Click👉Today in History (general history) July 20. 

On This Day in Confederate History, July 20.

This is a contemporary sketch of two

Louisiana Tiger Rifle soldiers from life, colorized by

Copilot AI. The Tiger Rifles were Co. B

of the 1st Battalion (Wheat's) Louisiana Volunteers.

Captain Alexander White, a filibuster and steamboat 

officer before the war, was the commander. The

colorful Zouaves gained fame for their bowie knife

charge at the 1st Battle of Manassas, July 21, 1861.

1861: First Manassas Campaign: Both Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell and Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard were planning to launch attacks on July 21, from opposite ends of the battlefield. Beauregard was receiving reinforcements from Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, who was transferring troops via the railroad connections for the battle, which was a first in U.S. Military History. McDowell had 35,732 men available, and Beauregard between 32,000 and 34,000. Johnston technically outranked Beauregard but Johnston allowed Beauregard to manage the battle since he was more knowledgeable about the terrain and placement of troops

CLICK👉The Tiger Rifles: The Making of a Louisiana Legend)

A history of Company B, 1st Special Battalion (Wheat's) Louisiana Volunteers in the War Between the States. The Tiger Rifles, Company B, of Wheat's Battalion became famous because of their flashy Zouave uniforms, their famous battalion commander, Major Roberdeau Wheat, and their heroics at the First Battle of Manassas. Their nickname, Tigers, became attached, first to the battalion, and then to all Louisiana troops serving in the Army of Northern Virginia. The book tries to separate fact from myth with regard to the Tigers. The men became so notorious for their antics in camp that they got blamed for a lot of things they didn't do, although they did plenty on their own to deserve their reputation. Also examined is the possible real identity of their company commander, Captain Alexander White. His name is an alias, but as far as is known, his real identity has been a mystery. The book focuses tightly on the men of the Tiger Rifles and brings them to life as much as the limited resources allow.

1863: Skirmishing breaks out in the various gaps in Northern Virginia as Maj. Gen. George Meade's Army of the Potomac tries to catch up with Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia following the Battle of Gettysburg. There are skirmishes at Ashby's Gap and Berry's Ferry, Va.

1864: Atlanta Campaign: Urged by President Davis, Lt. Gen. John Bell Hood launches the Army of Tennessee into a series of costly attacks around Atlanta, Ga. on Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman's three Federal armies, the first being the Battle of Peachtree Creek. Hood has 20,250 Confederates in the battle and Sherman 21,655. Hood hopes to catch Sherman's arriving army before it can fortify its positions. All of the Southern assaults are repulsed with heavy casualties. Estimated casualties of 1,900 for the Federals and 2,500 for the Confederates. 

Confederate General Birthdays, July 20.

NONE.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, July 19.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) July 19.

On This Day in Confederate History, July 19.

1861: Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's 18,000-man Army of the Shenandoah begins arriving at Manassas Junction, Va., to bolster Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard's 22,000-man Confederate Army of the Shenandoah, which is threatened by Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell's 35,000-man Yankee Army of Northeastern Virginia. Johnston approves of Beauregard's plan to strike the Federals on the Federal left flank. Meanwhile, McDowell is planning to attack the Confederate left flank.

1863: Brigadier General John Hunt Morgan's Confederate Cavalry met with disaster at the Battle of Buffington Island, Ohio. Morgan's cavalry, numbering 1,930 men, was trying to cross the river into West Virginia at that point when attacked and nearly 3,000 Federals under Brigadier General Edward H. Hobson. Morgan's men first found the fort at that point abandoned, but three Federal gunboats prevented them from crossing. They were then nearly surrounded by the Federals. Morgan and about 700 men escaped, while over 750 under Colonel Basil W. Duke were captured. The Confederates suffered 52 killed, 100 wounded, plus those captured. Federals lost 25 men killed and 30 wounded.

1864: Atlanta Campaign: Reaction to the replacement of General Joseph E. Johnston with General John Bell Hood is met with great anger by the soldiers of the Confederate Army of Tennessee in the Atlanta Campaign. But the men were kept busy building breastworks at the fortifications in Atlanta, Georgia. Other than the morale problem over the chance of commanders, the Confederate army is in good shape to meet Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman's three Federal armies were the Army of the Cumberland, the Army of the Tennessee, and the Army of the Ohio.

2nd Lt. Thomas S. McLane, Co. A, 41st Ga. Inf.

Army of  Tennessee. Lt. McLane retired to

the Invalid Corps on Aug. 29, 1864.

(Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

Confederate General Birthdays, July 19.

Brig. Gen. Roger Atkinson Pryor was born in 1828 in Dinwiddie County, Virginia. He was a pre-war journalist, politician, and member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Virginia. He was also a fiery orator and proponent of secession. After leaving the U.S. House in 1861, he first served in the Confederate Congress before joining the Confederate Army as the colonel of the 3rd Virginia Infantry Regiment. He was then promoted to brigadier general and led his brigade in the Peninsula Campaign, the Seven Days Battles, Second Manassas, and Sharpsburg. He commanded a division at Sharpsburg but performed poorly. Pryor resigned his commission in 1863. Still wanting to serve his nation's cause, he enlisted as a private in August 1863 in the 3rd Virginia Cavalry. He was captured by the Yankees on Nov. 28, 1864, and was suspected of spying, but was released on parole under the authority of Lincoln and remained voluntarily in Petersburg when the city was evacuated in 1865. Following the war, Pryor moved with his family to New York where he practiced law, advocated against Reconstruction, was active in the Democratic Party, and was appointed to the New York Supreme Court. Pryor was also active in the Sons of the American Revolution and his wife the Daughters of the American Revolution, which she helped found. Pryor died on March 14, 1919, in New York City and was buried in Princeton Cemetery in Princeton, New Jersey.

Brig. Gen. Roger A. Pryor

CLICK👉Swamp Angels: A History of the 11th Battalion (Spaight's) Texas Volunteers

A history of the 11th Battalion (Spaight's) Texas Volunteers in the War for Southern Independence. Spaight's Battalion gained the nickname of "Swamp Angels" because many of the men were from Southeast Texas and Southwest Louisiana. They were also known for their discipline and good conduct with few desertions. The unit fought on the Texas Gulf Coast and in Louisiana to fend off Northern invaders of their homeland. Their battles included the First Battle of Sabine Pass, TX, in 1862, Stirling's Plantation, Bayou Bourbeau, and Calcasieu Pass, all in Texas. Later in 1864 the battalion was consolidated with the 20th Battalion (Griffin's) Texas Infantry to form the 21st Texas Infantry Regiment. The regiment had as full complement of men with over 1,000 on the roles. It served as headquarters guards at Houston, Texas at Camp Lubbock.

Pvt. Solomon Jones, Co. E, 11th Bn. Texas Volunteers

(AI Illustration, created from a photo of his four sons)

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, July 18.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) July 18. 

On This Day in Confederate History, July 18.

1861: The Battle of Blackburn's Ford, Va., took place in the Manassas Campaign, which was a preliminary engagement to the major battle that occurred three days later. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard was in command of 22,000 Confederates and Brig. Gen. Irvin McDowell commanded the 35,000 Federals. McDowell sent a division under Brig. Gen. Daniel Tyler to probe Confederate defenses. The probes were repulsed by Brig. Gen. James Longstreet's brigade and backed up by Col. Jubal Early's Brigade. There were 68 Confederate casualties and 83 on the Federal side. The victory bolstered the morale of the raw Confederate recruits. Meanwhile, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston's 18,000-man army is en route to reinforce Beauregard by railroad.

Cpl. John Wesley Edmunds, Co. B,

"Southern Guards," 11th Va. Inf.

In Longstreet's Brigade at the Battle

of Blackburn's Ford, Va.

(Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

1863: The Second Battle of Fort Wagner, S.C. scores another victory by the Confederates guarding Charleston. Gen. Beauregard is in overall command of the Charleston defenses and the fort is guarded by 1,800 Confederates. The fort also had one 10-inch seacoast mortar, two 32-pounder carronades, two 8-inch shell guns, two 32-pounder howitzers a 42-pounder carronade, and an 8-inch seacoast mortar. There were also two heavy artillery pieces outside the fort to provide enfilading fire on attackers. The Federals of Brig. Gen. Quincy Gillmore's command, numbering 5,000 men, is backed up by a massive preliminary bombardment of the fort by six ironclad warships. Three Federal brigades made the frontal attack on the fort. Each charge by the bluecoats was bloodily repulsed. Among the dead was Brig. Gen. George Crockett Strong, mortally wounded, brigade commander Col. Haldimand S. Putnam, Col. John Lyman Chatfield of the 6th Conn. Inf., and Col. Robert Gould  Shaw, 54th Mass. Inf. Federal casualties totaled 1,515, including 246 killed, 880 wounded, and 389 missing or captured. The Confederate casualties totaled 174, including 36 killed, 133 wounded, and 5 missing or captured.

Confederate General Birthdays, July 18.

None.

Click👉Mouton's Louisiana Brigade

In the War for Southern Independence

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/

Click 👉Today in History (general history) July 17.

On This Day in Confederate History, July 17.

1861: Both North and South prepare for the first major battle of the war near Manassas, Virginia. The North's Army of the Potomac continues its march to Manassas under Maj. Gen. Irwin McDowell, 35,000 mostly new soldiers are poorly trained and largely undisciplined, and the march goes slowly. Meanwhile, Gen. Joseph E. Johnston is preparing to move his 18,000 men by rail to reinforce Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard's 22,000 at Manassas.

1862: First Battle of Cynthiana, KY -- During CSA Col. John H. Morgan's 1st KY Raid, on July 17, 1862, 875 CSA hit town via the Georgetown Pike. 350 US troops & Home Guard defended the town from houses. Morgan attacked across the Licking River and outflanked US troops, who gave up after 2 hours. Approx. 40 CSA, 90 US killed & wounded. Morgan was surprised because the US defense was unexpectedly strong.-- Text from Commonwealth of Kentucky Historic Marker.

1863: The Battle of Honey Springs, Indian Territory (Oklahoma), takes place on this day. The Confederates were led by Brig. Gen. Douglas H. Cooper and Brig. Gen. William Lewis Cabell with 6,000 troops. The Federals were commanded by Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt and 3,000 bluecoats. American Indians fought on both sides, and some African Americans on the Federal side. The Federals attacked the Confederates on the morning of July 17. Rain-damaged ammunition, but the Confederates counterattacked and were repulsed. Cabell's 3,000-man brigade did not reach the battlefield in time for the battle. The Federals had 17 killed and 60 wounded. The Confederates lost 134 killed or wounded, and 47 were captured.

 

Pvt. Burton Marchbanks, Co. E,
30th Texas Cavalry. Wounded in
the neck at the Battle of Honey Springs, IT/OK.
Discharged on Aug. 8, 1863, he died at home near
Cleburne, Texas, on Feb. 12, 1864. His homespun

uniform is on display at the Layland Museum

in Cleburne.
(Layland Museum, Cleburne, Texas)

1864: General Joseph E. Johnston was relieved of his command of the Army of Tennessee on this day by President Jefferson Davis because he failed to stop the Federals from reaching Atlanta, Ga. The president promoted General John Bell Hood to command the army. The rank and file of the Army of Tennessee were highly disgruntled by the change of command.

Confederate General Birthdays, July 17.

NONE.

CLICK👉Niblett's Bluff, Louisiana in the War Between

The story of an important Confederate fortification on the Louisiana-Texas border.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/

Click 👉Today in History (general history) July 16.

On This Day in Confederate History, July 16.

1861: First Manassas Campaign: General P.G.T. Beauregard is in command of 22,000 Confederates at Manassas, Va., and requests reinforcements from President Jefferson Davis. The Federals had built up their forces and were about to launch their first offensive on the Confederate Army. Davis orders General Joseph E. Johnston to start moving his forces to Manassas, Va. Both sides, North and South, were concentrating on the first great battle of the war. The coming battle would cement Beauregard's status as the first great Confederate hero of the war.

Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard in an

early war image. (CDV, M.D. Jones Collection )

An unidentified private in Co. E., "Lynchburg Rifles"

11th Virginia Infantry Regiment. It was in Longstreet's

Brigade at the First Battle of Manassas.

(Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

1862: President Davis assigns Maj. Gen. Theophilus Holmes is assigned to command the undermanned Trans-Mississippi Department as the Federal threat there mounts. A native of North Carolina, he was an 1829 graduate of West Point. He was a veteran of the Seminole Wars and the Battle of Monterrey. In the War for Southern Independence, Holmes took part in the Seven Days' Battles, the Battle of Helena, Ark., and various administrative jobs. He farmed in North Carolina after the war and died on June 21, 1880, in Fayetteville, N.C.

Dr. (Maj.) Edmund Lewis Massie, surgeon

Trans-Mississippi Dept. Medical Dept.

He was paroled in Houston, Texas. June 21, 1865

(Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

1864: A skirmish occurred on this day at Heaton's Crossroads, Va., between Col. William B. Tibbits' Federal 1st West Virginia Light Artillery and New York cavalry under Brig. Gen. Alfred N. Duffié and the Confederate Brig. Gen. Gabriel Wharton's Confederate infantry and artillery and Brig. Gen. Robert Ranson's Confederate cavalry. The Federals attacked part of the Army of the Valley's wagon train and captured 37 wagons, burned 43, and captured 54 prisoners while Confederates counterattacked and captured several pieces of Federal artillery and inflicted bluecoat casualties. 

Confederate General Birthdays, July 16.

None.

CLICK👉Dick Dowling and the Jefferson Davis Guard

Among the most famous Texas heroes of the 19th Century were Lt. Richard W. Dowling and the Jefferson Davis Guard, officially known as Company F, 1st Texas Heavy Artillery, Confederate States of America. They fought in naval engagements off Galveston & Sabine Pass, and then the 2nd Battle of Sabine Pass, all in 1863. They were hailed as saviors of Texas that year. This is their story.

Today in History (general history)/On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays/July 15.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) July 15. 

On This Day in Confederate History, July 15.

1863: In the Siege of Jackson, Miss., Gen. Joseph E. Johnston orders a retreat from the fortifications around Jackson. Under the cover of darkness, his Confederate forces successfully evacuated and got away with his sick and wounded, artillery, and other government supplies. Johnston is masterful at retreating and keeping his army intact. He also had three pontoon bridges burned to thwart pursuit by the Federals under Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman.

End of the Gettysburg Campaign: Gen. Robert E. Lee on this day reported to Secretary of War James A. Seddon on the conditions of his Confederate Army: "Headquarters, Bunker Hill, [W. Va.] I have received the communication sent by me by your brother, Major (John) Seddon, & shall endeavor to carry out your views. He will inform you of the arrival of the army at this point. It is a little footsore & in much need of shoes for men & horses. Otherwise well. I expect a supply of shoes of both kinds today, which affords some relief, but not enough. Clothing is also required. The labors of the march have been  increased by the constant rains, muddy roads & etc."

A typical Confederate soldier

He appears to be holding a two-barrelled Enfield Rifle

that uses a sword bayonet.

(Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

Confederate P.O.W.s in the mid-war period

1864: Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in the Atlanta Campaign succeeds in getting his retreating Army of Tennessee into the defenses around Atlanta, Georgia, and continues to improve his defenses. Meanwhile Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman's armies are crossing the Chattahoochee River over pontoon bridges.

CLICK👉A History of the 20th Louisiana Infantry Regiment

This is the story of one of the most unique infantry units in the Confederate Army, the 20th Louisiana Infantry Regiment. It was made up largely of recent immigrants to New Orleans from the cities and farms of Germany and Ireland. Raised by Colonel Augustus Reichard, a naturalized citizen of the U.S. born in Germany who was very prominent in the New Orleans German community, and the consul for several German states. He and other Germans had been active in the Louisiana State Militia and were eager to prove themselves loyal Confederates once the state seceded. They saw plenty of action during the war in such notable battles as Shiloh, Perryville, Murfreesboro, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Missionary Ridge, Resaca, New Hope Church, Ezra Church, Atlanta, Jonesboro, Franklin, Nashville, and Spanish Fort. The book has footnotes, images, maps, a bibliography, an index, and an annotated roster of over 1,000 soldiers who served in the regiment.

Confederate General Birthdays, July 15.

None.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, July 14.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) July 14.

On This Day in Confederate History, July 14.

1863: As Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army was crossing the Potomac River back into Virginia on the morning of July 14, his rear guard,  under Maj. Gen. Henry Heth was attacked at the Battle of Falling Waters, Md., by Federal Cavalry. The Federals took many prisoners, but  Lee's Army successfully completed crossing the river on pontoon bridges. However, Brig. Gen. Johnston Pettigrew was killed in the action. Lee's army was significantly reduced by the losses of the Gettysburg Campaign, but it was rebuilt to fight another day and was determined to achieve Southern Independence.

Maj. Gen. Henry Heth

Wounded in action at the Battle of Gettysburg, Pa.

1864: The Battle of Tupelo, Miss., occurred on this day between Confederate Lt. Gen. Stephen D. Lee and Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest with 2,100 infantry, 7,000 cavalry, and 20 guns, versus Federal Maj. Gen. Andrew J. Smith's  16th Army Corps of  13,000 infantry, 3,000 cavalry, and 24 guns. The Federals were in a strongly fortified position in Harrisburg, Miss. The Confederates took the initiative with the cavalry under Forrest being partly dismounted and put in the front line for the attack, while the other part was in reserve. After futile assaults in the morning by the Confederates, the Southerners were entrenched, and the battle continued the next day.

Col. Hinche P. Mabry led
a brigade of Arkansas and
Mississippi Cavalry
under Forrest at the Battle
of Tupelo, Miss.

Confederate General Birthdays, July 14.

None.

CLICK👉The Bloody 23rd Tennessee Infantry Regiment

Battling for Southern Independence

This is the history of one of the hardest-fighting infantry regiments in the War for Southern Independence, the 23rd Tennessee Infantry. The regiment was raised predominantly from the Middle Tennessee counties, where there was considerable support for secession and Southern Independence. The men were overwhelmingly made up of yeoman farmers of predominantly Anglo-Celtic descent who were to face some of the largest, bloodiest, and most memorable battles of the war, both in the West and the East. They got their baptism of fire in the Battle of Shiloh, followed by the battles of Perryville, Murfreesboro, Hoover's Gap, Chickamauga, and Knoxville in the West with the famed Army of Tennessee. They were then transferred to the East, where they fought in the Bermuda Hundred Campaign in Virginia, under the legendary General P.G.T. Beauregard, and then in the famed Army of Northern Virginia in the Petersburg Campaign, and ended the war with the great General Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Courthouse. The book covers the history of the regiment from letters, diaries, memoirs, and official records to cover both officers and men in a personal way. It also has an annotated roster of some 1,164 men who served in the regiment, as well as maps, photos, illustrations, bibliography, footnotes, and an index.