Click 👉Today in History (general history) June 23.
On This Day in Confederate History, June 23.
1863: Attack on Brashear City, La.: Maj. Gen. Richard Taylor's audacious plan to attack the large Federal supply depot west of New Orleans at Brashear City (modern-day Morgan City) is a complete success. With his small Army of Western Louisiana, he managed to coordinate a land-sea attack on Brashear City that came off like clockwork which began at about 6 a.m. both by land and sea by widely scattered Confederate forces. The Yankee soldiers were taken completely by surprise and were overwhelmed and surrendered by 7:30 a.m. Besides mountains of supplies taken, there were also 1,000 enemy soldiers captured, 10 heavy siege guns, two train engine cars, small arms, uniforms, food rations, and large quantities of cotton, and between 200 and 300 wagons and tents. Also captured by Brig. Gen. James Patrick Major's cavalry brigade were the railroad stations east of the city, including 300 blue coat garrison troops, and more mountains of food. The usually hungry Confederates temporarily lost control of themselves feasting on captured food. But Mouton's Louisiana Infantry Brigade soon had order and discipline restored. The Confederates lost 3 men killed and 18 wounded. Federal casualties were 46 killed, 40 wounded, and the prisoners.
1864: On the last day of the Battle of Jerusalem Plank Road, Va. the Federal VI Corps made a second attempt to take the Weldon Railroad. The Federals briefly took it and were beginning to tear up the railroad tracks when Maj. Gen. William Mahone's Division counterattacked and drove the Yankees off. The Federals suffered 2,962 casualties to 572 for the Confederates.
In the ongoing Wilson-Kautz Raid, the Federal raiders were challenged by Confederate Brigadier General Rooney Lee's Confederate cavalry. The Federals managed to damage 30 miles of track of the Richmond and Danville Road. The Confederates were able to make quick repairs.
Confederate General Birthdays, June 23.
Maj. Gen. Daniel Smith Donelson was born on this day in 1801 in Summer County, Tennessee. He graduated from West Point in 1825 but resigned from the Army six months later Jan. 26, 1826, and became a planter in Tennessee. Donelson also served in the Tennessee State Legislature and became a general in the Tennessee militia. He died of disease on April 17, 1863, near Knoxville, Tennessee. Fort Donelson, Tennessee was named in his honor. He became a brigadier general in the Confederate Army and commanded a brigade in Gen. Robert E. Lee's Western Virginia Campaign, the Battle of Perryville, Ky., and was promoted to major general rank from Jan. 17, 1863. His career was cut short when he died of disease on April 22, 1863, near Knoxville, Tenn., and was buried in the Presbyterian Cemetery in Hendersonville, Tenn.
Brigadier General Young Marshall Moody was born on this day in 1822 in Chesterfield County, Virginia. Prior to the war, he was a teacher, merchant, and clerk of the circuit court in Marengo County, Alabama. During the war, he became a captain and company commander of Company A, 11th Alabama Infantry in the Army of Northern Virginia, and later lieutenant colonel of the 43rd Alabama Infantry in the Army of Tennessee and before the end of the war in the ANV again. He was promoted to brigadier general on March 4, 1865. His battles and campaigns included the Battle of Perryville, Ky., the Battle of Chickamauga, Ga. the Siege of Chattanooga, Tenn, the Siege of Knoxville, Tenn., and the Battle of Bean's Station, Tenn. Moody then went back to Virginia and fought in the Battle of Drewry's Bluff, Va., the Battle of Proctor's Creek, the Bermuda Hundred Campaign, and in the Siege of Petersburg, Va., was wounded Dec. 2, 1864. Moody was leading a brigade when captured on April 8, 1865, at Appomattox Court House and was paroled the next day. After the war, he moved to Mobile, Ala. to continue his business career but died of yellow fever on Sept. 18, 1866, in New Orleans, La., and was buried in Greenwood Cemetery there.
