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RE: Civil War 150th - 10/13/2014 1:01:15 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

One day after the death of Maryland-born Roger Taney, the state abolished slavery in a new constitution.


The depot at Dalton, Georgia, was held by 751 Northern troops, about 600 of them the regiment of the 44th U. S. Colored Troops. It had been the site of the first clash of Sherman's drive on Atlanta, so there was some prestige for John Bell Hood in recapturing it:

When we arrived at Dalton, we had a desire to see how the old place looked; not that we cared anything about it, but we just wanted to take a last farewell look at the old place. We saw the United States flag flying from the ramparts, and thought that Yank would probably be asleep or catching lice, or maybe engaged in a game of seven-up.
[...]
The place was guarded by negro troops. We marched the black rascals out. They were mighty glad to see us, and we were kindly disposed to them. We said, "Now, boys, we don't want the Yankees to get mad at you, and to blame you; so, just let's get out here on the railroad track, and tear it up, and pile up the crossties, and then pile the iron on top of them, and we'll set the thing a-fire...

--Sam R. Watkins, "Co. Aytch" Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment

But other reports give a much darker story. As at Reseca, Hood sent a demand for unconditional surrender, threatening to take no prisoners if he had to storm the place. There is reason to believe he was not bluffing, for as the Rebel infantry was forming up, the word was passed for no quarter. Union commander Colonel Lewis Johnson tried to get an agreement to have his colored troops treated as regular prisoners of war, but Hood replied that "all slaves belonging to persons in the Confederacy", being property, would be returned to their former owners. Faced with overwhelming numbers and Rebel artillery posted on higher ground, Lewis surrendered.

The blacks were indeed set to work destroying the railroad, after being stripped of their valuable shoes first. Six of them were unwilling or unable, and were shot. Afterwards, while the white prisoners were paroled, the blacks were taken with the Confederate army as it marched west into Alabama. A few managed to escape, but many of the others simply disappeared from the historical record. It can be guessed that some were returned to their former owners, or those who claimed to be, and others died of malnutrition, disease, and exhaustion along the way.




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_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1231
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/15/2014 4:03:03 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

In Missouri, Sterling Price had previously not been able to capture the supplies and equipment he wanted for his campaign. On this date, he decided to double his chances by splitting his forces and attacking the two towns of Glasgow and Sedalia. He sent forces of about 1,500 men to each place.

At Glasgow, Confederate commander John B. Clark, Jr. (below) mounted the attack expertly. An early morning artillery bombardment on the Union positions was followed by a determined infantry advance. The Northerners blew up their town hall, where they had stored much of their gunpowder, before retreating to their main fortification on a nearby hill. Nonetheless, the defense became more and more discouraged under relentless fire from Rebel artillery and infantry. General Clark offered generous terms, and the Union commander accepted and surrendered in the early afternoon.



Although the Confederates failed to capture much ammunition, what they did take more than made up for it. 1,200 muskets, roughly the same number of overcoats, and 150 horses did much to replenish their stocks.


At Sedalia, Confederate General M. Jeff Thompson (below) had an easier and quicker task at first. The town was defended only by state militia, who were shortly overrun. But then Thompson was dismayed to see his men start to loot the town. This was not what he wanted from soldiers under his command, and he ordered it stopped. Surprisingly, the men obeyed, and confined themselves to taking arms, military equipment, and of course, horses. The Northern prisoners were given parole -- for one day, the war in Missouri was being fought under less savage terms.



Between the two successes, Sterling Price's raiding force finally had enough weapons and supplies to take a major target. Price selected Kansas City, but it would take about three days to re-unite his army.



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< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 10/15/2014 5:04:19 AM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1232
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/17/2014 3:08:49 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
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President Jefferson Davis strongly disliked General P.G.T Beauregard, and had hoped that assigning him to the defenses south of Richmond would effectively get him out of the way. But the two-pronged Union advance had put Beauregard in the middle of the action again, where he had won additional fame. Now, however, it was a good idea for Robert E. Lee to assume command of all the forces in the Richmond-Petersburg area. Davis seized the opportunity by creating the Confederate Department of the West and assigning it to Beauregard. In theory, this was a sound move, for it allowed John Bell Hood to focus on commanding the Army of Tennessee and drive Sherman out of Atlanta, without the distractions of being a theater commander. In practice, Beauregard had almost no authority. His first official act after formally assuming the command on this date was to issue an appeal for volunteers:

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE WEST
October 17, 1864

In assuming command, at this critical juncture, of the Military Division of the West, I appeal to my countrymen, of all classes and sections, for their generous support...

The army of Sherman still defiantly holds Atlanta. He can and must be driven from it. It is only for the good people of Georgia and surrounding states to speak the word, and the work is done, we have abundant provisions. There are men enough in the country, liable to and able for service, to accomplish the result...

My countrymen, respond to this call as you have done in days that are past, and, with the blessing of a kind and overruling Providence, the enemy shall be driven from your soil. The security of your wives and daughters from the insults and outrages of a brutal foe shall be established soon, and be followed by a permanent and honorable peace. The claims of home and country, wife and children, uniting with the demands of honor and patriotism, summon us to the field. We cannot, dare not, will not fail to respond. Full of hope and confidence, I come to join you in your struggles, sharing your privations, and, with your brave and true men, to strike the blow that shall bring success to our arms, triumph to our cause, and peace to our country! . . .

P. G. T. BEAUREGARD, General.


The practical results were small. Many Southerners had decided that this was "a rich man's war but a poor man's fight", and painfully learned that once in the Confederate army there was almost no way out.


Meanwhile, although the bulk of Sherman's forces were chasing Hood's Army of Tennessee, the Yankees still held Atlanta. Hood had hoped that the last Union corps in the city would be compelled to leave when the railroads were cut. But under Colonel W. W. Wright, the Northerners were performing miracles. In order to repair one major break, the estimate called for 35,000 new ties, six miles of new rails, and 10,000 workers. It was completed in just seven days. As Sherman would write, "it was by such acts of extraordinary energy that we discouraged our adversaries, for the rebel soldiers felt that it was a waste of labor for them to march hurriedly on wide circuits, day and night, to burn a bridge and tear up a mile or so of track, when they knew we could lay it back so quickly."



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< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 10/17/2014 4:09:32 AM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1233
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/18/2014 4:13:11 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

In the east, James Longstreet was re-instated at the head of his corps in the Army of Northern Virginia. He had not fully recovered from his "friendly-fire" wound at the Wilderness, for his right arm was still paralyzed, and he was learning how to write with his left hand. In this condition, he feared that he would be more of an impediment than an asset. But Robert E. Lee was very pleased to have his "old war horse" back, for none of his current corps commanders was performing very well at this point, and as a result he was having to do much of the administrative work for the entire army himself.

(After the war, Longstreet would regain the use of his right hand by practising an early form of physical therapy, helping his right arm to move using his left, until it grew strong enough to move on its own.)


Longstreet's return had been advertised even before the fact, in one of the more unusual intelligence gambits of the war. A false message had been sent to a place in the Shenandoah Valley where the Southerners knew it would be intercepted:

"To LIEUTENANT-GENERAL EARLY: Be ready to move as soon as my forces join you, and we will crush Sheridan. LONGSTREET, Lieutenant-General." The message from Longstreet had been taken down as it was being flagged from the Confederate signal-station on Three Top Mountain, and afterward translated by our signal officers, who knew the Confederate signal code. I first thought it a ruse, and hardly worth attention, but on reflection deemed it best to be on the safe side...

--Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army

It was a ruse, but only in part. Neither Longstreet nor any of his corps were being sent against Sheridan. But Jubal Early had managed to increase his strength back up to about 21,000 men, and now he was ready to move against the Northern army. Although still badly outnumbered, he had a secret weapon: map-maker Jedediah Hotchkiss, who knew the valley well. Hotchkiss had discovered a trail by which the Confederates could march a force around the otherwise imposing Union entrenchments and deliver a flank attack. The route was long, and so the march would have to be done at night, for surprise was vital. Early and his subordinates went over the maps and the plan carefully. Knowing where the Union commander's headquarters was, they even assigned a force of cavalry to:

. . . endeavor to capture Sheridan himself. Rosser was ordered to move before day, in time to attack at five o'clock next morning, and to endeavor to surprise the enemy's cavalry in camp. Kershaw and Wharton were ordered to move, at one o'clock in the morning, towards Strasburg under my personal superintendence, and the artillery was ordered to concentrate where the Pike passed through the lines at Fisher's Hill, and, at the hour appointed for the attack, to move at a gallop to Hupp's Hill--the movement of the artillery being thus delayed for fear of attracting the attention of the enemy by the rumbling of the wheels over the macadamized road.
Swords and canteens were directed to be left in camp, so as to make as little noise as possible.
The division commanders were particularly admonished as to the necessity for promptness and energy in all their movements, and they were instructed to press the enemy with vigor after he was encountered, and to allow him no time to form, but to continue the pursuit until his forces should be completely routed. They were also admonished of the danger to be apprehended from a disposition to plunder the enemy's camps by their men, and they were enjoined to take every possible precaution against it.
--Jubal Early, Autobiographical Sketch and Narrative of the War Between the States

The Confederates actually had no chance of bagging Sheridan. Partly because of the false message about Longstreet, Sheridan had gone to Washington to consult with the War Department. On this date he was on his way back, but he stopped for the night at Winchester. The good news for the Rebels: the Northerners were temporarily without their leader.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1234
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/19/2014 3:44:35 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

Possibly inspired by John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry, a group of twenty-one Confederates had assembled in Canada for a strike at the town of St. Albans in Vermont. On this date, having come over the border in small groups, they gathered in the main square of the town shortly after noon, threw off their overcoats to reveal Confederate uniforms, and announced to the townspeople that they had taken over the town in the name of the Confederacy.

Many of the locals simply didn't believe them at first, but when the Southerners started robbing the three main banks, matters were taken seriously. Some of the townsmen grabbed their weapons and started shooting, but the Rebels gave better than they got, killing one man and wounding a second. (The northernmost land fatality of the Civil War.) After over $200,000 had been taken, the Confederates tried to set fire to a number of buildings with the hope of engulfing the entire town. This part did not work, however; the "Greek fire" they had brought was a failure and the buildings were still wet from a rain the day before.

The raiders mounted their horses and managed to escape the posse assembled to catch them. By nightfall they were back over the border into Canada. There, a number of them would be arrested, but eventually released because they had been wearing uniforms and so were considered soldiers instead of bandits. (The Canadians did return about $80,000 of the bank money.)


Near Cedar Creek in the Shenandoah Valley, Jubal Early's plan went into motion:

At one o'clock on the morning of the 19th, Kershaw and Wharton moved, and I accompanied them. At Strasburg Kershaw moved to the right on the road to Bowman's Mill, and Wharton moved along the Pike to Hupp's Hill, with instructions not to display his forces but avoid the enemy's notice until the attack began, when he was to move forward, support the artillery when it came up, and send a force to get possession of the bridge on the Pike over the creek. I accompanied Kershaw's division, and we got in sight of the enemy's fires at halfpast three o'clock. The moon was now shining and we could see the camps. The division was halted under cover to await the arrival of the proper time, and I pointed out to Kershaw, and the commander of his leading brigade, the enemy's position and described the nature of the ground, and directed them how the attack was to be made and followed up. Kershaw was directed to cross his division over the creek as quietly as possible, and to form it into column of brigades, as he did so, and advance in that manner against the enemy's left breastwork, extending to the right or left as might be necessary.
At half-past four he was ordered forward, and, a very short time after he started, the firing from Rosser, on our left, and the picket firing at the ford at which Gordon was crossing were heard. Kershaw crossed the creek without molestation and formed his division as directed, and precisely at five o'clock his leading brigade, with little opposition, swept over the enemy's left work, capturing seven guns, which were at once turned on the enemy. As soon as this attack was made, I rode as rapidly as possible to the position on Hupp's Hill to which Wharton and the artillery had been ordered. I found the artillery just arriving, and a very heavy fire of musketry was now heard in the enemy's rear from Gordon's column. Wharton had advanced his skirmishers to the creek, capturing some prisoners, but the enemy still held the works on our left of the Pike, commanding that road and the bridge, and opened with his artillery on us. Our artillery was immediately brought into action and opened on the enemy, but he soon evacuated his works, and our men from the other columns rushed into them.
Just then the sun rose, and Wharton's division, and the artillery were ordered immediately forward. I rode in advance of them across the creek, and met General Gordon on the opposite hill. Kershaw's division had swept along the enemy's works on the right of the Pike, which were occupied by Crook's corps, and he and Gordon had united at the Pike, and their divisions had pushed across it in pursuit of the enemy. . .
--Jubal Early, Autobiographical Sketch and Narrative of the War Between the States


Thus far the attack had been a brilliant success. The surprised Union soldiers abandoned their positions, and in running for the rear, spread panic. The whooping Rebels rolled up their foes by regiments, then brigades, then divisions. Shortly only one Northern corps out of three was still standing. And it appeared that Early had partly redeemed the number of cannon he had lost to the Yankees during previous battles, for eighteen guns were taken. But then what Early had feared began to happen. It was too much to ask that hungry, poorly clothed soldiers who had marched nearly the whole night could resist the temptation of the helping themselves to the food, clothing, and other useful things to be found in the hastily abandoned Union camps:

As I passed across Cedar Creek after the enemy was driven from it, I had discovered a number of men in the enemy's camps plundering, and one of Wharton's battalions was ordered to clear the camps, and drive the men to their commands.
It was reported to me, subsequently, that a great number were at the same work, and I sent all my staff officers who could be spared, to stop it if possible, and orders were sent to the division commanders to send for their men.
--Jubal Early, Autobiographical Sketch and Narrative of the War Between the States

In the meantime, Philip Sheridan had the first inklings of the Union debacle. Even in the days before radio, news could spread surprisingly quickly:

Toward 6 o'clock the morning of the 19th, the officer on picket duty at Winchester came to my room, I being yet in bed, and reported artillery firing from the direction of Cedar Creek. I asked him if the firing was continuous or only desultory, to which he replied that it was not a sustained fire, but rather irregular and fitful. I remarked: "It's all right; Grover has gone out this morning to make a reconnoissance, and he is merely feeling the enemy." I tried to go to sleep again, but grew so restless that I could not, and soon got up and dressed myself.
[...]
We mounted our horses between half-past 8 and 9, and as we were proceeding up the street which leads directly through Winchester . . . I noticed that there were many women at the windows and doors of the houses, who kept shaking their skirts at us and who were otherwise markedly insolent in their demeanor, but supposing this conduct to be instigated by their well-known and perhaps natural prejudices, I ascribed to it no unusual significance. On reaching the edge of the town I halted a moment, and there heard quite distinctly the sound of artillery firing in an unceasing roar. Concluding from this that a battle was in progress, I now felt confident that the women along the street had received intelligence from the battle, field by the "grape-vine telegraph," and were in raptures over some good news...
--Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army

A short distance out of town, Sheridan discovered how good the news was for the pro-Southerners:

...just as we made the crest of the rise beyond the stream, there burst upon our view the appalling spectacle of a panic-stricken army--hundreds of slightly wounded men, throngs of others unhurt but utterly demoralized, and baggage-wagons by the score, all pressing to the rear in hopeless confusion, telling only too plainly that a disaster had occurred at the front. On accosting some of the fugitives, they assured me that the army was broken up, in full retreat, and that all was lost; all this with a manner true to that peculiar indifference that takes possession of panic-stricken men. I was greatly disturbed by the sight, but at once sent word to Colonel Edwards commanding the brigade in Winchester, to stretch his troops across the valley, near Mill Creek, and stop all fugitives, directing also that the transportation be passed through and parked on the north side of the town. As I continued at a walk a few hundred yards farther, thinking all the time of Longstreet's telegram to Early, "Be ready when I join you, and we will crush Sheridan," I was fixing in my mind what I should do. My first thought was to stop the army in the suburbs of Winchester as it came back, form a new line, and fight there; but as the situation was more maturely considered a better conception prevailed.
--Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army

At Cedar Creek, there was still on corps of Union infantry in good order, plus a number of Union cavalry. These formed a defensive line to rear of the original Union position. Jubal Early and his subordinates wanted to make their victory complete, but they no longer had surprise on their side.

I found Ramseur and Kershaw in line with Pegram, but Gordon had not come up. In a short time, however, I found him coming up from the rear, and I ordered him to take position on Kershaw's left, and advance for the purpose of driving the enemy from his new position--Kershaw and Ramseur being ordered to advance at the same time. As the enemy's cavalry on our left was very strong, and had the benefit of an open country to the rear of that flank, a repulse at this time would have been disastrous, and I therefore directed General Gordon, if he found the enemy's line too strong to attack with success, not to make the assault. The advance was made for some distance, when Gordon's skirmishers came back, reporting a line of battle in front behind breastworks, and Gordon did not make the attack.
It was now apparent that it would not do to press my troops further. They had been up all night and were much jaded. In passing over rough ground to attack the enemy in the early morning, their own ranks had been much disordered, and the men scattered, and it had required time to re-form them. Their ranks, moreover, were much thinned by the advance of the men engaged in plundering the enemy's camps. The delay which had unavoidably occurred had enabled the enemy to rally a portion of his routed troops, and his immense force of cavalry, which remained intact, was threatening both of our flanks in an open country, which of itself rendered an advance extremely hazardous.
I determined, therefore, to try and hold what had been gained, and orders were given for carrying off the captured and abandoned artillery, small arms and wagons.
--Jubal Early, Autobiographical Sketch and Narrative of the War Between the States

The word spread that Sheridan had returned. To borrow Grant's words, "His presence soon restored confidence. Finding themselves worse frightened than hurt the men did halt and turn back. " Some had retreated as far as 10 miles (16 km), but went to the scene of action again. Sheridan arrived at the front before noon, but waited until enough of his troops had both returned and been deployed in an organized fashion to give him the clear advantage.

Between half-past and 4 o'clock, I was ready to assail, and decided to do so by advancing my infantry line in a swinging movement, so as to gain the Valley pike with my right between Middletown and the Belle Grove House; and when the order was passed along, the men pushed steadily forward with enthusiasm and confidence.
--Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army

Although the Confederates had been holding their ground for several hours, they had not bothered to dig in. Both sides had reason to be tired; the Rebels had marched most of the night before their pre-dawn assault, while many of the Yankees had run for miles in the morning, and then had to march nearly the same distance in the early afternoon back to the front lines. But there was a difference between men who had been on scanty rations for months, and those who had been well-fed.

Late in the afternoon, the enemy's infantry advanced against Ramseur's, Kershaw's and Gordon's lines, and the attack on Ramseur's and Kershaw's fronts was handsomely repulsed in my view, and I hoped that the day was finally ours, but a portion of the enemy had penetrated an interval which was between Evans' brigade, on the extreme left, and the rest of the line, when that brigade gave way, and Gordon's other brigades soon followed. General Gordon made every possible effort to rally his men, and lead them back against the enemy, but without avail. The information of this affair, with exaggerations, passed rapidly along Kershaw's and Ramseur's lines, and their men, under the apprehension of being flanked, commenced falling back in disorder, though no enemy was pressing them, and this gave me the first intimation of Gordon's condition.
At the same time the enemy's cavalry, observing the disorder in our ranks, made another charge on our right, but was repulsed. Every effort was made to stop and rally Kershaw's and Ramseur's men, but the mass of them resisted all appeals, and continued to go to the rear without waiting for any effort to retrieve the partial disorder.
--Jubal Early, Autobiographical Sketch and Narrative of the War Between the States


The disorder rapidly went from "partial" to "total", and the Southerners' retreat deteriorated into an all-out debacle. Many of the equipment wagons were left behind, as were all of the eighteen Union guns captured in the morning, and twenty-three Confederate guns besides.

All our troops were now moving on the retreating Confederates, and as I rode to the front Colonel Gibbs, who succeeded Lowell, made ready for another mounted charge, but I checked him from pressing the enemy's right, in the hope that the swinging attack from my right would throw most of the Confederates to the east of the Valley pike, and hence off their line of retreat through Strasburg to Fisher's Hill. The eagerness of the men soon frustrated this anticipation, however, the left insisting on keeping pace with the centre and right, and all pushing ahead till we regained our old camps at Cedar Creek. Beyond Cedar Creek, at Strasburg, the pike makes a sharp turn to the west toward Fisher's Hill, and here Merritt uniting with Custer, they together fell on the flank of the retreating columns, taking many prisoners, wagons, and guns, among the prisoners being Major-General Ramseur, who, mortally wounded, died the next day.
--Personal Memoirs of P. H. Sheridan, General, United States Army

Total losses for the North were 569 killed, 3,425 wounded, and 1,770 missing or captured, and for the South 320 killed, 1,540 wounded, and 1,050 missing or captured. In terms of casualties, the Union had actually had the worst of the battle. But the Confederate army had been scattered, and lost many guns and other equipment. Early would mange to pull his force back together in time, but without enough cavalry or artillery, it would never again be a threat to the Northern army. The Shenandoah Valley was, for practical purposes, lost to the Confederacy. And the dramatic tale of Sheridan's ride, "snatching victory from the jaws of defeat", was an immense boost for the Republicans. Lincoln's re-election, which had seemed a lost cause only two months before, was now a virtual certainty.

Maps by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com


Attachment (2)

< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 10/19/2014 4:54:27 PM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1235
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/22/2014 4:09:19 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

In Missouri, the scattered Union forces were starting to come together against the Rebel army under Sterling Price. The Southerners had by now marched to the western edge of the state, looking for supplies and recruits. But what they were finding was militia hastily gathered from neighboring Kansas, and Federal cavalry. On this date, there was considerable fighting around Byram's Ford and the town of Independence. The results were mostly in the Southerners' favor, for they managed to cross the ford and take most of the town. (For once, there is a better record of Confederate casualties, about 140 in all, than for the Union.) But the reports showed that the total number of Yankees in the area was over double the number of men under Price's command. Price decided to fall back to the town of Westport, and then turn on his opponents, hoping to defeat them in detail before they could truly link up.


In Georgia, Grant had sent his friend Sherman a gift: a talented cavalry general named James H. Wilson, who Grant believed would greatly increase the effectiveness of Sherman's troopers. When Wilson reported to the Western headquarters, his new commander made some interesting remarks: "I am a damned sight smarter man than Grant. I know more about military history, strategy, and grand tactics than he does. I know more about supply, administration, and everything else than he does. I'll tell you where he beats me, though, and where he beats the world. He doesn't give a damn about what the enemy does out of his sight, but it scares me like hell."

The interview does not seem to have gone as happily as could have been hoped. Sherman decided to send Wilson north to Tennessee to help defend the state from John Bell Hood's army and Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry, and keep Judson "Kill-Cavalry" Kilpatrick as the head of the cavalry he would take with him on his famous march south. It would eventually prove to be a wise decision, however, for Wilson was what the Union had been desperately searching for: the commander who could beat Nathan Bedford Forrest.




Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1236
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/23/2014 7:32:09 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

Near Westport, Missouri, both Northerners and Southerners were in a mood to attack. The Northerners under Samuel Curtis had more than a two-to-one advantage and knew it, although many of their troops were militia. The Southerners under Sterling Price had more experienced men, and knew that a large body of Federal cavalry was blocked at Byram's Ford from the day before. Thus the action started early in the morning, or more accurately developed from the skirmishing the day before.

The two bodies of infantry charged and counter-charged, with first one side and then the other seeming to have the advantage. At one point the Yankees were driven back nearly to the streets of Westport, but reinforcements turned the tide. Then, for once, it was the Union side that benefitted from a little-known road. A local farmer annoyed at the Rebel invasion showed the Northerners a route through a gully, where they could move unseen to the Confederate flank. The Federals even managed to march a battery of cannon to the new position, and began an enfilading fire.

In the meantime, though it had taken three hours, at 11:00 a.m. the Northern cavalry finally gained control of Byram's Ford. The Southerners now faced a force in their rear fully as large as their entire army, as well as being outnumbered and outmanuvered by the force in their front. It was time to retire and accept defeat.

Westport has been called "The Gettysburg of the West", which is a great exaggeration, but it did spell the end of Price's expedition into Missouri. Both sides had lost about 1,500 men, which the Confederates couold not afford, but the Union could. Faced with now-insurmountable odds, Sterling Price could no longer accomplish anything useful. His army began the withdrawal back to Arkansas, closely pursued by the victorious Northerners.




Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1237
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/25/2014 3:43:55 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

Sterling Price's defeated army was retreating roughly along the border between Missouri and Arkansas. As generally happened in the Civil War, the Confederates were able to out-march the pursuing Union infantry. The cavalry was another matter; on this date there were skirmishes at Marais des Cygnes and Marmiton River, and a disaster for the Southerners at Mine Creek. Price had detached part of his force to attempt to capture Fort Scott and seize some badly-needed arms and supplies. The rest were helping the supply wagons to ford Mine Creek when about 2,600 Federal horsemen caught up with them.

Although the Confederates had about 7,000 men on scene, they were armed with single-shot muskets or, for some men, no firearms at all. The Northerners had repeating carbines and revolvers. One of their commanders was Frederick Benteen, who would later be criticized for his tardiness in helping Custer's force at Little Big Horn. On this date, however, Benteen was not slow, leading his troopers at the Southern center while another Union column struck at the left flank. After a few minutes, the Rebel line broke into confusion, aided by the fact that some of the poorly-equipped Confederates were wearing captured Union uniforms.

A few Southerners fought sturdily, but most of the force went into hurried retreat. The Federals took a number of the wagons, two cannon, and nearly a thousand prisoners, including Major-General John Marmaduke. Total Confederate losses were about 1,200 against only 100 men on the Union side. The attempt on Fort Scott was called off; the Rebel army was no longer in condition to assault any major fort.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1238
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/26/2014 5:58:39 PM   
Capt. Harlock


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The Confederate cause was faring poorly in Missouri. Sterling Price had called most of the pro-Southern guerrillas and irregulars of the state into his army, which was now fleeing from the much larger Union forces. This gave the pro-Northern partisans a distinct advantage in the lawless violence which had plagued the state almost from the beginning of the war.

William "Bloody Bill" Anderson was still at large, however, and leading a band of "bushwackers" against various places. By this time they were not particular about whether their victims had Union sympathies or not. They left a trail of looting and murder as they went, and Anderson even committed one of the few recorded rapes in the Missouri conflict. Outraged about this and the Centralia massacres, the Union generals in the area assigned a force against Anderson's band. But this time it was of 150 experienced troopers under a Lieutenant Colonel Samuel P. Cox. Nor were the Federal commanders the only ones angered; Cox and his men received tips from the locals on where Anderson was headed.

On this date, the Northerners caught up with Anderson and his men near what is now Orrick, Missouri. The Rebels charged, firing their revolvers and hitting five or six of their opponents. But the Union cavalrymen returned a heavy fire, killing four of the guerrillas and sending all the others in retreat except two. One of them was Anderson, and at the next volley he was struck in the head and killed.



The body of "Bloody Bill" was paraded through the streets of a nearby town, ironically named Richmond, to the happiness of nearly everyone in Missouri. The Union soldiers who searched the corpse reported that they found a string on which Anderson had tied a knot for each person he had killed. There were fifty-three.


Although Lincoln's re-election was now assured, the Republicans wanted their majority as large as possible, both for general political prestige and also to pass the 13th amendment. (At this point the amendment was still blocked in the House of Representatives.) With this view, efforts now turned to admitting Nevada as a new state to the Union. An American state, however, requires a state constitution. The Nevada constitution had not been approved by the voters until early September. Previous attempts to send it to Washington by conventional transport of the day had failed. Therefore, in one of history's first transmissions of an official document by electronic means, the Nevada constitution was sent by telegraph beginning on this date. The first key operator would labor for seven hours to transmit, and his line only reached as far as Salt lake City. From there it would go next to Chicago.



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< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 10/26/2014 6:59:49 PM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1239
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/27/2014 3:45:30 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

On the Roanoke River in North Carolina, the Northerners were still blocked by the presence of the Confederate ironclad Albemarle. An enterprising naval lieutenant named William B. Cushing came up with an idea. Since no large ships dare to tangle with the Southern vessel, Cushing proposed to use a small steam-powered launch and equip it with a "spar torpedo" (a large explosive charge at the end of a pole), and attack the Albemarle at night. The plan was approved by the Union admiral, and Cushing and a small crew of volunteers set off after nightfall on this date.




The first part went well. The Yankees managed to sneak past a Confederate schooner on picket duty undetected. Cushing was even thinking of rushing his men on board the Albemarle and capturing her. But just as they approached the docks where the ironclad was moored, they were spotted, and what had been a quiet night got very noisy very quickly:

A heavy fire was at once opened upon us, not only from the ship, but from men stationed on the shore. This did not disable us and we neared them rapidly. A large fire now blazed , upon the bank, and by its light I discovered the unfortunate fact that there was a circle of logs around the Albemarle, boomed well out from her side, with the very intention of preventing the action of torpedoes. To examine them more closely, I ran alongside until amidships, received the enemy's fire, and sheered off for the purpose of turning, a hundred yards away, and going at the booms squarely, at right angles, trusting to their having been long enough in the water to have become slimy -- in which case my boat, under full headway, would bump up against them and slip over into the pen with the ram. This was my only chance of success, and once over the obstruction my boat would never get out again. As I turned, the whole back of my coat was torn out by buckshot and the sole of my shoe was carried away. The fire was very severe.

In a lull of the firing, the captain demanding what boat it was. All my men gave comical answers, and mine was a dose of canister from the howitzer. In another instant we had struck the logs and were over, with headway nearly gone, slowly forging up under the enemy's quarter-port. Ten feet from us the muzzle of a rifle gun looked into our faces, and every word of command on board was distinctly heard.

My clothing was perforated with bullets as I stood in the bow, the heel-jigger in my right hand and the exploding-line in the left. We were near enough then, and I ordered the boom lowered until the forward motion of the launch carried the torpedo under the ram's overhang. A strong pull of the detaching-line, a moment's waiting for the torpedo to rise under the hull and, I hauled in the left hand, just cut by a bullet. The explosion took place at the same instant that 100 pounds of grape, at 10 feet range, crashed among us, and the dense mass of water thrown out by the torpedo came down with choking weight upon us.

Twice refusing to surrender; I commanded the men to save themselves; and, throwing off sword, revolver, shoes, and coat, struck out from my disabled and sinking boat into the river.

--William B. Cushing, Destruction of CSS Albemarle




Cushing and just one other man managed to escape back to Union lines; the rest of his men were either picked up by the Confederates or drowned in the cold water of the river. But they had accomplished their mission. The spar torpedo had blown a gaping hole into the Albemarle, and she settled on the bottom, just deep enough to put her out of action. The Roanoke River was now open to the Union navy.


Along the Richmond-Petersburg lines, U. S. Grant made one more attempt to break the Confederate supply line. He ordered an attack on the south side against the Boydton Plank road, and a diversion on the north side under Benjamin Butler. Given Butler's dismal record as a field commander, it was not surprising that the northern advance went nowhere. The column failed to march around the Confederate entrenchments, instead going straight towards them, but then wisely stopping when the men realized the situation.

To the south, the assault was made by the II Corps under Winfield Hancock and a division of V Corps under one Samuel Crawford. This also suffered from bad navigation; a gap opened up between Crawford's force and the remainder of the Union troops, and continued to get wider. More, it was discovered that Confederate fortifications which were reported to be still in progress were in fact complete, and would exact a heavy price to any attempt to overrun them. After some reconaissance by Grant in person, it was determined to hold Hancock's II Corps where it was until the reinforcing division could arrive.

It never happened. Instead, the Confederates realized that II Corps was now exposed, and launched a counter-attack. For a time it looked as if Hancock's Northerners were facing an even worse disaster than at Ream's Station: they were confronted on three sides with no good route on the fourth side. But this time there was no panic on the Union side. Hancock ordered a counter-counter-attack that broke through in a key area, and in turn isolated a Confederate division. Union cavalry was also able to get the better of the Rebel troopers, and soon reinforcements opened a path to the Northern main line. Grant gave Hancock the choice of holding the position or falling back. Since the missing division under Crawford had never shown up, Hancock decided that his force was still too exposed. They were still some distance from the Boydton Plank road, so the ground was of little use to the Federals. Hancock retreated back to his original lines during the night.

The day's fighting would be the last serious action in the area for 1864, and had cost the Union 1,758 casualties and the Confederacy about 1,300. By the grim mathematics of the war, this was a Northern victory, for they could replace their losses more easily now that the war was clearly going in their favor, and re-enlistments and new recruits were inspired to come forward.

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< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 10/27/2014 8:45:06 PM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1240
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/27/2014 10:31:35 AM   
warspite1


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_____________________________

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Post #: 1241
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/29/2014 9:39:27 AM   
VPaulus

 

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Post #: 1242
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/29/2014 7:38:51 PM   
Capt. Harlock


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Status: offline 		Late October 1864:

When he had put together his combined strategy earlier in the year, Ulysses S. Grant had made clear he considered the Confederate armies to be more important objectives than any of the Confederate cities, even including Richmond. But the armies were proving much harder to destroy that the cities were to capture. True, the Union forces had done major damage to both of the major Southern armies. The Army of Northern Virginia had been decimated in both officers and men, and the Army of Tennessee had been nearly broken. But the Northern Army of the Potomac had taken at least as much damage as its Rebel counterpart, and the Army of Tennessee had pulled itself back together.

Likewise, the Southern Army of the Valley had been beaten but was still in existence, and Sterling Price's army was making good its escape out of Missouri. (This last could be counted as a Union victory, however, because Price's force was taking with it nearly all the organized Confederate forces in the state.) Of the four great objectives of the summer of 1864, only Atlanta had been taken -- and it is arguable that Grant had not been thinking of it at the beginning of May. With the coming of colder weather, no more could be done against Richmond or Lee's Army of Northern Virginia for the year. But perhaps there was still a chance against the Army of Tennessee in Georgia.

William T. Sherman thought not. He now gave up the "stern chase" against his Southern opponents, and began to prepare for his movement southwards to the Atlantic coast. He sent Major General George Thomas all the way back to Nashville, Tennessee, and began moving about 40,000 men to accompany Thomas and defend against the Rebel invasion of the state that he was aware was coming. The remaining 60,000, the pick of his forces, he began to group around Atlanta to fill up on supplies. In doing so, he was evading his orders from Grant, but he had two advantages: first, he and Grant were close friends, and second, Grant had made a similar move against Vicksburg the year before. In an interesting twist, Sherman had not believed at the time in Grant's gamble of taking his army away from its supply line. Now the positions were reversed: Sherman wanted to cut his force loose, while Grant wanted a direct attack on the Confederates. Sherman was confident he could persuade his General-in-Chief.


There was one other reason for the return, though it probably did not interest Grant. With just over a week until the Presidential election, it would be much easier for the soldiers to vote if they were near Atlanta and the railroad than chasing the Rebel army. And the Lincoln administration knew that the great majority of the Union troops would vote Republican. George McClellan had not accepted the Democratic platform of an immediate armistice, but he could not explain how he would stop the war and still preserve the Union. Few of those in the Northern ranks wanted to leave the job unfinished after the victories that had been won over the last three months.




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< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 10/30/2014 4:15:40 AM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to VPaulus)
Post #: 1243
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/30/2014 3:14:46 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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There was not a direct telegraph line from Nevada to Chicago, so the proposed Nevada state constitution was transmitted over a multi-stage route. Finally, it arrived at the War Department in Washington, D.C. (As one of his extraordinary and probably unconstitutional acts, Secretary of War Stanton had taken control of all of the telegraph lines in the North.) The transmission had comprised 16,543 words and had cost $4,303.27 to send, a considerable amount in 1864. It would hold the record for the longest telegraphic transmission until 1881. But it had been received in time, and was promptly rushed to Congress for approval.





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_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1244
RE: Civil War 150th - 10/31/2014 4:13:08 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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On this date, Nathan Bedford Forrest became a naval commander. In a remarkable coup, he had managed to move and conceal batteries of horse artillery at either end of a section of river patrolled by Union gunboats. At a signal, both sections opened fire, trapping a pair of Yankee vessels. They rapidly surrendered, and the Confederates spent a few days learning how to sail their new prizes. A disgusted Grant would later write that the capture was "very hard to account for", but Sherman admitted that the feat "excited my admiration."


In the days before the filibuster was used, Congress could move with remarkable speed. On this date, Congress voted, and President Lincoln approved, and Nevada was formally admitted into the Union as the 36th state. It was smaller than its current borders (see below). It also had just 40,000 inhabitants, the lowest of any state upon entry. Only 1,200 Nevadan men would join the ranks of the Union armies, but the state would make an important contribution: $400 million worth of silver, mainly from the Comstock Lode. The precious metal would help considerably in stabilizing the value of U. S. currency. Confederate money, on the other hand, was rapidly falling in value, and would keep doing so until "a leaf from an oak tree will be worth as much as the Confederate promise to pay one dollar", according to one accurate prediction.





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_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1245
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/1/2014 4:06:23 PM   
Capt. Harlock


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In the Western theater, the Confederates were making something of a comeback after the fall of Atlanta. In addition to Nathan Bedford Forrest's remarkable successes, John Bell Hood had not only reached the Tennessee river but forded it at a key point. The way was now open for him to re-take Nashville or Chattanooga. (Actually, he needed to gather supplies before he could make the advance.) To quote W. T. Sherman, "There is no doubt that the month of October closed to us looking decidedly squally; but, somehow, I was sustained in the belief that in a very few days the tide would turn."

But on this date came another difficulty. U. S. Grant was still reluctant to authorize Sherman's march southward:

CITY POINT, November 1, 1864--6 P.M.

Major-General SHERMAN: Do you not think it advisable, now that Hood has gone so far north, to entirely ruin him before starting on your proposed campaign? With Hood's army destroyed, you can go where you please with impunity. I believed and still believe, if you had started south while Hood was in the neighborhood of you, he would have been forced to go after you. Now that he is far away he might look upon the chase as useless, and he will go in one direction while you are pushing in the other. If you can see a chance of destroying Hood's army, attend to that first, and make your other move secondary.

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.

The good news (for Sherman) was that Grant was not giving definite orders. The General-in-Chief was still of the opinion that, when the two main Confederate armies had been destroyed, everything else would be open to the Northern forces. But he was willing to trust in his friend's judgment.


_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1246
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/2/2014 3:54:23 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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William T. Sherman lost no time in attempting to persuade Grant that it was a much better idea to march south from Atlanta than engage in a futile pursuit of Hood and the Army of Tennessee:

ROME, GEORGIA, November 2, 1864.

Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT, City Point, Virginia:
Your dispatch is received. If I could hope to overhaul Hood, I would turn against him with my whole force; then he would retreat to the south west, drawing me as a decoy away from Georgia, which is his chief object. If he ventures north of the Tennessee River, I may turn in that direction, and endeavor to get below him on his line of retreat; but thus far he has not gone above the Tennessee River. General Thomas will have a force strong enough to prevent his reaching any country in which we have an interest; and he has orders, if Hood turns to follow me, to push for Selma, Alabama. No single army can catch Hood, and I am convinced the best results will follow from our defeating Jeff. Davis's cherished plea of making me leave Georgia by manoeuvring. Thus far I have confined my efforts to thwart this plan, and have reduced baggage so that I can pick up and start in any direction; but I regard the pursuit of Hood as useless. Still, if he attempts to invade Middle Tennessee, I will hold Decatur, and be prepared to move in that direction; but, unless I let go of Atlanta, my force will not be equal to his.

W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.

Worried that his missive would not be enough, Sherman sent another message when he had reached his field headquarters:

KINGSTON, GEORGIA, November 2, 1864.

Lieutenant-General U. S. GRANT, City Point, Virginia:
If I turn back, the whole effect of my campaign will be lost. By my movements I have thrown Beauregard (Hood) well to the west, and Thomas will have ample time and sufficient troops to hold him until the reenforcements from Missouri reach him. We have now ample supplies at Chattannooga and Atlanta, and can stand a month's interruption to our communications. I do not believe the Confederate army can reach our railroad-lines except by cavalry-raids, and Wilson will have cavalry enough to checkmate them. I am clearly of opinion that the best results will follow my contemplated movement through Georgia.

W. T. SHERMAN, Major-General.

But Sherman needn't have worried. Grant had no trouble reading maps, and he had realized that Sherman was correct; his army must leave Atlanta if it was to accomplish anything. To move northward would be seen as a retreat, which was not acceptable a week before the election.

CITY POINT, VIRGINIA, November 2, 1864--11.30 a.m.

Major-General SHERMAN: Your dispatch of 9 A.M. yesterday is just received. I dispatched you the same date, advising that Hood's army, now that it had worked so far north, ought to be looked upon now as the "object." With the force, however, that you have left with General Thomas, he must be able to take care of Hood and destroy him. I do not see that you can withdraw from where you are to follow Hood, without giving up all we have gained in territory. I say, then, go on as you propose.

U. S. GRANT, Lieutenant-General.

Sherman had the approval he had been seeking. The "March to the Sea" was on.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1247
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/4/2014 3:20:10 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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On the Tennessee River, Nathan Bedford Forrest was not having much luck as a naval commander. Already one of his gunboats had run aground and been re-captured by the Yankees. Early in the morning on this date, his remaining vessel, Undine, was confronted by a force of no less than nine Union gunboats. The Confederates, seeing themselves outmatched, set fire to the Undine and abandoned her. In a few minutes, the magazine exploded, and Forrest's naval command was over.

The Federal gunboats advanced, but now they in turn were outmatched by well-emplaced batteries of Southern shore artillery. One Northern vessel took 19 hits, and the flotilla decided to retire. Forrest's artillerymen then turned their guns on the massive Union supply depot at Johnsonville, just across the river. When the rebel cannoneers opened up, the Northerners could make no effective reply without their naval support. Both the shipping at the wharves and the warehouses behind were worked over, with the docks soon becoming a mass of flames.

By the time the Confederates packed up, there was very little left of the transports or the Union installation itself. Three Northern gunboats and at least two dozen steamboats and barges were lost, along with 26 pieces of artillery. Forrest estimated the damage at about $6,700,000, which would make it the most destructive raid against a Northern depot of the entire war. (One Federal report estimated the loss at $2,200,000 -- still heavy enough to make it yet another brilliant success for "that devil Forrest".)

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1248
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/6/2014 3:23:27 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		Both William T. Sherman and John Bell Hood were busy with the administrative tasks necessary for their respective moves:

Our railroads and telegraph had been repaired, and I deliberately prepared for the march to Savannah, distant three hundred miles from Atlanta. All the sick and wounded men had been sent back by rail to Chattanooga; all our wagon-trains had been carefully overhauled and loaded, so as to be ready to start on an hour's notice, and there was no serious enemy in our front.

[...]

General Hood remained still at Florence, Alabama, occupying both banks of the Tennessee River, busy in collecting shoes and clothing for his men, and the necessary ammunition and stores with which to invade Tennessee, most of which had to come from Mobile, Selma, and Montgomery, Alabama, over railroads that were still broken. Beauregard was at Corinth, hastening forward these necessary preparations.

--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

There were some striking differences. Along with the disabled soldiers, Sherman was actually sending supplies back to the rear. Remarkably, even with the Rebels breaking the railroads every so often, more stores and equipment had been accumulated in Atlanta than his wagons would be able to carry. He knew that anything left behind would fall into Confederate hands, so the excess went all the way back to Tennessee.

The soldiers on the Union side enjoyed other advantages as well:

Paymasters had come down to pay off our men before their departure to a new sphere of action, and commissioners were also on hand from the several States to take the vote of our men in the presidential election then agitating the country.

--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

(Your humble amateur historian speculates that the presence of the Paymasters did much to make the soldiers in a mood to re-elect Lincoln. They also made it possible for a number of the men to buy weapons they considered superior to government-issue muskets, such as Spencer and Henry repeating rifles.)

On the Confederate side, the crumbling Southern economy and runaway inflation were imposing hardships on all but the wealthiest, soldier and civilian alike:

November 6th. - A thousand dollars have slipped through my fingers already this week. At the Commissary's I spent five hundred to-day for candles, sugar, and a lamp, etc. Tallow candles are bad enough, but of them there seems to be an end, too. Now we are restricted to smoky, terrabine lamps- terrabine is a preparation of turpentine. When the chimney of the lamp cracks, as crack it will, we plaster up the place with paper, thick old letter-paper, preferring the highly glazed kind.

-- Mary Boykin Chesnut, A Diary From Dixie

The most complained about shortages were shoes for the troops, and coffee for everyone. It had been discovered that coffee-drinkers tended to get sick less often (because the water was boiled), and it was very popular on both sides. The Southerners tried many substitutes, roasting things like sweet potatoes, acorns, rye grain, barley, beans, beets, bran, chestnuts, okra seeds, peanuts, and even dandelion. But none gave the satisfaction of true coffee.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1249
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/8/2014 2:55:25 PM   
Capt. Harlock


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Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

A U.S. Election day is the first Tuesday after the first Monday in November, so November the 8th is the latest it can be. So it was on this date, and the voters went to the polls in the Union states. They also cast votes in the "reconstructed" states of Tennessee, Louisiana, and Arkansas, but Congress refused to accept the electoral votes of those three. (Possibly because their governments had not followed the Wade-Davis formula for admitting a seceded state back into the Union.) But the electors from the new states of Kansas, West Virginia, and Nevada were cheerfully counted. George McClellan finally got around to resigning his commission in the Union Army, since serving officers were not supposed run for high office.

Neither Lincoln nor McClellan had done any active campaigning; according to the custom of the time, the candidates were supposed to hold themselves aloof while their supporters did the work. This led to mud-slinging and dirty tricks on a massive scale. In the morning of an anxious day, Lincoln remarked, "It is strange that I, who am not a vindictive man, should always have been before the people for election in canvasses marked for their bitterness."



Voting was a state matter, and the states were not unanimous on whether those serving in the Army or Navy should be allowed to cast absentee votes, essentially on continuing the war or not. Nineteen of the states decided to allow it, but three important states did not: Indiana, Illinois, and New Jersey. Illinois was considered Lincoln's home state, and was safe for him, while New Jersey was McCellan's home state, and unlikely to vote Republican. But Indiana looked as if it could go either way, and Lincoln wrote that losing it "would go far towards losing the whole Union cause". He had therefore encouraged Sherman, who as head of the Department of the Mississippi commanded most of the regiments from Indiana, to furlough as many of those men as he could spare to go home to their state and vote.

New York City was also a worry. It had been the scene of the worst rioting in American history just the year before, and Union intelligence had learned of a Confederate plot to start a major fire there, and also in Chicago. Regiments of troops had been sent to New York to keep order, commanded by Benjamin Butler, who showed surprising talent for keeping the lid on a hostile city. There were no serious problems on election day, for the Rebel arsonists noted the Federal soldiers and decided to postpone their attempt until later in the month. (The plot in Chicago was stopped by the arrests of several of the men.) But the city voted against Lincoln, perhaps because of the military occupation, but also because of a phony newspaper story of a "Miscegenation Ball" of mixed-race couples supposedly held by Republican leadership. Abolition of slavery was one thing, but racial prejudice still ran deep in North as well as South.



However, the efforts to collect the votes of the Northern soldiers bore fruit for Lincoln and his allies. His "National Union" ticket drew 2,218,388 votes, or 55%. George McClellan and his running mate drew 1,812,807 votes, or 45%. In terms of electoral votes, the Lincoln victory was crushing. McClellan carried only three states: his home state of New Jersey, Delaware, and Kentucky. This gave him a mere 21 electoral votes, against 212 for Lincoln.



The Republicans also gained in Congress. Though the Democrats lost no seats in the Senate, the Republicans gained four seats which had been held by smaller parties.This brought them to an outright majority of 39 Senators out of a total of 72. (Note that 18 seats were of the seceded states, and vacant.) In the House of Representatives, the Republicans added an impressive gain of 46 seats, bringing them to a total of 134 out of 193. This would have been enough to pass the 13th amendment abolishing slavery, but Lincoln was not willing to wait until March, when the new Congress would be seated.


In Georgia, Sherman began to issue orders to his troops for the upcoming march. He had found it very useful to keep the Confederates guessing where he was going, so he did not name his objectives: first the state capital of Milledgeville, and then Savannah.

[Special Field Orders, No. 119.]

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI IN THE FIELD, KINGSTON, GEORGIA, November 8, 1864

The general commanding deems it proper at this time to inform the officers and men of the Fourteenth, Fifteenth, Seventeenth, and Twentieth Corps, that he has organized them into an army for a special purpose, well known to the War Department and to General Grant. It is sufficient for you to know that it involves a departure from our present base, and a long and difficult march to a new one. All the chances of war have been considered and provided for, as far as human sagacity can. All he asks of you is to maintain that discipline, patience, and courage, which have characterized you in the past; and he hopes, through you, to strike a blow at our enemy that will have a material effect in producing what we all so much desire, his complete overthrow. Of all things, the most important is, that the men, during marches and in camp, keep their places and do not scatter about as stragglers or foragers, to be picked up by a hostile people in detail. It is also of the utmost importance that our wagons should not be loaded with any thing but provisions and ammunition. All surplus servants, noncombatants, and refugees, should now go to the rear, and none should be encouraged to encumber us on the march. At some future time we will be able to provide for the poor whites and blacks who seek to escape the bondage under which they are now suffering. With these few simple cautions, he hopes to lead you to achievements equal in importance to those of the past.

By order of Major-General W. T. Sherman,
L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.


Attachment (3)

< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 11/8/2014 4:01:12 PM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1250
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/9/2014 4:27:09 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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From his headquarters in Georgia, W. T. Sherman issued more detailed orders for his march. They were designed to (mostly) spare private citizens inside their own homes, but there would more likely than not be destruction to factories and any other militarily useful infrastructure. Also, foodstuffs and livestock would be seized for the needs of Sherman's army, and given that it would be about 65,000 strong, there would not be a great deal left behind them:

[Special Field Orders, No. 120.]

HEADQUARTERS MILITARY DIVISION OF THE MISSISSIPPI IN THE FIELD, KINGSTON, GEORGIA, November 9, 1864

1. For the purpose of military operations, this army is divided into two wings viz.: The right wing, Major-General O. O. Howard commanding, composed of the Fifteenth and Seventeenth Corps; the left wing, Major-General H. W. Slocum commanding, composed of the Fourteenth and Twentieth Corps.

[...]

The separate columns will start habitually at 7 a.m., and make about fifteen miles per day, unless otherwise fixed in orders.

4. The army will forage liberally on the country during the march. To this end, each brigade commander will organize a good and sufficient foraging party, under the command of one or more discreet officers, who will gather, near the route traveled, corn or forage of any kind, meat of any kind, vegetables, corn-meal, or whatever is needed by the command, aiming at all times to keep in the wagons at least ten days' provisions for his command, and three days' forage. Soldiers must not enter the dwellings of the inhabitants, or commit any trespass; but, during a halt or camp, they may be permitted to gather turnips, potatoes, and other vegetables, and to drive in stock in sight of their camp. To regular foraging-parties must be intrusted the gathering of provisions and forage, at any distance from the road traveled.

5. To corps commanders alone is intrusted the power to destroy mills, houses, cotton-gins, etc.; and for them this general principle is laid down: In districts and neighborhoods where the army is unmolested, no destruction of each property should be permitted; but should guerrillas or bushwhackers molest our march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army commanders should order and enforce a devastation more or less relentless, according to the measure of such hostility.

6. As for horses, mules, wagons, etc., belonging to the inhabitants, the cavalry and artillery may appropriate freely and without limit; discriminating, however, between the rich, who are usually hostile, and the poor and industrious, usually neutral or friendly. Foraging-parties may also take mules or horses, to replace the jaded animals of their trains, or to serve as pack-mules for the regiments or brigades. In all foraging, of whatever kind, the parties engaged will refrain from abusive or threatening language, and may, where the officer in command thinks proper, give written certificates of the facts, but no receipts; and they will endeavor to leave with each family a reasonable portion for their maintenance,

7. Negroes who are able-bodied and can be of service to the several columns may be taken along; but each army commander will bear in mind that the question of supplies is a very important one, and that his first duty is to see to those who bear arms.

8. The organization, at once, of a good pioneer battalion for each army corps, composed if possible of negroes, should be attended to. This battalion should follow the advance-guard, repair roads and double them if possible, so that the columns will not be delayed after reaching bad places.

[...]

By order of Major-General W. T. Sherman,
L. M. DAYTON, Aide-de-Camp.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1251
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/10/2014 2:44:29 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

To congratulate Abraham Lincoln on his re-election, a large crowd of supporters gathered on the White House lawn to give him a victory serenade. After the musical salute, the crowd called for a speech from the President. He seems to have anticipated the request, for he stepped out onto a second-floor balcony and delivered what could scarcely have been impromptu remarks:

"It has long been a grave question whether any government, not too strong for the liberties of its people, can be strong enough to maintain its own existence, in great emergencies.
On this point the present rebellion brought our republic to a severe test; and a presidential election occurring in regular course during the rebellion added not a little to the strain. If the loyal people, united, were put to the utmost of their strength by the rebellion, must they not fail when divided, and partially paralyzed, by a political war among themselves? But the election was a necessity.
We can not have free government without elections; and if the rebellion could force us to forego, or postpone a national election, it might fairly claim to have already conquered and ruined us. The strife of the election is but human-nature practically applied to the facts of the case. What has occurred in this case, must ever recur in similar cases. Human-nature will not change. In any future great national trial, compared with the men of this, we shall have as weak, and as strong; as silly and as wise; as bad and good. Let us, therefore, study the incidents of this, as philosophy to learn wisdom from, and none of them as wrongs to be revenged.
But the election, along with its incidental, and undesirable strife, has done good too. It has demonstrated that a people’s government can sustain a national election, in the midst of a great civil war. Until now it has not been known to the world that this was a possibility. It shows also how sound, and how strong we still are. It shows that, even among candidates of the same party, he who is most devoted to the Union, and most opposed to treason, can receive most of the people’s votes. It shows also, to the extent yet known, that we have more men now, than we had when the war began. Gold is good in its place; but living, brave, patriotic men, are better than gold.
But the rebellion continues; and now that the election is over, may not all, having a common interest, re-unite in a common effort, to save our common country? For my own part I have striven, and shall strive to avoid placing any obstacle in the way. So long as I have been here I have not willingly planted a thorn in any man’s bosom.
While I am deeply sensible to the high compliment of a re-election; and duly grateful, as I trust, to Almighty God for having directed my countrymen to a right conclusion, as I think, for their own good, it adds nothing to my satisfaction that any other man may be disappointed or pained by the result.
May I ask those who have not differed with me, to join with me, in this same spirit towards those who have?
And now, let me close by asking three hearty cheers for our brave soldiers and seamen and their gallant and skillful commanders."

The night was still young, and many of the crowd went over to Secretary of State Seward's residence. Seward received them in a cheerful mood, as well he might, for his own job had also been made secure by the election.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1252
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/12/2014 4:40:51 AM   
Capt. Harlock


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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

William T. Sherman had no intention of completely ignoring John Bell Hood, P.G.T. Beauregard, and the Army of Tennessee. He knew the Confederates planned an invasion of their home state, now under Union control, since both Hood and President Davis had made speeches on the subject. Sherman assigned George Thomas, "The Rock of Chickamauga", to deal with the invasion and above all to defend Nashville. Telegrams flew back and forth between the two Northern generals, firming up their plans. The troops under Thomas would largely consist of rear-area garrisons and laborers rather than first-line combat units, but Sherman had assigned two divisions under A. J. Smith to Thomas. These men had been diverted to the Red River fiasco early in the year, then had turned back a raid by Nathan Bedford Forrest, and then marched after Sterling Price in Missouri, so they were now highly experienced. With the addition of cavalry general James Wilson, who was already taking up the task of overhauling Thomas' mounted units, there would be a force sufficient to defeat Hood and Beauregard's army.

On this date, Thomas sent Sherman a telegram stating, "I have no fears that Beauregard can do us any harm now", and expressing confidence that Sherman had a clear road ahead of him. At about noon, Sherman reached Cartersville, Georgia, and his telegraphist sent back "Dispatch received--all right." It was all he had time for, since:

About that instant of time, some of our men burnt a bridge, which severed the telegraph-wire, and all communication with the rear ceased thenceforth.
--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

For over a month, as far as the Federal government knew, Sherman and his 65,000 men had disappeared. An interesting point that is not addressed in any of the history books I have read is that Sherman was the commander of the Military Department of the Mississippi, which covered the vast area from the Alleghenies to the Mississippi river, north of Louisiana. He was essentially leaving his post as a theater commander. Happily, he had already set the department to run independently of him during the Atlanta campaign.

As we rode on towards Atlanta that night, I remember the railroad-trains going to the rear with a furious speed; the engineers and the few men about the trains waving us an affectionate adieu. It surely was a strange event--two hostile armies marching in opposite directions, each in the full belief that it was achieving a final and conclusive result in a great war; and I was strongly inspired with the feeling that the movement on our part was a direct attack upon the rebel army and the rebel capital at Richmond, though a full thousand miles of hostile country intervened, and that, for better or worse, it would end the war.
--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman


< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 11/12/2014 8:31:20 PM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1253
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/14/2014 4:00:05 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

William T. Sherman reached Atlanta, and found to his satisfaction that his orders were being efficiently carried out. He would later describe the march as a simple "shift of base" for his army, but that base did not as yet exist. Therefore, he had given much thought to what had to be carried, and what had to be left behind:

I reached Atlanta during the afternoon of the 14th, and found that all preparations had been made-Colonel Beckwith, chief commissary, reporting one million two hundred thousand rations in possession of the troops, which was about twenty days' supply, and he had on hand a good supply of beef-cattle to be driven along on the hoof. Of forage, the supply was limited, being of oats and corn enough for five days, but I knew that within that time we would reach a country well stocked with corn, which had been gathered and stored in cribs, seemingly for our use, by Governor Brown's militia.
[. . .]
The greatest possible attention had been given to the artillery and wagon trains. The number of guns had been reduced to sixty-five, or about one gun to each thousand men...
...We had in all about twenty-five hundred wagons, with teams of six mules to each, and six hundred ambulances, with two horses to each. The loads were made comparatively light, about twenty-five hundred pounds net; each wagon carrying in addition the forage needed by its own team: Each soldier carried on his person forty rounds of ammunition, and in the wagons were enough cartridges to make up about two hundred rounds per man, and in like manner two hundred rounds of assorted ammunition were carried for each gun. The wagon-trains were divided equally between the four corps, so that each had about eight hundred wagons, and these usually on the march occupied five miles or more of road.
--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

And it was about this date that the second burning of Atlanta began, this time by the Northerners. Since the Confederates would be able to move back into the city when they left, everything that could be put to any military use was to be destroyed. The work was done only too well:

Colonel Poe, United States Engineers, of my staff, had been busy in his special task of destruction. He had a large force at work, had leveled the great depot, round house, and the machine-shops of the Georgia Railroad, and had applied fire to the wreck. One of these machine-shops had been used by the rebels as an arsenal, and in it were stored piles of shot and shell, some of which proved to be loaded, and that night was made hideous by the bursting of shells, whose fragments came uncomfortably near Judge Lyon's house, in which I was quartered. The fire also reached the block of stores near the depot, and the heart of the city was in flames all night, but the fire did not reach the parts of Atlanta where the court-house was, or the great mass of dwelling houses.

--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman


As well as the accidental spreading of the flames, there were some in the Union army who interpreted their orders to burn things useful to the Rebels rather broadly. Accurate estimates are difficult, but it seems that between the two burnings, over a third of the structures in Atlanta were leveled.




Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1254
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/15/2014 3:45:31 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		This week, and 150 years ago:

A new marker has been unveiled, commemorating the start of Sherman's march to the sea:

http://www.nytimes.com/2014/11/15/us/150-years-later-wrestling-with-a-revised-view-of-shermans-march.html?_r=0





Attachment (1)

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1255
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/16/2014 5:11:36 PM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

Near Florence and Tuscumbria in northern Georgia, Nathan Bedford Forrest's force finally joined up with the Army of Tennessee after their remarkably successful cavalry raid. It would seem to have been a good move, putting possibly the best cavalry commander of the entire war in charge of the cavalry for the high-stakes gamble of the invasion of Tennessee. But Forrest did best as an independent commander, and now he would have to follow the orders of John Bell Hood.


Forrest and Hood would wait a few more days to organize their forces and finish loading their supplies. But in Atlanta, Sherman's force was already on the move:


About 7 a.m. of November 16th we rode out of Atlanta by the Decatur road, filled by the marching troops and wagons of the Fourteenth Corps; and reaching the hill, just outside of the old rebel works, we naturally paused to look back upon the scenes of our past battles. We stood upon the very ground whereon was fought the bloody battle of July 22d, and could see the copse of wood where McPherson fell. Behind us lay Atlanta, smouldering and in ruins, the black smoke rising high in air, and hanging like a pall over the ruined city. Away off in the distance, on the McDonough road, was the rear of Howard's column, the gun-barrels glistening in the sun, the white-topped wagons stretching away to the south; and right before us the Fourteenth Corps, marching steadily and rapidly, with a cheery look and swinging pace, that made light of the thousand miles that lay between us and Richmond. Some band, by accident, struck up the anthem of "John Brown's soul goes marching on;"* the men caught up the strain, and never before or since have I heard the chorus of "Glory, glory, hallelujah!" done with more spirit, or in better harmony of time and place.

Then we turned our horses' heads to the east; Atlanta was soon lost behind the screen of trees, and became a thing of the past . . . The day was extremely beautiful, clear sunlight, with bracing air, and an unusual feeling of exhilaration seemed to pervade all minds--a feeling of something to come, vague and undefined, still full of venture and intense interest. Even the common soldiers caught the inspiration, and many a group called out to me as I worked my way past them, "Uncle Billy, I guess Grant is waiting for us at Richmond!" Indeed, the general sentiment was that we were marching for Richmond, and that there we should end the war, but how and when they seemed to care not; nor did they measure the distance, or count the cost in life, or bother their brains about the great rivers to be crossed, and the food required for man and beast, that had to be gathered by the way.

--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman



*The song Sherman was thinking of is more popularly known as "John Brown's Body". It was a popular marching song for the Northerners, and several more verses were added to it as the war went on. I include some of them in a "zip" attachment.


Attachment (3)

< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 11/16/2014 6:13:22 PM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1256
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/17/2014 4:42:13 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
Joined: 9/15/2001
From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

Sherman's march south and east of Atlanta was encountering no significant opposition. The Confederate cavalry under Joseph wheeler was effectively blocked by the Union cavalry under Judson Kilpatrick. The Southerners were making desperate attempts to put together an infantry force, but they had nothing more than small units of local militia. For the majority of Sherman's men, the war was becoming a gigantic camping trip. But there was one problem looming.

The next day we passed through the handsome town of Covington, the soldiers closing up their ranks, the color-bearers unfurling their flags, and the bands striking up patriotic airs. The white people came out of their houses to behold the sight, spite of their deep hatred of the invaders, and the negroes were simply frantic with joy. Whenever they heard my name, they clustered about my horse, shouted and prayed in their peculiar style, which had a natural eloquence that would have moved a stone. I have witnessed hundreds, if not thousands, of such scenes; and can now see a poor girl, in the very ecstasy of the Methodist "shout," hugging the banner of one of the regiments, and jumping up to the "feet of Jesus."
[...]
I ... rode on to a place designated for camp, at the crossing of the Ulcofauhachee River, about four miles to the east of the town. Here we made our bivouac, and I walked up to a plantation-house close by, where were assembled many negroes, among them an old, gray-haired man, of as fine a head as I ever saw. I asked him if he understood about the war and its progress. He said he did; that he had been looking for the "angel of the Lord" ever since he was knee-high, and, though we professed to be fighting for the Union, he supposed that slavery was the cause, and that our success was to be his freedom...

--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

Sherman asked the gray-haired man to spread the word not to follow the Yankee troops. Feeding over 60,000 men, with many thousands of horses and mules, was enough of a challenge, and Sherman feared if large numbers of ex-slaves followed them it might become nearly impossible. But many of the blacks did just that; for they knew that if they stayed where they were, they would likely be re-enslaved.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1257
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/18/2014 4:23:38 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

For the Lincoln administration in Washington, Sherman and his army had vanished as if they had gone down a (very big) rabbit hole. But the Confederates knew where they were. Publicly, high Southern officials announced that the Yankees would find Georgia as disastrous as Napoleon had found Russia. Sherman's army would be blocked, and then forced to retreat, losing men all the way.

When Grant was told of these dire predictions, he shot back, "Who is to furnish the snow for this Moscow retreat?" It was a valid point; the Confederates were trying desperately to get men to counter Sherman's force:

Corinth, Mississippi, November 18, 1864.

To the people of Georgia,

Arise for the defense of your native soil! Rally around your patriotic Governor and gallant soldiers! Obstruct and destroy all the roads in Sherman's front, flank, and rear, and his army will soon starve in your midst. Be confident. Be resolute. Trust in an overruling Providence, and success will soon crown your efforts. I hasten to join you in the defense of your homes and firesides.

P. G. T. BEAUREGARD.


RICHMOND, November 18, 1864

To the People of Georgia:

You have now the best opportunity ever yet presented to destroy the enemy. Put every thing at the disposal of our generals; remove all provisions from the path of the, invader, and put all obstructions in his path.
Every citizen with his gun, and every negro with his spade and axe, can do the work of a soldier. You can destroy the enemy by retarding his march.
Georgians, be firm! Act promptly, and fear not!

B.H. Hill, Senator

I most cordially approve the above.

James A. SEDDON, Secretary of War.


The hopes were vain. At the beginning of the war, something like this might have worked. But the Confederates were now asking a small number of men with flint-lock muskets to confront thousands with artillery, repeating rifles, and years of combat experience.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1258
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/20/2014 4:21:44 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		Second Half of November, 1864:

In Georgia, Sherman's army was having little trouble getting food. Corn was plentiful, and especially useful because it could feed both men and draft animals. The Yankees quickly learned how to load their wagons with the corn with remarkable speed:

I have seen much skill and industry displayed by these quarter-masters on the march, in trying to load their wagons with corn and fodder by the way without losing their place in column. They would, while marching, shift the loads of wagons, so as to have six or ten of them empty. Then, riding well ahead, they would secure possession of certain stacks of fodder near the road, or cribs of corn, leave some men in charge, then open fences and a road back for a couple of miles, return to their trains, divert the empty wagons out of column, and conduct them rapidly to their forage, load up and regain their place in column without losing distance. On one occasion I remember to have seen ten or a dozen wagons thus loaded with corn from two or three full cribs, almost without halting. These cribs were built of logs, and roofed. The train-guard, by a lever, had raised the whole side of the crib a foot or two; the wagons drove close alongside, and the men in the cribs, lying on their backs, kicked out a wagon-load of corn in the time I have taken to describe it.

--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman

The area also had sweet potatoes, hogs, chickens, turkeys, and sheep in abundance. "Foragers" were detailed to leave the roads and take these from the local farms. It was not without risk, for the men would be operating alone or in twos and threes, and vulnerable to being ambushed by the civilians or caught by Southern cavalry. But it was enjoyable duty for those who had a taste for plunder, and many found they did. Almost always the foragers would leave their columns in the morning on foot, and rejoin the march a few hours later riding a mule or horse to help them carry what they had appropriated.

A number of men took more than food. Though Sherman had ordered that no private residences be invaded, there was no one to enforce the command, and jewelry and other valuables were seized on numerous occasions. In addition to the designated foragers, there were men who essentially deserted for the duration of the march, stealing wherever and whatever they pleased, and not bothering to rejoin the main body of troops. They were joined by some Rebels, for the Confederate authorities were desperate enough for men that they released a number of convicts from prison to fill their ranks. More than a handful did what one might expect criminals furnished with guns to do. The lawless men were called "bummers", though the term was also applied to the regular foragers as well, for the Southern farmers saw little difference in being pillaged by men obeying orders or disobeying them.

To add to the Southerners' woes, even the organized Confederate cavalry under Joseph Wheeler joined in. They had to follow the Yankees rather than planned routes with organized supply depots, and both men and horses required food. Thus, they became part of the problem, and even when they offered to pay, the Confederate paper money they gave had become nearly worthless. From Governor Brown on down, Georgians became outraged at the Confederate army and the Davis administration which was showing themselves literally worse than useless at stopping Sherman's horde.

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1259
RE: Civil War 150th - 11/21/2014 4:22:30 AM   
Capt. Harlock


Posts: 5358
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From: Los Angeles
Status: offline 		150 Years Ago Today:

In Alabama, the Army of Tennessee had finally accumulated what were considered to be enough supplies, and the troops moved out from Florence and Tuscumbia. Thus one of the most unusual double campaigns in history was fully underway. Two hostile armies had turned their backs on each other and marched away -- each into the other's territory.

To be fair, many of the Confederates would have claimed that their destination was rightfully their territory. For the members of the 1st Tennessee Regiment, it was a return to their native soil. But at least one of them could not help reflect how few would be returning:

The Maury Grays, commanded by Captain A. M. Looney, left Columbia, four years ago, with 120 men. How many of those 120 original members are with the company today? Just twelve. Company H has twenty members, but some of this number had subsequently enlisted. But we twelve will stick to our colors till she goes down forever, and until five more of this number fall dead and bleeding on the battlefield.

--Sam R. Watkins, "Co. Aytch" Maury Grays, First Tennessee Regiment



("Franklin-Nashville campaign" by User:Andrei nacu at en.wikipedia - Own work. Licensed under Public domain via Wikimedia Commons)


Attachment (1)

< Message edited by Capt. Harlock -- 11/21/2014 5:23:41 AM >

_____________________________

Civil war? What does that mean? Is there any foreign war? Isn't every war fought between men, between brothers?

--Victor Hugo

(in reply to Capt. Harlock)
Post #: 1260
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