Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
Moderators: Joel Billings, PyleDriver
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
September 1863 -- Hooker's 3 pronged strike against Petersburg. Luckily, Hunter in Gordonsville got initiative this turn, so he is sent against Richmond to limit the number of reinforcements that can be sent to Petersburg from there. Also, Meade strikes south against Lynchburg, for the same purpose, to keep the 20+ Rebel troops there from moving to Petersburg. As a Level 2 fortress, Petersburg will be a tough nut to crack, but with the Rebels having to defend 3 areas at once, I am hoping that the size of the Army of the Potomac, combined with the skill of its commanders (Hooker and several corps commanders are 4 in the attack, and the rest are all 3's) will give me a good chance of victory. If I can take this position, the Rebels would seem to be finished.
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late September 1863 [/b]Dispatches indicate that by all accounts, the greatest battle of this Civil War, or indeed that of any war in human history, has just been fought in Central Virginia, as General Hooker’s attempt to take Petersburg unfolded. In the preliminary diversionary attacks, General Meade’s oversize corps engaged nearly 30,000 Confederates near Lynchburg, and took only slight casualties while tying up nearly 30,000 men of General Robert E. Lee’s Confederate forces before withdrawing. This successful tactical feint prevented these men from reinforcing the Confederate main body at Petersburg. General Hunter executed a similar tactical thrust at Richmond, where he again engaged the Confederates on the outskirts of the Rebel capital, tying up another 30,000 men of General Lovell before withdrawing. Tragically, General Hunter was severely wounded in an ambush by Confederate bushwhackers while withdrawing his forces in an orderly fashion. Due to his wounds, General Hunter will need to recover at home, and is unlikely to rejoin his command until early next summer. General Jesse Reno has been dispatched from the Army of the Potomac to assume command of these forces while Hunter is convalescing.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the main action, General Hooker’s 125,000 man Army of the Potomac launched a general attack against the main Confederate works on September 17th. To his surprise, the Rebels were far more numerous than his campaign plans had anticipated, numbering nearly 120,000 men, even without the additional 60,000 men who could have reinforced them had they not been occupied with Federal diversionary thrusts elsewhere. During the battles, which raged for seven days, Federal troops inflicted massive casualties on the Confederates, killing or wounding nearly 35,000 Confederates and capturing or destroying 160 Rebel guns. This was done at a loss of only 21,000 Union casualties. Although this is a staggering number, solace can be taken in the much greater damage inflicted by General Hooker on our foes. During this battles, known in the Army as the Seven Day’s Battles, Hooker and his corps commanders performed admirably. However, when it became apparent that the Confederates were far more numerous than first anticipated, he skillfully disengaged the Army of the Potomac, returning to Camp Sumner to lick his wounds and plan his next moves. The Confederates remained in control of the extensive fortifications and earthworks around Petersburg, but with nearly a third of their army as casualties, it is questionable as to whether they can replace their losses. Southern papers have proclaimed the Seven Day’s Battles as a strategic victory for the Confederacy, but observers grimly note that with the fearsome toll in casualties, the Rebel cause could well be crippled by any more such ‘victories’. After the battles, President Lincoln telegraphed General Hooker to inform him that he remains confident in his strategy and forces, and that in order to replace losses and press the Northern manpower advantage, a draft has been declared in the North, requiring more able bodied men to report to induction stations and enter Federal service.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the West, General Sherman’s attack into Georgia was a stunning success. His Army of the Tennessee engaged the Rebel forces of Braxton Bragg near Dalton, Georgia, and once again, drove them convincingly from the area, forcing a retreat to points further south. In northeast Arkansas, the cavalry of Egbert Brown has driven Rebel forces from the region near Newport, AR, placing the entire eastern bank of the White River under Federal control. Finally, at sea, our naval forces report the sinking of the last Confederate pirate ship and the capture of its captain, meaning the sea lanes our entirely clear for uninterrupted commerce into Northern ports. Fleet Admiral DuPont was honored by a resolution of Congress for his service in defeating these Confederate scourges of the seas, and it is reported that the bulk of his ships are being recalled to take the battle into Confederate waters through both blockade duty and naval assaults.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In the main action, General Hooker’s 125,000 man Army of the Potomac launched a general attack against the main Confederate works on September 17th. To his surprise, the Rebels were far more numerous than his campaign plans had anticipated, numbering nearly 120,000 men, even without the additional 60,000 men who could have reinforced them had they not been occupied with Federal diversionary thrusts elsewhere. During the battles, which raged for seven days, Federal troops inflicted massive casualties on the Confederates, killing or wounding nearly 35,000 Confederates and capturing or destroying 160 Rebel guns. This was done at a loss of only 21,000 Union casualties. Although this is a staggering number, solace can be taken in the much greater damage inflicted by General Hooker on our foes. During this battles, known in the Army as the Seven Day’s Battles, Hooker and his corps commanders performed admirably. However, when it became apparent that the Confederates were far more numerous than first anticipated, he skillfully disengaged the Army of the Potomac, returning to Camp Sumner to lick his wounds and plan his next moves. The Confederates remained in control of the extensive fortifications and earthworks around Petersburg, but with nearly a third of their army as casualties, it is questionable as to whether they can replace their losses. Southern papers have proclaimed the Seven Day’s Battles as a strategic victory for the Confederacy, but observers grimly note that with the fearsome toll in casualties, the Rebel cause could well be crippled by any more such ‘victories’. After the battles, President Lincoln telegraphed General Hooker to inform him that he remains confident in his strategy and forces, and that in order to replace losses and press the Northern manpower advantage, a draft has been declared in the North, requiring more able bodied men to report to induction stations and enter Federal service.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In the West, General Sherman’s attack into Georgia was a stunning success. His Army of the Tennessee engaged the Rebel forces of Braxton Bragg near Dalton, Georgia, and once again, drove them convincingly from the area, forcing a retreat to points further south. In northeast Arkansas, the cavalry of Egbert Brown has driven Rebel forces from the region near Newport, AR, placing the entire eastern bank of the White River under Federal control. Finally, at sea, our naval forces report the sinking of the last Confederate pirate ship and the capture of its captain, meaning the sea lanes our entirely clear for uninterrupted commerce into Northern ports. Fleet Admiral DuPont was honored by a resolution of Congress for his service in defeating these Confederate scourges of the seas, and it is reported that the bulk of his ships are being recalled to take the battle into Confederate waters through both blockade duty and naval assaults.[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
Union Results, the Seven Days Battles near Petersburg
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
Confederate results, the Seven Day's Battles near Petersburg. Note how strong their forces remain -- nearly 200,000 Confederate troops in or around Petersburg. At the same time, the Rebel positions in the West have basically dissolved, and Grant and Sherman's armies are running amok through the Confederate heartland.
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early October 1863[/b] Once again, General Grant’s mighty Army of the Cumberland is on the move. This time, his forces act to drive the Rebels out of the northern parts of the states of Mississippi and Alabama. General Granger’s XXIV Corps follows the line of the Memphis and Mobile Railroad, clearing overrunning the region on both sides of the track and clearing the area of Confederates to a point well south of Tupelo. The main body of Grant’s Army, including the IV Corps of Lyon and the XVI Corps of Hurlbut, drive deeper to the south and scatter Rebel militia near Grenada, and take up a position from where they can threaten the Confederate citadel of Vicksburg. Finally, General Logan’s XXV Corps is ordered into northern Alabama, where they are to attack Confederate forces south of the Tennessee River near Decatur. As of yet, no word has reached our correspondents of the progress of General Logan’s column. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]General Sherman has established a forward field headquarters near Dalton, Georgia. Complaining that information published in papers by war correspondents has hampered his ability to advance on Atlanta this month by revealing too much of his plans, Sherman has ordered that all war correspondents and newspaper reporters be banned from his encampments. According to an unidentified officer on Sherman’s staff, the General was heard to remark that he ‘would like to shoot them all, but if I did, you can be assured that we would be receiving dispatches from Hell before breakfast’. As the last correspondents left camp, they noticed a prodigious amount of supplies being brought in at the Dalton railhead, indicating that the General was likely to renew his drive on Atlanta in the near future.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Further south, with the support of the ironclads of Admiral Porter, General Buell has renewed his attack on the Confederate city of New Orleans. This time, he has committed both the X Corps of General Parke, and the XVII Corps of General Reynolds to the assault. Buell is reportedly optimistic that with weakening Confederate resistance, and the threat of Grant to Vicksburg to the North, his small army will be able to overpower the Confederate defenders.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In the east, General Hooker unleashes the cavalry division of General George Armstrong Custer once again, who leads his men on a wild raid that strikes at Confederate supply depots in Petersburg, Norfolk, and Lynchburg. The raid is an unqualified success, destroying rail lines and valuable Rebel supplies and armaments throughout a 120 mile swath of southern Virginia. Following up on Custer’s success, the cavalry division of John Buford also strikes the same areas, producing similar results. As the raid commences, Hooker sends the bulk of his Army of the Potomac in a strike south to permanently cut the rail line running through Lynchburg to Richmond, leaving the Confederates with a dilemma. They can either come out of their Petersburg fortifications to fight in the open, where they will be at a disadvantage to the Federal forces, or they can remain in place, and see their forces in the East split in half.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]General Sherman has established a forward field headquarters near Dalton, Georgia. Complaining that information published in papers by war correspondents has hampered his ability to advance on Atlanta this month by revealing too much of his plans, Sherman has ordered that all war correspondents and newspaper reporters be banned from his encampments. According to an unidentified officer on Sherman’s staff, the General was heard to remark that he ‘would like to shoot them all, but if I did, you can be assured that we would be receiving dispatches from Hell before breakfast’. As the last correspondents left camp, they noticed a prodigious amount of supplies being brought in at the Dalton railhead, indicating that the General was likely to renew his drive on Atlanta in the near future.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Further south, with the support of the ironclads of Admiral Porter, General Buell has renewed his attack on the Confederate city of New Orleans. This time, he has committed both the X Corps of General Parke, and the XVII Corps of General Reynolds to the assault. Buell is reportedly optimistic that with weakening Confederate resistance, and the threat of Grant to Vicksburg to the North, his small army will be able to overpower the Confederate defenders.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In the east, General Hooker unleashes the cavalry division of General George Armstrong Custer once again, who leads his men on a wild raid that strikes at Confederate supply depots in Petersburg, Norfolk, and Lynchburg. The raid is an unqualified success, destroying rail lines and valuable Rebel supplies and armaments throughout a 120 mile swath of southern Virginia. Following up on Custer’s success, the cavalry division of John Buford also strikes the same areas, producing similar results. As the raid commences, Hooker sends the bulk of his Army of the Potomac in a strike south to permanently cut the rail line running through Lynchburg to Richmond, leaving the Confederates with a dilemma. They can either come out of their Petersburg fortifications to fight in the open, where they will be at a disadvantage to the Federal forces, or they can remain in place, and see their forces in the East split in half.[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late October 1863[/b] Word has trickled in of two setbacks in the Western theater. In northern Alabama, the push of General Logan’s XXV Corps towards Decatur has met with unexpected resistance, and was turned back short of its objective. Logan’s forces have returned to Mississippi, and await further instructions from General Grant. In New Orleans, General Buell’s Army of the Gulf has once again failed to seize the city. In a sharp engagement that hung in the balance for some time, Federal forces gained a foothold in the city, but at an inopportune moment, XVII Corps commander General John Reynolds sustained a wound from a rebel sharpshooter. In the ensuing command confusion, the Northern attack fell apart, and General Buell was compelled to once again withdraw across the river. It is becoming apparent to all that General Buell’s plans of assaulting the city from across the Mississippi are simply not likely to succeed, and a change in strategy, or perhaps even in commanders, is in order.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the East, a massive battle took place on the outskirts of Lynchburg. The Army of the Potomac, under the temporary command of V Corps commander Fitz John Porter, engaged a force of nearly 130,000 rebels in desperate fighting. General Hooker fell ill on the eve of the battle and had to return to Camp Sumner, leaving Porter to direct the action. Porter’s men fought magnificently and with great skill, despite being outnumbered by the Rebel forces by nearly 25,000 men. The veterans of the Army of the Potomac inflicted nearly 40,000 casualties on the Rebels, at a cost of only 15,000 to their own forces. Decimated by this fierce fighting, the exhausted Rebels eventually withdrew their forces, leaving Porter and his troops in command of the field. While all the North marvels at the strategic victory achieved here, there is increased wonderment as to where the Confederates continue to find such vast reserves of manpower to field such huge armies, given the devastation that our forces have wreaked upon the South and the almost total lack of supplies available to the Confederacy. Regardless, the actions of Porter and the Army of the Potomac have achieved an important strategic advantage, further isolating Rebel forces in Richmond and Petersburg, and positioning our troops where they can launch devastating raids and forays into North Carolina, an area as yet untouched by the conflict.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In the East, a massive battle took place on the outskirts of Lynchburg. The Army of the Potomac, under the temporary command of V Corps commander Fitz John Porter, engaged a force of nearly 130,000 rebels in desperate fighting. General Hooker fell ill on the eve of the battle and had to return to Camp Sumner, leaving Porter to direct the action. Porter’s men fought magnificently and with great skill, despite being outnumbered by the Rebel forces by nearly 25,000 men. The veterans of the Army of the Potomac inflicted nearly 40,000 casualties on the Rebels, at a cost of only 15,000 to their own forces. Decimated by this fierce fighting, the exhausted Rebels eventually withdrew their forces, leaving Porter and his troops in command of the field. While all the North marvels at the strategic victory achieved here, there is increased wonderment as to where the Confederates continue to find such vast reserves of manpower to field such huge armies, given the devastation that our forces have wreaked upon the South and the almost total lack of supplies available to the Confederacy. Regardless, the actions of Porter and the Army of the Potomac have achieved an important strategic advantage, further isolating Rebel forces in Richmond and Petersburg, and positioning our troops where they can launch devastating raids and forays into North Carolina, an area as yet untouched by the conflict.[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
The epic battle of Lynchburg
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early November 1863[/b] Reports are coming from Georgia that General Sherman has continued his advance on Atlanta, and that his Army of the Tennessee has overrun Rome, Georgia. Currently, his forces are reported to have reached the north shore of the Chattahoochee River, and are within striking distance of Atlanta. Readers should be aware that we are basing this report upon rumors and Confederate papers, as was mentioned last month, General Sherman has decided to ban all news correspondents from his camps, branding them as spies and traitors, or worse.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In Louisiana, it would appear that Federal forces have abandoned assaulting New Orleans from the south bank of the Mississippi, and most units have moved into garrison duty or occupational forces. The exception is the X Corps of General Parke, which advanced through the region of Lake Charles, LA, and linked up with Federal forces occupying the Texas shoreline, thus consolidating Union control of the Gulf Coast from the mouth of the Mississippi nearly to the Rio Grande.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In Central Mississippi, Grant has once again reassembled the disparate parts of the Army of the Cumberland, and appears to be intent on soon making the final drive to capture Vicksburg and the state capitol of Jackson as soon as weather and supplies make such a move possible.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]From Camp Sumner in Virginia, word comes of changes in the Union High Command. General Buell has been relieved of command after his failed efforts to take New Orleans. In his place, the illustrious General Fitz-John Porter, senior corps commander of the Army of the Potomac, has been promoted to command the new Army of the Gulf, which is said to be redeploying to northern Florida, in order to conduct an overland campaign to strike at the Confederate strongholds of Mobile and New Orleans. General Porter’s V Corps will now be commanded by General Governeur K. Warren. The places the current lineup of command in the Army of the Potomac as E.O.C. Ord commanding the I Corps, Winfield S. Hancock commanding the II Corps, Jesse Reno commanding the III Corps, Warren the V Corps, John Sedgwick the VI Corps, Oliver O. Howard the XI Corps, and George Sykes the XII Corps. The Army has shifted the bulk of its forces back to Camp Sumner near Appomattox, where it is receiving and infusion of badly needed replacements after suffering nearly 35,000 casualties in the last 2 months of brutal fighting. While this figure is high, General Hooker takes solace in both his strategic gains and the fact that his men have inflicted nearly 70,000 casualties on the Confederates in the same time period.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In Louisiana, it would appear that Federal forces have abandoned assaulting New Orleans from the south bank of the Mississippi, and most units have moved into garrison duty or occupational forces. The exception is the X Corps of General Parke, which advanced through the region of Lake Charles, LA, and linked up with Federal forces occupying the Texas shoreline, thus consolidating Union control of the Gulf Coast from the mouth of the Mississippi nearly to the Rio Grande.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In Central Mississippi, Grant has once again reassembled the disparate parts of the Army of the Cumberland, and appears to be intent on soon making the final drive to capture Vicksburg and the state capitol of Jackson as soon as weather and supplies make such a move possible.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]From Camp Sumner in Virginia, word comes of changes in the Union High Command. General Buell has been relieved of command after his failed efforts to take New Orleans. In his place, the illustrious General Fitz-John Porter, senior corps commander of the Army of the Potomac, has been promoted to command the new Army of the Gulf, which is said to be redeploying to northern Florida, in order to conduct an overland campaign to strike at the Confederate strongholds of Mobile and New Orleans. General Porter’s V Corps will now be commanded by General Governeur K. Warren. The places the current lineup of command in the Army of the Potomac as E.O.C. Ord commanding the I Corps, Winfield S. Hancock commanding the II Corps, Jesse Reno commanding the III Corps, Warren the V Corps, John Sedgwick the VI Corps, Oliver O. Howard the XI Corps, and George Sykes the XII Corps. The Army has shifted the bulk of its forces back to Camp Sumner near Appomattox, where it is receiving and infusion of badly needed replacements after suffering nearly 35,000 casualties in the last 2 months of brutal fighting. While this figure is high, General Hooker takes solace in both his strategic gains and the fact that his men have inflicted nearly 70,000 casualties on the Confederates in the same time period.[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late November 1863[/b] President Lincoln has proclaimed a national day of Thanksgiving and prayer for our nation, to be held the final Thursday of this month. This is in observance of the spectacular gains of our forces this month, as well as in remembrance of those who paid for those gains with their life and limb.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]Other than a desultory raid by some Rebel cavalry near Lynchburg that was easily repulsed by the Federal horsemen of Generals Custer and Buford, there is no military news of note as the quiet of late November snows descends across the battlefields of a shattered South.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]Other than a desultory raid by some Rebel cavalry near Lynchburg that was easily repulsed by the Federal horsemen of Generals Custer and Buford, there is no military news of note as the quiet of late November snows descends across the battlefields of a shattered South.[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early December 1863[/b] Early winter brings major developments in the deployment of Union forces. The Army of the Gulf, under the command of General Fitz-John Porter, has formed up in Tallahassee Florida. This army now consists of 3 corps, the veteran X Corps under General John Parke, the XVII Corps under General Henry Slocum (now recovered from his wounds), and the XXI Corps under the twice-wounded General J.K.F. Mansfield, who has also returned to duty. Supplementing this force is the cavalry division of General Albert Lee. General Porter looks to commence his campaign against Confederate strongholds in the Gulf as soon as weather and supplies allow.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In Virginia, General Hooker continues to rest and refit the Army of the Potomac, and probe the Confederate lines around Petersburg for a weakness. Warm, comfortable, and well fed in their winter quarters around Camp Sumner, the Army senses that time is on its side, as the Confederates in the works around Richmond and Petersburg are reportedly without proper winter clothing and on short rations. The Confederate supply situation is made worse by a raid of the three cavalry divisions of Generals Buford, Custer, and Merritt against Greensboro, N.C., where large amounts of supplies were captured and railroad tracks torn up for miles.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the West, Grant’s Army of the Cumberland continues to rest and refit in the vicinity of Grenada for a likely Vicksburg campaign. Across the river in Arkansas, General Mahlon Manson, finally resupplied and reinforced, has moved his independent corps to the banks of the Red River in Minden, LA, with the goal of effecting the capture of Shreveport, cutting the final link of the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy with Texas and the Far West.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]Rumors abound that General Sherman’s Army of the Tennessee has crossed the Chattahoochie and is closing in on Atlanta. As the General has banned all correspondents from traveling with his army, his whereabouts since he left Chattanooga several months ago remain conjecture. When asked about his eccentric but aggressive commander and his army, President Lincoln replied ‘I know what hole he went in, but I do not know where he might come out’. The President went on to express supreme confidence in the strategy of Sherman and the ability of his fighting men.
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In Virginia, General Hooker continues to rest and refit the Army of the Potomac, and probe the Confederate lines around Petersburg for a weakness. Warm, comfortable, and well fed in their winter quarters around Camp Sumner, the Army senses that time is on its side, as the Confederates in the works around Richmond and Petersburg are reportedly without proper winter clothing and on short rations. The Confederate supply situation is made worse by a raid of the three cavalry divisions of Generals Buford, Custer, and Merritt against Greensboro, N.C., where large amounts of supplies were captured and railroad tracks torn up for miles.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In the West, Grant’s Army of the Cumberland continues to rest and refit in the vicinity of Grenada for a likely Vicksburg campaign. Across the river in Arkansas, General Mahlon Manson, finally resupplied and reinforced, has moved his independent corps to the banks of the Red River in Minden, LA, with the goal of effecting the capture of Shreveport, cutting the final link of the Trans-Mississippi Confederacy with Texas and the Far West.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]Rumors abound that General Sherman’s Army of the Tennessee has crossed the Chattahoochie and is closing in on Atlanta. As the General has banned all correspondents from traveling with his army, his whereabouts since he left Chattanooga several months ago remain conjecture. When asked about his eccentric but aggressive commander and his army, President Lincoln replied ‘I know what hole he went in, but I do not know where he might come out’. The President went on to express supreme confidence in the strategy of Sherman and the ability of his fighting men.
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Late December 1863[/b] Early on Christmas morning, December 25th, President Lincoln received the following telegram, “Dear Mr. President. The Army of the Cumberland and I am pleased to present you with a Christmas present of the city of Atlanta, fairly won from our foes. Yours sincerely, Lt. General William T. Sherman’. At the news of the capture of Atlanta, the normally somber mood of the Lincoln White House was instantly transformed into a joyous celebration of both Sherman’s triumph and the season of Our Savior’s birth. After three months of no solid news of the whereabouts of Sherman and his army, they turned up in triumph at a spot where many had assumed they were headed. Early word from Atlanta is that General Mansfield Lovell’s Confederate defenders retreated to the south and west, with some scattering as far as the Alabama border.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]As this year of battle ends on a triumphant note, our readers can reflect upon how far our forces have come during the past twelve months. On every front, substantial progress has been made, and huge swaths of enemy territory are now restored to Union control. The Southern armies, while not yet defeated, appear to be shells of their former selves, with the exception of the Army of Northern Virginia, grimly fighting on in the works around Richmond and Petersburg. The seas have been completely cleared of the scourge of Confederate pirates and high seas raiders, and commerce has returned to normal. The mighty Ohio River has been reopened to commerce, and the Mississippi penetrated almost to Vicksburg. Most of the Trans-Mississippi west is under Federal control, and a large new Union Army is poised to strike from Florida to the Confederate heartland in Alabama. While our fondest hopes were that the conflict would be concluded by now, as we have reached the third Christmas of the War, it is clear that
[font="times new roman"] [/font]As this year of battle ends on a triumphant note, our readers can reflect upon how far our forces have come during the past twelve months. On every front, substantial progress has been made, and huge swaths of enemy territory are now restored to Union control. The Southern armies, while not yet defeated, appear to be shells of their former selves, with the exception of the Army of Northern Virginia, grimly fighting on in the works around Richmond and Petersburg. The seas have been completely cleared of the scourge of Confederate pirates and high seas raiders, and commerce has returned to normal. The mighty Ohio River has been reopened to commerce, and the Mississippi penetrated almost to Vicksburg. Most of the Trans-Mississippi west is under Federal control, and a large new Union Army is poised to strike from Florida to the Confederate heartland in Alabama. While our fondest hopes were that the conflict would be concluded by now, as we have reached the third Christmas of the War, it is clear that
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
The situation in the Trans-Mississippi and near Vicksburg, January 1 1864
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
Sherman's Army of the Tennessee in Atlanta, and Porter's Army of the Gulf in Tallahassee are poised to strike in January 1864
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
Hooker's vice closes around the Rebel Capital, January 1864
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
The strategic situation, January 1 1864
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early January 1864[/b] A deep, freezing cold has settled in over most parts of the nation. As a result, Federal forces are largely inactive in their camps this winter. As opposed to past years, the casualties due to frostbite and camp diseases are minimal, thanks to improved sanitary and medical conditions. A large portion of the credit for this advance must be given to a Mrs. Clara Barton, and a new organization she has founded to provide for medical care of our soldiers, the American Red Cross. Mrs. Barton’s work has been so substantial, and represents such a great improvement over previous unhealthy conditions, that she has been invited to the White House later this month to dine with President and Mrs. Lincoln, in order to share her experiences and knowledge.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In Atlanta, General Sherman is reported to have set fire to the city, destroying warehouses, rail yards, rolling stock, and any item of value to military forces. Taking advantage of a respite in the foul weather, he has set the Army of the Tennessee in motion once again. The XIX Corps of General Buford is marching along the line of the Atlanta and Charleston railway, while the remainder of the army has moved further south towards Macon. Before leaving, Sherman was heard telling a staff officer, ‘War is hell. You cannot refine it. I am going to make Georgia howl.’[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In Atlanta, General Sherman is reported to have set fire to the city, destroying warehouses, rail yards, rolling stock, and any item of value to military forces. Taking advantage of a respite in the foul weather, he has set the Army of the Tennessee in motion once again. The XIX Corps of General Buford is marching along the line of the Atlanta and Charleston railway, while the remainder of the army has moved further south towards Macon. Before leaving, Sherman was heard telling a staff officer, ‘War is hell. You cannot refine it. I am going to make Georgia howl.’[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
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Harper’s Monthly, Late January 1864[/b] Reports from Confederate newspapers indicate that General Sherman’s advance in Atlanta has met with great success. Accounts of the battle of Macon, where Sherman defeated the Rebel army of Braxton Bragg, concentrate not on the defeat of Confederate forces and the capture of the town, but rather the wounding of XIII Corps Commander James McPherson. The vile Confederate press seems to feel the maiming of McPherson, who reportedly lost an arm to a Rebel sniper, somehow compensates for the loss of the battle. With such recalcitrant sentiments, it is not hard to foresee that the restoration of the Union will have to prosecuted with the utmost ferocity. Rebel newspapers also report that General Buford’s XIX Corps is making steady progress towards Charleston along the rail line, having already passed through Athens GA, scattering assorted Confederate militia and home guards along the way.
In Alabama, it is reported the Admiral Farragut steamed his massive fleet of monitors into Mobile Bay, determined to pound the Confederate fortresses there into submission in preparation for an advance by Porter’s Army of the Gulf. Ignoring the hazard presented by the infernal invention of the Confederacy, sea mines, Farragut is reported to have said, ‘Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!’. Farragut’s attack was a success, destroying nearly 50 Rebel heavy guns and severely damaging the fortresses guarding the great port.
In other news, we learn from the Western frontier that in the Dakotas, the native Indian tribes have risen up into rebellion, and have taken to massacring homesteaders, trappers, and isolated army detachments. The perfidy of the Indians in attacking helpless civilians while the bulk of the army is away fighting in the South will not go unpunished. From Camp Sumner in Virginia comes news that the aggressive cavalry General George Armstrong Custer has been granted leave from the Army of the Potomac to take command of US cavalry regulars on the frontier, and to pursue the marauding hostiles into the Dakotas and exact revenge. We can only expect General Custer to continue his record of military accomplishment by wiping out these savages to the last man.
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Harper’s Monthly, Late January 1864[/b] Reports from Confederate newspapers indicate that General Sherman’s advance in Atlanta has met with great success. Accounts of the battle of Macon, where Sherman defeated the Rebel army of Braxton Bragg, concentrate not on the defeat of Confederate forces and the capture of the town, but rather the wounding of XIII Corps Commander James McPherson. The vile Confederate press seems to feel the maiming of McPherson, who reportedly lost an arm to a Rebel sniper, somehow compensates for the loss of the battle. With such recalcitrant sentiments, it is not hard to foresee that the restoration of the Union will have to prosecuted with the utmost ferocity. Rebel newspapers also report that General Buford’s XIX Corps is making steady progress towards Charleston along the rail line, having already passed through Athens GA, scattering assorted Confederate militia and home guards along the way.
In Alabama, it is reported the Admiral Farragut steamed his massive fleet of monitors into Mobile Bay, determined to pound the Confederate fortresses there into submission in preparation for an advance by Porter’s Army of the Gulf. Ignoring the hazard presented by the infernal invention of the Confederacy, sea mines, Farragut is reported to have said, ‘Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!’. Farragut’s attack was a success, destroying nearly 50 Rebel heavy guns and severely damaging the fortresses guarding the great port.
In other news, we learn from the Western frontier that in the Dakotas, the native Indian tribes have risen up into rebellion, and have taken to massacring homesteaders, trappers, and isolated army detachments. The perfidy of the Indians in attacking helpless civilians while the bulk of the army is away fighting in the South will not go unpunished. From Camp Sumner in Virginia comes news that the aggressive cavalry General George Armstrong Custer has been granted leave from the Army of the Potomac to take command of US cavalry regulars on the frontier, and to pursue the marauding hostiles into the Dakotas and exact revenge. We can only expect General Custer to continue his record of military accomplishment by wiping out these savages to the last man.
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RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early February 1864[/b] The destruction of the Western Confederacy continues. In Mississippi, General Grant’s Army of the Cumberland overruns the state Capitol of Vicksburg, in a sharp fight where his forces disperse a hodgepodge of Confederate units and militia under George Crittenden and Albert Pike. Pike was wounded in the battle, and found in his possession was a manuscript for a comprehensive set of rituals for advanced degrees of Freemasonry. Noted Masonic experts in the Northern states are said to be eager to look at Pike’s work, allegedly based on extensive research he did during pre-war travels in Europe. In support of his move on Jackson, Grant sends his Cavalry Corps under David Stanley on a massive raid to destroy the critical rail junction of Meridian, Mississippi. The raid is highly successful, and the Federal troopers are reported to have returned north to replenish supplies and ammunition near Tupelo.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]General Porter’s Army of the Gulf got its campaign underway by overrunning and occupying the southwestern corner of Georgia, up to the Alabama border. As he prepares to drive towards Mobile, his headquarters is centered in the town of Decatur. Rumors from further north in Confederate papers have General Frederick Steele assuming command of the Army of the Tennessee’s XIII Corps, replacing the wounded General McPherson.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In the east, conditions were favorable for an advance by the Army of the Potomac on either Richmond or Petersburg, but General Hooker was satisfied to send Pleasonton’s cavalry corps on a destructive raid aimed at the Rebel rail depot near the village of Yellow Tavern, where they destroyed a prodigious amount of supplies, adding to the misery of the besieged Confederates in Richmond. With the departure of General Custer to the Dakotas, the Federal Cavalry in Lynchburg was reorganized into a corps under the leadership of General John Buford. In addition to this force, a new division of cavalry comprised entirely of United States Colored Troops was assembled under General James Wilson. Wilson’s men raided Greensboro, NC on their first mission, and the colored troopers destroyed supplies and mauled a regiment of Confederate regulars, proving that these freedmen can fight with their boots either on the ground or in the saddle.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]General Porter’s Army of the Gulf got its campaign underway by overrunning and occupying the southwestern corner of Georgia, up to the Alabama border. As he prepares to drive towards Mobile, his headquarters is centered in the town of Decatur. Rumors from further north in Confederate papers have General Frederick Steele assuming command of the Army of the Tennessee’s XIII Corps, replacing the wounded General McPherson.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]In the east, conditions were favorable for an advance by the Army of the Potomac on either Richmond or Petersburg, but General Hooker was satisfied to send Pleasonton’s cavalry corps on a destructive raid aimed at the Rebel rail depot near the village of Yellow Tavern, where they destroyed a prodigious amount of supplies, adding to the misery of the besieged Confederates in Richmond. With the departure of General Custer to the Dakotas, the Federal Cavalry in Lynchburg was reorganized into a corps under the leadership of General John Buford. In addition to this force, a new division of cavalry comprised entirely of United States Colored Troops was assembled under General James Wilson. Wilson’s men raided Greensboro, NC on their first mission, and the colored troopers destroyed supplies and mauled a regiment of Confederate regulars, proving that these freedmen can fight with their boots either on the ground or in the saddle.[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early March 1864[/b] Torrential downpours, turning the roads into a sea of mud and fields into quagmires, are the rule of the day on all the fronts of conflict. The only movement possible this month is by rail, and even that is difficult as many bridges and sections of track are washed out. The US Army Corps of Engineers is working diligently to repair the damage, and to corduroy roads for the coming spring campaign. Needless to say, with the huge amount of rainfall and exceedingly poor field conditions, we have no military news to report this month to our readers whatsoever. We can only hope that this late winter downpour will lead to an early spring of offensives that will delivers us victory.[/font]
RE: Glory Road -- A Union After Action Report
[font="times new roman"]Harper’s Monthly, Early April 1864[/b] With the coming of April, the colossal downpours that had prevented military operations last month have gone. The roads are firm and dry, and everywhere, the Armies of the North are on the March. In Mississippi, General Grant’s Army of the Cumberland has cornered rebel forces in Vicksburg, and he now has deployed his entire army for an assault on the Mississippi citadel. [/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In Georgia, both Sherman’s Army of the Tennessee and Porter’s Army of the Gulf are on the move. Napoleon Buford’s XIX Corps overruns central Georgia through Dublin, and advances as far south as the Ocmulgee river, where he hooks up with a detachment from Porter’s Army of the Gulf. Schofield’s XX Corps advances through Jenkins, Georgia, and ends its march on the outskirts of Savannah, with its left flank on the South Carolina border at the Savannah River. Tragedy strikes on the march as Schofield is accidentally struck by a teamster’s wagon, resulting in his left leg being crushed. The limb is amputated, but Schofield is too weakened to continue the march and is furloughed home to recover. General John J. Reynolds is directed by Sherman to assume command of the XX Corps during Schofield’s absence. Meanwhile, Sherman takes the his remaining two corps under Thomas and Steele, along with Sheridan’s cavalry and advances on the line of the Macon and Charleston railroad, driving Joe Wheeler’s Confederates before him. Sherman’s main body captures Augusta, and reports are that some cavalry scouts have already crossed the river into South Carolina, the cradle of secession itself. From Augusta, Sherman is poised to either strike east at Charleston, south at Savannah, or perhaps both at once. At the same time, the Army of the Gulf, with Slocum’s XVII Corps in the lead, advances further into Georgia, overrunning Albany, and occupying the key fords on the Chattahoochie leading to Alabama. At this point, it is fair to say that the Rebel state of Georgia has been almost completely subdued, and the heart of the Confederacy shattered. The Rebel states are now confined to two separated regions, one consisting of an ever smaller chunk of Mississippi and Alabama, and the other being the southern part of Virginia along with the Carolinas.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In central Virginia, General Hooker’s Army of the Potomac broke camp and took the now familiar roads south, towards Lynchburg, then pivoted east and quickly seized an entire swath of southern Virginia along the North Carolina border, centered around the town of Brunswick. By taking Brunswick, Hooker has cut the last remaining rail line supplying reinforcements, ammunition, and victuals to the Confederate defenders of Petersburg and Richmond. Unless these surrounded forces manage to break out of Hooker’s iron ring, it can only be a matter of time before they are forced to surrender. To support this operation, Hooker ordered massive cavalry raids against Confederate supply depots in Richmond, and other forays into Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina, to rip up railroad tracks and destroy locomotives and rolling stock.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]On all fronts, the furor of the mighty Northern war machine is being felt by a Confederacy that appears to be on its last legs. May the Good Lord in his divine wisdom soon grant us final victory in this conflict, and a reunification of our nation.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In Georgia, both Sherman’s Army of the Tennessee and Porter’s Army of the Gulf are on the move. Napoleon Buford’s XIX Corps overruns central Georgia through Dublin, and advances as far south as the Ocmulgee river, where he hooks up with a detachment from Porter’s Army of the Gulf. Schofield’s XX Corps advances through Jenkins, Georgia, and ends its march on the outskirts of Savannah, with its left flank on the South Carolina border at the Savannah River. Tragedy strikes on the march as Schofield is accidentally struck by a teamster’s wagon, resulting in his left leg being crushed. The limb is amputated, but Schofield is too weakened to continue the march and is furloughed home to recover. General John J. Reynolds is directed by Sherman to assume command of the XX Corps during Schofield’s absence. Meanwhile, Sherman takes the his remaining two corps under Thomas and Steele, along with Sheridan’s cavalry and advances on the line of the Macon and Charleston railroad, driving Joe Wheeler’s Confederates before him. Sherman’s main body captures Augusta, and reports are that some cavalry scouts have already crossed the river into South Carolina, the cradle of secession itself. From Augusta, Sherman is poised to either strike east at Charleston, south at Savannah, or perhaps both at once. At the same time, the Army of the Gulf, with Slocum’s XVII Corps in the lead, advances further into Georgia, overrunning Albany, and occupying the key fords on the Chattahoochie leading to Alabama. At this point, it is fair to say that the Rebel state of Georgia has been almost completely subdued, and the heart of the Confederacy shattered. The Rebel states are now confined to two separated regions, one consisting of an ever smaller chunk of Mississippi and Alabama, and the other being the southern part of Virginia along with the Carolinas.[/font]
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[font="times new roman"]In central Virginia, General Hooker’s Army of the Potomac broke camp and took the now familiar roads south, towards Lynchburg, then pivoted east and quickly seized an entire swath of southern Virginia along the North Carolina border, centered around the town of Brunswick. By taking Brunswick, Hooker has cut the last remaining rail line supplying reinforcements, ammunition, and victuals to the Confederate defenders of Petersburg and Richmond. Unless these surrounded forces manage to break out of Hooker’s iron ring, it can only be a matter of time before they are forced to surrender. To support this operation, Hooker ordered massive cavalry raids against Confederate supply depots in Richmond, and other forays into Greensboro and Raleigh, North Carolina, to rip up railroad tracks and destroy locomotives and rolling stock.[/font]
[font="times new roman"] [/font]
[font="times new roman"]On all fronts, the furor of the mighty Northern war machine is being felt by a Confederacy that appears to be on its last legs. May the Good Lord in his divine wisdom soon grant us final victory in this conflict, and a reunification of our nation.[/font]