Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, Sept. 24.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) Sept. 24. 

On This Day in Confederate History, Sept. 24.

1861: James Ewell Brown Stuart was appointed a brigadier general on this day. Stuart was Robert E. Lee's premier cavalryman in the Army of Northern Virginia and Lee relied heavily on Stuart's expertise in all aspects of the cavalry. In those days the cavalry was the eyes and ears of the armies and were guards of the flanks of the army during battle and in making movements. Stuart was flamboyant and is one of the legendary characters of the war.

Maj. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart

1862: The First Battle of Sabine Pass, Texas occurred on this day and the next in 1862. The battle was between the Federal West Gulf Blockading Squadron, two schooners, and one steamer, under the command of Lt. Frederick Crocker of the USS Kensington, versus the 11th Battalion (Spaight)'s Texas Volunteers, which included infantry, artillery, and cavalry, Daley's Texas Cavalry Battalion, and artillery Company B of Spaight's Battalion.  Major Josephus S. Irvine was in overall command of the Confederates. The draft of the Kensington's draft was too great to get over the bar at the entrance of the pass, so the schooner USS Rachel Seaman and the mortar schooner USS Henry Janes carried out the attack. The Confederates were in Fort Sabine, which is a totally different fort for the more famous Second Battle of Sabine Pass a year later which was Fort Griffin further up the pass. The Confederates were vastly undermanned because there was a yellow fever epidemic and most of the men had been given a furlough. The four heavy artillery guns were manned by Co. B, Spaight's Battalion, 18 men under Capt. K.D. Keith, and 10 cavalrymen of Co. A Spaight's Battalion. The fort was also vastly outgunned by the Federal blockaders. The Confederates rejected a surrender demand. The schooners then stood out of range for the Confederate guns and pummeled the Confederates at a long distance for five hours. At 2 o'clock A.M. Maj. Irvine determined resistance in the undermanned and outgunned little fort was futile and had the guns spiked, saved most of the ordnance and other public property, and withdrew. The next morning, the town was surrendered but because of the yellow fever epidemic, the Federals were too afraid to land and occupy it but did land a party to finish destroying the fort. They did bombard some parts of the helpless village and continued to terrorize the civilian population. No one was killed or wounded on either side but two Confederates were left behind because they were too ill with yellow fever to be moved.

Major Josephus S. Irvine, Spaight's Battalion

He was in overall command during the battle.

Confederate reenactors fired this artillery piece at

a reenactment of the Second Battle of Sabine Pass

on the actual battlefield. (Photo by M.D. Jones)

1864: On the second day of Confederate Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's action at the Battle of Fort Henderson, Alabama, part of Forrest's raid on Sherman's supply line, the Confederates bombarded the enemy installation for hours. Forrest then met with the Federal commander, Col. Wallace Campbell, who agrees to surrender. Some Federals of the 18th Michigan and 102nd Ohio tried to relieve the fort but were turned back by a Confederate counterattack. Forrest's cavalry moved on destroying other parts of the Nashville and Decatur Railroad and supplying Sherman's army.

Confederate General History, Sept. 24.

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