Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, Nov. 29.

Click 👉 TODAY IN HISTORY (general history) Nov 29

ON THIS DAY IN CONFEDERATE HISTORY, Nov. 29.

1863, General Longstreet's Confederate assault Nov. 29 on Federal Fort Sanders is the climax of the partial Siege of Knoxville, Tenn. Confederate Gen. James Longstreet decided Fort Sanders was the key to victory at Knoxville. The fort consisted of a line of earthworks with a ditch 12 ft. wide and 8 ft. deep. It was manned by 440 Federals of the 79th New York Infantry with 12 artillery pieces. Longstreet tasked 3,000 men in three brigades led by Brig. Gen. Benjamin G. Humphreys, Brig. Gen. Goode Bryan, and Col. Solon Z. Ruff (Wofford's Brigade) with the assault. Longstreet planned a surprise attack at dawn with no bombardment. The men faced extensive obstacles before they could even reach the fort. The assault was a bloody failure for the Confederates.  Confederate losses were 129 killed, 458 wounded, and 226 captured for a total of 813. The Federals lost 8 men killed and 5 wounded. Among the Confederate dead was Colonel Ruff leading Wofford's Brigade.

Capt. Augustus C. Thompson
Co. G, 16th Ga. Inf.
Wofford's Brigade
(Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)
(Image colorized, patches of red not authentic)

Col. Solon Z. Ruff
18th Ga. Inf.
Killed leading Wofford's Brigade

1864, Federal General Scofield's Federal Army was in danger of being cut off from its destination of Nashville, Tenn. on this day by General John Bell Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee at Springhill, Tenn. Confederate Maj. Gen. Patrick Cleburne's Division was moving toward Springhill Road but was blocked by Gen. George D. Wagner's Federal division. That night, incredibly, with the Confederates bivouacked within eyesight of the road, five Federal divisions marched right past Hood's army without a challenge. It would go down in history as one of the great mysteries and lost opportunities of the war for the Confederates. 

Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood

CONFEDERATE GENERAL BIRTHDAYS, Nov. 29.

None.

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