Click 👉Today in History (general history) June 21.
On This Day in Confederate History, June 21.
1863: Gettysburg Campaign: As the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia progressed toward Pennsylvania in Gettysburg, there were skirmishes near Gainesville, Va., Frederick, Md., and an engagement at Upperville, Va. The Army of Northern Virginia was at the peak of its power coming off tremendous victories at Fredericksburg, Va. and Chancellorsville, Va. General Robert E. Lee had established himself as a military genius who had the confidence of the Confederate people. The ANV at that time totaled between 75,000 and 80,000 battle hardened veterans. The army also included 270 artillery pieces and some 9,500 crack cavalrymen led by Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart. The three corps were under the command of by lieutenant generals James Longstreet, First Corps; Richard S. Ewell, Second Corps; and A.P. Hill, Third Corps.
On the second day of the Battle of LaFourche Crossing, La., Colonel Charles L. Pyron's 2nd Texas Mounted Rangers of Confederate Brig. Gen. James P. Major's brigade and Federal Lt. Col. Albert Stickney resume skirmishing in the late afternoon and there is an artillery duel at 7 o'clock P.M. The Confederates then returned to Thibodaux. The two days of fighting resulted in 48 casualties for the Federals and 219 for the Confederates.
1864: The Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, Va. began on this day as the Confederates under Lt. Gen. A.P. Hill and Brig. Gen. William Mahone battled to stop Federals under Maj. Gen. David Birney and Maj. Gen. Horatio Wright from extending their line at Petersburg, Va. to cut off supplies to the Confederates from the three remaining railroads open to Petersburg. Mahone, a railroad engineer before the war and familiar with the terrain, set up an ambush for the blue coats for the following day.
Confederate General Birthdays, June 21.
Brigadier General John Decatur Barry was born on this day in 1839 in Wilmington, North Carolina. He was a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and was working as a clerk in Wilmington when the war started. He joined the 18th North Carolina Infantry as a private at the beginning of the war. However, when the Confederate Army was reorganized in April 1862, he was elected captain. Promotions followed to major, colonel, and brigadier general. Barry was wounded at the Battle of Frayser's Farm in 1862. He was then in the Battle of Sharpsburg and at the Battle of Chancellorsville in 1863, where he gave the command to his regiment to fire on approaching horsemen which resulted in the mortal wounding of Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson. But he went on to be promoted to colonel of the 18th North Carolina. Barry led his regiment at Pickett's Church at Gettysburg. He was appointed temporary brigadier general when the leader of his brigade was wounded at the Battle of Cold Harbor in 1864. Barry was then wounded in the hand at the First Battle of Deep Bottom on July 27, 1864, and because the wound rendered him physically unfit for field command, his temporary appointment as a brigadier general was canceled. He finished the war as a colonel in command of a department in North Carolina. He was still in poor health after the war and died on March 24, 1867. He was buried in Oakdale Cemetery in Wilmington.
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