Click 👉Today in History (general history) June 28.
On This Day in Confederate History, June 28.
1862:
The Battle of Garnett's and Golding's Farm continues on the fourth day during the Seven Days' Battles in Virginia. Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder orders the brigade of Brig. Gen. Robert A. Toombs to make another reconnaissance in force, which turns into a battle. It is supported by Col. George T. Anderson's brigade. The Federals counterattack with the 49th Pennsylvania Infantry and 43rd New York Infantry. Maj. Gen. George McClellan decides to continue his retreat to the safety of Harrison's Landing on the James River, and the protection of the big guns of U.S. Navy warships. The Confederates recorded 438 casualties to 189 for the Federals.
1863: At the Siege of Vicksburg, Miss., Brig. Gen. Francis A. Shoup reports: The enemy fired upon and drove in our working parties, which were attempting to construct a picket on the outside of the lunette. No change is observable in the enemy's doings. Colonel [L.D.] Marks, Twenty-seventh Louisiana, mortally wounded. He was a gallant officer."
In the Gettysburg Campaign, General Robert E. Lee orders the Army of Northern Virginia to concentrate at Gettysburg, Pa. General Ewell is at Carlisle, Pa., and Generals Longstreet and A.P. Hill are at Chambersburg, Pa. The Federal Army is now under the command of Maj. Gen. George Meade is concentrating on 100,000 men at Fredericksburg, Md. There is also skirmishing at Chambersburg on this day.
1864: Continued fighting on the Kennesaw Mountain, Georgia line, but without any more futile Federal frontal assaults, while Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman looks for a way around Gen. J.E. Johnston's Confederate defense line. Cpl. Sam Watkins of Co. H, 1st & 28th Tenn. Reg'ts wrote of the aftermath of the battle: "We remained here three days after the battle. In the meantime, the woods had taken fire, and during the nights and days, of all, that time continued to burn, and at all times, every hour of the day and night, you could hear the shrieks and screams of the poor fellows who were left on the field, and a stench, so sickening as to nauseate the whole, of both armies, arose from the decaying bodies of the dead left lying on the field."
Confederate General Birthdays, June 28.
Brigadier General William Tatum Wofford was born on this day in 1824 in Habersham County, Georgia. He served in the Mexican-American War as captain of the Georgia Mounted Volunteers. After that experience, he was a planter, elected to the state legislature, and practiced law. Wofford also became editor of the Cassville Standard newspaper. Although he opposed secession, when war came, he served as colonel of the 18th Georgia Infantry in Hood's Texas Brigade, fighting at Eltham's Landing, Seven Pines, and Second Manassas (during which he commanded the Texas Brigade). Transferred to Brig. Gen. Thomas R.R. Cob's brigade, he assumed command of the brigade when Cobb was mortally wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg, Va. Wofford was promoted to brigadier general on Jan. 17, 1863. He led his brigade at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. He was given command of a district in Georgia in 1865, where he ended the war when paroled on May 2, 1865, at Resaca. Following the war, Wofford practiced law and was active in politics, and Confederate veteran affairs. He died May 22, 1884, in Cassville, Ga., and was buried in Cassville Cemetery.
