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re: 150 years ago this day...
Posted on 5/25/15 at 5:25 am to BadLeroyDawg
Posted on 5/25/15 at 5:25 am to BadLeroyDawg
Thursday, 25 May 1865
The reportedly unintentional "accidental explosion" of over 20 tons of gunpowder at the Confederate ordnance depot at Mobile, Alabama, causes an estimated $5,000,000 in damages to buildings, boats, and other property and kills and wounds approximately 300 people. The gunpowder was being stored in a warehouse used as an arsenal, and its detonation and fire directly led to many other blasts.
Second report: An ordnance explosion and the resulting fires causes extensive damage in Mobile. The explosion originated in Marshall's warehouse, which contained surrendered Confederate ammunition. Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher noted that although the explosion occurred three quarters of a mile from the flagship, fragments of shell fell on board. Commander Edward Simpson was immediately dispatched with a number of sailors to render all possible aid. Simpson reported: "I visited the scene of the fire, and with a large force of sailors was enabled to do some service, the presence of the sailors in the neighborhood of the exploding shells tended much to restore a partial feeling of confidence to the firemen and others." He called particular attention to the bravery, of Quartermaster John Cooper who "...at the risk of being blown to pieces by exploding shells..." entered the fire and carried a wounded man to safety on his back. For this heroic deed, Cooper was awarded the Medal of Honor for a second time; his first award was for courageous devotion to duty on board U.S.S. Brooklyn at Mobile Bay in 1864. The tug U.S.S. Cowslip, commanded by Acting Master W. T. Bacon, towed three vessels to safety.
Francis Channing Barlow, U.S.A., is appointed Major General.
A Federal expedition travels from Bayou Boeuf to Bayou De Large, Louisiana, with a brief affair recorded at Bayou De Large, as the Yankees surprise the camp of 11 Confederates behind J. Terrion's plantation, capturing all of their weapons and provisions, as the partisans retreat into the woods.
Federal troops scout from Fort Ruby to the Humboldt Valley, Nevada, with a skirmish reported near Austin, Nevada, with the Piute and Bannock Indians who were committing deprivations against ranchers' livestock, about Austin, Grass Valley and in the Reese River Valley.
Because of his activities as a Confederate agent abroad and his torpedo activities, that many Northerners considered dastardly, Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury decided he would not be granted amnesty. Before the War, when he headed the United States Naval Observatory and was world famous for his pathfinding in oceanography, he had corresponded with many leaders from Europe including Heads of State. One of them had been Maximilian of Austria. In England he had renewed this correspondence and had dabbled in political intrigue with Emperor Napoleon and Maximilian before the latter proceeded in 1864 on his ill-fated venture as Emperor of Mexico. Hence Maury had continued on board Atrato which had departed Havana on the 24th for Mexico. This morning, Maury drafted a note to the United States Consul at Vera Cruz, enclosing a letter addressed "To the officer in command of the U.S. Naval forces in the Gulf of Mexico". He wrote:
"In peace as in war I follow the fortunes of my native old state [Virginia]. I read in the public prints that she has practically confessed defeat and laid down her arms. In that act mine were grounded also. I am here without command, officially alone, and am bound on matters of private concern abroad. Nevertheless, and as I consider further resistance worse than useless, I deem it proper formally so to confess; and to pledge you in the words of honor that, should I find myself before the final inauguration of peace within the jurisdiction of the United States, to consider myself a prisoner of war, bound by the terms and conditions which have been or may be granted to General Lee and his officers. Be pleased to send your answer through my son (Colonel R. L. Maury), a prisoner of war on parole in Richmond. In the meantime, until I hear to the contrary, I shall act as though my surrender had been formally accepted on the above named terms conditions."
Rear Admiral Thatcher reports that this date the defensive works at Sabine Pass, Texas, were evacuated and that the United States flag was hoisted at Forts Mannahasset and Griffin. The flags were raised by men from the U.S.S. Owasco, commanded by Acting Lieutenant Commander Lewis W. Pennington.
The U.S.S. Vanderbilt, commanded by Captain C. W. Pickering, arrives at Hampton Roads with the captured Confederate ram Columbia in tow. She was one of the largest ironclads ever built by the Confederacy, but had never seen service as she grounded when being outfitted at Charleston, South Carolina. Columbia was captured when Charleston capitulated and was subsequently salvaged.
The reportedly unintentional "accidental explosion" of over 20 tons of gunpowder at the Confederate ordnance depot at Mobile, Alabama, causes an estimated $5,000,000 in damages to buildings, boats, and other property and kills and wounds approximately 300 people. The gunpowder was being stored in a warehouse used as an arsenal, and its detonation and fire directly led to many other blasts.
Second report: An ordnance explosion and the resulting fires causes extensive damage in Mobile. The explosion originated in Marshall's warehouse, which contained surrendered Confederate ammunition. Rear Admiral Henry Knox Thatcher noted that although the explosion occurred three quarters of a mile from the flagship, fragments of shell fell on board. Commander Edward Simpson was immediately dispatched with a number of sailors to render all possible aid. Simpson reported: "I visited the scene of the fire, and with a large force of sailors was enabled to do some service, the presence of the sailors in the neighborhood of the exploding shells tended much to restore a partial feeling of confidence to the firemen and others." He called particular attention to the bravery, of Quartermaster John Cooper who "...at the risk of being blown to pieces by exploding shells..." entered the fire and carried a wounded man to safety on his back. For this heroic deed, Cooper was awarded the Medal of Honor for a second time; his first award was for courageous devotion to duty on board U.S.S. Brooklyn at Mobile Bay in 1864. The tug U.S.S. Cowslip, commanded by Acting Master W. T. Bacon, towed three vessels to safety.
Francis Channing Barlow, U.S.A., is appointed Major General.
A Federal expedition travels from Bayou Boeuf to Bayou De Large, Louisiana, with a brief affair recorded at Bayou De Large, as the Yankees surprise the camp of 11 Confederates behind J. Terrion's plantation, capturing all of their weapons and provisions, as the partisans retreat into the woods.
Federal troops scout from Fort Ruby to the Humboldt Valley, Nevada, with a skirmish reported near Austin, Nevada, with the Piute and Bannock Indians who were committing deprivations against ranchers' livestock, about Austin, Grass Valley and in the Reese River Valley.
Because of his activities as a Confederate agent abroad and his torpedo activities, that many Northerners considered dastardly, Commander Matthew Fontaine Maury decided he would not be granted amnesty. Before the War, when he headed the United States Naval Observatory and was world famous for his pathfinding in oceanography, he had corresponded with many leaders from Europe including Heads of State. One of them had been Maximilian of Austria. In England he had renewed this correspondence and had dabbled in political intrigue with Emperor Napoleon and Maximilian before the latter proceeded in 1864 on his ill-fated venture as Emperor of Mexico. Hence Maury had continued on board Atrato which had departed Havana on the 24th for Mexico. This morning, Maury drafted a note to the United States Consul at Vera Cruz, enclosing a letter addressed "To the officer in command of the U.S. Naval forces in the Gulf of Mexico". He wrote:
"In peace as in war I follow the fortunes of my native old state [Virginia]. I read in the public prints that she has practically confessed defeat and laid down her arms. In that act mine were grounded also. I am here without command, officially alone, and am bound on matters of private concern abroad. Nevertheless, and as I consider further resistance worse than useless, I deem it proper formally so to confess; and to pledge you in the words of honor that, should I find myself before the final inauguration of peace within the jurisdiction of the United States, to consider myself a prisoner of war, bound by the terms and conditions which have been or may be granted to General Lee and his officers. Be pleased to send your answer through my son (Colonel R. L. Maury), a prisoner of war on parole in Richmond. In the meantime, until I hear to the contrary, I shall act as though my surrender had been formally accepted on the above named terms conditions."
Rear Admiral Thatcher reports that this date the defensive works at Sabine Pass, Texas, were evacuated and that the United States flag was hoisted at Forts Mannahasset and Griffin. The flags were raised by men from the U.S.S. Owasco, commanded by Acting Lieutenant Commander Lewis W. Pennington.
The U.S.S. Vanderbilt, commanded by Captain C. W. Pickering, arrives at Hampton Roads with the captured Confederate ram Columbia in tow. She was one of the largest ironclads ever built by the Confederacy, but had never seen service as she grounded when being outfitted at Charleston, South Carolina. Columbia was captured when Charleston capitulated and was subsequently salvaged.
1
Posted on 5/26/15 at 3:56 am to BadLeroyDawg
Friday, 26 May 1865
At New Orleans, Confederate Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, acting for General Edmund Kirby Smith, Confederate commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, enters into a military convention with Federal Major General Peter Joseph Osterhaus, representing Major General Edward Richard Sprigg Canby. Under the terms of the surrender, all resistance would cease, and officers and men would be paroled under the terms similar to those of the Appomattox surrender. Confederate Brigadier General Joseph Orville Shelby refuses to capitulate, opting instead to go to Mexico, dispersing the remainder of his forces who refuse to go along with him. Some troops scatter with Shelby to Mexico, the Far West, or just go home. Now only Confederate Brigadier General Stand Watie, in charge of the Indian Division, remains as the last holdout yet to surrender.
Gershom Mott, U.S.A., is appointed Major General.
Union troops scout after a band of roving Confederates and skirmishing breaks out in Carroll and Ray Counties, Missouri, including in the Crook River timber, as the Yankees continue to inflict serious damage to the few remaining Rebels, partisans and guerrillas.
Federal cavalry scouts against Indians from Plum Creek, in the Nebraska Territory to the vicinity of Mullahla's Station, where a few head of cattle were stolen.
Federal operations continue against Indians near the Overland Stage Road on the Platte and Sweetwater Rivers, with skirmishes at Saint Mary's Station, Sweetwater Station, Platte Bridge, all in the Dakota Territory, Sage Creek in the Colorado Territory.
The attacking Indians burn some of the above stations, tear down telegraph lines, kill quite a few white men and soldiers, in addition to wounding many others.
Full report: General Edmund Kirby Smith’s subordinate, Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, surrenders the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department to Major General Peter Joseph Osterhaus, representing Major General Edward Richard Sprigg Canby at New Orleans. Smith receives the same terms granted to General Robert Edward Lee. This ends virtually all effective organized resistance. One of the last Confederate generals to capitulate, Smith, who had become commander of the area in January 1863, was charged with keeping the Mississippi River open to the Southerners. Yet he was more interested in recapturing Arkansas and Missouri, largely because of the influence of Arkansans in the Confederate Congress who helped to secure his appointment.
Drawing sharp criticism for his failure to provide relief for Vicksburg, Mississippi in the summer of 1863, Smith later conducted the resistance to the Union’s failed Red River campaign of 1864. When the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston surrendered in the spring of 1865, Smith continued to resist with his small army in Texas. He insisted that Lee and Johnston were prisoners of war and decried Confederate deserters. This morning, General Simon Buckner, acting for Smith, meets with Union officers in New Orleans to arrange the surrender of Smith’s force under terms similar to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Virginia. Smith reluctantly agrees, and will officially lays down his arms at Galveston on June 2. Smith himself will flee to Mexico, and then to Cuba, before returning to Virginia in November 1865 to sign an amnesty oath. He was the last surviving full Confederate general until his death in 1893.
Twenty-three days after Smith’s surrender, Brigadier General Stand Watie, a Cherokee, would become the last Confederate field general to surrender.
At New Orleans, Confederate Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, acting for General Edmund Kirby Smith, Confederate commander of the Trans-Mississippi Department, enters into a military convention with Federal Major General Peter Joseph Osterhaus, representing Major General Edward Richard Sprigg Canby. Under the terms of the surrender, all resistance would cease, and officers and men would be paroled under the terms similar to those of the Appomattox surrender. Confederate Brigadier General Joseph Orville Shelby refuses to capitulate, opting instead to go to Mexico, dispersing the remainder of his forces who refuse to go along with him. Some troops scatter with Shelby to Mexico, the Far West, or just go home. Now only Confederate Brigadier General Stand Watie, in charge of the Indian Division, remains as the last holdout yet to surrender.
Gershom Mott, U.S.A., is appointed Major General.
Union troops scout after a band of roving Confederates and skirmishing breaks out in Carroll and Ray Counties, Missouri, including in the Crook River timber, as the Yankees continue to inflict serious damage to the few remaining Rebels, partisans and guerrillas.
Federal cavalry scouts against Indians from Plum Creek, in the Nebraska Territory to the vicinity of Mullahla's Station, where a few head of cattle were stolen.
Federal operations continue against Indians near the Overland Stage Road on the Platte and Sweetwater Rivers, with skirmishes at Saint Mary's Station, Sweetwater Station, Platte Bridge, all in the Dakota Territory, Sage Creek in the Colorado Territory.
The attacking Indians burn some of the above stations, tear down telegraph lines, kill quite a few white men and soldiers, in addition to wounding many others.
Full report: General Edmund Kirby Smith’s subordinate, Lieutenant General Simon Bolivar Buckner, surrenders the Confederate Trans-Mississippi Department to Major General Peter Joseph Osterhaus, representing Major General Edward Richard Sprigg Canby at New Orleans. Smith receives the same terms granted to General Robert Edward Lee. This ends virtually all effective organized resistance. One of the last Confederate generals to capitulate, Smith, who had become commander of the area in January 1863, was charged with keeping the Mississippi River open to the Southerners. Yet he was more interested in recapturing Arkansas and Missouri, largely because of the influence of Arkansans in the Confederate Congress who helped to secure his appointment.
Drawing sharp criticism for his failure to provide relief for Vicksburg, Mississippi in the summer of 1863, Smith later conducted the resistance to the Union’s failed Red River campaign of 1864. When the Confederate forces under Robert E. Lee and Joseph Johnston surrendered in the spring of 1865, Smith continued to resist with his small army in Texas. He insisted that Lee and Johnston were prisoners of war and decried Confederate deserters. This morning, General Simon Buckner, acting for Smith, meets with Union officers in New Orleans to arrange the surrender of Smith’s force under terms similar to Lee’s surrender at Appomattox, Virginia. Smith reluctantly agrees, and will officially lays down his arms at Galveston on June 2. Smith himself will flee to Mexico, and then to Cuba, before returning to Virginia in November 1865 to sign an amnesty oath. He was the last surviving full Confederate general until his death in 1893.
Twenty-three days after Smith’s surrender, Brigadier General Stand Watie, a Cherokee, would become the last Confederate field general to surrender.
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