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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 3/19/15 at 8:28 pm to BadLeroyDawg
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.
1
Posted on 3/20/15 at 8:39 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Tuesday March 21, 1865
Union Major General William T. Sherman’s troops kept up the pressure on Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s forces at Bentonville, North Carolina. The men of Major General Joseph A. Mower moved from the far Federal right around the Confederate left flank late in the afternoon and threatened the Mill Creek Bridge on Johnston’s retreat line. Counter-attacks halted the menace after considerable fighting, which effectively ended the Battle of Bentonville, the last significant Confederate effort to halt Sherman’s advance. During the night, Johnston decisively ordered evacuation after reports that Union Major General John M. Schofield had taken Goldsboro. Casualties for the Federals totaled more than 1,500 while Confederates sustained more than 2,600 losses, many of whom were captured.
President Jefferson Davis wrote to Confederate General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee, agreeing with him that Mobile, Alabama, should be held at all practicable costs and "...all the recent indications are that the purpose of the enemy is to cut off all communication with Richmond..."
Union General-in-Chief Hiram U. Grant sent a follow-up message from yesterday to Major General Philip H. Sheridan: "There is now such a possibility, if not probability, of Lee and Johnston attempting to unite that I feel extremely desirous not only of cutting the lines of communication between them, but of having a large and properly commanded cavalry force ready to act with in case such an attempt is made..."
A Federal expedition begins from Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The CSS Stonewall, commanded by Captain Thomas Jefferson Page--a grandson of a signer of the Declaration of Independence--having been detained in Ferrol, Spain, for several days because of foul weather, attempted to put to sea. The seas outside, however, were still too heavy and the ironclad put back into port. Two days later, another attempt would be made to get to sea but met with similar results. Page then off-loaded some 40 tons of coal to make her more seaworthy.
Lieutenant Commander Arthur R. Yates, commanding the USS J.P. Jackson, in Mississippi Sound, reported to Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher that he had issued food from his ship's stores to relieve the destitute and starving condition of people in Biloxi, cut off from Mobile from which provisions had been formerly received. Yates' actions illustrated the rarely used humanitarian heritage of the Navy.
The heavy guns of Union gunboats supported the landing of troops of General Edward Richard Sprigg Canby's command at Dannelly's Mills on the Fish River, Alabama. This was a diversionary operation intended to prevent the movement of additional Confederate troops to Mobile during the week prior to the opening of the Yankee attack against that city.
Union Major General William T. Sherman’s troops kept up the pressure on Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston’s forces at Bentonville, North Carolina. The men of Major General Joseph A. Mower moved from the far Federal right around the Confederate left flank late in the afternoon and threatened the Mill Creek Bridge on Johnston’s retreat line. Counter-attacks halted the menace after considerable fighting, which effectively ended the Battle of Bentonville, the last significant Confederate effort to halt Sherman’s advance. During the night, Johnston decisively ordered evacuation after reports that Union Major General John M. Schofield had taken Goldsboro. Casualties for the Federals totaled more than 1,500 while Confederates sustained more than 2,600 losses, many of whom were captured.
President Jefferson Davis wrote to Confederate General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee, agreeing with him that Mobile, Alabama, should be held at all practicable costs and "...all the recent indications are that the purpose of the enemy is to cut off all communication with Richmond..."
Union General-in-Chief Hiram U. Grant sent a follow-up message from yesterday to Major General Philip H. Sheridan: "There is now such a possibility, if not probability, of Lee and Johnston attempting to unite that I feel extremely desirous not only of cutting the lines of communication between them, but of having a large and properly commanded cavalry force ready to act with in case such an attempt is made..."
A Federal expedition begins from Pine Bluff, Arkansas.
The CSS Stonewall, commanded by Captain Thomas Jefferson Page--a grandson of a signer of the Declaration of Independence--having been detained in Ferrol, Spain, for several days because of foul weather, attempted to put to sea. The seas outside, however, were still too heavy and the ironclad put back into port. Two days later, another attempt would be made to get to sea but met with similar results. Page then off-loaded some 40 tons of coal to make her more seaworthy.
Lieutenant Commander Arthur R. Yates, commanding the USS J.P. Jackson, in Mississippi Sound, reported to Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher that he had issued food from his ship's stores to relieve the destitute and starving condition of people in Biloxi, cut off from Mobile from which provisions had been formerly received. Yates' actions illustrated the rarely used humanitarian heritage of the Navy.
The heavy guns of Union gunboats supported the landing of troops of General Edward Richard Sprigg Canby's command at Dannelly's Mills on the Fish River, Alabama. This was a diversionary operation intended to prevent the movement of additional Confederate troops to Mobile during the week prior to the opening of the Yankee attack against that city.
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