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

 Click 👉Today in History (general history), Aug. 17. 

On This Day in Confederate History, Aug. 17.

1863: Siege of Charleston, S.C.: Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard reported on this day an intensification of the bombardment of the Confederate forts guarding Charleston Harbor, S.C., by six Federal ironclad monitors: "Battery Wagner was bombarded heavily by the enemy about daylight on the 17th. About 9 a. m. the Ironsides and six monitors joined in the action. Their guns were turned also on Battery Gregg and Fort Sumter, a heavy cannonade being directed against those three works, but principally against Wagner, which, having only two 10-inch columbiads and one 32-pounder rifle to reply to the enemy’s fleet, maintained the unequal contest more than one hour, when Colonel [L.M.] Keitt, commanding on Morris Island, ordered the brave artillerists and their gallant officers to the cover of the bomb-proofs. During this terrible fire, the engineering department lost the valuable services of a most promising officer, Capt. J. M. Wampler, of Virginia, was killed by the explosion of a 15-inch shell. During the engagement, Captain [C. R. P.] Rodgers, commanding the monitor Weehawken, was killed in the pilothouse of his ship. In the twenty-four hours, 948 [951] shots were fired against Fort Sumter; 448 struck outside, 233 inside, and 270 passed over. The casualties in the fort amounted to 14." *Rodgers was not killed.

Col. Laurence M. Keitt

Pre-war, Keitt was a U.S. Congressman

and strong Southern Rights Advocate.

1864: After skirmishing with Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's Army of the Valley, Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's numerically superior Federal Army retreats back toward Berryville, Va., for more supplies. Early's forces engaged in a sharp action with Sheridan's rearguard near Winchester.

Unidentified cavalry soldier in Confederate

 uniform and Valley Rangers, 10th Virginia Infantry Regiment hat,

 with double-barreled shotgun. (Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

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 U.S. citizen born in Germany who was very prominent in the New Orleans German community and served as consul for several German states. He and other Germans had been active in the Louisiana State Militia and were eager to prove their loyalty to the Confederacy 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, Aug. 17.

None.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, August 16.

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

On This Day in Confederate History Aug. 16.

1863: Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard gives his daily update on the ongoing Siege of Charleston, S.C. on Aug. 16: "On the 16th, the enemy’s batteries fired but little on Batteries Wagner and Gregg; but during the afternoon the two 8-inch Parrott guns opened on Fort Sumter, throwing 48 shells. Four passed over, 4 fell short, 2 struck inside the parade, and 30 hits in various places, exterior, and interior. At this date, the armament of the fort consisted of thirty-eight guns and two mortars, at least twenty guns having been withdrawn since the landing of the enemy on Morris Island. Orders were given to Brigadier-General Ripley to remove to Battery Gregg the two mortars in Fort Sumter as soon as it should become impossible to use them with advantage in the latter work and to transport to other points every gun in Sumter not actually required for its defense and by the new relations of that work to the defense of the harbor. The chief engineer was instructed to strengthen Castle Pinckney with sandbags; Port Johnson to be arranged for two additional 10-inch guns, and positions to be prepared for the 10-inch guns to be placed on the James Island shore of the harbor.

 

Confederate artilleryman

(Liljenquist collection, Library of Congressman)

1864: The CSS Tallahassee under Commander John Taylor Wood captures four more Federal merchant ships off the coast of New England on his historic cruise along the Atlantic Coast. Here is the National Park Service's summary of this spectacular naval raid: "On the morning of August 12th, the Lilly, a pleasure sailboat attached to the Surf Hotel of Fire Island, spotted the schooner Carroll on the approach the Fire Island. The Carroll had escaped destruction by paying a $10,000 bond to Commander Wood. Over forty crew and passengers from the six vessels destroyed the previous day were on board. Sixteen passengers climbed aboard the Lilly loaded sixteen passengers and returned to the Surf Hotel where they remained for a short period before heading to New York City by way of rail and steamship. The rest of the displaced crewmen remained on the Carroll and were dropped off at Fort

Hamilton. The Tallahassee remained in the New York area for the next couple of days, continuing to capture and destroy vessels. Tallahassee eventually made its way to Halifax, Nova Scotia where coal was refilled. With Union ships in pursuit, John Taylor Wood headed back to Wilmington, NC. Upon his return on August 26th, he became a hero to Southerners."

The Second Battle of Deep Bottom, Aug. 14-20, was fought by the Federal II and X Corps 28,000 bluecoats, to 8,500 and 20,000 Confederates under Gen. Robert E. Lee and Maj. Gen. Charles Field. The Federals were trying to break through Confederate defenses to Richmond, the capital of the Confederacy. The Yankees failed in a major assault on August 16 but Confederate generals John R. Chambliss and Victor Girardey were killed in the action. The Federals made a temporary breakthrough, but they were thrown back by a counterattack led by General Field. The Northerners lost a total of 2,899 casualties, including 327 killed, 1,851 wounded, and 721 missing or captures. The Confederates lost a total of 1,500 men, including 200 killed, 900 wounded, and 400 missing or captured. The Federal siege continued.

Lt. Horatio J. David, Co. B., 16th Ga. Inf.

He was wounded in the Second Battle of Deep

Bottom and lost sight in one of his eyes.

(Liljenquist Collection/Library of Congress)

Confederate General Birthdays, Aug. 16.

None

Click👉The Fighting First Louisiana Infantry Regiment

In The Army of Northern Virginia

1st Volunteers Infantry Regiment completed its organization in April, 1861, at New Orleans, Louisiana. Its companies were from Alexandria, New Orleans, and Shreveport. Ordered to Virginia, the unit served in the Department of Norfolk, then was assigned to A.R. Wright's, Starke's, Nicholl's, Iverson's, Stafford's, and York's Brigade, Army of Northern Virginia. It participated in the many difficult campaigns of the army from the Seven Days' Battles to Cold Harbor, marched with Early to the Shenandoah Valley, and ended the war at Appomattox. The regiment reported 214 casualties during the Seven Days' Battles, 71 at Sharpsburg, and 8 at Fredericksburg. It lost thirty-seven percent of the 125 at Chancellorsville, twenty-three percent of the 172 at Gettysburg, and twenty-five percent of the 112 at Mine Run. The 1st surrendered with only 1 officer and 18 men. The field officers were Colonels Albert C. Blanchard, Samuel R. Harrison, William R. Shivers, and W.G. Vincent; Lieutenant Colonels James Nelligan and Michael Nolan; and Majors Charles E. Cormier and J.C. Wise. (NPS Summary)

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

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

On This Day in Confederate History, Aug. 15.

1863: Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard reports on what happened at the Siege of Charleston, S.C. on this day, Aug. 15: "During the greater part of the 15th, the enemy, both on land and sea, was unusually quiet, occasionally firing at Battery Wagner. Later in the day, they opened with some vigor on Battery Gregg. The enemy’s fleet consisted this morning of the Ironsides, six monitors, eight gunboats, three mortar hulks, and thirteen vessels inside the bar; outside, seven; at Hilton Head, fifty-two vessels, including gunboats and ironclads. My telegram of this date was: No change worth recording since yesterday. Sand-bag revetment or the gorge wall of Sumter and traverses inside of fort progressing as rapidly as means of transportation will permit.

Sgt. Peter Jones, Co. I, 45th North Carolina State Troops

[Liljenquest Collection, Library of Congress]

1864: The cruiser CSS Tallahassee under Commander John Taylor Woods continues his raid up the Atlantic Ocean taking captive six more Federal transport ships off the coast of New England. Here is the National Park Service summary of the raid: "In August 1864, Fire Island and the New York area witnessed the daring 19-day raid of the CSS Tallahassee under Commander John Taylor Wood of the Confederate States Navy. The raid stretched from the New Jersey shore to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and involved the destruction of 26 vessels plus 7 bonded vessels. While the raid had little impact on changing the course of the Civil War, it occurred in the last throes of the Confederacy and served as a morale booster to the South in a year full of major defeats.CSS Tallahassee departed Wilmington, NC on August 6, 1864, bound for the North Atlantic coast. The Tallahassee arrived in the Long Island area on August 11 and quickly went into action disrupting merchant traffic. The first captured vessel was the pilot-boat James Finch which Tallahassee was able to lure by flying a Union Flag. Tallahassee crew members boarded the James Finch and began operating it as a pilot boat to lure other unsuspecting vessels waiting to be taken into New York Harbor. After a vessel was captured with the James Finch, the Tallahassee would appear and Commander Wood would demand a bond be paid or the vessel would be destroyed. By the end of the first day, six vessels were victims of the raid with five of them being destroyed."

Cmdr. John Taylor Wood, CSN

CSS Tallahassee, cruiser and commerce raider

Confederate General Birthdays, Aug. 15.

None.

CLICK👉The Battle of Calcasieu Pass

And the Great Naval Raid 

                                                             on Lake Charles, Louisiana                                                                                                                    The Battle of Calcasieu Pass, Louisiana, 6 May 1864 was a small but sharp battle between two Union gunboats, the U.S.S. Wave and the U.S.S. Granite City, and about 350 Confederates with four small cannons. The Confederates included a diverse group of Texas Germans, Mexicans and Anglo-Celts. The battle was a complete victory for the Confederates. The book includes photos, maps, footnotes, bibliography and index.

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

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

On This Day in Confederate History, Aug. 14.

1863: General P.G.T. Beauregard documents the happenings in the Siege of Charleston, S.C. on this day, Aug. 14, 1863: "On the 14th, the land batteries opened on Fort Sumter, firing three shots; two struck. About 11a.m. in. the wooden gunboats shelled the fort at long range, and at 5.15 p.m. the land batteries again opened on the fort. Throughout the day the enemy remained quiet, firing occasionally, and replied to by our batteries. The sharpshooters on both sides kept up a constant fire. During the night the fire from Battery Wagner put a stop to the enemy’s operations in its front. The strengthening of Fort Sumter advanced rapidly day and night. Brigadier-General Ripley was instructed as to the armament of certain portions of the new lines on James Island, and of a new battery thrown up near Fort Johnson."

1864: The Second Battle of Deep Bottom, Virginia began on this day which would last until Aug. 20, 1864. The Federals were trying to distract the Confederates at Petersburg. Battles were fought at Deep Bottom, White's Tavern, Charles City Road, New Market Road, Fussell's Mill, and Deep Run. Federal Maj. Gen. Winfield S. Hancock led 28,000 troops there during the campaign and the Confederates, numbering between 8,500 and 20,000 men, were led by Gen. Robert E. Lee and Maj. Gen. Charles W. Field. The Federals had 2,899 total casualties and the Confederates had about 1,500.

Pvt./1st Lt. Daniel S. Stallings & Pvt. William E. Musgraves

Co. F, 23rd Tenn. Inf. Reg't., of Bushrod Johnson's Brigade.

The 23rd Tenn. Inf. took part in the fighting around Richmond 

August 1864. Stallings was in command of

Co. F at the time which was made up of Bedford County, Tenn. men.

(Courtesy of Stallings & Musgraves families)

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 index.

Confederate General Birthdays, Aug. 14.

Brigadier General Clement Hoffman "Rock" Stevens was born on this day in 1821 in Norwich, Conn. the son of a South Carolina Naval officer. His family moved to Florida and then South Carolina when he was young. Prior to the war, he was a bank cashier and a militia colonel in Charleston, S.C. In April 1861, Stevens became a colonel in the Confederate Army. He took part in the First Battle of Manassas, Va. where he suffered his first wound. Subsequently, after recovery,  Stevens was given command of the 24th S.C. Inf. and Battle of Secessionville,  and then his regiment was sent to Vicksburg to reinforce Gen. J.E. Johnston's relief force for the besieged city. The unit then became part of the Army of Tennessee in Brig. Gen. States Rights Gist's brigade and he was wounded again in the Battle of Chickamauga. Stevens was promoted to brigadier general on Jan. 20, 1864. Stevens was mortally wounded on July 20, 1864, in the Battle of Peachtree Creek in the Atlanta Campaign and died two days later in Atlanta, Ga. He was buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Cemetery in Pendleton, S.C.

Brig. Gen. Clement H. "Rock" Stevens

👱

Brigadier General William Terry was born on this day in 1824 in Amherst County, Va. He graduated from the University of Virginia in 1848, became a lawyer in Wytheville, Va., and also was the co-editor of the Wytheville Telegraph newspaper. Terry served in the local militia and his unit was sent to Harper's Ferry during the John Brown insurrection in 1859. In 1861, he was an officer in the 4th Virginia Infantry in the famous Stonewall Brigade and was in the First Battle of Manassas and was promoted to major. Terry then fought in the Peninsula Campaign, Gaines' Mill, Malvern Hill, and the Second Battle of Manassas where he was wounded. Recovering from the wound, he led his regiment at Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, and Gettysburg, and was commissioned a brigadier general on May 20, 1864, and after The Wilderness. He then led his brigade at Cold Harbor, Petersburg, the Shenandoah Valley Campaign of 1864, including the Battle of Monocacy, the Third Battle of Winchester, and the Battle of Fort Stedman at Petersburg where he was wounded and was recovering from his wound at home when the war ended. Following the war, Terry resumed his law career and was elected to the U.S. Congress for two nonconsecutive terms. Terry died in a drowning accident on Sept. 5, 1888, in Rock Creek while returning from the Grayson County Courthouse. He was buried in East End Cemetery in Wytheville.

Brig. Gen. William Terry

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, August 13.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) Aug. 13.

On This Day in Confederate History, Aug. 13.

1862: The Battle of Yellow Creek, Missouri, or skirmish, happened on this day when Federal forces under Col. Odon Guitar caught a group of Confederate recruits under the command of Col. John A. Poindexter, numbering about 1,200, in Chariton County, where the Federal 9th Missouri State Militia Cavalry and the 2nd Missouri Volunteers routed Poindexter's recruits. Poindexter was wounded, captured, and paroled. The action put an end to Confederate recruiting in Northwest Missouri.

These two Missouri State Guard soldiers are Pvt. P.S. Alexander of

the Moniteau County Rangers, left, and Pvt. S.W. Stone of the

California Guards. They are wearing their civilian attire while carrying a variety 

of firearms, which was typical of early war volunteers. 

(Wilson's Creek Battlefield)

1863: At the Siege of Charleston, S.C., Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard reports on what happened today: "On the 13th, the enemy endeavored several times to repair the damage done to his advanced works during the preceding night, but well-directed shots from Battery Wagner as often drove him back. The batteries in the rear and the fleet then opened fire on Wagner and Gregg, and were answered by Fort Sumter and Battery Simkins. At 5.30 a.m., the enemy opened with 8-inch Parrotts from the same battery as the day before, firing two or three times only. At 11 a.m., three or four wooden gunboats, armed with heavy rifled guns, approached within 4,000 and 5,000 yards of Fort Sumter and opened a slow fire. Some fifteen shots were fired with great range; three only struck the fort. One shot passed over the fort at a great elevation and dropped a mile to the westward. At 5 p.m., the enemy opened again on the fort with the 8-inch Parrotts. No great damage was done. The farthest penetration into the brickwork was about 4 feet."

Marion Light Artillery on Coles Island

South Carolina in 1861.

Confederate General Birthdays, Aug. 13.

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 Court House. The book covers the history of the regiment from letters, diaries, memoirs, and official records, covering 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, a bibliography, footnotes, and an index.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, August 12.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history) Aug. 12.

On This Day in Confederate History, Aug. 12.

1862: Confederate Brig. Gen. John Hunt Morgan led a raid on Gallatin, Tennessee, and captured the Federal garrison there of four companies. The Confederate cavalry withdrew within 24 hours.

1863: Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard reported on what happened during the Siege of Charleston, S.C. on this day: "At 5:45 o'clock on the morning of the 12th, the enemy opened on Fort Sumter with an 8-inch Parrott gun, firing from battery to north and west of Craig's Hill, Morris Island; distance estimated to be at least 4,400 yards. Eleven shots in all were fired at the fort; 4 missed, 3 struck outside, and 4 within the fort. Again, at 5:30 p.m., the enemy opened on Fort Sumter from the same battery, firing at intervals of ten minutes till dark. Eleven 8-inch rifled shots struck the fort.

     "Heavy firing was carried on throughout the day against Battery Wagner. Fort Sumter, Batteries Gregg and Simkins directed their fire against the enemy's working parties on the left of his approach, and dispersed them, stopping the work they were throwing up. At dark, Battery Wagner opened with eight guns on the enemy's advanced trenches, and, in conjunction with Fort Sumter and Battery Simkins, prevented any progress on the part of the enemy. His batteries in the rear replied to the fire of Wagner, and interrupted our communications with Cumming's Point."

Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard

1864: The CSS Tallahassee under Commander John Taylor Wood, a grandson of President Zachary Taylor, captured six Federal ships off the New York coast and seven off the coast of Sandy Hook, New Jersey. 

Confederate General Birthdays, Aug. 12.

Major General John Horace Forney was born on this day in 1829 in Lincolnton, North Carolina. He graduated from West Point in 1852 ranking 22nd in his class. After resigning his commission in the U.S. Army on Jan. 23, 1861, and then joined the Confederate Army on March 14, 1861, with the rank of captain. He then became colonel of the 10th Alabama Infantry on June 21, 1861. He participated in the First Battle of Manassas, Va. on July 21, 1861, and was wounded in the Battle of Dranesville, Va. on Dec. 20, 1861. On March 20, 1862, Forney was promoted to brigadier general and then to major general on Oct. 27, 1862. He commanded a division in the Siege of Vicksburg and was captured at the end of the siege. Exchanged on Jan. 28, 1864, Forney was given commands in the Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana, and afterward the Walker's Texas Infantry Division in the Trans-Mississippi Department. Following the war, he resided in Alabama and made a living as a farmer, and civil engineer. He died September 12, 1902, in Jacksonville, Alabama where he was buried in the City Cemetery there.

Maj. Gen. John H. Forney

CLICK👉Mouton's Louisiana Brigade

In The War for Southern Independence

Mouton's charge at the Battle of Mansfield was one of the most successful Confederate military charges of the War for Southern Independence, and the pivotal action of the Red River Campaign. The book has many photographs of participants, maps, and firsthand accounts of the campaign's battles.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, August 11.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history) Aug. 11. 

On This Day in Confederate History, Aug. 11.

1862: The First Battle of Independence, MO, took place when Confederate and Missouri State Guard officers were sent into the area from Arkansas to recruit for the Confederate forces in the Trans-Mississippi Department. Among the recruiters were Captain Joseph Orville Shelby, Colonel John T. Coffee, and others. Supporting the recruiters was Colonel John T. Hughes, who had between 700 and 800 men. The Federal garrison in Independence, the county seat of Jackson County, was commanded by Lt. Col. John T. Hughes with 344 men. The Confederates launched a surprise attack, and Colonel Hughes was killed in the fighting. He was replaced by Colonel Gideon Thompson. The Federals occupied the town's bank building, but Buel was eventually forced to surrender with 150 men, who were all paroled. The others were killed, hidden, or escaped. After the battle, George M. Todd of Quantrill's command liberated the prisoners from jail, and there was reportedly some revenge killing. Confederate casualties are unknown but 10 colonels were reportedly killed.

Colonel John T. Hughes

Killed in action at the 1st Battle of Independence.

(Wikipedia)

1863: The Siege of Charleston, South Carolina continues on the day with commanding General P.G.T. Beauregard reporting on the action: "About 7 o'clock on the morning of the 11th, the fleet and land batteries opened up heavily on Battery Wagner and were replied to by Fort Sumpter and Batteries Simkins and Gregg. One casualty occurred during the day; the enemy, as well as ourselves, worked persistently in spite of the excessive heat. Our garrison on Morris Island consisted of 1,245 of all arms." (O.R., Vol. 28, Pt. 1, P. 82)

Colonel Ambrosio Jose Gonzales

 of the Confederate States Infantry Regiment.

He was chief of artillery for the Dept of

South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida.

(Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

1864: Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's Army of the Valley was reinforced by Lt. Gen. Richard Anderson with Maj. Gen. Joseph Kershaw's Division and Maj. Gen. Fitzhugh Lee's Cavalry Division to help him fight off Maj. Gen. Philip Sheridan's 37,000-man force sent to expel the Confederates from the Shenandoah and wreak havoc on the civilian population. Early's command was bolstered to 15,200.

Maj. Gen. Joseph B. Kershaw

Confederate General Birthdays, Aug.11.

None.