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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 4/5/15 at 9:40 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 4/5/15 at 9:40 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Thursday, 6 April 1865
The last major engagement between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and Union Army of the Potomac occurred at Sayler’s Creek, near the Farmville and High Bridge crossings of the Appomattox River. Crossing the stream was imperative for safety and the army attempted to keep together, which was impossible. In the bottom land of Sayler’s Creek, the retreating column split and the Federals moved in forcing a gap in the Confederate line. Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Lieutenant General James Longstreet and Major General William Mahone continued on while Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell and Lieutenant General Richard H. Anderson followed behind the gap. The wagons were ordered on a detour to cross the river. Anderson and Ewell were quickly pressed back, but mounted a counter-charge which failed in the face of strong artillery fire. Federal flanks closed in towards the middle and Ewell was forced to surrender. Some 8,000 Confederates surrendered while Federals suffered approximately 1,180 sustained casualties. It is estimated that the Confederates lost about a third of the men that departed Amelia Court House that morning. As Lee witnessed the engagement, he exclaimed, “My God! Has the army been dissolved?” It was clear that the numbers of the once proud Army of Northern Virginia were diminishing rapidly.
Acting Lieutenant John Rogers, commanding both the USS Carondelet and Eastport, Mississippi, station, wrote Brigadier General Edward Hatcher about joint operations in the area and expressed a desire to cooperate to the extent of his ability: "...if you are in danger of being attacked by the Enemy...send timely notice to us, that everything connected with the Army and Navy may work harmoniously together." From the early moments of the War, such as the Battle of Belmont, 7 November 1861, to the last days of conflict, the usual close coordination of the Army and Navy enabled the Union to strike quickly and effectively in the West--first against Confederate positions and later against Confederate threats.
Lieutenant Commander Francis M. Ramsay indicated the extent of the Confederate underwater defenses of the James River as he reported to Rear Admiral David D. Porter on an expedition aimed at clearing out the torpedoes: "All galvanic batteries were carried off or destroyed. At Chaffin's Bluff there was a torpedo containing 1,700 pounds of powder. At Battery Semmes there were two, containing 850 pounds each, and at Howlett's one containing 1,400 pounds. I cut the wires of them all close down, so that they are now perfectly harmless."
Confederate Major General John Austin Wharton is mortally wounded, shot by Colonel George W. Baylor, of the Second Confederate Texas Cavalry, after arguing over general military affairs in General Wharton's Houston, Texas, hotel room.
More skirmishing erupts at King's Store, and near Lanier's Mill, on Sipsey Creek, Alabama, with Brigadier General James H. Wilson and Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Actions take place at Natural Bridge, Florida.
Skirmishes commence at Flat Creek, near Amelia Springs, and near High Bridge, Virginia, in the Appomattox Campaign.
Confederate Brigadier General James Dearing is mortally wounded during the action at High Bridge from a pistol duel with Union Brevetted Brigadier General Theodore Read who died.
Skirmishing breaks out at Rice's Station, Virginia, as the other Confederate column under Lieutenant General James Longstreet encounters the Federals under Major General Edward O.C. Ord in the Appomattox Campaign.
Actions continue at Wytheville, Virginia, with Major General George Stoneman's Union forces.
An engagement occurs near Charlestown, West Virginia, where Confederate Lieutenant Colonel John Singleton Mosby and his Virginia Partisan Rangers surprise the camp of the Union Loudoun County Rangers, capturing a number of men and nearly all of their horses. This is to be Mosby's final escapade against the Federal military forces.
Yesterday, President Abraham Lincoln conferred with John A. Campbell again and issued a statement about restoring Virginia to the Union. At 6 p.m., Lincoln received news that Secretary of State William H. Seward had been critically injured in a carriage accident in Washington that afternoon.
The last major engagement between the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and Union Army of the Potomac occurred at Sayler’s Creek, near the Farmville and High Bridge crossings of the Appomattox River. Crossing the stream was imperative for safety and the army attempted to keep together, which was impossible. In the bottom land of Sayler’s Creek, the retreating column split and the Federals moved in forcing a gap in the Confederate line. Confederate General Robert E. Lee, Lieutenant General James Longstreet and Major General William Mahone continued on while Lieutenant General Richard S. Ewell and Lieutenant General Richard H. Anderson followed behind the gap. The wagons were ordered on a detour to cross the river. Anderson and Ewell were quickly pressed back, but mounted a counter-charge which failed in the face of strong artillery fire. Federal flanks closed in towards the middle and Ewell was forced to surrender. Some 8,000 Confederates surrendered while Federals suffered approximately 1,180 sustained casualties. It is estimated that the Confederates lost about a third of the men that departed Amelia Court House that morning. As Lee witnessed the engagement, he exclaimed, “My God! Has the army been dissolved?” It was clear that the numbers of the once proud Army of Northern Virginia were diminishing rapidly.
Acting Lieutenant John Rogers, commanding both the USS Carondelet and Eastport, Mississippi, station, wrote Brigadier General Edward Hatcher about joint operations in the area and expressed a desire to cooperate to the extent of his ability: "...if you are in danger of being attacked by the Enemy...send timely notice to us, that everything connected with the Army and Navy may work harmoniously together." From the early moments of the War, such as the Battle of Belmont, 7 November 1861, to the last days of conflict, the usual close coordination of the Army and Navy enabled the Union to strike quickly and effectively in the West--first against Confederate positions and later against Confederate threats.
Lieutenant Commander Francis M. Ramsay indicated the extent of the Confederate underwater defenses of the James River as he reported to Rear Admiral David D. Porter on an expedition aimed at clearing out the torpedoes: "All galvanic batteries were carried off or destroyed. At Chaffin's Bluff there was a torpedo containing 1,700 pounds of powder. At Battery Semmes there were two, containing 850 pounds each, and at Howlett's one containing 1,400 pounds. I cut the wires of them all close down, so that they are now perfectly harmless."
Confederate Major General John Austin Wharton is mortally wounded, shot by Colonel George W. Baylor, of the Second Confederate Texas Cavalry, after arguing over general military affairs in General Wharton's Houston, Texas, hotel room.
More skirmishing erupts at King's Store, and near Lanier's Mill, on Sipsey Creek, Alabama, with Brigadier General James H. Wilson and Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest.
Actions take place at Natural Bridge, Florida.
Skirmishes commence at Flat Creek, near Amelia Springs, and near High Bridge, Virginia, in the Appomattox Campaign.
Confederate Brigadier General James Dearing is mortally wounded during the action at High Bridge from a pistol duel with Union Brevetted Brigadier General Theodore Read who died.
Skirmishing breaks out at Rice's Station, Virginia, as the other Confederate column under Lieutenant General James Longstreet encounters the Federals under Major General Edward O.C. Ord in the Appomattox Campaign.
Actions continue at Wytheville, Virginia, with Major General George Stoneman's Union forces.
An engagement occurs near Charlestown, West Virginia, where Confederate Lieutenant Colonel John Singleton Mosby and his Virginia Partisan Rangers surprise the camp of the Union Loudoun County Rangers, capturing a number of men and nearly all of their horses. This is to be Mosby's final escapade against the Federal military forces.
Yesterday, President Abraham Lincoln conferred with John A. Campbell again and issued a statement about restoring Virginia to the Union. At 6 p.m., Lincoln received news that Secretary of State William H. Seward had been critically injured in a carriage accident in Washington that afternoon.
This post was edited on 4/6/15 at 5:02 am
2
Posted on 4/6/15 at 7:29 pm to BadLeroyDawg
Friday, 7 April 1865
Union Lieutenant General Hiram U. Grant, in an effort to end the conflict in Virginia and avoid further bloodshed, sends a message to Confederate General Robert E. Lee asking for the surrender of his Army of Northern Virginia.
The Confederate Army, meanwhile, receives more punishment even though the much smaller force repulses the Federals in an engagement near Farmville, Virginia, and crosses the Appomattox River to continue their retreat on the north side. Although the Confederates attempted to burn the bridges behind them, Federal troop movements blocked Lee at Appomattox Station and Appomattox Court House, squeezing Lee between Union forces on the east and west flanks.
Second account: Union Lieutenant General Hiram U. Grant confers with Confederate General Robert E. Lee through messages about the potential surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under Lee, near Appomattox Court House, Virginia, as the starving and worn remnants of Lee's Southern Army cross the Appomattox River and receive much needed rations at Farmville, while the Union forces continue to surround them.
Another report: The Battle at Farmville, Virginia, erupts as the Union forces continue to press General Robert E. Lee's beleaguered troops during the Appomattox Campaign. Federal Major General Thomas Alfred Smyth is mortally wounded during the engagement at Farmville while riding his horse and encouraging him men on the firing line, receiving his death wound from the rifle of a Confederate sharpshooter, shot through the mouth.
Skirmishing also occurs at High Bridge, and at Prince Edward Court House, Virginia, in the Appomattox Campaign.
Union controlled Tennessee becomes the 18th state to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment and inaugurates avowed abolitionist and staunch unionist William Gannaway “Parson” Brownlow as the state’s governor, who would soon become known as ‘The Terror of Tennessee’. Brownlow’s attitude on the issue of slavery evolved over the years; he had apparently supported abolition, then backed a proposal to repatriate slaves to Liberia, and later became a supporter of slavery. Brownlow’s backing for slavery seemed to become more rabid during the 1850's and he once invited prominent Northerners to debate the issue with him, a challenge which was accepted by Frederick Douglass. Brownlow indignantly refused Douglass’s offer to debate slavery due to his race. Brownlow was also violently anti-Catholic, denouncing what he referred to as “Romanism.” He assumed the same policies and attitudes held by the Radical Republicans, who dominated the Congress. They saw former Confederates as absolute traitors who deserved the harshest kind of punishment. The Republicans rejected the more forgiving policies formulated by President Abraham Lincoln, which were also basically the policies advocated by Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson. The Radical Republicans were far less interested in healing the wounds of the Civil War than extracting a pound of flesh from Southerners.
At City Point, Virginia, President Abraham Lincoln sent a wire to Grant stating: “Gen. Sheridan says ‘If the thing is pressed I think that Lee will surrender.’ Let the thing be pressed.”
Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet were in Danville, Virginia, attempting to do what they could, though their efforts had little effect.
Commander William Henry Alexander Macomb reports to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter on developments in North Carolina near the Virginia border: "We arrived here [Winton] from Murfreesboro last night without accident. The army force has returned and we are going back to Suffolk. They found Weldon too strong for them, but succeeded in cutting the Seaboard Railroad near Seaboard for about a mile. I shall lie here some time longer in order to be ready for any more troops that may wish to cross."
Federal troops scout from near Blakely toward Stockton, Alabama, in the Mobile Campaign.
Skirmishing breaks out at Pike's Ferry, on the Catawba River, Alabama, as Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Confederates and Brigadier General James H. Wilson's Federals continue to spar with their cavalry commands.
Brigadier General George D. Wagner, USA, is assigned to the command of the Saint Louis, Missouri, District.
Union Lieutenant General Hiram U. Grant, in an effort to end the conflict in Virginia and avoid further bloodshed, sends a message to Confederate General Robert E. Lee asking for the surrender of his Army of Northern Virginia.
The Confederate Army, meanwhile, receives more punishment even though the much smaller force repulses the Federals in an engagement near Farmville, Virginia, and crosses the Appomattox River to continue their retreat on the north side. Although the Confederates attempted to burn the bridges behind them, Federal troop movements blocked Lee at Appomattox Station and Appomattox Court House, squeezing Lee between Union forces on the east and west flanks.
Second account: Union Lieutenant General Hiram U. Grant confers with Confederate General Robert E. Lee through messages about the potential surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia under Lee, near Appomattox Court House, Virginia, as the starving and worn remnants of Lee's Southern Army cross the Appomattox River and receive much needed rations at Farmville, while the Union forces continue to surround them.
Another report: The Battle at Farmville, Virginia, erupts as the Union forces continue to press General Robert E. Lee's beleaguered troops during the Appomattox Campaign. Federal Major General Thomas Alfred Smyth is mortally wounded during the engagement at Farmville while riding his horse and encouraging him men on the firing line, receiving his death wound from the rifle of a Confederate sharpshooter, shot through the mouth.
Skirmishing also occurs at High Bridge, and at Prince Edward Court House, Virginia, in the Appomattox Campaign.
Union controlled Tennessee becomes the 18th state to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment and inaugurates avowed abolitionist and staunch unionist William Gannaway “Parson” Brownlow as the state’s governor, who would soon become known as ‘The Terror of Tennessee’. Brownlow’s attitude on the issue of slavery evolved over the years; he had apparently supported abolition, then backed a proposal to repatriate slaves to Liberia, and later became a supporter of slavery. Brownlow’s backing for slavery seemed to become more rabid during the 1850's and he once invited prominent Northerners to debate the issue with him, a challenge which was accepted by Frederick Douglass. Brownlow indignantly refused Douglass’s offer to debate slavery due to his race. Brownlow was also violently anti-Catholic, denouncing what he referred to as “Romanism.” He assumed the same policies and attitudes held by the Radical Republicans, who dominated the Congress. They saw former Confederates as absolute traitors who deserved the harshest kind of punishment. The Republicans rejected the more forgiving policies formulated by President Abraham Lincoln, which were also basically the policies advocated by Lincoln’s successor, Andrew Johnson. The Radical Republicans were far less interested in healing the wounds of the Civil War than extracting a pound of flesh from Southerners.
At City Point, Virginia, President Abraham Lincoln sent a wire to Grant stating: “Gen. Sheridan says ‘If the thing is pressed I think that Lee will surrender.’ Let the thing be pressed.”
Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his Cabinet were in Danville, Virginia, attempting to do what they could, though their efforts had little effect.
Commander William Henry Alexander Macomb reports to Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter on developments in North Carolina near the Virginia border: "We arrived here [Winton] from Murfreesboro last night without accident. The army force has returned and we are going back to Suffolk. They found Weldon too strong for them, but succeeded in cutting the Seaboard Railroad near Seaboard for about a mile. I shall lie here some time longer in order to be ready for any more troops that may wish to cross."
Federal troops scout from near Blakely toward Stockton, Alabama, in the Mobile Campaign.
Skirmishing breaks out at Pike's Ferry, on the Catawba River, Alabama, as Lieutenant General Nathan Bedford Forrest's Confederates and Brigadier General James H. Wilson's Federals continue to spar with their cavalry commands.
Brigadier General George D. Wagner, USA, is assigned to the command of the Saint Louis, Missouri, District.
Posted on 4/6/15 at 7:41 pm to BadLeroyDawg
quote:This is the entire paragraph. That's all the information. I feel like I was there.
Actions take place at Natural Bridge, Florida.
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