Civil War 150th

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

At Memphis, Tennessee, Union cavalry commander William Sooy Smith finally decided to move out. The extra cavalry brigade he had been waiting for had arrived two days earlier, but Smith decided to gives its horses an additional period of rest. Now he had 7,000 troopers, which he deemed sufficient to oppose the estimated 4,000 Rebel horsemen under Nathan Bedford Forrest. (Actually, Forrest had only 2,500 under his command, but he would be able to call on local infantry.)

The delay had left the Northern army under William T. Sherman somewhat exposed on its northern flank. Fortunately for the Federals, the Confederates were also having problems with units not moving. Richmond had requested Joseph Johnston to detach part of his Army of Tennessee to help with the defense of Mobile, which was thought to be Sherman's ultimate target. Johnston sent no troops, correctly pointing out that they could not reach Mobile in time. By this date, they probably could not even have reached Meridian, Mississippi, which was Sherman's actual objective, for the Yankee infantry was only three days away.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

Although just the day before, U. S. Grant had wired that "I deem it of the utmost importance to drive Longstreet out immediately", on this date he changed his mind. General Foster had been relieved in eastern Tennessee by John Schofield, but before he went Foster had talked with Grant and brought up some of the problems with attacking the Confederates in the area. Grant thought it over and agreed, and sent out the appropriate telegram to Washington:

[font="Times New Roman"]Major-General Halleck,
General-in-Chief, Washington:

General,—I have got General Thomas ready to move a force of about fourteen thousand infantry into East Tennessee to aid the force there in expelling Longstreet from the State. He would have started on Monday night if I had not revoked the order. My reasons for doing this are these: General Foster, who is now here (or left this morning), says that our possession of the portion of East Tennessee is perfectly secure against all danger. The condition of the people within the rebel lines cannot be improved now after losing all they had. Longstreet, where he is, makes more secure other parts of our possessions. Our men, from scanty clothing and short rations, are not in good condition for an advance. There are but very few animals in East Tennessee in condition to move artillery or other stores. If we move against Longstreet with an overwhelming force he will simply fall back towards Virginia until he can be reinforced or take up an impregnable position. The country being exhausted, all our supplies will have to be carried from Knoxville the whole distance advanced. We would be obliged to advance rapidly and return soon whether the object of the expedition was accomplished or not. Longstreet could return with impunity on the heels of our returning column, at least as far down the valley as he can supply himself from the road in his rear. Schofield telegraphs to the same effect. All these seem to be good reasons for abandoning the movement, and I have therefore suspended it. Now that our men are ready for an advance, however, I have directed it to be made on Dalton, and hope to get possession of that place and hold it as a step towards a spring campaign. Our troops in East Tennessee are now clothed; rations are also accumulating. When Foster left most of the troops had ten days’ supplies, with five hundred barrels of flour and forty days’ meat in store, and the quantity increasing daily.

I am, general, very respectfully, your obedient servant,
U. S. Grant, Major-General.[/font]

Acting on the principle that it is easier to get forgiveness than permission, Grant had already instructed that furloughs be given to his veteran troops. He wanted them rested for the major campaign that was sure to begin in the spring.


In Mississippi, the Confederate cavalry that had been probing around Sherman's army finally found an opening, and very nearly bagged Sherman himself:

[font="Times New Roman"]Toward evening of the 12th, Hurlbut's column passed through Decatur, with orders to go into camp four miles beyond at a creek. McPherson's head of column was some four miles behind, and I personally detached one of Hurlbut's regiments to guard the cross-roads at Decatur till the head of McPherson's column should come in sight. Intending to spend the night in Decatur, I went to a double log-house, and arranged with the lady for some supper. We unsaddled our horses, tied them to the fence inside the yard, and, being tired, I lay down on a bed and fell asleep. Presently I heard shouts and hallooing, and then heard pistol-shots close to the house. My aide, Major Audenried, called me and said we were attacked by rebel cavalry, who were all around us. I jumped up and inquired where was the regiment of infantry I had myself posted at the cross-roads. He said a few moments before it had marched past the house, following the road by which General Hurlbut had gone, and I told him to run, overtake it, and bring it back. Meantime, I went out into the back-yard, saw wagons passing at a run down the road, and horsemen dashing about in a cloud of dust, firing their pistols, their shots reaching the house in which we were. Gathering the few orderlies and clerks that were about, I was preparing to get into a corn-crib at the back side of the lot, wherein to defend ourselves, when I saw Audenried coming back with the regiment, on a run, deploying forward as they came. This regiment soon cleared the place and drove the rebel cavalry back toward the south, whence they had come.
[center]--Memoirs of General W. T. Sherman[/center]
[/font]

The commander of the infantry regiment had seen the dust of an approaching column, and concluded that his troops were no longer needed. But the dust was actually from a small group of staff officers, plus a small detachment of supply wagons. Luckily for Sherman, the men escorting the wagons managed to hold off the Rebel horsemen just long enough (though they lost four or five mules in the skirmish).

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In Meridian, Mississippi, Confederate commander Leonidas Polk had decided not to defend the town. He had only 10,000 men on hand and no reinforcements were coming. The report was that Sherman had 35,000 men bearing down on his force. This was more than 10,000 higher than the actual figure, but that was still more than enough to capture Meridian. Warned by the fate of Vicksburg, Polk had decided to save his army and accept the loss of the town, which was what every Confederate army commander faced with that decision would do from now on.

By mid-day the evacuation was complete, including all the military stores Polk could load onto trains or wagons. The Confederates had also attempted to slow Sherman's advance as best they could, felling trees across the roads and burning bridges. But the only real effect was to annoy the Federal infantrymen, who had to stop marching and stand in ranks every so often while the "Pioneers" cleared the trees and rebuilt the bridges. In the afternoon Sherman's advance units entered the town. The Northerners had hoped to link up with their cavalry there, but there was no sign or word from the troopers under William Sooy Smith. (They were making good progress, not having yet encountered the Rebel cavalry under Nathan Bedford Forrest, but were still days behind schedule.) Nonetheless, there was plenty for the infantry to do. As Sherman reported, "We at once set to work to destroy an arsenal, immense storehouses, and the railroad in every direction."

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In Meridian, Sherman and his force continued to wait for news of the Northern cavalry force which was supposed to join them. But there was no word, which was unfortunate for the citizens of Meridian, because the longer the Yankees stayed the more they found to burn. Sherman had ordered that no private houses be touched, but the mansions of the wealthier Southerners were too tempting, and Sherman turned a blind eye to this disobedience.

The bad news of the seizure of Meridian had by now reached Richmond, along with the Confederacy's inability to do much about it:

[font="Times New Roman"] February 17th. - Found everything in Main Street twenty per cent dearer. They say it is due to the new currency bill.
I asked my husband: "Is General Johnston ordered to reenforce Polk, they said he did not understand the order."
"After five days' delay," he replied. "They say Sherman is marching to Mobile. When they once get inside of our armies what is to molest them, unless it be women with broomsticks?"
-- Mary Boykin Chesnut, A Diary From Dixie[/font]

In Washington, the decision to leave Longstreet and his force of Rebels in eastern Tennessee was approved, but not without the nomination of a scapegoat:

[font="Times New Roman"]Washington, D. C., February 17, 1864.
Major-General Grant, Nashville, Tenn.:

General,—Your letter of the 12th instant is just received. I fully concur with you in regard to the present condition of affairs in East Tennessee. It certainly is very much to be regretted that the fatal mistake of General Burnside has permitted Longstreet’s army to winter in Tennessee. It is due to yourself that a full report of this matter should be placed on file, so that the responsibility may rest where it properly belongs.

H. W. Halleck, General-in-Chief.[/font]


In Charleston harbor, the Confederate submarine H. L. Hunley and her crew were finally considered ready for an attack mission. They had practiced extensively since October, at one point making a dive lasting two hours subsisting only on the air inside the narrow vessel. The weather in the area was calm, and after arrangements with shore observers, the submarine departed from the dock at 7:00 p.m. and headed for the Union blockading fleet.

It is likely that Hunley's skipper, Lieutenant George E. Dixon, had already picked his target. The 1,240-ton sloop USS Housatonic was probably the most hated ship of the Yankee squadron, for she had participated in capturing two blockade runners carrying invaluable cargoes (medicine and steam engines) as well as bombarding the Confederate forts in the area. The Hunley was propelled by hand cranks, so it took about an hour and three-quarters until she was in position for her final approach on the Northern ship.

The watch on board the Housatonic spotted the Hunley, but by that time the submarine was too close to evade. The Union sailors opened fire with small arms, with no apparent effect. The submarine rammed home her "spar torpedo", a metal container of gunpowder with a spike to stick in her opponent's wooden hull. The plan was then for the Hunley to back away and detonate the gunpowder charge with an electric wire. How far the Confederate vessel managed to back away will never be certain, but the charge was successfully exploded. The Housatonic was fatally damaged and sank in five minutes, though the water was shallow enough so that part of her masts remained above the surface. Some reports say that the entire Northern crew was saved, but the more reliable accounts indicate two officers and three crewmen lost their lives.

The Hunley was also lost, with all eight men aboard her. A blue light, the signal for a successful attack, was reported by a Union lookout and a Confederate shore observer. But no other trace of the submarine appeared for over a century until her wreck was discovered buried in the mud near where the Housatonic had sunk. Perhaps a bullet from a Northern rifle had opened a leak, or perhaps the crew had been rendered unconscious by the concussion of the explosion. Nonetheless, whatever had happened afterwards, the Hunley had carried out the first sinking of an enemy warship by a submarine in history.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

Although Florida is now known for citrus farms, a surprisingly large part of the state's economy in 1864 was cattle. Preserved in the salt readily obtained from the coastal waters, Florida beef was a key part of the eastern Confederacy's food supply after the Northerners obtained complete control of the Mississippi River. To squeeze the Southern economy even further, and to stay active during the winter months, the Union had mounted an expedition against Jacksonville and the surrounding area in northeastern Florida.

Under the command of Quincy Gillmore, the expedition had achieved some success. Jacksonville was captured, and cavalry raids further into the interior disrupted the cattle herds. A number of slaves escaped into the Federal lines, and many enlisted in Union "colored" regiments, including the 54th Massachusetts of Fort Wagner fame, which had been brought there to fill its depleted ranks.

Gillmore was the military commander of the Department of the South, which comprised the southeastern coastal area all the up through South Carolina. He soon found it necessary (and more comfortable) to return to his headquarters at Hilton Head. (Which is a favored vacation destination to this day.) Brigadier General Truman Seymour was left in command, and he decided to advance, though his instructions had been simply to hold what had already been taken.

However, the alarm had gone out to the Confederacy, and a force of about 5,000 Southerners under Brigadier General Joseph Finnegan had been scraped together to block the Yankees. This was very close to the number of Seymour's Federals. The Rebels prepared a line of defensive earthworks, but their forward patrols skirmished with the advance Northern scouts in the early afternoon of this date. Both sides sent the rest of their men to the sound of the guns, and a furious battle erupted about two miles from Confederate defenses.

But nothing else seemed to go right for the Northerners. The Confederates had the edge in troop experience, and when one Union regiment became confused because of a wrong order, the disruption spread. The Southerners managed to capture several cannon, and the Yankees were forced back. Battle lines stabilized for a short time as the Rebels ran low on ammunition, but for once their supply system was working well, and more was delivered to the front-line troops after a short delay.

The Union commander realized that the battle was lost, and ordered a withdrawal. Along with another colored regiment, the famous 54th Massachusetts was designated as rear-guard, and since they were among the most experienced of the Northern soldiers, they did the job well. A number of wounded and considerable equipment had to be abandoned, however. There are reports that the black wounded were killed on the battlefield by roaming bands of Southerners.

The butcher's bill was enormous for the numbers involved, especially for the North. Union losses were 203 killed, 1,152 wounded, and 506 missing or captured, or roughly 34 percent of their forces. The Confederates lost 93 killed, 847 wounded, and 6 missing, just short of 19 percent but still heavy. However, they had essentially ended Federal attempts to seize any more of Florida for over a year.

At Meridian, Mississippi, time was up. William T. Sherman and his force had still heard nothing about the cavalry under William Sooy Smith that had been supposed to rendezvous with them. Sherman turned his troops back to the west, and their home base of Vicksburg. They left a devastated town behind them, and railroad tracks torn up for twenty miles (32 km). Sherman would write that "I was determined to damage these roads so that they could not be used again for hostile purposes during the rest of the war." In this he failed, for the Confederates had trains running through the rail hub again within a month. But the effort stretched their rail-repairing abilities to the limit; there would not be enough material left to make good the still-greater damage that Sherman and a larger army would wreak on the "March to the Sea". The Union troops had also done something that makes little of a mark on history but was of immeasurable value towards those involved: they had free about two thousand slaves along their way.

By coincidence, on about this date, Smith had also decided to turn his cavalry around. Scouts reported Confederate forces under Nathan Bedford Forrest closing in (though in fact the Yankee troopers outnumbered the Rebels). Especially, Smith had managed to free about a thousand slaves, and he knew well their freedom would be short unless he could get them back to Union-controlled territory.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

At Dalton, Georgia, units from the Union Army of the Cumberland probed the Confederate defensive lines. Southern commander Joseph Johnston had been expecting a major attack, and soon convinced himself he had one on his hands. But Northern commander George "Rock of Chickamauga" Thomas was one of the few generals unwilling to risk a major assault against fortifications. His purpose was primarily to hold the Rebel Army of Tennessee in place and prevent it from being used against Sherman's expedition to Meridian. In this he succeeded, but he was slow: Sherman and his men were already on their way back to base.


Near Okolana, Mississippi, Nathan Bedford Forrest's cavalry caught up with the withdrawing Union cavalry under William Sooy Smith. Forrest had only 2,500 Rebels against 7,000 Yankees, but the Northerners were more concerned with getting back to their base and less with fighting. The battle became a running engagement, with the Federals deploying in successive positions, but then falling back when the Confederate attacks applied more pressure than the rearguard cared to deal with.

Finally, the Northerners mounted a counter-attack, but Forrest and his men were ready. Volley fire put a stop to the charges, though they got within 40 yards (37 m) of the Confederate lines. The Union troopers resumed their retreat, and Forrest discontinued the pursuit when he learned that his men were now low on ammunition.
Casualties were light: the Union lost about 100 men overall, while the Confederates lost about 50. But one of the dead was Forrest's younger brother Jeffrey.


In Washington, another political scandal erupted. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase had continued to work behind the scenes to get himself elected President instead of Lincoln in November. He had secretly formed a committee headed by Kansas Senator Samuel Pomeroy (below). Earlier in the month, the committee had distributed a circular to a hundred leading Republicans, intending to mobilize support. The circular derided Lincoln, saying "should he be reelected, his manifest tendency towards compromises and temporary expedients of policy will become stronger during a second term than it has been in the first."

As was almost inevitable given the number of recipients, the circular was leaked to the press, especially the New York Constitutional Union, which printed it for all the public to read. The reaction was the exact opposite of what Chase would have wanted. The circular was seen as disloyal, so much so that Chase denied any prior knowledge of it. (But a decade later the main author of the circular would testify that Chase had been fully informed about it.) Lincoln cleverly acknowledged Chase's protestation of innocence and promised to "answer a little more fully when I can find time to do so." By appearing to remain calm and above underhanded machinations, Lincoln's support was boosted tremendously. People who had thought that Lincoln's re-nomination, at least, was a sure thing now realized the President needed their active support -- and they gave it.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

At Dalton, Georgia, the Yankees threw in the proverbial towel. They had spent over four days looking for a weak spot in the Confederate positions, but the Rebels under Joseph Johnston had countered every move. Union commander George Thomas had been ill when the shooting began, but by now he had come to view the Southern defenses for himself. Unlike many of his more aggressive fellow generals, he was not the man to throw away his men's lives assaulting well-manned entrenchments. His Army of the Cumberland would fall back to its encampments -- for now.


Although the Union Army was significantly larger than the Confederate Army, the Southerners had been far in advance in creating the higher ranks. In the North, division commanders, corps commanders, and army commanders were all technically the same rank: major general. Considerable shuffling around had to be done so that generals of the larger units had seniority over those leading the smaller units. On this date, the act reviving the rank of lieutenant general in the United States Army was finally passed into law -- but there would only be one of them.

Also in Washington, President Lincoln had already gained a reputation for refusing to sign off on the death sentences imposed by the military courts, especially for cases of desertion. Now he made his policy more formal, ordering that deserters would be imprisoned for the duration of the war rather than executed. Naturally, a number of generals grumbled. Why would a man risk death on the battlefield when he could escape with a few years' imprisonment? But an extraordinary number of men did just that. Indeed, the major cause of desertion for both sides seems to have been the pressure to help their families, who were often destitute without the men to work the farms or other jobs.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

Because of U. S. Grant's anger after discovering improperly exchanged Confederates at Chattanooga, and because the two sides could not agree on the exchange of black Union soldiers, the exchange of prisoners continued to dwindle. It was clear that much more prison capacity would be needed. On this date, a large stockade which had been constructed on cleared land near the town of Americus, Georgia, was opened and took in its first Northern prisoners. It covered 16.5 acres (67,000 sq. m) of land at first, but soon it would be enlarged to 26.5 acres (107,000 sq. m). From the first, conditions were poor: a creek running through it served as both the source of drinking water, and the latrine. No permanent shelters were provided for the captive Yankees, simply tents and not in adequate numbers.

The stockade was formally named Camp Sumter, but it would become known to infamy by the name of the railroad station where most of the prisoners would arrive -- Andersonville.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In Virginia, a force of 4,000 Northern cavalry set out from the Union lines. They could not be accused of thinking small, for their intended destination was nothing less than Richmond itself. Primarily, it was the prisoner of war camp on Belle Isle, a small island in the James River. (Today, it is mainly a city park.) Since the (mostly) successful escape of Union officers from Libby Prison, Lincoln had wanted to do something for the enlisted men. Cavalry general Hugh Judson Kilpatrick, who was reckless enough that he had already earned the nickname "Killcavalry", had come up with a plan to raid Belle Isle, and he had gone over the head of his commander, George Meade, and presented the plan to Lincoln. The President approved, but instructed Kilpatrick to work out the details with Secretary of War Stanton.

The plan seems to have been that the main body of the cavalry under Kilpatrick would take the direct approach, heading towards Richmond from the north. They would do the usual damage, tearing up railroad tracks and burning bridges, and also distrubuting copies of Lincoln's proclamation of amnesty for states rejoining the Union. This would draw Confederate attention and troops. Meanwhile, a column of about 500 troopers would swing wide to the west, then seize Belle Isle from that direction. Exactly what the orders were for this column after the prisoners on Belle Isle were freed is a matter of controversy to this day.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In Washington, the grade of Lieutenant-General having become law, the nomination of Ulysses Simpson Grant was sent to the Senate.


In Virginia, the Union cavalry raid was not going well. Although the main body of Yankee horsemen was doing considerable damage and attracting much Confederate attention, that attention was inflicting casualties. And things looked to be getting much worse: a large body of Southern troopers under Wade Hampton was now on the track of the Northerners. The Federals would not be able to return the way they came. Moreover, the goal of distracting the Rebels so that the smaller column could get through had failed. The alarm was out for the 500 cavalry under Colonel Ulric Dahlgren as well.

Ulric Dahlgren, though in the Army, was the son of famed Admiral John Dahlgren, the inventor of the Dahlgren cannon which the Northern ironclads were using. He had planned to cross the James river and attack Belle Isle directly, but the Federals did not know the area well enough to know where the river could be forded. Usually local black men and women could be relied on to help the Northerners, but on this occasion they encountered one Martin Robinson, who had been a slave but had won his freedom. He led them to a ford, but recent rains had left the water too high to cross. Dahlgren had threatened to hang Robinson if he played them false, and sadly, the Colonel made good on the threat.

Dahlgren decided to follow the north bank of the James, and attack Richmond proper, apparently hoping to break through to Belle Isle. In the evening, hearing cannon fire from the larger group of Northern cavalry under Kilpatrick, Dalhgren's men made their attempt. Both assaults were handily repulsed, with loss of men and horses. (Dahlgren's group of not quite 500 troopers lost 60.) Now nothing remained but to retreat back to Union-held territory.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In Washington, the Senate confirmed Ulysses S. Grant for the rank of Lieutenant General. This meant, as the highest-ranking officer in the Union Army, he would become General-in-Chief, replacing Henry Halleck.


For the Union cavalry raiders in Virginia, going back the way they came quickly proved impractical. Both the main body and the smaller group turned east and south, heading for the Union position around Fort Monroe. But Confederate cavalry under Wade Hampton caught up with the larger force. A running fight called the Battle of Walkerton erupted, with the Southerners definitely having the upper hand. Finally, at the end of the day, the Federal horsemen reached friendly infantry at the little town of New Kent Court House.

The smaller group of Yankees had an even worse time. Harassed by Southern partisans, the troopers became separated. Colonel Dahlgren and about 100 men rode into an ambush. The majority of the bluecoats surrendered when they realized their situation, but in the meantime Dahlgren had been killed. Later in the evening a thirteen-year-old boy came across Dahlgren's body and searched through the Colonel's pockets. The boy found a pocketbook and two folded papers, which he immediately brought to his teacher, a captain in the Virginia Home Guard named Edward W. Halbach. The contents of the papers would become a major controversy.


At New Orleans, W. T. Sherman arrived in the steamer Diana to consult with the military commander of Union-occupied Louisiana, Nathaniel Banks. A state government loyal to the United States was being set up, with preparations under way for a grand ceremony, parades, fireworks, and musical performances. Sherman dislike the idea of an extravaganza while there was a war going on, and tried to focus on military consultations. Nathaniel Banks was a political general, and therefore wanted to further expand the area of the state controlled by his forces. (It also seems likely he wanted to capture a lot of valuable cotton.) He was therefore planning an expedition up the Red River into the center of the state.

Sherman would much have preferred an expedition to the east, to capture the vital port of Mobile, Alabama. However, the Red River plan had the approval of General-in-Chief Henry Halleck, and Sherman had been instructed to lend two of his divisions to support the campaign. Though Banks outranked him, Sherman was not directly in his chain of command. More, Sherman had Grant on his side, so the final agreement was that Banks would have the services of the two divisions for just thirty days. After that, they would be returned for the upcoming spring campaign against northern Georgia.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

[font="Times New Roman"] March 3d. - ...my husband entered, and quickly ordered his horse. "It is so near dinner," I began. "But I am going with the President. I am on duty. He goes to inspect the fortifications. The enemy, once more, are within a few miles of Richmond." Then we prepared a luncheon for him. Constance Cary remained with me.
After she left I sat down to Romola, and I was absorbed in it. How hardened we grow to war and war's alarms! The enemy's cannon or our own are thundering in my ears, and I was dreadfully afraid some infatuated and frightened friend would come in to cheer, to comfort, and interrupt me. Am I the same poor soul who fell on her knees and prayed, and wept, and fainted, as the first gun boomed from Fort Sumter? Once more we have repulsed the enemy. But it is humiliating, indeed, that he can come and threaten us at our very gates whenever he so pleases.
[center]-- Mary Boykin Chesnut, A Diary From Dixie[/center][/font]

With sunrise, the papers recovered from Colonel Ulric Dahlgren's body could be examined more thoroughly. What the Southerners claim to have found was so controversial that there is a dispute to this day over whether the papers are authentic, or were altered by the Confederates to cause a scandal. For it was nothing less than a plan to burn the city of Richmond and kill the entire Confederate Cabinet. Very likely authentic is a speech written by Dahlgren (but apparently never actually delivered):

[font="Times New Roman"]“Headquarters, Third Division, Cavalry Corps, ___, 1864:
Officers and Men:
You have been selected from brigades and regiments as a picked command to attempt a desperate undertaking--an undertaking which, if successful, will write your names on the hearts of your countrymen in letters that can never be erased, and which will cause the prayers of our fellow-soldiers now confined in loathsome prisons to follow you and yours wherever you may go.
We hope to release the prisoners from Belle Island first, and having seen them fairly started, we will cross the James River into Richmond, destroying the bridges after us and exhorting the released prisoners to destroy and burn the hateful city; and do not allow the rebel leader Davis and his traitorous crew to escape. The prisoners must render great assistance, as you cannot leave your ranks too far or become too much scattered, or you will be lost.
Do not allow any personal gain to lead you off, which would only bring you to an ignominious death at the hands of citizens. Keep well together and obey orders strictly and all will be well; but on no account scatter too far, for in union there is strength.
With strict obedience to orders and fearlessness in the execution you will be sure to succeed.
We will join the main force on the other side of the city, or perhaps meet them inside.
Many of you may fall; but if there is any man here not willing to sacrifice his life in such a great and glorious undertaking, or who does not feel capable of meeting the enemy in such a desperate fight as will follow, let him step out, and he may go hence to the arms of his sweetheart and read of the braves who swept through the city of Richmond.
We want no man who cannot feel sure of success in such a holy cause.
We will have a desperate fight, but stand up to it when it does come and all will be well.
Ask the blessing of the Almighty and do not fear the enemy.
U. DAHLGREN, Col. Com'dg.[/font]

This might have referred to simply capturing Davis and the Cabinet, but on another page there were also some notes, including:

[font="Times New Roman"]The bridges once secured, and the prisoners loose and over the river, the bridges will be secured and the city destroyed. The men must keep together and well in hand, and once in the city it must be destroyed and Jeff. Davis and Cabinet killed.
Pioneers will go along with combustible material.[/font]

Since the Cabinet were considered civilians rather than members of the army, this was beyond the understood rules of hostilities -- the plan would be called "war under the black flag" by Confederate politicians and newspapers. Admiral Dahlgren would spend much time during the war and afterwards trying to vindicate the memory of his son, and establish the papers as forgeries. General Jubal Early and other Southerners would be equally energetic trying to prove the papers were genuine.

Unfortunately the original papers have been lost. When Richmond finally fell, Secretary of War Stanton had them collected from the Confederate archives and delivered to him personally. They have never been seen since, and it seems likely that Stanton burned them. Authentic or fake, however, there is no doubt that the papers actually existed, for copies and faded photographs of them survive.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In Richmond, the Dahlgren papers were delivered to the office of President Davis. He read them quietly, until he got to the order for liquidating the Cabinet, upon which he remarked calmly to Secretary of State Judah P. Benjamin, "That means you, Mr. Benjamin." But although he was unruffled, Davis took the matter seriously enough. He released the contents of the papers to the Richmond newspapers, and messages were sent to the North demanding an explanation.


In New Orleans, a man named Michael Hahn was inaugurated as the first Governor of the "reconstructed" (pro-Union) state government. General Nathaniel Banks, with an eye on his own political career, paid for an elaborate show, including cannons fired by electricity, and bands playing "Anvil Chorus". Hahn was a clever choice, for although he was a citizen of Louisiana, he had been born in Bavaria (Germany not being unified yet). As a result he was one of the minority white denizens of the state opposed to slavery.

His governorship would come to little, however, for Nathaniel Banks would be replaced as the military commander of the area by Major General Stephen Hurlbut. The new commander would refuse to recognize the civilian government, and since Louisiana was still under Federal military occupation, the power would be with the Army.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

The Richmond newspapers made Ulric Dahlgren's attempted raid front-page news, complete with photographs of the papers. The resulting outrage was, if anything, even more than President Davis wanted. The editorials demanded that each and every one of the Yankees captured over the course of the failed raid be hanged as war criminals, whether they had been in Dahlgren's force or Kilpatrick's force. Several members of the Cabinet agreed, but Davis argued against it.

Davis did agree to set the matter before Robert E. Lee, who was at this point the South's greatest hero. Lee was also involved because the treatment and exchange of prisoners was done by agreement between the armies rather than the governments. The Lincoln administration, refusing to accept secession as legal, also refused to enter into agreements with the Confederate government, since legally they were rebels against the lawful authority of the U. S. government.

Davis knew that Lee was highly unlikely to agree to any executions. While the South was in uproar about a planned atrocity, it had been conducting an actual one, though admittedly on a smaller scale. George Pickett had commanded an expedition into Union-occupied North Carolina, and while he had failed to capture his objective of New Berne, he had taken several hundred prisoners. A number of these had turned out to be former members of the state Home Guard. The men had joined under the agreement that they would defend their home state only, and not be incorporated into the regular Confederate Army. Eventually, desperate for manpower, the Confederacy had broken the deal.

The men had then resigned from the Home Guard, and since pro-Union sentiment was strong in some places in North Carolina, a number had enlisted in the Union army. General Pickett claimed that this constituted desertion, and had them sentenced to death. By this date he had executed eighteen men. His opposite commander on the Union side had protested that the men were legitimate prisoners of war, and threatened to retaliate. Robert E. Lee knew that any further hangings were likely to open the floodgates of tit-for-tat executions.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

At this time, the hotel of the brothers Willard on Pennsylvania avenue was the most prestigious hotel in Washington, D.C. Major Generals were also fairly common by now, so when a short, scruffy-looking man in a worn Major-General's uniform, accompanied by a thirteen-year-old boy, appeared at the desk and requested a room, the desk clerk was not impressed. That instantly changed when the general signed the registry as "U. S. Grant & son".

By now Grant, the victor of Vicksburg and the savior of Chattanooga, was the hero of the North. He was in Washington to receive his commission as the first active Lieutenant-General in the U. S. Army since George Washington himself. (The boy was Grant's son Frederick, who had accompanied his father during the Vicksburg campaign, but had just recently recovered from a life-threatening bout with disease.) The desk clerk immediately upgraded Grant's room to the best in the house, the same room where Lincoln had stayed before his inauguration.

(Historical note: Willard's Hotel fell on hard times after a disagreement between the two brothers. Eventually, after a Supreme Court lawsuit, the property was bought out, and the building torn down to make room for an even larger, and IMHO better-looking structure. It fell on hard times again in the 20th Century, actually closing for a few years, but has been renovated and returned to a place among Washington's luxury hotels as the Willard InterContinental Washington.)

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

Ulysses S. Grant formally received his commission as a Lieutenant General from President Lincoln. The entire Cabinet was assembled to witness. Lincoln gave a short speech:

"General Grant, the nation's appreciation of what you have done, and its reliance upon you for what remains to be done in the existing great struggle, are now presented, with this commission constituting you lieutenant-general in the Army of the United States. With this high honor devolves upon you, also, a corresponding responsibility. As the country herein trust you, so under God, it will sustain you. I scarcely need to add, that, with what I here speak for the nation, goes my own hearty personal concurrence."

Grant had prepared a short speech of his own in reply, which looks good in his memoirs, but according to the witnesses he found it difficult to read his writing of the night before, and was somewhat lacking in polished delivery. Happily the embarrassment was soon over, and the talk turned to plans for the future. Grant asked Lincoln what the commander-in-chief saw as the most important step. Lincoln replied that it would be to take Richmond. This placed Grant in a bind. Before leaving for Washington, he had planned to return to the Western theater, and had written to Sherman and vowed that he would accept no position requiring him to make his headquarters in Washington. But one of Grant's great strengths was that he understood the importance of politics and popular opinion in a democracy with civilian control of the military. Although Grant believed that the Western theater was the most important one (and the historical opinion is that it was where the war was won), the President, the Cabinet, the Congress and the great majority of the people were still focused on the drive to Richmond.

Grant had been planning to visit the Army of the Potomac, since it was the largest army in the Union. Now he would review it with an eye towards taking command.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

When U. S. Grant had started for Washington, he had written to W. T. Sherman, his friend and second-in-command, that he would not be staying there. Evidently unconvinced, Sherman now wrote a letter full of praise, imploring Grant to return to the Western theater:

[font="Times New Roman"] [right]NEAR MEMPHIS, March 10, 1864

General GRANT.[/right]

DEAR GENERAL: I have your more than kind and characteristic letter of the 4th, and will send a copy of it to General McPherson at once.

You do yourself injustice and us too much honor in assigning to us so large a share of the merits which have led to your high advancement. I know you approve the friendship I have ever professed to you, and will permit me to continue as heretofore to manifest it on all proper occasions.

You are now Washington's legitimate successor, and occupy a position of almost dangerous elevation; but if you can continue as heretofore to be yourself, simple, honest, and unpretending, you will enjoy through life the respect and love of friends, and the homage of millions of human beings who will award to you a large share for securing to them and their descendants a government of law and stability.

[...]

Until you had won Donelson, I confess I was almost cowed by the terrible array of anarchical elements that presented themselves at every point; but that victory admitted the ray of light which I have followed ever since.

[...]

My only points of doubt were as to your knowledge of grand strategy, and of books of science and history; but I confess your common-sense seems to have supplied all this.

Now as to the future. Do not stay in Washington. Halleck is better qualified than you are to stand the buffets of intrigue and policy. Come out West; take to yourself the whole Mississippi Valley; let us make it dead-sure, and I tell you the Atlantic slope and Pacific shores will follow its destiny as sure as the limbs of a tree live or die with the main trunk! We have done much; still much remains to be done. Time and time's influences are all with us; we could almost afford to sit still and let these influences work. Even in the seceded States your word now would go further than a President's proclamation, or an act of Congress.

For God's sake and for your country's sake, come out of Washington! I foretold to General Halleck, before he left Corinth, the inevitable result to him, and I now exhort you to come out West. Here lies the seat of the coming empire; and from the West, when our task is done, we will make short work of Charleston and Richmond, and the impoverished coast of the Atlantic.

Your sincere friend,

W. T. Sherman
[/font]

But even as Sherman dispatched his plea, it was too late. On this date Grant visited the headquarters of the Army of the Potomac. Although it was a massive force, it was not the only army the Union had in the area. There was the Army of the James around Fort Monroe, the units occupying the Union-controlled part of the Shenandoah Valley, and the sizeable garrison of Washington itself. As Grant would later write:


[font="Times New Roman"]It had been my intention before this to remain in the West, even if I was made lieutenant-general; but when I got to Washington and saw the situation it was plain that here was the point for the commanding general to be. No one else could, probably, resist the pressure that would be brought to bear upon him to desist from his own plans and pursue others. I determined, therefore, before I started back to have Sherman advanced to my late position, McPherson to Sherman's in command of the department, and Logan to the command of McPherson's corps. . . I visited General Meade, commanding the Army of the Potomac, at his headquarters at Brandy Station, north of the Rapidan. I had known General Meade slightly in the Mexican war, but had not met him since until this visit. I was a stranger to most of the Army of the Potomac, I might say to all except the officers of the regular army who had served in the Mexican war. There had been some changes ordered in the organization of that army before my promotion. One was the consolidation of five corps into three, thus throwing some officers of rank out of important commands. Meade evidently thought that I might want to make still one more change not yet ordered. He said to me that I might want an officer who had served with me in the West, mentioning Sherman specially, to take his place. If so, he begged me not to hesitate about making the change. He urged that the work before us was of such vast importance to the whole nation that the feeling or wishes of no one person should stand in the way of selecting the right men for all positions. For himself, he would serve to the best of his ability wherever placed. I assured him that I had no thought of substituting any one for him. As to Sherman, he could not be spared from the West.

[center]--The Personal Memoirs of General U. S. Grant[/center][/font]

Grant would decide to make his position something like the admiral of a fleet. His headquarters would be near the "flagship" -- the Army of the Potomac -- but he would also coordinate the movements of the other Union forces in the Eastern theater. In this way he would at least be outside of the city of Washington, and so, free from Congressmen and Cabinet members dropping by and telling him how they wanted the war to be run. The setup would work surprisingly well, and much of the credit should go to George Meade's lack of ego.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

The Red River Campaign got underway. The Union Naval forces were under the command of Admiral David Dixon Porter, and was a formidable flotilla. Headed by the 700-ton ironclad Eastport, there were seven other armored vessels (though one was a "tinclad", protected against bullets only) and numerous transports. They were needed to carry supplies and 20,000 troops under Major General Nathaniel Banks. This would be reinforced by another 10,000 bluecoats borrowed from W. T. Sherman's forces. To add the finishing touch, another 7,000 Yankees under Major General Frederick Steele would march down from Arkansas in a pincer movement.

Nathaniel Banks, who had strong political ambitions, planned to capture the Confederate headquarters at Shreveport, and also seize immense quantities of cotton from the western Louisiana plantations. In this he was fully supported by Henry Halleck, but opposed by U. S. Grant, who would have much preferred to strike east instead of west and take Mobile. The orders replacing Halleck with Grant as General-in-Chief had not come until the plan was finalized, and it was now too late for Grant to call a halt.

But the plan had not taken into account a number of Confederate advantages. First, Nathaniel Banks had unwisely headquartered in New Orleans, which was full of Southern spies. (Sherman's visit to the city at the beginning of the month was one of many things reported to the Rebel commanders.) A look at the map clearly showed the Northerners would travel along the Red River, and it was easy to guess that Shreveport was their objective. Thirdly and almost as important, communications with Richmond had been essentially cut by the Union control of the Mississippi river. The Confederate commanders could therefore make their counter-plans free from any interference from the Davis administration.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

The first step in the Red River campaign went surprisingly well for the Union. The Southerners had set up an earthwork fortification dubbed Fort De Russy to block advances up the river. Clearly, this fort had to be taken if the Federals were to be supplied in their advance towards Shreveport. On this date, only the two divisions borrowed from Sherman had linked up with the Northern fleet, a little over 9,000 men. Nathaniel Banks and the main body of 20,000 men were not advancing as fast as expected, and Steele's column of 7,000 in Arkansas had not even begun to move out.

But the Confederates were in even worse shape for troops at this point. The local commander had about 3,000 men, and believed he was about to face nine times his number. Nonetheless, he was ordered to act aggressively. Nine-tenths of the Rebels marched out of the fort and arrayed for battle, only to discover that the Yankees had been compelled to take a different route. The Union army and navy arrived at the fort without hindrance, the gunboats gave an opening bombardment, and then the bluecoats stormed over the earth ramparts. The 300 defenders, a good fraction of whom did not even have muskets, rapidly surrendered. The one downside was that this meant that 90% of the Southern troops had gotten away.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

Nathan Bedford Forrest set out from Columbus, Mississippi, at the head of about 3,000 Confederate cavalry. although nearly all of Tennessee was in the hands of the Union by now, there were still a large number of Southern sympathizers in the western part of the state, and a smaller but still substantial number in Kentucky. Forrest planned to raid both areas to pick up recruits and horses for his regiments, and to seize whatever Federal supplies he could collect.

The raid would last a surprisingly long time: over a month as Forrest operated in enemy territory with virtual impunity. and it would climax in the most notorious battlefield atrocity of the war at a place called Fort Pillow.