Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, November 6.

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ON THIS DAY IN CONFEDERATE HISTORY, Nov. 6.

1861 -- President Jefferson Davis of Mississippi was elected the first president of the Confederate States of America on this day, and Alexander Stephens of Georgia was the first vice president of the CSA. Born June 3, 1808, in Fairview, Kentucky, Davis' father was a Revolutionary War veteran. His family moved to Louisiana and then to Mississippi, where they permanently settled when Jefferson was a child. He graduated from the U.S. Military Academy in West Point, N.Y., 23rd in a class of 33 in 1828. He served in the Black Hawk War as a 1st Lt. and in the Mexican War as colonel of the 1st Miss. Rifles in which he distinguished himself and came home a wounded war hero. 

President Jefferson Davis

He married Sarah Knox Taylor, daughter of General and future president Zachary Taylor, in 1837, but the marriage tragically ended in a few months when both contracted malaria, and she died, and he barely survived. His second wife was Varina Howell, and the couple was blessed with five children. Davis' pre-war political career included serving from Mississippi in the U.S. House of Representatives, the U.S. Senate, and as Secretary of War in the administration of President Franklin Pierce. Davis was a unanimous choice for provisional president of the Confederacy and was then elected the first president of the new independent Southern Republic on this day in 1861.

Sarah Knox Taylor Davis

(Wikimedia Commons)

1863: The Battle of  Droop Mountain, [West] Virginia. Gen. William Averell led 3,855 Federal troops against 1,700 Confederate troops under Gen. John Echols. Confederate losses were 33 killed, 121  wounded, and 122 missing. Federal casualties were 45 killed, 98 wounded, and 2 captured. The Federals set a trap for the Confederates, and the battle is considered a Federal victory.

Brig. Gen. John Echols

1864: The Second Battle of Cane Hill, Arkansas (also called a skirmish). This small battle was part of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price's Missouri Campaign was winding down. The actual fighting was between elements of Federal Lt. Col. Frederick W. Benteen's Cavalry Brigade and the rear guard of Confederate Brig. Gen. Joseph Orville Shelby's Cavalry. Estimated casualties were 2 to 3 killed for each side.

Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby

1865: The CSS Shenandoah, commanded by Commander James Iredell Waddell, after 13 months of valiant service as a Confederate cruiser, strikes its flag in Liverpool, England. The Shenandoah was an extreme clipper ship with an iron-framed hull. It displaced 1160 tons, was 230 ft. in length, and had a 33.5 ft. beam. It was both steam-powered and a full-rigged sailing ship, with a bronze propeller. The ship could make 8 knots under steam and 16 knots with sails. The ship's complement was 109 officers and men and was armed with four 8-inch smoothbore guns, two 12-pounder rifled Whitworth guns, and two 32-pounder guns. In its commerce raiding career, the Shenandoah captured, sank, or bonded 38 merchant vessels. When it surrendered in Liverpool, England, in 1865, the last official Confederate flag was furled. The war was truly over, but the military occupation and corruption of the South would linger and leave much bitterness.

Cmdr. James I. Waddell, CSN

CONFEDERATE GENERAL BIRTHDAYS, Nov. 6.

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Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, November 5.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history), Nov. 5.

On This Day in Confederate History, Nov. 5.

1862: Confederates Dandridge McRae, Mosby Parsons, and James Camp Tappan were all promoted to brigadier general on this day in 1862.

1863: Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's connection with the Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn., effectively ends with his orders from General Bragg to move his corps to seize Knoxville, Tenn. He had with him the two divisions he brought with him from the Army of Northern Virginia, and was later reinforced by a division of Maj. Gen. Bushrod Johnson of a brigade of Tennesseans and a brigade of Alabamians. It was a long and miserable trip over muddy roads and an inadequate railroad on the way to Knoxville. The detachment of Longstreet fatally weakened Bragg's Army of Tennessee at Chattanooga.

Brothers Pvts. William H. & Dr. John A. Landis,

2nd Co. F, 23rd Tennessee Infantry, Gen.

Bushrod Johnson's Brigade. William was

severely wounded at Shiloh & disabled, losing an arm,

and J.A. became a Hospital Steward,& after the war, a doctor. 

(Confederate Veteran Magazine)

(Colorized by AI)

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.

1864: Second Day of the Battle of Johnsonville, Tennessee--The attack by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry on the Federal supply depot at Johnsonville, Tennessee Nov. 4-5, resulted in the loss of four Yankee gunboats for the Federals, as well as 14 transport ships, 20 barges, 26 artillery pieces, and over $6 million worth of supplies. Confederate losses were 2 killed and 9 wounded. It was a great Confederate victory.

CONFEDERATE GENERAL BIRTHDAYS ON THIS DAY, Nov. 5

Brigadier General Edward Dorr Tracy Jr. was born on this day in 1833 in Macon, Georgia. Before the war, he practiced the law in Macon and Huntsville, Alabama. He was an elector for the candidacy of John C. Breckinridge in the presidential election of 1860. Tracy started the war as a captain and a company commander in the 4th Alabama Infantry Regiment, then lieutenant colonel of the 19th Alabama Infantry Regiment, and was promoted to brigadier general on August 16, 1862. Tracy fought at the First Battle of Manassas, Va., the Battle of Shiloh, Miss., the Battle of Chickasaw Bayou, Miss., and he was killed in action on May 1, 1833, at the Battle of Port Gibson, Miss. He was buried in Rose Hill Cemetery in Macon, Georgia.

Brig. Gen. Edward D. Tracy Jr.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthday, November 4.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history) Nov. 4.

On This Day in Confederate History, Nov. 4:

In 1861, President Davis and General Beauregard disagreed over the aftermath of what should have been done after the July 21 First Battle of Manassas, causing a rift that never healed. 

1862, Vicksburg Campaign: Federal invaders, under the command of Maj. Gen. U.S. Grant occupied La Grange, Tenn., and Grand Junction, Tenn. to mount a campaign against Vicksburg, Miss. The Confederates were building up their forces at Vicksburg and Port Hudson, La., under the command of Lt. Gen. J.C. Pemberton, to keep the Mississippi River open to the Confederacy and block Northern commercial traffic to New Orleans.

 

Confederate uniform coat of gray wool with blue trim, also referred to as a Columbus Depot Style Jacket. Originally had six buttons. One pocket on the left front side, as well as an inside pocket on the right side. The coat belonged to Private Michael Jackson Jones, who served with Company H, 1st Missouri Infantry. Private Jones was wearing the coat when he received a disabling wound at Champion Hill on May 16, 1863. Wool. Shoulders (measuring across back just below collar) 39.0, Left Sleeve 60.0, Right Sleeve 60.0, Backseam 56.9 cm, Vicksburg National Military Park, VICK 572.

 

 

Pvt. Michael Jackson Jones postwar

(Vicksburg, NPS)

In 1863, President Davis and General Bragg made a strategic mistake in sending Longstreet's corps and "Fighting Joe" Wheeler's cavalry to reinforce Knoxville, Tenn., thus weakening Confederate forces before Chattanooga, Tenn.  

1864, Battle of Johnsonville, Tenn.: Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest's forces clashed with Federals at Johnsonville, Tenn., destroying Yankee boats and Yankee supplies. Confederate field artillery under Captain John W. Morton destroyed or disabled three Federal gunboats guarding the supply depot, Key West, Tawah, and Elfin. Confederates caused the destruction of over $2 million worth of supplies for Sherman's Army.

CONFEDERATE GENERAL BIRTHDAYS, Nov. 4:

Major General Lunsford Lindsay Lomax was born on this day in 1835, in Newport, Rhode Island. Lomax was born to a distinguished Virginia family his father was a career army officer and was raised in Norfolk, Va. He graduated from West Point in 1856 and served in the 2nd U.S. Cavalry on the frontier and in the Kansas troubles. He resigned in April 1861 and joined the Virginia militia and the Confederate Army. He started out as a staff officer but was then promoted to colonel of the 11 Virginia Cavalry. Lomax was promoted to brigadier general in 1863 and to major general in 1864. His battles included the Gettysburg Campaign in 1863 and the Valley Campaign in 1864. Following the war, he was president of the Virginia Agriculture and Mechanical College and became a clerk in the War Department editing the Official Records of the war. Lomax some time on the Gettysburg park commission. He died May 28, 1913, in Washington D.C., and was buried in Warrenton, Va.

Maj. Gen. Lunsford L. Lomax

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Brigadier General William Polk Hardeman was born on this day in 1816, in Williamson County, Tennessee. He served in the Texas War for Independence as a teenager, as a Texas Ranger, and in the Mexican American War. Hardeman served in the Confederate Army as a captain and then colonel of the 4th Texas Cavalry Regiment and was promoted to brigadier general on March 17, 1865. His battles were Valverde, Glorieta Pass, Galveston, Bayou Bourbeau Mansfield, and Pleasant Hill.  Following the war, he temporarily moved to Mexico but then became a planter in Texas, sergeant-at-arms in the Texas House of Representatives, railroad inspector, supervised the Texas Confederate Soldiers' Home, and died April 8, 1898, in Austin, Texas, and was buried in the Texas State Cemetery in Austin.

Brig. Gen. William P. Hardeman

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Brigadier General Alexander Robert Lawton was born in 1818 in Beaufort District, South Carolina. He graduated from West Point in 1839 and resigned from the army in 1840. Lawton became a lawyer and practiced in Savannah, Georgia. He then worked in railroad administration and supported secession. Lawton was commissioned colonel of the 1st Georgia Volunteers and then a brigadier general in the Confederate Army on April 13, 1861. Serving as an infantry brigade commander, his battles and campaigns included Fort Pulaski, the Shenandoah Valley, the Seven Days Battles, Second Bull Run, and Sharpsburg (severely wounded). Unable to serve in the field, he became the second Quartermaster-General of the Confederate Army. Following the war, he became an important political figure in Georgia, became president of the American Bar Association, and U.S. Minister to Austria-Hungary. Lawton died on July 2, 1896, in Clifton Springs, New York. He was buried at Bonaventure Cemetery in Savannah, Georgia.

Brig. Gen. Alexander R. Lawton

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Brigadier General Robert Vinkler Richardson was born in 1820, in Granville County, North Carolina. Prior to the war, he was a lawyer in Memphis, Tennessee. In 1861, he raised the 12th Tennessee Cavalry and commanded it as colonel. He was appointed brigadier general on December 3, 1863. His battles included the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Corinth. Following the war, Richardson did civil engineering work. He was mortally wounded by an unknown assassin on January 5, 1870, in Memphis, Tennessee, and died the next day. Richardson was buried in Elmwood Cemetery in Memphis.

Brig. Gen. Robert V. Richardson

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 Click 👉 Today in History (general history) Nov. 3.

ON THIS DAY IN CONFEDERATE HISTORY 

1863: The Battle of Bayou Bourbeau, La., was a major victory for the Confederates in the North's Great Texas Overland Campaign on this day, Nov. 3. In the battle, Brig. Gen. Tom Green commanded a combined infantry and cavalry assault on the Federal Army of the Gulf's rear guard west of Opelousas. The Confederate forces were made up of Col. Orin Milo Roberts's Texas Infantry Brigade (the 11th, 15th, and 18th Texas infantry); Col. A.P. Bagby's Texas Cavalry Brigade (the 7th, 13th, 4th, and 15th Texas cavalry); Brig. Gen. J.P. Majors' Texas Cavalry Brigade (1 Tex. P.R., 3rd & 6th Texas cavalry); and Valverde, Daniel's batteries of artillery. Federal Brig. Gen. Stephen Burbridge had the 67th Indiana, 23rd Wisconsin, 83rd Ohio, and 118th Illinois infantry regiments, the 6th Missouri Cavalry, and Nims and 17th Ohio batteries. In spite of all the skirmishing of the previous day, the Federals were caught by surprise with Roberts' infantry on the Confederate left, anchored on the bayou, and Bagby's dismounted cavalry on the right, and smashed into the unprepared bluecoats. As the Federals fell back, Major's mounted cavalry outflanked them and struck their rear, causing a complete collapse of the invaders. The Confederates lost 22 men killed, 103 wounded, and 55 missing. The Federal total losses were 26 killed,124 wounded, and 566 captured or missing. The Confederates also captured 36 horses, one 10-pounder Parrott gun, and one caisson. The North's invasion attempt of Texas across Southwest Louisiana fails.

             

Pvt. William P. Barns

13th Texas Cavalry Regiment

(9th Plate Ambrotype, M.D. Jones Collection)

(Restored & Colorized by AI)

1864: Skirmish at Vera Cruz, Missouri. This engagement was also called the Battle of Wilson's Mill and the 2nd Battle of Vera Cruz, Mo. The skirmish was between Federals under the command of Moses Lock Alsup and about 1,600 troops. The Confederates retreated into Arkansas.

CONFEDERATE GENERAL BIRTHDAYS ON NOV. 3

Lieutenant General Jubal Anderson Early was born on this day in 1816 in Franklin County, Virginia. He graduated from West Point in 1837 and served in the Seminole War, then resigned in 1838 and became a Virginia lawyer and politician. He briefly returned to military service in the Mexican-American War but saw no action and returned to his civilian pursuits. He opposed secession and voted against it in 1861 but rallied to his state's defense when a Northern invasion threatened. He rose from the colonel of the 24th Virginia Infantry to a lieutenant general in command of the Army of the Valley. His battles included First Manassas, Williamsburg, Malvern Hill, Sharpsburg, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg the Overland Campaign, Valley Campaigns of 1864, and Waynesboro. Following the war, he spent some time in Mexico, then Cuba and Canada before returning to the United States. He was a staunch defender of the Southern viewpoint of the war and was involved in many controversies. He died Feb. 15, 1894, in Lynchburg, Va., and was buried in Springhill Cemetery there.

Lt. Gen. Jubal A. Early

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Brigadier General Samuel Wragg Ferguson was born in Charleston, South Carolina, in 1834. He graduated from West Point in 1857 and served in the U.S. Army until he heard that Lincoln had won the 1860 presidential election, and promptly resigned. Ferguson joined the Confederate Army and was made an aide-de-camp on Brig. Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard's staff with the rank of lieutenant colonel. He was promoted to brigadier general on July 28, 1863. His battles included Fort Sumter, First Manassas, Shiloh, Farmington, Meridian, Atlanta, Savannah, and the Carolinas. Following the war, Ferguson practiced law. He moved to Ecuador, came back in 1898, and died Feb. 3, 1917, in Jackson, Miss., and was buried there in Greenwood Cemetery.

Brig. Gen. Samuel W. Ferguson

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Brigadier General Thomas Muldrop Logan, in 1840, Charleston, South Carolina. After graduating from South Carolina College in 1860, he joined the Washington Light Infantry. He became one of the youngest Confederate generals when he received a temporary appointment to brigadier general on Dec. 1, 1864. His battles included Fort Sumter, First Manassas, Gaines' Mill, Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Suffolk, Chickamauga, Knoxville, Chattanooga, Riddell's Shop, and Bentonville. Following the war, became a lawyer, worked in the railroad industry, and married and had nine children. Logan died Aug. 11, 1914, in New York City and was buried in Hollywood Cemetery in Richmond, Va.

Brig. Gen. Thomas M. Logan
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Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, November 2.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history), Nov. 2.

ON THIS DAY IN THE CONFEDERACY, Nov. 2

1863: TEXAS INVADED: Federal troops attempted to land at Brazos Santiago, Texas in the North's latest attempt to invade the Lone Star State. The boat, from the U.S.S. Owasco, swamped, and seven bluecoats and two blue jackets drowned in the attempt. Confederate Brig. Gen. H.P. Bee evacuated Confederate forces from Brownsville. The Northern invasion force included three brigades from the 3rd Army Corps, numbering 6,000 men under Brig. Gen. Napoleon J.T. Dana. The Confederates had four companies of the 33rd Texas Cavalry, numbering 150 troopers, and two companies of 3-month volunteers, about 25 men, commanded by Brig. Gen. Hamilton P. Bee.

Brig. Gen. Hamilton Bee

(Southern Methodist University Liubrary)

BATTLE OF BAYOU BOURBEAU PRELUDE: Also, on this day in 1863, the Confederate cavalry of Gen. Richard Taylor's Army of Western Louisiana, under Brig. Gen. Tom Green skirmished with the rearguard of Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin's segment of the Army of the Gulf, under Brig. Gen. Stephen Burbridge at Bayou Bourbeau, La. This is just a prelude to the major battle that will occur on Nov. 3.

 

Brig. Gen. James Patrick Major, standing center, with his staff, played a major role in the

Battle of Bayou Bourbeau victory for the Confederates. Major commanded a cavalry

division in the Red River Campaign of 1864.     (Doug York Collection) 

 

1864: PRELUDE TO THE BATTLE OF JOHNSONVILLE: The former Federal vessels, the transports Venus and Chessman, and the gunboat Undine, now part of Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's fleet to support his Confederate raiders on the Tennessee River was attacked by two Federal gunboats at Davidson's Ferry. The Cheeseman and Venus were recaptured by the USS Key West and Tawah and the Undine escaped to the protection of the Confederate batteries at Reynoldsburg Island. But the Confederates burned the Undine on Nov. 4 to prevent its recapture. General Forrest was planning to attack the major Federal supply depot at Johnsonville, Tenn.

Confederate Generals Born Nov. 2

Major General Bryan Grimes was born on this day in 1828 in Pitt County, N.C. He was a planter before the War for Southern Independence. During the war, he commanded the 4th North Carolina Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia. He was promoted to brigadier general and commanded a North Carolina brigade and was then promoted to major general and commanded a division of infantry in the ANV. His battles included First Manassas, Seven Pines, the Peninsula Campaign, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, the Overland Campaign, Valley Campaigns, Petersburg, and Appomattox.  After the war, he was farmed and was a trustee of the University of North Carolina. Grimes was assassinated on Aug. 14, 1880, in Pitt County, N.C. purportedly to prevent him from testifying in a criminal trial. He was buried in his family cemetery on his plantation, Grimesland.

Maj. Gen. Bryan Grimes

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Brigadier General James Byron Gordon on this day in 1822 in Wilkesborough, N.C. Prior to the war, he was a merchant, a Wilkes County commissioner, and a member of the state legislature. During the war, he served in the 1st N.C. Infantry, the 1st N.C. Cavalry and then led a cavalry brigade. Gordon was promoted to brigadier general in September 1863. His battles included Gettysburg and Yellow Tavern. He was mortally wounded on May 12, 1864, while leading his North Carolina Cavalry Brigade at the Battle of Meadow Bridge, Va., and died May 18, 1864, at Richmond, Va. He was buried in St. Paul's Episcopal Cemetery in Wilkesboro, N.C.

Brig. Gen. James B. Gordon

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Brigadier General Robert Hopkins Hatton on this day in 1826 at Steubenville, Ohio. Prior to the war, he practiced law in Lebanon, Tenn., and was elected to the state legislature, then to the U.S. Congress in 1858. During the war, he was elected colonel of the 7th Tennessee Infantry and was promoted to brigadier general on May 23, 1862. General Hatton was killed in action while leading his brigade of Tennesseans at the Battle of Fair Oaks on May 31, 1862. He was buried first in Knoxville, Tenn., and then reburied on March 23, 1866, in Lebanon, Tenn.'s Cedar Grove Cemetery.

Brig. Gen. Robert H. Hatton

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, October 30.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) Nov. 1. 

On This Day in Confederate History, Nov. 1.

1862: On the second day of the Battle of Port Lavaca, Texas Lt. George E. Conklin, adjutant of the post, concluded his report on the battle. He wrote, On the next morning, November 1, they [the Federal gunboats Clifton and Westfield] again opened fire upon the town and batteries, but owing to their being entirely out of range of our guns, we did not reply to them. At about 11 a. m., they ceased fire and steamed down the bay toward Indianola, towing the schooner Lecompte, which they had captured in the bay a few days before. One of the steamers went outside the bar and steered in the direction of Galveston, probably for a mortar boat or some other additional force to assist them. I am glad to report that no lives were lost on our side, but the enemy succeeded in doing considerable damage to the town, tearing up the streets and riddling the houses, and otherwise damaging the place. The enemy fired 252 shots and shells in all, 174 the first day and 78 the second, nearly all from 32- and 64-pounder rifled guns. Capt. H. Willke, acting ordnance officer, rendered very efficient service in keeping the batteries supplied with ammunition and freely exposing himself in the discharge of his duties.

                                              

                                                  Confederate artilleryman wearing

                                                  a black hat and frock coat.

                                                  (6th plate ambrotype colorized by AI. M.D. Jones Collection)

 Also, on this day in 1862, the following Confederate brigadier generals were appointed: George Thomas Anderson, Thomas Reade Rootes Cobb, John Rogers Cooke, George Pierce Doles, John Brown Gordon, Alfred Iverson Jr., James Henry Lane, Carnot Posey, Stephen Dodson Ramseur, Jerome Bonaparte Robertson, Edward Lloyd Thomas.

1863: The following skirmishes occurred on this day in 1863: Quinn and Jackson's Mill, Miss., Eastport, Tenn., Fayetteville, Tenn., Gila, New Mexico Territory, and at Catlett's Station, Va.

Confederate General Birthdays, Nov. 1.

Brigadier General Douglas Hancock Cooper was born on this day in 1815 in Amite County, Mississippi. Before the war, he served in the Mississippi House of Representatives and as a captain in the Mississippi Rifles Regiment under Colonel Jefferson Davis in the Mexican-American War. After the war, he was an Indian Agent in the Indian Territory, modern-day Oklahoma where he also led the militia made up of Choctaws and Chickasaws. In 1861, he raised the 1st Choctaws and Chickasaw Mounted Rifles. Coopers was promoted to brigadier general on May 2, 1862. He led a brigade in the battles of Round Mountain and Chusto-Talasah and won the Battle of Chustenahlah. Cooper then led the Indian Brigade in Maj. Gen. Sterling Price's 1864 Missouri and Kansas Raid. Following the war, he supported the Indian land claims to the Federal government and died on April 29, 1879, at Fort Washita, modern-day Bryan County, OKLA. and was buried in an unmarked grave there.

Brig. Gen. Douglas H. Cooper

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Brigadier General Joseph Benjamin Palmer was born on this day in 1811 in Rutherford County, Tennessee. Before the war, he was a lawyer and served in the Tennessee General Assembly. Palmer organized a company of infantry in 1861 and served as its captain in the 18th Tennessee Infantry Regiment in the Confederate Army. He was elected colonel in June 1861 and was promoted to brigadier general on Nov. 15, 1864. His battles included Fort Donelson, Murfreesboro (wounded), Chickamauga (wounded), Jonesborough (wounded), Franklin, Nashville, and Bentonville where he was again wounded. Following the war, Palmer resumed his law practice and died Nov. 4, 1890, at Murfreesboro, Tenn., and was buried there in Evergreen Cemetery.

Brig. Gen. Joseph B. Palmer.

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Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays. October 31.

 On This Day in Confederate History, Oct. 31.

1862: Battle of Port Lavaca, Texas: Two Federal warships, Clifton and Westfield, bombarded the coastal Texas town of Port Lavaca after Confederate defenders refused to surrender. Lt. George E. Conklin [8th Texas Infantry/Capt. B.F. Neal's Artillery] post adjutant at Port Lavaca, reported, "At 1 p.m., they sent a boat with a flag of truce on shore, which was met by Lt. Col. [Daniel] Shea [8th Texas Infantry/4th Battery Texas Artillery], accompanied by four of the citizens of the town. A short interview succeeded, during which a demand was made to surrender the town. They were answered by the commanding officer that he was there to defend it and should do so to the best of his ability with all the means he had at hand. A demand was then made for time to remove the women, children, and sick persons from town. The officer in charge of the flag replied that one hour was the time he was authorized to grant, but in consideration of the fact that an epidemic (yellow fever) was still raging in the town, he would extend the time to one hour and a half; at the expiration of which period, they moved up abreast the town and opened fire from both steamers on both the town and batteries. At this time, there were many women and children still in the place; they had been unable, for want of time, to leave. Our batteries promptly returned fire." The Confederate batteries struck the gunboats several times, causing them to withdraw. They then anchored out of the range of the Confederate batteries and continued their bombardment, which would be continued into the next day.

1863: Bombardment of Charleston, S.C.: The Federal Navy bombarded the iconic Confederate bastion in Charleston, South Carolina, harbor, reducing it to rubble. Here's the National Park Service summary: "Sumter's 'sea front' (right flank), upright and relatively unscathed till then, was breached now for nearly half its length. The ramparts and arches of its upper casemates were cut down and the interior barracks were demolished. The accumulated debris made ascent easy inside and out. Through the breach, the Federal guns took the channel fronts in reverse.' For the first time, these were exposed to direct fire; soon they were 'cut and jagged.' Still, the gorge ruin remained much the same; to Admiral Dahlgren, that 'heap of rubbish' looked 'invincible.' " The Federal armada fired a total of 2,961 shells at the fort, but the Confederate flag still flew over Charleston until near the end of the war.

Pvt. Thomas Hall

Manigault's South Carolina Artillery Battalion

(Library of Congress)

(Restored and colorized by AI)

1864: Confederate and Federal cavalry units from the Army of Tennessee and Sherman's army skirmished near Shoal Creek, Alabama, on this day in 1864. General John Bell Hood plans to move his army into Tennessee, which cheered the Tennessee troops in the army.

Confederate General Birthdays, Oct. 31.

None.                                                                                            

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, October 30.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history) Oct. 30.

On This Day in Confederate History, Oct. 30.

1863: RIO GRANDE, TEXAS CAMPAIGN: With their previous attempts to invade Texas a complete failure, the Northern invaders dispatched from New Orleans the 13th Army Corps under Brig. Gen. N.J.T. Dana on 23 transport ships to South Texas near the Mexican border. Brig. Gen. Hamilton P. Bee was the Confederate commander of the Sub-Military District of the Rio Grande, where the invaders would land. The ranks of the Confederate coastal forces there had already been weakened by a yellow fever outbreak. Maj. Gen. John B. Magruder was the Confederate commander in Texas. The Federals were planning to fight their way up the coast to Houston and Galveston. But Magruder, the hero of the liberation of Galveston, would be their implacable foe.

Maj. Gen. John G. "Prince John" Magruder

Cmdr. of the Dept. of Tex., N.M. and Arizona

(CDV Collection of M.D. Jones)

(Restored & colorized by AI)

CLICK👉The Battle of Stirling's Plantation and Bayou Bourbeau:
The Fall 1863 Campaign in Louisiana & Texas

The battles of Stirling's Plantation and Bayou Bourbeau in South Louisiana, and the Rio Grande Expedition in Texas, in the Fall of 1863, were a major Federal attempt to loot thousands of bales of cotton for Northern speculators, and to subjugate western Louisiana and Texas. The campaign led directly to the Rio Grande, Texas Campaign. But it also left behind a swath of death and destruction in Louisiana that would lead to the even more destructive Red River Campaign of 1864.

1864: Planning the Johnsonville Raid: Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's raid in Tennessee and Kentucky in 1864 focused on this day on river traffic on the Tennessee River at Fort Heiman. Brig. Gen. Abraham Buford's command occupied Fort Heiman, which had been vacant, and disrupted Federal traffic on the river, bringing supplies to Sherman's army in Georgia. On the previous day they captured the steamer Mazeppa and on this day, Oct. 30, they captured the Venus, the Cheeseman, and also the gunboat USS Undine after a three-hour artillery exchange.  Forrest, in the process of planning a major attack on the massive Federal supply base at Johnsonville, Tenn., turned the Undine and Venus into a flotilla of his own for the attack. The Undine was a "tinclad" steamer that displaced 179 tons and was armed with 8, 24-pounder brass howitzers. 

Lt. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest

Confederate General Birthdays, Oct. 30.

Maj. General John Stevens Bowen was born on this day in 1830 in Savannah, Georgia. He graduated from West Point in 1853 and then served in the U.S. Army until about 1855, when he resigned to start an architect's practice in  Georgia and then moved to St. Louis, Mo. in 1857. Bowen was also active in the Missouri Volunteer Militia and in 1861 was promoted to colonel of the 2nd Missouri Volunteer Militia Regiment. After being captured and exchanged by the Federals, Bowen was made a colonel in the Confederate Army and was promoted to brigadier general on March 14, 1862. Bowen fought in the Battle of Shiloh, the Battle of Port Gibson, the Battle of Champion Hill, the Battle of Big Black River Bridge, and throughout the Siege of Vicksburg, Miss. Bowen contracted dysentery during the siege and died in captivity on July 13, 1863, near Edwards, Miss., and is buried in the Confederate Cemetery in Vicksburg, Miss. He was survived by a wife and two young children.

Maj. Gen. John S. Bowen

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, October 29.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history) 5r4

On This Day in Confederate History, Oct. 29.

1862: Captain Otis M. Marsh's Company A, 11th Battalion (Spaight's) Texas Volunteers opened fire on two Federal gunboats, the USS Dan, a steamer, and the USS Velocity, a schooner, that were patrolling Sabine Pass, Texas. Sgt. H.N. Connor of Captain Marsh's company wrote in his diary, "Gunboats lying near the fort. In a few days, they made preparations to visit the town [Sabine City] with the vessels. Being delayed, they did not get up until about dark, and as they passed Wingate's mill, we opened up with small arms, doing some little damage and frightening them badly. By bringing their guns to bear on us, we were soon compelled to retreat with no loss. The town was then shelled, a wanton outrage, as we were not near any buildings. The next morning, a party landed and burned the mill, dwelling house, 700,000 feet of lumber belonging to Judge Wingate, and two dwelling houses belonging to Judge Stamps, total loss of about $150,000. All of which was wantonness, as we did not fire on them from houses, but from the bank at the water's edge." Col. A.W. Spaight said in his report that Marsh's company was acting under orders to inflict damage on the enemy at every opportunity."

Pvt. Andrew Jackson Abshire

Co. F (cavalry) 11th Battalion Texas Volunteers

Pvt. James D. Collier, Co. D, (infantry)

11th Bn. (Spaight's) Tex. Vols.

Col. Ashley W. Spaight 

CLICK👉Swamp Angels: A History of the 11Battalion

(Spaight's) Texas Volunteers

A history of the 11th Battalion (Spaight's) Texas Volunteers in the War for Southern Independence. The unit fought on the Texas Gulf Coast and in Louisiana to fend off Northern invaders of their homeland. They fought in the First Battle of Sabine Pass, Texas, a sea battle of Galveston, Texas, the Battle of Stirling's Plantation, the Battle of Bayou Bourbeau, and the Battle of Calcasieu Pass, all in Louisiana. The book also contains a roster of men who served in the battalion, pictures, maps, a bibliography, and an index.

1864: Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest's command, on its way to destroy a massive Federal supply depot at Johnsonville, Tenn., detached Brig. Gen. Abraham Buford with his 400-man command and four artillery pieces occupied abandoned Fort Heiman on the Tennessee River and disrupted Federal transports bringing supplies to Maj. Gen. W.T. Sherman's army in Georgia. On this day Buford's command opened up on the passing transport Mazeppa, which was packed with supplies for the Yankee army. The Confederates opened up on the vessel with both small arms fire and artillery. The pilot's house was demolished and the boat beached on the opposite side of the river, as the crew ran away. The Southerners unloaded as much of the boat's cargo, including thousands of barrels of flour, eight cook stoves, and tons of other supplies that would supply Gen. John Bell Hood's Army of Tennessee. The Mazeppa was burned with remaining unloaded supplies when a Federal gunboat came on the scene to bombard the fort.

Brig. Gen. Abraham Buford

Confederate General Birthdays, Oct. 29.

None.

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, October 28.

Click 👉Today in History (general history) Oct. 28. 

On This Day in Confederate History, Oct. 28.

1862: Brigadier General Alfred Mouton skillfully extricated his badly outnumbered Louisiana infantry brigade from a Yankee trap in South Louisiana's bayou country. Here is an excerpt from his report: "On the 28th, whilst slowly receding, I held the enemy in check, and at about 12 m. concluded that I was reduced to the sad alternative of evacuating the place or having my entire command captured. Resistance with the small force I had was no longer possible, especially as the men were worn out with fatigue and loss of rest; besides, the mounted picket at Boutte had been driven in by the enemy, who was advancing by the Des Allemandes to re-enforce the enemy in front of me, and vague rumors were afloat that the expedition to Berwick Bay had reached its destination. Information also came to me that two transports and two gunboats had gone down from Donaldsonville to New Orleans and that they had returned and were landing reinforcements at the Assumption Cut-off. Hence, I fell back to the Terre Bonne Station, embarked all the stores and troops, and moved them over to Berwick Bay. Colonel [T.E.] Vick’s command [the La Fourche militia, 500 strong] had not yet arrived, and I remained at the station with the cavalry to protect and cover it, while I sent on the artillery and wagon train via Chucahoula by land to rendezvous at Tigerville for transportation, the cars being already filled with troops and stores. About 3 p.m., such portion of Colonel Vick’s command as he could bring up arrived, and it was sent on over the railroad track till it met a return train which had been ordered up to receive it. "At 4 p. m. all the troops which could be collected having been sent forward, I caused the Thibodeaux Bridge, the La Fourche Crossing Bridge, and the Terre Bonne Station to be burned, and moved on with the cavalry, reaching the bay on the 29th, and crossing everything by the 30th. The casualties in the engagement of the 27th are, according to returns made, as follows, viz: Killed, 5; wounded, 8; missing, 186; 3 horses were killed and 9 wounded; one 12-pounder howitzer axle broken since replaced by one

Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton

(Restored and colorized by AI)

from Des Allemandes. The enemy’s loss reaches fully 250 to 300, as I have been informed by an officer of the Eighteenth Regiment, who was taken prisoner and released on parole. It is my painful duty to record the death of Colonel McPheeters, commanding the Crescent Regiment, who fell gallantly and nobly defending our sacred cause at the head of his command."

1863: Lt. Gen. James Longstreet's Corps attacked at night the Federal forces of Brig. Gen. John W. Geary in the Battle of Wauhatchie, Tenn. Leading the attack was Brig. Gen. Micah Jenkins. The battle started slightly after midnight the Confederates attacked both fronts of the Federal V-shaped position. The yelling Confederates pushed the Federals back, but the bluecoats managed to hold on until reinforcements came. The reinforcements in the form of Federal Brig. Gen. Carl Schurz division first had to get by Confederate Brig. Gen. Evander M. Law's brigade, which was greatly outnumbered. Law's brigade had to withdraw, and Schurz then arrived with the reinforcements for Geary and the Jenkins Confederates at Wauhatchie also withdrew. The Federals lost 28 killed, 327 wounded, and 15 captured or missing. The Confederates lost 153 killed, 305 wounded, and 69 captured or missing.

1864: The Second Battle of Newtonia, Mo., took place on this day in 1864. Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby, of Maj. Gen. Sterling Price's command led an estimated 2,000 troops against Maj. Gen. James G. Blunt's 2,000 bluecoats. Shelby initially outnumbered the Federals and managed to outflank them, but then his men ordered a retreat when Federal reinforcements came up. Both sides claimed victory and the losses of both sides are disputed.

Confederate General Birthdays, Oct. 28.

Brigadier General Dudley McIver DuBose was born on this day in 1834 in Shelby County, Tennessee. A prewar lawyer, DuBose started the War for Southern Independence as a lieutenant colonel of the 15th Georgia Infantry in Brig. Gen. Robert Toombs's brigade, his father-in-law. His battles and campaigns included the Seven Days Battles, the Second Manassas, Sharpsburg, Suffolk, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, Knoxville, the Wilderness, Spotsylvania Court House, Cold Harbor, Petersburg, and Appomattox. Following the war he was elected to the U.S. Congress for one term, and practiced law in Washington, Georgia, where he died on March 2, 1883, and was buried in Rest Haven Cemetery. 

Brig. Gen. Dudley DuBose

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Brigadier General Adley Hogan Gladden was born on this day in 1810 in Fairfield, South Carolina. A cotton broker in Columbia, S.C., Gladden got plenty of military experience in the Mexican-American War as the lieutenant colonel of the Palmetto Regiment. He fought at the Battle of Churubusco and the Battle of Mexico City, where he was severely wounded. Gladden was also the lieutenant colonel of the 1st South Carolina Infantry in the state militia, but resigned to become a delegate in the Louisiana Secession Convention in 1861. Gladden then became the colonel of the 1st Louisiana Infantry (Regulars) and was promoted to brigadier general on September 30, 1861, and commanded the fortifications at Pensacola, Fla. He was mortally wounded on April 6, 1862, at the Battle of Shiloh, Tenn., while leading his brigade. Gladden died April 12, 1862, and is buried at Magnolia Cemetery in Mobile, Alabama.

Brig. Gen. Adley H. Gladden

 

Today in History (general history)/ On This Day in Confederate History/ Confederate General Birthdays, October 27.

 Click 👉Today in History (general history) Oct. 27.

On This Day in Confederate History, Oct. 27.

1862: The Battle of Georgia Landing, La., took place along Bayou Lafourche when Maj. Gen. Benjamin "Beast" Butler sent Brig. Gen. Godfrey Weitzel with 4,000 bluecoats to clear the Confederates out of the district. Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton had about 1,300 Confederates, including conscripts and militia, to defend the bayou. Weitzel's had with him the 12th Conn. Inf., 13th Conn. Inf., 1st La. Cav. (Union), 8th N.H. Inf., and 75th N.Y. Inf. Mouton had the Shiloh veterans of the 18th La. Inf., the Crescent Regiment, the newly organized 33rd La. Inf., commanded by Shiloh veteran Col. Franklin H. Clack, the 2nd La. Cav., the Terrebonne State Militia, Semmes Battery, and Ralston's Battery. Here is Mouton's report on the battle: "I have the honor of submitting the following report of the movements preceding and following the engagement of the 27th October 1862, and details relative thereto. Late on the 25th of October, 1862, I received information that the gunboats and transports of the enemy were moving up the river slowly and cautiously and that in all likelihood they would soon be at Donaldsonville. They arrived there on the evening of the 25th and commenced landing troops, completing the landing on the 26th. Immediately, I moved to Donaldsonville and found that our troops at that point had fallen back, under the command of Colonel [W. G.] Vincent [2^nd La. Cav.], to the Racconici, in the parish of Assumption, about 12 miles from Donaldsonville. Colonel Vincent informed me that from all the information he had obtained, the enemy numbered from 2,500 to 3,000 infantry, 250 cavalrymen, and two batteries of field artillery. To oppose this force, which was mainly on the left descending bank of La Fourche, Colonel Vincent had only 600 infantry and about 250 cavalrymen, with Semmes’ field battery. The disparity was so great that I deemed it my duty to recede until the reinforcements I had ordered up arrived, and accordingly fell back to the plantation of Mr. Winn, 2 miles above Labadieville, where the Eighteenth and Crescent Regiments and Ralston’s battery reached me at about 2 p.m., coming in from Berwick Bay and Bayou Boeuf, where they were stationed. I had also ordered the Terre Bonne regiment militia forward, and they arrived at about 8 a.m. On the 27th, Faries’ battery was ordered up, but it reached me only on the morning of the 28th. The columns of the enemy were advancing on both banks in about equal force, and in consequence, to prevent being outflanked, it became necessary to hold positions on both sides of the bayou. The Eighteenth and Crescent, supported by Ralston’s battery, were placed on the right descending bank, and the Terre Bonne regiment moved over to the left bank. 

Brig. Gen. Alfred Mouton

Foiled the Federal attempt to capture his

outnumbered brigade.

(Restored & colorized by AI)

Col. Franklin H. Clack, 33rd La. Inf.

 (Special Collections, Washington & Lee University)

"The enemy moved down about equally strong on both banks, his force being from 1,500 to 1,800 on each side. The column on the right bank pressed on more speedily than that on the left and approached our line of battle at about 9 a.m. near the road leading into the settlement called Texas, in Assumption. Our forces, though much inferior in numbers, resisted their onward march and effectually succeeded in checking them, until, unfortunately, Ralston’s battery was so severely injured by the enemy, and their ammunition giving out, they were compelled to fall back, which was done in some confusion, owing to the loss of their commander. I then took position about a mile and a half below, at Labadieville, at about 4 p.m., and awaited the advance of the enemy. This retrograde movement was rendered the more necessary by the fact that the enemy was crossing troops on the pontoon bridge to the right bank and there, massing forces. Immediately, I also threw across part of the infantry stationed on the left; and at the close of the day, the force of the enemy numbered about 2,000 infantry, 100 cavalry, and a battery, while my own barely reached 1,000, including infantry, cavalry, and artillery."

                                                                Maj. Gen. Charles Field

1864: The Second Battle of Fair Oaks and Darbytown Road, Va., took place this day. Maj. Gen. Benjamin F. "Beast" Butler commanded two corps, the X and XVIII, in the battle. Lt. Gen. James Longstreet commanded for the Confederates but only had to use Maj. Gen. Charles W. Field's Division to easily repulse the Federal attack. Federal casualties totaled 1,603, and the Confederates lost only 100 in all categories.  
     Here's an excerpt from General Longstreet's report on that action: "Hardly had Field located himself when an attack in very heavy force was attempted on his front over the open ground on each side of the Williamsburg Road. This was repulsed with ease and small loss to ourselves but with heavy loss to the enemy in killed, wounded, and prisoners. Major Johnson’s artillery assisted materially in this success. No other effort was made by the enemy at this point, and only heavy artillery fire kept up for about an hour. In the meantime, [Brig. Gen. Martin W.] Gary had moved a part of the way over to the Nine-Mile Road when he sent word to me that no enemy had appeared on that road, and that his scouts reported none as being about. He was then ordered to return and attack the force in front of Field on the flank. While in the execution of these orders, he received information that the enemy was attacking the small force picketing the Nine-Mile Road, and he withdrew his command to their assistance. Moving with promptness, he arrived only in time to see his small squadron driven out of the salient at that part of the line by the heavy ordnance of the enemy’s skirmishers, supported by a large force in the line of battle and about 100 yards from the works. A piece of artillery had been captured. Immediately forming his lines at right angles with the works, Gary charged down them, taking the enemy in flank, routing them, and recapturing the piece of artillery. This was accomplished with such rapidity that our loss was but slight."

Confederate General Birthdays, Oct. 27.

None.

Click👉Confederate Guards Response Battalion

This is the history of one of the hardest-fighting Louisiana units in the War for Southern Independence, the Confederate Guards Response Battalion. It covers the units organization in New Orleans, the Battle of Shiloh, and their campaigns in Louisiana, including the Bayou Lafourche Campaign in 1862, the Bayou Teche Campaign in 1863, the Texas Overland Campaign in 1863, and the Red River Campaign in 1864. The book includes photographs, maps, illustrations, a bibliography, and an index.