Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report

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The Battle of Spring Creek March 1863

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The situation in the West, April 1 1863. Fortress Paducah is now completely surrounded, and should fall quickly. The Confederate position in Middle Tennesse is also untenable, as no reinforcements can cross the Tennessee to reach the forces in Nashville, which will likely fall to Sherman's forces in the near term future. Once the Middle Tennessee position is consolidated down to the Tennessee fords in northern Alabama, Sherman will shift the remainder of his forces to Chattanooga. Sherman's XIX Corps is already in position there, and the XX Corps is in position to jump off in an attack against Knoxville as soon as Schofield (4-?-4) gains initiative.

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early April 1863[/b]    Word reaches us from the mouth of the Mississippi of the formation of a new Federal field army, commanded by General Buell, known as the Army of the Gulf.  This new force was formed by General Buell at Ft. Jackson, and initially consists of the X Corps commanded by General John Parke.  General Parke’s X Corps immediately has moved forward and captured St. James Parish, on the south bank of the Mississippi directly opposite New Orleans.  From here, it is expected that the Army of the Gulf will strike north soon in an attempt to capture the Queen City of the South itself.  To the north, but still in the Trans-Mississippi, cavalry under Samuel Sturgis expanded the Federal hold on the West bank of the Mississippi, clearing the southeast corner of Arkansas near Ashley of rebel forces.  To the east, the cavalry of General Albert Lee move from Jacksonville to occupy Gainesville, Florida, severing the Florida peninsula in half.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the Tennessee theater, both Grant and Sherman give their armies a month of rest and reorganization.  After the hard fighting of the late winter and early spring campaigns, time is needed to fill the ranks with replacements, to resupply key units and artillery, and to prepare plans for the final clearing of Tennessee of rebel forces.  [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]As spring burst forth across Virginia, General Hooker sends the 7 corps of the Army of the Potomac down to the Rappahannock River, crossing at US Ford, Ely’s Ford, and Kelly’s Ford, and maneuvering his massive army through the tangle of the second-growth forest and underbrush of the Wilderness.  Once he reaches the crossroads of the Wilderness Tavern, he plans on sending the Army down the Brock Road towards Spotsylvania Court House, cutting off the rebels in Fredericksburg, and taking a commanding position on the road to Richmond.  Meanwhile, General Erasmus Keyes has been ordered to Fortress Monroe, to take command of Union troops there, and mount a threat up the Peninsula to Richmond, thereby occupying Confederate troops that might otherwise be deployed against the Army of the Potomac. [/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late April 1863[/b]   President Lincoln and the Congress are pleased to announce today that in recognition of his outstanding and meritorious service to the nation, and the overwhelming success of his Tennessee campaign, General Ulysses S. Grant has been given a fourth star and the title ‘General of the Armies’.  General Grant is only the third person in American history to have held that rank, the others being General Winfield Scott, and the Father of our Country, George Washington.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]General Hooker’s Army of the Potomac executes its spring battle plan magnificently, slipping through the Wilderness, dispatching a small Confederate force that retreated from Fredericksbug, and clearing the back roads and tangled trails of the Wilderness near Spotsylvania Court House.  Federal commanders were surprised that the Rebel Army of Northern Virginia did not come out to contest this move south, which was accomplished nearly bloodlessly.  Now, Hooker’s army is drawn up near the gates of Richmond, and throughout the North, there is palpable anticipation that the cockpit of Rebellion itself may soon feel the wrath of Father Abraham’s mightiest army.  The fact that the Army of Northern Virginia was nowhere to be seen only increases Federal confidence, and makes observers wonder if the setbacks suffered by the Confederacy on all fronts recently have harmed the Rebels more severely than originally thought.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early May 1863[/b]   Following the triumphs of the previous month, President Lincoln has made yet another landmark announcement.  With abolitionists Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison by his side, the President has announced that the Union will now enroll Negro troops for Federal service.  As the war has transformed to become a struggle for freedom for the Negro, so shall the Negro have a chance to fight for his freedom.  Lincoln proclaimed that all able bodied Negro recruits will be organized into their own regiments, known as the United States Colored Troops.  These USCT regiments will be commanded by white officers, but will be served by colored NCOs.  While the first regiments will not be ready for combat for some time, there is great anticipation as to how they will perform under fire.  Some believe that they will run at the start of combat and be entirely unsuitable for martial pursuits, while others believe they will be fierce fighters inclined to give no quarter to their former oppressors.  Whatever the outcome, readers can be assured that Harper’s will be there to cover their first foray into combat.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Union forces have been very active on the periphery of the Confederacy this month.  In Florida, General Negley’s division has captured Tallahassee, placing all of Northern Florida under Union control and completely isolating the swamps of southern Florida from the rest of the Confederacy.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the West, General Sherman overruns Nashville with two corps of the Army of the Tennessee under Generals Thomas and McPherson.  While Federal casualties are extremely light, we are saddened to report the death of Sherman’s extremely talented chief of artillery, General Mendenhall, caused by an exploding caisson ignited by a private who was carelessly smoking a cigar.  Immediately after Sherman’s capture of the city, General Butler moves his Western theater headquarters to Nashville.  In just a few weeks, Butler has earned the permanent enmity of the residents of the town, particularly the southern women, who have nicknamed him ‘Spoons’ in reference to his harsh policies of confiscation of any items of value which could aid the Confederate war effort (or line his own pockets)  But despite the unpopularity of Butler with the denizens of this former Rebel state capital, no one can deny that his strategic planning and organizational skills have greatly contributed to the success of our forces in this theater.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]General Grant, sensing the opportunity to finish the job in Kentucky, has ordered the Army of the Potomac to take the works of Fortress Paducah from the rear.  Leaving only General Lyon’s IV Corps as a rear guard, he moves to assault the Rebel works.  The remaining garrison, out of supply and reportedly near starvation, should be quick work for his battle hardened veterans.  It is presumed that Grant’s forces are likely to capture an immense number of heavy artillery pieces that the Rebels were not able to evacuate prior to the closing of Grant’s trap upon them.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Further west, General Burnside has moved a small contingent of troops from Little Rock to Pine Bluff, Arkansas, to eliminate a pocket of Rebel resistance in that region, and further solidify Federal control of that state.  Additionally, a force of cavalry under General Egbert Brown has been assembled in Cairo, to deal with a Confederate penetration into southern Missouri that has disrupted the peace and order of that state.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Back in Virginia, General Hooker has the Army of the Potomac on the move once again.  Leaving the XII Corps of General Hunter, along with General French’s division in the Spotsylvania area, the rest of the Army conducts a quick march to the west, crosses over the front range of the Blue Ridge, and descends on the Central Shenandoah Valley, the breadbasket of the Confederacy.  With a Confederate force reported to be near Lynchburg, it is possible Hooker’s men may face a fight on their hands as they seek to deprive the Rebels of this key source of supply.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late May 1863[/b]   A day of celebration and patriotic observance has been declared throughout the North to commemorate the fall of the mighty Confederate Fortress Paducah.  Early on the morning on May 26th, 1863, after a two week bombardment and siege, troops in General Logan’s XXV Corps spotted a white flag on the parapets of the Lovell Redoubt, signaling the last of the besieged Confederate defenders had decided to surrender to Grant’s Army of the Cumberland.  When terms had been arranged, not only had the Union captured over 200 heavy guns, but the renowned Confederate cavalry leader General Nathan Bedford Forrest had been apprehended while trying to escape disguised as an itinerant sutler.  Forrest, who has been the bane of Federal supply lines in the West, was a particularly savory capture for two alert privates in the XVI Corps of General Hurlbut, who promoted both men to sergeant on the spot.  With the fall of Fortress Paducah, the free flow of troops, supplies, and regular commerce can resume on the Mississippi and Ohio rivers, after nearly 2 years where it was impossible.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]A further blow to the Confederate cause fell in the Shenandoah Valley, where General Hooker’s Army of the Potomac easily routed the Confederate cavalry corps of General Wade Hampton, in the Battle of Lexington north of Lynchburg.  The Confederate troopers were scattered by hard-charging Federal cavalry, equipped with new Spencer repeating carbines, which gave them a significant advantage in firepower over their Rebel foes.  It is unclear whether Hampton’s cavalry was fighting a delaying action to buy time for reinforcements to arrive, or whether their presence was a spoiling operation, but regardless, no body of Confederate infantry came up to support them, and they were easily driven away.  Now, the South has been deprived of a much needed source of food for the men and horses of the Army of Northern Virginia, defending the Confederate capitol.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Throughout the North, and occupied areas of the south, free Negroes and former slaves have rallied to President Lincoln’s call for enlistment of United States Colored Troops.  It is reported that the numbers of volunteers are substantial.  While it will take some time to train these forces, when their numbers are brought to bear, the effect they will have on this conflict is likely to be profound.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early June 1863[/b]    After the opening campaigns of the spring in both the east and west, the month of June appears to be a time of reconsolidation and refitting for our primary field armies.  In the east, General Hooker moves the Army of the Potomac back across the Blue Ridge to the east, concentrating in the region of Gordonsville.  From there, he can strike at the Confederate capital in Richmond, or south towards Appomattox, and cut off another vital rail link to the Rebel capital. General Reynolds has been reassigned from command of the I Corps of the Army of the Potomac, and is seen embarking a steamer headed south. Rumor is that he will be taking over the XVII Corps of the Army of the Gulf.  Meanwhile, Sherman reconcentrates the Army of the Tennessee at the railhead near Tullahoma, minus McPherson’s XIII Corps which lags behind near the old Stones River battlefield.  From Tullahoma, Sherman is poised to strike southeast through the mountains towards Atlanta, or conduct a turning movement to the south and drive into Alabama.  Grant assembles the four corps of the Army of the Cumberland south of Humboldt, Tennessee, ready to drive on to Memphis and points beyond.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Military actions against the Confederacy seem to be concentrated in the peripheries this month.  From the lower Mississippi comes word that General Buell’s Army of the Gulf has launched an attack across the mighty river into New Orleans itself, using the X Corps of John Parke as his spearhead.  A small force under the temporary command of General Montgomery Meigs strikes out into the bayous of Lafayette parish, scattering a small contingent of Confederates deeper into the swamps.  In Florida, General Albert Lee’s cavalry division heads north out of Jacksonville and is reported to have occupied the area around Valdosta, Georgia.  In the far West, troubling dispatches are being received in Washington from General Burnside in Little Rock, who speaks urgently of the need of reinforcements.  Apparently Burnside’s command is beset by partisans and bushwhackers in ever increasing numbers, and he is in danger of losing control of certain regions of the state.  It is unknown whether Washington will have any men to spare for Burnside, or whether General Butler believes that Burnside has overextended his position and will order him to consolidate the regions under his control to a more manageable number.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly,  Late June 1863[/b]   Word arrives from the Lower Mississippi that the attempt of General Buell to seize New Orleans with General Parke’s X Corps has been repulsed.  We are pleased to report that despite this setback, our casualties were light, and a good number of Confederate artillery pieces were destroyed by our naval forces in the engagement.  In other news, a dispute over a late-night poker game in General Hooker’s tent has resulted in the resignation of General David Birney, a division commander in General Porter’s V Corps.  While details are sketchy, it is believed that General Birney’s heavy monetary losses led to an unfounded accusation of cheating, and a duel between General Birney and General French was avoided only by the intervention of General Hancock of the II Corps, who has the reputation of being very cool under fire.  Our readers should be thankful that this regrettable incident did not permanently result in physical harm to any of the fine leaders involved.[/font]

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The Glorious 4th of July 1863. The Union is on the advance on all fronts. Buell threatens New Orleans in the south. Burnside and various forces occupy most of Arkansas. Galveston Texas is under Union control. Another Union force controls northern Florida and has penetrated into southern Georgia. In Tennessee, Grant's Army of the Cumberland stands ready to take Memphis, while Sherman's Army of the Tennessee is ready to attack Chattanooga. In the east, Hooker has largely cut off the Confederacy from the resource rich Shenandoah Valley, and is ready to move on Richmond. At sea, only 1 Confederate raider remains afloat, and the Union has had a 100% blockade on all Confederate ports except Wilmington, which is averaging 50%. For the past several turns, the Confederates have only gotten 27 or so supplies by sea per turn.

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early July 1863[/b]   All across the continent, Union forces both small and large undertake a massive offensive against the Confederacy.  Federal transports carrying the division of General J.K.F. Mansfield set sail for the mouth of the Mississippi, with the goal of taking Ft. St. Philip.  In a coordinated assault, the X Corps of General Parke overruns St. Landry Parish, LA giving the Union almost full control over the west bank of the Mississippi and slicing the Confederacy in two.  In Arkansas, a column of cavalry under the command of General Sturgis slashes into northwest Louisiana, seizing Minden Parish and occupying the banks of the Red River across from Shreveport.  [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Further north, General Grant’s Army of the Cumberland hurls itself towards Memphis, supported by a massive fleet of river ironclads and mortar scows in the Mississippi.  At the other end of Tennessee, General Sherman has the Army of the Tennessee on the move.  General Schofield’s XX Corps executes a forced march to the north, crosses the Tennessee, and overruns the strategic city of Knoxville.  Meanwhile, the aggressive Sherman boldly attacks into the mountains around Chattanooga with the remainder of his army, minus the tardy XIII Corps of General McPherson, which is still lagging behind.  Sherman feels that surprise, the Cavalry of General Sheridan, plus the veterans of General Thomas XIV Corps and General Buford’s XIX Corps will providing him enough of an edge to overwhelm Confederate defenders before they can get organized.  While this is a risky move, Sherman has repeatedly divided his army in the face of the enemy during the Tennessee campaign and has reaped huge dividends from his gambles.  Indeed, it is said by many with a knowledge of military affairs that it is likely his bold maneuvers during these campaigns will be studied by generations of military officers to come.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Back east, General Hooker has struck again with the mighty Army of the Potomac, this time in a hammer blow towards the small crossroads of Appomattox Court House, a key junction on one of the last remaining rail lines to Richmond.  It is unknown whether or not the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia will venture forth from their fortifications to contest this latest maneuver or remain entrenched near Richmond and Petersburg.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Finally, in southern Georgia, the rampaging cavalry of General Albert Lee has torn from Valdosta to the coast near Waycross, linking up once again with Federal lines near Jacksonville, and extending the area of the coastline under Federal control to within 60 miles of the key port of Savannah.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]The nation eagerly awaits the news of the success of these battles.  If this massive, coordinated campaign succeeds, it is entirely possible the war may be brought to a close and the boys sent home by Christmas.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly Late August 1863[/b]    All across the continent, the massive Union offensive has met nothing but success.  In western Tennessee, Grant’s Army of the Cumberland has whipped Robert E. Lee’s Army of Mississippi, and sent the survivors fleeing into the Mississippi Delta lands near Greenville.  In Eastern Tennessee, General Sherman’s bold strike at Chattanooga has paid off, with his widely dispersed army able to drive out the defenders of Braxton Bragg’s Confederate Army of Tennessee before they were able to organize defensive works.  The Rebels have been forced to retreat south, into the mountains near Rome, Georgia.  In Louisiana, General Mansfield’s amphibious strike at Ft. St. Phillip has been a success, and now the Union controls all approaches to New Orleans, whose fall is imminent.  Finally, in the east, General Hookers Army smashed the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia in battle at Appomattox Court House, driving the defenders back to Richmond.  Tragically, this victory for the Union came at a great cost, as General Edwin V. Sumner, beloved commander of the Union III Corps, was shot by a Confederate sharpshooter while commanding from horseback, and was dead even before his body hit the ground.  General Sumner, one of the finest commanders to wear a federal uniform, is mourned throughout the Army of the Potomac and the Union as a whole.  His body will be returned to Washington, where it is to lie in state at the War Department, before interment.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]While losses of great men such as Sumner surely dampen the spirit of our great victories this month, our soldiers look forward to the next months fight with renewed optimism.  There is a growing sense in both the ranks and the high command that the back of the Rebellion has been broken, and that the Confederate armies can no longer stand up to Federal armies on the field of battle.  While pronouncements of victory before Christmas seem premature, there is no doubt that the mighty forces of the Union have traveled far down this ‘glory road’ towards the ultimate triumph and the end of this brutal war.[/font]

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The Battle of Memphis, July 1863. Grant administers a severe beating to Lee, perhaps ending the ability of Confederates to resist along the Mississippi.

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The Battle of Chattanooga -- Sherman's small army, minus two corps and its cavalry, are able to drive Braxton Bragg from this key outpost. Despite its strategic location, the Rebels were only able to muster 12,000 men to defend it. Once Sherman can reconcentrate his forces into one mass, there is a great possibility for the quick capture of Atlanta and a destructive March to the Sea.

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The Battle of Appomattox Court House, July 1863. Hooker defeats the Rebels, but at the cost of his finest corps commander, General Sumner, who was rated 4-4-3 and had a command rating of 16. He will be sorely missed. Hooker has now all but cut off Richmond from the West, and from his current position, cavalry raiders can cut off remaining rail tracks and wreak havoc in the area.

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August 1, 1863 in the West. The armies of Grant and Sherman are poised to tear right into the heart of the Confederacy, against little opposition.

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August 1863 in the East. Hooker is drawing an iron ring around Richmond, but substantial Confederate forces remain in the city. From Appomattox, the Union Cavalry Corps can range far and wide with raids against the southern railroads, while Hooker needs to decide whether to take Petersburg, assault Richmond head on (risking a Rebel strategic victory) or continued operations around the periphery.

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The balance of forces is now strongly favoring the Union, as the Confederate supply situation is so critical they have trouble raising militia or repairing units.

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly,  Early August 1863[/b]   After the month of great breakthroughs by our forces, the operational tempo slowed in the East.  General Hooker named General George Sykes to take over commander of the late General Sumner’s III Corps of the Army of the Potomac.  The Federal Army was reinforced to full strength, and Hooker unleashed the Cavalry Corps of General Pleasonton to raid the Confederate supply lines.  Pleasonton struck near Lynchburg, Virginia, ripping up tracks, blowing up locomotives, and destroying rolling stock before returning to Camp Sumner, the operating base of the Army of the Potomac near Appomattox Court House.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the West, General Grant’s Army of the Cumberland exploded into all directions as it continued to tear through Confederate territory along the Mississippi.  The IV Corps of General Lyon crossed the Mississippi and seized Camden, Arkansas, while the XXV Corps of General Logan scattered Confederate militia and home guards before they could organize, driving all the way to Pittsburg Landing on the Tennessee River.  The main body of Grant’s Army then overran the key rail junction of Corinth, and set up a strong encampment there, while Grant’s Cavalry Corps under David Stanley pursued the retreating Confederates into the swamps of northwest Mississippi, raiding along the lines Memphis and Vicksburg Railroad.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In central Tennessee, readers will be interested to know that the long awaited first action of the United States Colored Troops is likely to occur later this month.  General John Phelps led his division of USCT, the first such trained body to be fielded, into action against Rebel forces near Lawrenceville, Tennessee, with orders to clear rebel sympathizers all the way to the state line of Alabama.  Meanwhile, General Sherman has regrouped his Army of the Tennessee in Chattanooga, resupplied, and is ready to embark on a fall campaign against targets in the heartland of the Deep South.  At this time, it does not appear that the Confederacy can muster a sizeable enough force to seriously oppose his advance.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Finally, along the Gulf Coast, General Buell has consolidated the Army of the Gulf in preparation for another attempt to seize New Orleans, the largest southern city remaining in Rebel hands.  Buell has added the new XVII Corps of General John Reynolds to the X Corps of General John Parke for this venture.[/font]

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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late August 1863[/b]   In recognition of General Joseph Hooker’s outstanding campaign in Virginia, which has taken him from the mountains near Harper’s Ferry to the gates of Richmond, and beyond, in just 9 short months, President Lincoln and the Congress have granted him a fourth star, elevating him to the same rank as Ulysses S. Grant, that of General of the Armies.  General Hooker was informed of this great honor at his headquarters at Camp Sumner, and immediately ordered a grand review of the troops and issued a General Order congratulating the Army of the Potomac on its accomplishments.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In other news, Harper’s is excited to report on the first action of the United States Colored Troops under the command of General Phelps.  In a pitched fight near Lawrenceville, Tennessee, General Phelps men defeated a Confederate force and drove them from the area.  According to all accounts of the fighting, the USCT performed magnificently, showing courage and coolness under fire, and have dispelled the general doubt of many about their fighting ability.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]As their field armies continue to be battered, and their numbers wither away, the Rebels are increasingly shifting to hit and run tactics and cavalry raids.  Large scale raids by Abraham Buford in the west, near Corinth, and Wade Hampton in the east, up the Shenandoah Valley and through the Army of the Potomac’s supply dumps in Gordonsville, were huge successes for the Confederacy.  While our armies as of late have been triumphing on the battlefield, it would appear that the southern horsemen still have plenty of fight left, and strong countermeasures will have to be taken to guard against such banditry on their part in the future.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly,  Early September 1863[/b]   The Army of the Potomac has marched out of the cantonment at Camp Sumner, near Appomattox, and embarked upon what the nation hopes will be the final campaign against Richmond.  Hoping to push already-stretched Rebel forces to the breaking point, General Hooker sends General Meade’s Shenandoah Valley force, a large corps, on a feint attack south to Lynchburg, while ordering General Hunter’s forces near Gordonsville on a feint towards Richmond itself.  Both of these movements are designed to draw off Confederate reinforcements from the ability to reinforce against General Hooker’ main attack, which is said to be aimed at the fortress of Petersburg.  It would appear that the entire body of the Army of the Potomac will be committed to this assault.  If successful, it will cut off the last rail lines running into and out of Richmond, isolating the Confederate capital.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Down in Louisiana, Admiral Farraguts ironclad fleet steamed upriver from its previous positions bombarding New Orleans, and ventured up the Red River and the Mississippi, as far as Vicksburg, destroying Confederate river transport and setting fire to dock facilities and bales of cotton on the levees for hundreds of miles.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]From Chattanooga comes word that General Sherman’s Army of the Tennessee has left its bivouac at Chattanooga, and taken to the roads through the mountain passes towards Dalton, Georgia.  The sight of the men of this army marching up the winding mountain roads struck our correspondent as though a dam had burst and a mighty river of freedom was coursing powerfully through the mountains, about to crash into the Deep South and wash away that accursed land of the twin sins of slavery and secession.  Near Corinth, General Grant’s army takes a much needed rest, as its component parts are re-concentrated and re-fitted for the next stage of his campaign.[/font]