Civil War 150th

[parusski]

Lincoln rightly said McClellan had "..the slows".

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

Lincoln issued his first major order as Commander-in-Chief.


[font="Times New Roman"]EXECUTIVE MANSION,
WASHINGTON, Jan. 27th, 1862

THE PRESIDENT'S GENERAL ORDER NO. ONE.

It is ordered that on the 22d day of February, 1862, there be a general movement of the land and naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces. That especially the army at and about Fortress Monroe, the army of the Potomac, the army of Western Virginia, the army near Munfordsville, the army and flotilla at Cairo, and naval force in the Gulf of Mexico, be ready for a movement on that day. That all the other forces both land and naval, with their respective commanders, obey the existing order for the time, and be ready to obey additional orders, when duly given. That the heads of departments, and especially the Secretary of War and the Navy, with all their subordinates, and the General-in-Chief, with other commanders and subordinates of the land and naval forces, will severally be held to their strict and full responsibilities for the prompt execution of this order.

ABRAHAM LINCOLN.
[/font]


The attempt to mount a coordinated offensive was a reasonable idea, but this time, it wouldn't work. McClellan would not begin to move until March. Grant, on the other hand, would move even earlier.

Ironically, it would be the Confederacy that first put together a coordinated offensive, and it would lead to one of the darkest times of the war for the North.

[parusski]

Amazing how little effect Lincoln could have on some of his general's, especially little Mac.

[nicwb]

"Little Mac" was very dismissive of Lincoln. I'm re-watching the excellent Ken Burn's documentary on the Civil War re-showing on our local cable TV. They had a quote from McClellan in a letter to his wife, referring to Lincoln as "the original baboon".

[parusski]

ORIGINAL: nicwb

"Little Mac" was very dismissive of Lincoln. I'm re-watching the excellent Ken Burn's documentary on the Civil War re-showing on our local cable TV. They had a quote from McClellan in a letter to his wife, referring to Lincoln as "the original baboon".

Little Mac was definitely full of himself.

I loved what Grant said about McClellan after the war: "McClellan is to me one of the mysteries of the war."

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In the Shenandoah Valley, General Loring had decided serious measures were necessary to get himself and his men out of Romney. He had gone so far over Stonewall Jackson's head as to send a letter to President Davis himself, personally delivered by another general, William B. Taliaferro. The letter was co-signed by eleven other officers.

After reading it, Davis apparently agreed that Romney should be abandoned. He did not want to be seen as personally interfering, however, so he forwarded the letter to Confederate Secretary of War Judah P. Benjamin, along with his own note:

[font="Times New Roman"]It will be necessary to act promptly. Have you been notified of the return of General Jackson to Winchester and the withdrawal of the brigade with which he undertook the service from which he is reported to have retired, leaving only those who were sent to re-enforce him? Will confer with you at your pleasure.[/font]

(What Davis was pointing out was that Jackson had evacuated his own favorite, the "Stonewall Brigade".) Now it was Secretary Benjamin on the hot seat.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

After a mere 120 days in construction, the USS Monitor was launched at Brooklyn, New York. Designed by Swedish engineer John Ericsson, she was a revolutionary ship. This was not really because of her iron plate armor, for several other armored vessels had been built and even more were building. (The CSS Manassas had chased a squadron of Union gunboats out of the mouth of the Mississippi.) But the Monitor's centerline turret maximized the firepower of her 11-inch Dahlgren cannons, and a new design of propeller made her surprisingly nimble.

The Monitor had been built for shallow-water work: she drew only ten and a half feet, and her deck was only a foot or so above the waterline. To allow the captain a better view, a small pilot-house rose from the forward deck. This would prove to be a vulnerability, but not as much as her low freeboard.

[xiaotuanzi]

People owned like property toiling out in fields gets me off too.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

In the Shenandoah Valley, Stonewall Jackson received a telegram with Secretary of War Benjamin's decision. General Loring and all his men were to be pulled out of Romney and returned to Winchester. The weeks of marching and hardships of weather and disease were thus brought to nothing.

Jackson complied, issuing the orders for withdrawal. He then wrote back to Secretary Benjamin:


[font="Times New Roman"]Sir: Your order requiring me to direct General Loring to return with his command to Winchester immediately has been received and promptly complied with.

With such interference in my command I cannot expect to be of much service in the field, and accordingly respectfully request to be ordered to report for duty to the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, as has been done in the case of other professors. Should this application not be granted, I respectfully request that the President will accept my resignation from the Army.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. J. JACKSON, Major-General[/font]

[Missouri_Rebel]

I never took the time to tell you what an awesome thread you have here. Very informative and well done. Please continue.

[parusski]

ORIGINAL: Capt. Harlock

150 Years Ago Today:

In the Shenandoah Valley, Stonewall Jackson received a telegram with Secretary of War Benjamin's decision. General Loring and all his men were to be pulled out of Romney and returned to Winchester. The weeks of marching and hardships of weather and disease were thus brought to nothing.

Jackson complied, issuing the orders for withdrawal. He then wrote back to Secretary Benjamin:


[font="Times New Roman"]Sir: Your order requiring me to direct General Loring to return with his command to Winchester immediately has been received and promptly complied with.

With such interference in my command I cannot expect to be of much service in the field, and accordingly respectfully request to be ordered to report for duty to the superintendent of the Virginia Military Institute at Lexington, as has been done in the case of other professors. Should this application not be granted, I respectfully request that the President will accept my resignation from the Army.

I am, sir, very respectfully, your obedient servant,

T. J. JACKSON, Major-General[/font]

Wow, as big and huge a fan of the Civil War as I am, I did not know Jackson tendered his resignation. Thanks Capt. Harlock.

[Capt. Harlock]

150 Years Ago Today:

Two Union commanders began the campaigns that would make them famous.

With the Union control of Kentucky more or less solid, many on the Northern side wanted to advance into Tennessee. A goodly amount of what industry the South had was there, and eastern Tennessee's population was majority pro-Union. (A number of pro-Union partisans had been hanged for burning railroad bridges and other activities.) To ensure a supply line, it was a good idea to advance along the Cumberland and Tennessee rivers, but they were blocked by Forts Henry and Donelson, respectively.

Ulysses S. Grant was not a man to accept stalemate. He had assembled a force of infantry, and he had the help of a river flotilla under Flag Officer Andrew Foote. This included some of the "Pook turtles", ironclad gunboats which had been built in surprisingly short time by James Eads. On this date, Grant set sail with about half his force towards Fort Henry. (The other half had to wait their turn: there were not enough troopships.)

Map by Hal Jespersen, www.cwmaps.com


Down at New Orleans, things were looking up for the Confederacy and not so good for the Union. The ironclad Manassas and a "mosquito fleet" of small gunboats carrying one or two cannon each had chased the Federal squadron out of the mouth of the Mississippi, opening the way for blockade runners. Granted, the deep-water ships of the Union navy often caught the blockade runners at sea, but enough got through to boost the South's economy, and bring vitally needed weapons and other items back. More, two even stronger ironclads were under construction in the city. Unless the Union acted soon, the blockade might be broken entirely. But New Orleans was protected by a chain stretched across the river, guarded by Forts Jackson and St. Philip. These had been reinforced until Fort Jackson especially was one of the strongest forts in America.

Nonetheless, forts at that time were open to the sky. With mortar boats, enough shells might be thrown over the fort walls to suppress their fire while Union vessels cut the chain and sailed up to New Orleans. A man was needed to lead such a bold effort, and Secretary of the Navy Welles picked 60-year-old Captain David Farragut. Although Farragut had been born in Tennessee and raised in the South, he had stayed with the Union Navy. On this date, he boarded the USS Hartford, setting sail out of Brooklyn and into immortality.

[Missouri_Rebel]

Don't mean to hijack your thread but I thought you all might like to see some pics of an old mural on some building not too far from here. I always thought it was cool but it really needs to be restored. Depicts the battle of Pilot Knob.

[Missouri_Rebel]

.

[Missouri_Rebel]

Fort Davidson on the right

[Missouri_Rebel]

.

[Missouri_Rebel]

.

[Missouri_Rebel]

.

[Missouri_Rebel]

.

[Capt. Harlock]

Impressive. The detail of the canister shot is very interesting. However, the two different Confederate national flags makes one wonder. IIRC the "blood stained banner", the final Confederate flag, was not adopted until March 1865.