Tuesday, September 19, 2023

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, Sept. 19.

  Click 👉Today in History (general history) Sept. 19. 

On This Day In Confederate History, Sept. 19.

1862: General Robert E. Lee moved the Army of Northern Virginia across the Potomac River at Boteler's Ford to safety in Virginia. There was skirmishing in Sharpsburg, Shepherdstown, and near Williamsport, Maryland.

1863: At the Battle of Chickamauga, General Braxton Bragg planned a major assault on the Federal Army of the Cumberland early in the morning. However poor communications with his subordinate generals resulted in disjointed and belated attacks that were beaten back by the Federals. Bragg assigned Lt. Gen. James Longstreet, newly arrived from Virginia, who would be in command of the Army of Tennessee's left wing late that night. Confederate Brig. Gen. Preston Smith was mortally wounded while directing a night attack. 

Brig. Gen. Preston Smith
Mortally wounded at Chickamauga


1864: The Confederacy won the first two battles of Winchester, Va. but the third battle there on this day in the Shenandoah Valley was a serious loss for the South. Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's Army of the Valley with 15,514 men to Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's 40,000 men in two Federal armies, the Army of the Shenandoah and the Army of West Virginia. The Confederates are overwhelmed by numbers and a double envelopment of their flanks. Early's army retreats back to a prepared fortress at Fisher's Hill, Va. after suffering some 5,015 casualties. The Federals lost 5,018 casualties. Among the Confederate casualties was Brig. Gen. Archibald Campbell Godwin, by a shell fragment, and Brig. Gen. Robert Rodes, who was mortally wounded while leading a counterattack. On the Federal side, Brig. Gen. David Allen Russell was instantly killed when hit by a shell fragment to the heart.

Brig. Gen. Archibald C. Godwin
Killed in action at Third Winchester
Click on the map for enlargement

Confederate General Birthdays, Sept. 19.

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