"On this day..." Topic

1863 Siege of Suffolk, Va: Confederate forces under Lt Gen James Longstreet commence an investment of Union positions around the city (abandon the effort on May 4)

1865 Confederate forces evacuate Mobile, which shortly surrenders to Union Maj Gen Edward Canby

1865 Speaking to a large crowd from the White House, Lincoln calls for national reconciliation, and urges that Black veterans be given the vote, whereupon John Wilkes Booth, among the listeners, says to a companion, "That's the last speech Lincoln will ever give.'"

April 16, 1863

Passage of Vicksburg: US Rear Adm David Dixon Porter's Mississippi Squadron runs the Confederate batteries, an expedrience he describes as "a scene out of Dante"

April 17, 1863

The Vicksburg Campaign begins to heat up.

Action at Vicksburg: Rear Adm D. D. Porter's gunboats escort army transports past the Confederate batteries, to ferry troops to Grand Gulf

April 17 1863

Grierson's column leaves La Grange, Tennessee on its raid.

April 17th

1861:

USS Powhatan reinforces the garriosn at Ft Pickens, Pensacola. This deneyed the best harbour in the Gulf to the Confereates

Jefferson Davis issed a proclamation calling those interested in applying for 'letters of Marque and Reprisal' the US never having recognised the 1856 Declaraion of Paris ending privateering.

Confederates attempt to block the channel leading to the Norfolk Naval Yard.

1863

CSS FLorida, captured & destroyed the ship 'Commonwealth' off the coast of Brazil

1864:

Confederates launch an attack on Plymouth NC.

1865:

The nearly completed ironclad 'Jackson' previously Muscogee destroyed incomplet at Columbus, GA.

18th April

1861

USS Merrimack reported ready for sea at Norfolk. The fact that she did not sail leaving her liable to capture.

1862

Commander DD Porter begins a five day bombardment of Ft Jackson.

May 1st, 1863

Battle of Port Gibson: Grant defeats Confederate forces south of Vicksburg. Now the campaign REALLY heats up!

Chancellorsville Campaign for today and the next several: Having split his forces, Lee sends Stonewall Jackonson to 'round the right flank c. 70,000 Union troops near Chancellorsville, to prepare for an attack, while screening his other front, as US Maj Gen Joseph Hooker hesitates

May 2nd

Hiram Gregory Berry, Maj Gen, U.S., kia, Chancellorsville, at 38

Chancellorsville Campaign, Battle of Chancellorsville: Stonewall Jackson makes a devastating assault on the Union right, throwing the Army of the Potomac into some confusion, but Jackson is wounded.

May 3rd 1863

Chancellorsville Campaign, Second Battle of Fredericksburg/Battle of Salem Church: As desultory fighting continues around Chancellorsville, supporting Union forces below Fredericksburg attack Confederate lines at Fredericksburg and Salem Church, but are repulsed, though some fighting continues on the 4th

Elisha Franklin Paxton, Brig Gen, CS, kia at the head of the 'Stonewall' Brigade, Chancellorsville, at 35

1914 --- Daniel Edgar Sickles, Maj Gen, U.S., at 94 Without his efforts there would be no preserved Gettysburg battlefield.

With the wounding of Jackson and A.P. Hill, Stuart takes command of the Second Corps. There are no remaining major generals in the corps, other than Early who was on detached service. All three divisions controlled by Stuart were now led by men who had not previously commanded those divisions in combat.

May 5, 1863

Chancellorsville Campaign: Union forces begin retreating, all falling back across the Rappahannock by the 6th

May 10th, 1863

Thomas Jonathan Jackson, "Stonewall", Lt Gen, CS, of pneumonia at 39

May 10 1863

His three Corps mostly on the east side of the
Mississippi, Grant issues orders to McClernand,
McPherson and Sherman for the campaign.

While not 1863 worthy… it is amusing.

1849 After dining with General-in-Chief Winfield Scott at his quarters in New York, Lts Winfield S. Hancock & Henry Heth tactfully lose at cards to their Chief.

Don

^^^Always remember who writes your efficiency reports…^^^

BY

1863 Battle of Raymond, Mississippi: Confederates under Brig. Gen. John Gregg impede the advance of superior Union forces under Maj. Gen. James B. McPherson, at heavy cost.

This one is great for table top scenario. It features one tough Reb brigade under a very good Gen. Gregg vs. a lot of Yanks arriving piecemeal. The aggressive Gregg was unaware of how many Union troops were in his front. He was led to believe it was only a brigade and attacked. McPherson had a whole corps but his brigades were stretched out on the approach road so they were not within easy supporting distance. He stretched the Corps out because the dust was atrocious along the road and there was little water to be had in the high heat. Streams had dried out in that area of the march. McPherson was also not aware of what he faced either.

We did a few articles for WS&S magazine for the Vicksburg Campaign and this was one of them. It's fun to play and best if there is a umpire and blind set-up. We tried this at Cold Wars and it was a blast. A good regimental battle. All the stats for both forces are there with artillery types and amounts of guns.

Don

actionfront.blogspot.com

"Who ever saw a dead cavalryman?"

May 14, 1863

Battle of Jackson, Ms: Grant begins closing the ring on Vicksburg.

Battle of New Market, May 15, 1864 (yeah, I know I'm a few hours early)

link

And every year at VMI: link

May 16, 1863 Battle of Champion Hill in Mississippi. Maj.Gen. Grant drives Lt.Gen. John Pemberton's Confederate army back on to the Big Black River where another battle was fought on May 17th sealing Pemberton into Vicksburg for a siege. This battle was a hum-dinger.

Don

May 19, 1863 Vicksburg

Grant launches major assaults against the Confederate fortifications and was repulsed with heavy losses. He felt he did not have to lay siege to Vicksburg since Pemberton's army was probably very demoralized after a string of very bad defeats for the Confederates now backed into a encircled city, cut off. One good assault would probably do it. Well it didn't work. He would try again on May 22.

Don

1863 Siege of Vicksburg: Grant's second attempt to storm Vicksburg fails, but 96 men earn the Medal of Honor, the highest number awarded for a single day's action.

1863 Siege of Port Hudson, La: Union forces under Maj. Gen. Nathaniel P. Banks invest the town, and after several failed assaults, settle down for a siege, which ends in its surrender on July 7.

1863 Lt Gen Richard S. Ewell, C.S.A. weds the widowed Lizinka Campbell Brown, his distant cousin. Strangely after he is married, he introduces her to everyone as Mrs. Brown and not Mrs. Ewell. He _IS_ an odd fellow after all. :)

Don

On this day I panic when I realise it is my wife's birthday on the 27th!

1863 Battle of Franklin's Crossing, Va: A Union reconaissance-in-force fails to detect that the Army of Northern Virginia is moving westwards. The Gettysburg campaign is under way.

1863 Fall of Mexico City: A strong French Army, supported by Mexican quisling troops, takes the capitol from the Republicans.

1863 Battle of Milliken's Bend, La: Black recruits, supported by two gunboats, beat off a strong Confederate force attempting to draw Grant's attention from Vicksburg, though at heavy cost.

1863 Battle of Brandy Station/Beverly Ford, Va: Union troopers come off well against J.E.B. .

11 June 1864, Maj. Gen. David Hunter's Army captures VMI, and burns it down the next day!

link

A little retribution for New Market.

1863 Second Battle of Winchester, Va, Day 1: Richard Ewell's Confederate corps drives in Union Maj Gen Bobert Milroy's outposts on several approaches. For the Army of the Potomac this means Ewell's corps is in the Valley in force.

1863 Second Battle of Winchester, Va, Day 2: Ewell's Confederates envelop the town, as Milroy's Union troops try to retire while he heads north to get away. Milroy was a worthless General and a buffoon.

Don

1863 Second Battle of Winchester, Va, Day 3: Ewell's Confederate intercept the head of Milroy's retreating Union column at Stephenson's Depot, taking huge numbers of prisoners, many cannon, and mountains of supplies. Sadly Milroy had already escaped and was not captured, for the Union's sake. :)

Don

1863 Incident at Greencastle, Pa: Local citizens ambush a Confederate wagon train and liberate 30-40 black Americans being kidnapped to be sold in the South.

A whole bunch of events today…

1863 Cavalry action at at Aldie, Va

1863 Combat at Westport, Mo

1863 Battle of Wassaw Sound, Ga: Confederate ram 'Atlanta' attacks Union blockaders, but runs aground and is compelled to surrender under heavy fire from the USS's 'Weehawken' & 'Nahant'.

1863 Incident at Chambersburg, Pa: Occupying the town, Confederate Brig. Gen. Albert G. Jenkins requisitions food, cattle, horses, and medical supplies, paying for them in Confederate money, and ships many African Americans south, on the assumption that they were fugitive slaves.

June 1st, 1863 Cavalry action at Upperville, Va leading up to the battle of Gettysburg in 11 days. Leading up the battle Union cavalry is getting more and more confident and aggressive.

1863 Martin Edward Green, Brig Gen, C.S.A., kia, Vicksburg, at 48.

1863 Lincoln orders George Meade to replace Joe Hooker as commander of the Army of the Potomac.

The campaigns of Vicksburg & Gettysburg all wrapped into one giant 150th anniversary. Doesn't get any better than that! Game on!

1863 Combat at Rockville, Md: J.E.B. Stuart's Confederate troopers pick up a Union supply train. This slows him down in the long run causing lasting problems for Lee on the road towards Gettysburg keeping him in the dark.

1863 Second Second Battle of Donaldsonville, La: Two Confederate brigades under Tom Green attempt to capture the town, but are beaten off by two companies of infantry and two gunboats. Real combined arms! Nice.

On the bit of the weird side..

1863 Battle of Shimonoseki Straits, Japan: The US screw sloop 'Wyoming' defeats shore batteries and vessels of the Prince of Nagato, warlord of Clan Choshu.

Don

1863 Second Battle of Battery Wagner, SC: Spearheaded by the 54th Massachusetts, a second Union attempt to storm the defenses meets with a severe reverse.

Robert Gould Shaw, Col, 54th Massachusetts, kia, Ft. Wagner, at 25, along with more than 100 of his men & c. 150 other Union troops, as well as c. 35 Confederates.

Don

Chickamauga! Day One! Everyone forget?!

Don

I didn't forget. I wish I could be there for the reenactment. DARN the necessity to work.

I wish I could revisit the battlefield! It has been some time since I was there. Sadly too long. :(

Don