Thursday, August 17, 2023

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, Aug. 17.

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, who 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 barrel shotgun. (Liljenquist Collection, Library of Congress)

Confederate General Birthdays, Aug. 17.

None.

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