely 16,000 Confederates. Considerable amounts of heavy skirmishing ensued as Sherman prepared for a general counter attack.
Major General George Stoneman and over 4,000 Federal cavalrymen left Jonesboro, Tennessee, to support Sherman in North Carolina with destruction operations.
Union General-in-Chief Hiram U. Grant sent a message to President Abraham Lincoln: "Can you not visit (Grant's headquarters at) City Point for a day or two?" Lincoln immediately accepted the invitation. The visit was intended to be part vacation, part observation, and part conference with Grant on future plans.
Grant also messaged Major General Philip H. Sheridan at White House, Virginia: "Start for this place as soon as you conveniently can." Grant instructed Sheridan to wreck the Southside and Danville railroads, "...and then either return to this army or go on to Sherman, as you may deem most practicable." Grant emphasized that "...the principal thing being the destruction of the only two roads left to the enemy at Richmond."
The advance of the Union forces--Major General Frederick Steele's column, of Major General Edward R. S. Canby's Army--operating with the main attack on Mobile, Alabama, moved towards that city from Pensacola, Florida.
Skirmishing occurred near Falling Creek, North Carolina; Ringgold, Georgia; and at Talbot’s Ferry, Arkansas.
A Federal column advanced on Mobile from Pensacola, Florida. Federal expeditions began from Brashear City, Louisiana; Lexington, Missouri; Kabletown and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; and Winchester, Virginia.
A Federal expedition sailed with the 93rd US Colored Infantry from Brashear City aboard the gunboat, No. 49, to Bayou Pigeon, Louisiana, to bring within the Union lines the family of a government employee, with a skirmish at Bayou Teche.
Federals scout against guerrillas from Lexington, Missouri, to Tabo Church, 12 miles east, Wellington and the Snibar Hills. The Yankees commence with the banishment of certain widows--including the widow of the late partisan Wilhite, killed a year ago--who are suspected of continuing to aid and abet the Rebels in the vicinity.
Union troops scout from Winchester to Edenburg, Virginia, with a skirmish near Fisher's Hill, in the Shenandoah Valley.
Other Federals scout from Harper's Ferry into Loudoun County, Virginia, with skirmishes near Hamilton and at Goose Creek.
A Federal expedition moves to Kabletown, Myerstown, and Myers' Ford, West Virginia.
Commander William H. Macomb, operating the USS Shamrock, reported the successful raising of the Confederate ram Albemarle. The formidable ironclad had been sunk the previous autumn on 27 October in a daring attack led by Lieutenant William B. Cushing in an improvised torpedo boat.
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