CLICK 👉TODAY IN HISTORY (general history) April 16.
ON THIS DAY IN CONFEDERATE HISTORY, April 16.
1862: The Battle of Dam No. 1 along the Warwick River on the Yorktown, Va. defense line took place. Brig. Gen. Howell Cob wrote in his report, "During the engagement, which lasted about three hours, the enemy was twice successfully repulsed, and finally driven across the stream with severe loss." The Federal casualties in the three-hour battle were 35 killed, 121 wounded, and nine missing. Of the Confederate units in the battle that actually filed reports, only one man was listed as killed, Col. Robert M. McKinney of the 15th North Carolina Infantry, which was the most advanced Confederate unit. Also, two 15th North Carolina men were listed as wounded.
President Davis in Richmond, Va. approved the first Confederate Conscription Act which was introduced to Congress. The law provides for the conscription of men 18 to 35 but also provides for the discharge of men already serving who are under 18 or over 35. It also extended the enlistment of men within the age group two more years, for a total of three years' service, or the end of the war if it came earlier.
1863: Vicksburg Campaign: On a clear moonlit night, the Confederate batteries at Vicksburg, Miss. fail to stop 10 Federal warships, seven gunboats, and three empty transports, from running past the fortress city on the Mississippi River. The steamers hugged close to the shore and the guns on the bluff couldn't be depressed low enough and didn't do any serious damage to the ships, however, 22 men were wounded but no one was killed.
President Davis signs a bill allowing men under 21 to become commissioned officers in the Confederate Army.
1864: Red River Campaign: Maj. Gen. Camille Polignac's Louisiana and Texas Infantry Division marched 25 miles chasing the retreating bluecoats of the Federal Army of the Gulf down the Red River in Louisiana.
1865: The Battle of West Point, Georgia occurs at Fort Tyler. It was attacked by Wilson's Raiders. The commander of the fort, Brig. Gen. Robert Tyler became the last Confederate general to be killed in battle in the war. Total Confederate casualties were 19 killed, 28 wounded, and 218 captured. The Federals lost seven killed and 29 wounded. Tyler's garrison was composed of convalescent soldiers, invalids, and militiamen.
CONFEDERATE GENERAL BIRTHDAYS, April 16.
Major General Edward "Allegheny" Johnson was born on this day in 1816 in Salisbury, Va. He got his nickname at the Battle of Allegheny Mountain early in the war in Virginia. Gen. Lee considered him one of the best division commanders in the army. His family moved to Kentucky when he was a child and he received his early schooling there and graduated in 1838 from West Point. Johnson had an outstanding record in the Mexican-American War and fought at Veracruz, Cerro Gordo, Churubusco, and Molino del Rey. For his gallantry, he was awarded brevet promotions to captain and then major, as well as a ceremonial sword. After resigning his U.S. Army commission, Johnson was made colonel of the 12th Georgia Infantry Regiment and fought in the early battles of Greenbrier River and Allegheny Mountain in western Virginia. He was promoted to brigadier general on Dec. 13, 1861. His first brigade was known as the Army of the Northwest. Johnson was severely wounded in the ankle in the Battle of McDowell and was out of action for nearly a year. With his recovery, in May 1863 he was promoted to major general and given command of a division in the Army of Northern Virginia. He led the division to victory at the Second Battle of Winchester, Va. Johnson's Division fought on Culp's Hill at Gettysburg and played a key role in thwarting the Federals in the Mine Rune Campaign. Johnson also performed well in 1864 at the Battle of the Wilderness but his division was overrun at the Battle of Spotsylvania Court House, and he was captured. After his exchange in August 1864, he was given command of a division in the Army of Tennessee which he commanded in the Franklin-Nashville Campaign. He was again captured at the Battle of Nashville, on Dec. 16, 1864. He didn't get paroled until July 22, 1865, because someone accused him of somehow being involved in the Lincoln Assassination, which was ridiculous since he was a P.O.W. the whole time. Following the war he farmed in Virginia and was active with other veterans in an early attempt to create a monument to Robert E. Lee in Richmond, Va. Johnson died March 2, 1873, and was given the honor of his body being laid in state in the state capitol before being buried in Hollywood Cemetery.
Maj. Gen. Edward Johnson
No comments:
Post a Comment