Classic Fond 5/ClassicFond05_nopass.iso/STRATEGI/CIVILWAR.RAR/DBDATA/HIST1863.ENG

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~HThe American Civil War
1863 - 1865~

~sJan. 9 - 13th 1863~
~b ARKANSAS POST, Arkansas~~#
The new year opened in the western theater with river
operations on the Arkansas River, near its junction with
the Mississippi.

The immediate objective was Arkansas Post, a Confederate
stronghold. With a flotilla which included seven gunboats under
Admiral Porter, the expedition set out from Milliken's
Bend on the Mississippi, north of Vicksburg, on January 5th.
Branching off into the Arkansas River, the expedition followed
the waterway 50 miles into Arkansas, reaching Arkansas Post
on the 9th.

General McClernand's force captured the 5,000-strong garrison,
incurring 1,061 Union casualties.

McClernand then planned to move on up the Arkansas River to
Little Rock, but @Grant@, then commander in the west, recalled
him south to take part in the Vicksburg campaign.

~sJanuary 20th - 24th 1863~
~bTHE MUD MARCH, Virginia~~#
On January 20th, seeking to retrieve his reputation,
@Burnside@ sent his Army of the Potomac up the
Rappahannock River to find a crossing and come in
behind @Lee@'s rear.

Heavy rain made the roads treacherous. By the 24th
Burnside abandoned the attempt and the army retired
back to its Falmouth winter quarters.

The next day, Burnside was replaced by @Hooker@,
who quickly rebuilt morale by providing proper food,
clothing and shelter.

~sMay 1st - 4th 1863~
~bBATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE, Virginia~~#
With the advent of spring, @Hooker@ decided that, like
@Burnside@ in January, he would try to move up the
Rappahannock, cross it and find @Lee@'s flank.
On April 28th the Army of the Potomac set off.

A force of 40,000 was ordered to secure Fredericksburg, while the
rest of Hooker's army located Lee's main force. Lee told his
10,000-strong garrison at Fredericksburg to tie up the Union troops
for as long as possible, while the main conflict was fought out.

After some maneuvering, the bulk of the Armies of the Potomac
and of Northern Virginia confronted each other at a rural crossroads,
called Chancellorsville.

@Lee@'s army was vastly outnumbered. By the time the
forces were disposed for battle, 50,000 or so Confederates
were ranged against about 75,000 Union troops.

@Hooker@, inexplicably assuming a defensive position, paused to
dig in on May 1st.  The next day, @Lee@ boldly split his forces. He
sent @Jackson@, with over half the Confederates' strength, to
turn @Hooker@'s right flank.  @Hooker@ believed @Jackson@ was
retreating, but instead he fell on the Union corps, which broke and fled.
That night, @Jackson@, scouting between the lines, was wounded
by one of his own pickets.  His arm was amputated, and he was to
die a week later, after pneumonia had set in.

On May 3rd, the rest of the Army of the Potomac advanced from
@Fredericksburg@, but too late to rescue @Hooker@. @Lee@
split his forces again, leaving about 25,000 to continue battering
Hooker's main position, while turning 20,000 troops to engage
the advancing Union forces.  Lee's audacity succeeded.  By the
evening of the 5th, both sections of the Army of the Potomac
had conceded defeat and retreated back across the Rappahannock
River.

Outnumbered by about two to one in all, @Lee@'s success was
impressive, especially since Confederate casualties were
12,800 to the Union's 17,200.  But Lee had lost a much higher
proportion of his fighting force. And the death of "Stonewall"
@Jackson@ made the price even heavier.

~sApril 1863~
~b RUNNING THE VICKSBURG GUNS, Mississippi~~#
The commander in the west, @Grant@, had already made
five attempts to take Vicksburg, a key fortress city on
the Mississippi River. Its 25,000-strong garrison, with
its heavy guns and miles of fortifications, was blocking
Union attempts to control the river. After months of
attempting different approaches, @Grant@ embarked
on an audacious campaign. It opened with one of the
war's greatest amphibious exploits.

On April 16th and 22nd, Union ships ran downriver in full
range of Vicksburg's guns, which were mounted high on the
bluffs of the Mississippi's eastern bank.

Safely through to the south, the fleet, commanded with such
panache by Admiral David Porter, then ferried Grant's
army across to the east bank, beginning on April 29th.

On May 1st, inland at Port Gibson, just east of the Mississippi,
8,000 Confederates failed to block Grant's 24,000-strong
advanced guard.

On May 7th, General @Sherman@ crossed the Mississippi
with his corps, bringing Grant's strength to 41,000.

Grant, with his subordinate generals Sherman, McClernand
and McPherson, now pressed forward in a series of moves
designed to cut Vicksburg off. By adroit maneuvering, they
would divide two Confederate armies standing ready to defend
Vicksburg.

~sMay 14th 1863~
~bJACKSON, Mississippi~~#
The two Union corps of Sherman and McPherson drove towards
the Mississippi capital, Jackson, Confederate General
@Joe Johnston@ arrived from Tennessee, to oversee its defense.

With only 6,000 men, he judged it too late to defend Jackson,
and prepared for immediate evacuation. The next day, the 14th,
the Federal corps reached the capital, just as the Confederates
were withdrawing.

Jackson, with its vital rail link supplying Vicksburg, was now
in Union hands.

~sMay 16th 1863~
~b CHAMPION'S HILL, Mississippi~~#
Champion's Hill, between Jackson and Vicksburg, saw a major
clash between @Grant@'s 29,000 and Lieutenant General John
@Pemberton@'s 22,000 Confederates. Pemberton lost 3,850
casualties to Grant's 2,441. One Confederate division was cut
off and forced to leave the field. @Sherman@ then overwhelmed
the rearguard which Pemberton had left to cover his retreat to
Vicksburg, inflicting another 1,700 casualties.

~sMay 17th 1863~
~b BIG BLACK RIVER, Mississippi~~#
As the Federals pushed towards Vicksburg, @Pemberton@
attempted a delaying stand against @Grant@ at Big Black River.
When the Union attack was underway, the Confederates beat
a retreat across the railway bridge, burning it behind them.

While @Grant@ waited to cross, @Pemberton@ reached
Vicksburg. There he rejoined two divisions which had
been preparing to defend Vicksburg.

~sMay 19th~
~b SIEGE OF VICKSBURG STARTS~~#

@View Vicksburg Campaign Map@

@Grant@ faced nine miles of defenses, now manned by
up to 30,000 Confederates, commanded by @Pemberton@.
Grant launched an unsuccessful attack on the 19th, and
another on the 22nd. Having lost 3,200 casualties to the
Confederates' 500 during the second attack, Grant's
troops settled down to a siege. During the next six weeks
Grant's Army of the Tennessee swelled to almost 75,000,
while the Confederate defenders watched the enemy camps,
and starved.


~sJune 1863~
~b THE EASTERN THEATRE~~#
By the late spring of 1863 the Confederacy's military situation
was deteriorating swiftly. Jefferson @Davis@ decided that
it was time to gamble.

@Lee@ would take the battle deep into Union territory. He would
invade Pennsylvania, via Maryland.  Such an offensive might
weaken @Lincoln@'s resolve, and encourage the North's growing
"peace party" to clamor for an armistice.

The bulk of Lee's Army of Northern Virginia left Fredericksburg,
Virginia, secretly on June 3rd and marched for the Shenandoah
Valley. @Hooker@, commanding the Army of the Potomac at
Falmouth, eventually realized that Lee was no longer on the
other side of the Rappahannock River, blocking the way to
the southern capital. @Hooker@ saw an opportunity to push
swiftly south and take Richmond. However, Lincoln, wary of
exposing Washington, insisted that the Army of the Potomac
turn north and remain in contact with Lee.

~sJune 9th~
~bBRANDY STATION, Virginia~~#
@Lee@'s army, moving north-west, was screened by
J.E.B. @Stuart@'s cavalry.  On June 9th, the cavalry
was camped at Brandy Station, on the Orange to
Manassas-Alexandria railroad.

In the biggest mounted battle of the war, General Alfred
Pleasonton's 8,000 Union cavalry surprised Stuart's 10,000.

Recovering quickly, Stuart fought back. A fierce battle
raged between the saber-wielding troopers throughout the
day. Most remained mounted, and, said one eyewitness, few
used firearms. It was an extraordinary surging, whirling conflict.

The Army of the Potomac's cavalry, often a source of
derision, had proved itself. Pleasonton, unsupported,
withdrew only when Lee's infantry began arriving. The
Federals suffered 936 casualties to the Confederates' 536.

~bJune 12th - 13th~
~bHOOKER TURNS NORTH~~#
The Army of Northern Virginia, with the corps of Lieutenant
General Richard Ewell in the vanguard, continued to move
through the Blue Ridge Mountains, making for the Potomac
fords around Winchester.

With the direction of Lee's movement becoming clearer,
pressure grew on @Hooker@ to abandon quarters at Falmouth,
north of the Rappahanock, and begin the pursuit in earnest.

Balked of a swift march to Richmond, which he thought
would lead to the fall of the South's capital, Hooker was forced
to launch the Army of the Potomac in a northerly direction, aiming
to keep between Lee and Washington.

~sJune 14th - 15th~
~bWINCHESTER II, Virginia~~#
Major General Milroy, the Union commander in the north of
the Shenandoah Valley, had left it too late to obey his orders
to withdraw as @Lee@ approached.

Cut off and pursued by Ewell's corps, Milroy lost 3,358
captured and another 1,000 killed and wounded, besides
all his artillery and supplies. Ewell's casualties
were only 269.

The Potomac fords around Winchester were now clear
for the Confederates to cross into Maryland.

~sJune 20th - 27th 1863~
~bLEE IN MARYLAND~~#
As the Army of Northern Virginia streamed into Maryland,
@Lee@ made the mistake of detaching his cavalry under
@Stuart@. The cavalry had been a good screen covering Lee's
movements; now it was to be used as a diversion, hopefully
distracting @Hooker@ from Lee's imminent occupation
of Pennsylvania, further north.

Stuart's cavalry set off, aiming to loop around the main Union
army and ride eastwards of it, up into Pennsylvania.
On the way, Washington and Baltimore would seem to be
threatened, and Hooker, assuming Lee to be in contact
with his cavalry, would be misled as to his whereabouts.
Then Stuart would rejoin Lee in Pennsylvania.

But the plan left Lee not only without a cavalry screen to
cover his own moves, but also without sufficient patrols
to keep an eye on Hooker. Also, Stuart found the main
Union army more widely dispersed than expected, and
the diversionary ride took ten days. The lack of intelligence
in the meantime would ultimately be disastrous for Lee.

Lee also faced a new and formidable opponent, when
Hooker, frustrated by continual clashes with @Lincoln@,
handed over command of the Army of the Potomac to
Major General George @Meade@.

~bJune 28th 1863~
~b LEE IN PENNSYLVANIA~~#
@Lee@, now in Pennsylvania, learned that the Army of the Potomac
was at Frederick, Maryland, much closer than he had realized.
Lulled by a false sense of security, his own army was dispersed
through central south Pennsylvania, in an area between Carlisle,
York and Chambersburg, with South Mountain squarely in the
middle. They were gathering supplies for the next stage of the
campaign. There was still no sign of @Stuart@'s cavalry.

Fearing that the Federals would fall on his scattered divisions
without warning, @Lee@ ordered them to concentrate initially at
the small town of ~bGettysburg~, south of the mountain. But,
so Lee's plan went, actual battle would be joined at the more easily
defended Cashtown, nearby.  In the meantime, Gettysburg, where
the roads from Harrisburg, York and the South Mountains converged,
was the immediate destination.

But other roads also led directly to Gettysburg.  And one of these
came from Frederick, where the Army of the Potomac was camped.

@Meade@ was of similar mind to Lee. He also sent his army in the
direction of Gettysburg, although he also  planned to engage
@Lee@ at a more defensible location 15 miles away, at Pipe Creek.

And so portions from both armies blundered into each other
around ~bGettysburg~, and both sent out calls for help.

~sJuly 1st - 3rd~
~b BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG, Pennsylvania~~#

@View Map Gettysburg@

@Meade@'s advanced guard reached ~bGettysburg~ on June
30th. It was an incomplete cavalry division of about 2,000 men,
with two batteries, commanded by General John Buford. Besides
screening the main force, Buford was scouting for the exact
location of @Lee@'s army.

Shortly afterwards a Confederate brigade appeared, seeking
footwear in the town. Buford, alert to Gettysburg's importance
as a road junction, dug in and sent for reinforcements, while
the Confederates retired.

He posted his men, dismounted, on Seminary Ridge, and waited
for Major General John @Reynolds@' two infantry corps to arrive.

The Confederates, led by General Ambrose @Hill@'s vanguard
approached again next morning, on July 1st. They formed a
battle line and opened fire.  Buford held on, with Reynolds' force
arriving just in time. But within an hour, Reynolds himself
was killed. His men continued to hold the Ridge until General
Ewell's Confederates arrived. Deploying on Hill's left,
Ewell's men threatened to surround the Union's right.  It fell
back.

Hill now advanced to take Seminary Ridge, and Ewell
pushed through Gettysburg itself, reaching the southern edges.
Five hundred yards further on was a cemetery on a hill,
where Union columns were arriving. Here, on Cemetery
Ridge, General Winfield Hancock, who had arrived to take
the unfortunate Reynolds' place, ordered the Union troops
to entrench. He sited his guns, and sent a message to
@Meade@ urging him to send up the entire force. By now,
about 22,000 troops were engaged on each side.

Meade and most of his column had arrived by dawn on the 2nd.
On the Confederate side, Hill still commanded Seminary Ridge,
stretching southward, and the northern part of it almost opposite
the Union's Cemetery Ridge.  Ewell was on Hill's left, bounding the
south side of the town and swinging round towards Culp's Hill, east
of the cemetery.

To complete the dispositions, Lee ordered General James
@Longstreet@ to move stealthily to Hill's right at dawn,
and past the southern end of the Union's Cemetery Ridge.
There he was to seize the hill Little Round Top, which lay close
to the Ridge.  From here, Confederate guns would be able to
sweep the Union line. But Longstreet delayed until the afternoon.
When he charged the hill, it was already held by the Union,
and Longstreet was repulsed.

However, Longstreet delivered a severe attack against General
Daniel Sickles' corps, which lay before Cemetery Ridge itself.
Meade threw in division after division to hold Longstreet
off the Ridge.

Later, Ewell attacked Meade's right, pushing against Culp's Hill
and also threatening his rear. Ewell's advance halted only with
nightfall.

Throughout July 2nd, Meade's left and right flanks had been
assailed. His center prepared to receive the brunt of the
next day's fighting.

On July 3rd, in the morning, the Union lines around Culp's Hill
held, despite heavy attacks. The afternoon opened with a long
artillery duel, begun by the Confederates.  Not only were
they trying to weaken the entrenchments along Cemetery Ridge,
but they were also making the Federals use most of their
ammunition. The duel stopped when Union ammunition was
running low.

The Confederates then prepared to storm the Union's center,
midway down the Ridge. Major General George @Pickett@,
with a division of 5,400 men, was to advance on Cemetery
Ridge, a mile away. He would be supported by 10,000
men from @Hill@'s corps. @Stuart@'s cavalry would
follow up, once the Union troops had begun falling back.

After a quarter of a mile, the Union's guns re-opened fire,
cutting swathes in the advancing column. As the Confederates
neared the Union lines, the guns fell silent. Ranks of Union
infantry moved out and poured deadly fire into the Confederates.
But they kept advancing through the blaze, until they reached
the firing infantry and drove them back beyond their guns.
A new Union line moved forward to check the Confederates
advance.  After holding on for about 20 minutes, the assaulting
troops were flanked by new regiments, and the attack broke up.
The survivors of that perilous advance were either driven back
or captured.

Lee's army was shattered, and he waited for a counter-attack
which might become the coup de grace for the Army of
Northern Virginia.

But the blow didn't fall.  Meade's army was also exhausted.
There was little action on the following day, July 4th.  On
July 5th, Lee withdrew to the south.  Meade let him go.

Of 95,000 Union combatants, 23,000 were casualties.
Out of 75,000 Confederate soldiers, 28,000 were killed,
wounded or captured.

A further blow awaited the Confederacy, this time in
the western theater.

~sJuly 4th 1863~
~bVICKSBURG SURRENDERS, Mississippi~~#
After six weeks, @Pemberton@, with half of his original
30,000 garrison dead, wounded or sick, and with thousands of
civilians also suffering, accepted @Grant@'s terms of surrender.

~sJuly 9th 1863 PORT HUDSON SURRENDERS, Mississippi~
Further down the Mississippi, Port Hudson had been besieged by five
Federal divisions under @Banks@, and defended by 17,000
Confederates under Gardiner. Assaults on May 27th and June
14th had been repulsed, but with no hope of relief the
garrison finally surrendered on July 9th.

Now the whole of the Mississippi was under Union control.
The next phase would be to drive inland from the river and through
the Cumberland Gap, near the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The
goal would then be the important road, rail and river center at
Chattanooga, on the Tennessee River.

~sJune - August 1863~
~bCHATTANOOGA CAMPAIGN~~#
In June 1863, the Union General @Rosecrans@ began a series of
maneuvers that forced the Confederates under General @Bragg@
back through Cumberland towards Chattanooga.

In August he divided his army, sending various corps through
different passes, heading south into the mountains to try to
get onto @Bragg@'s flank and come into the city's rear.

On September 4th Federal forces under @Burnside@ occupied
Knoxville and the Confederate garrison in the Cumberland Gap
was captured.

Abandoning Chattanooga, @Bragg@ fell back into Georgia.
His plan was to defeat the Federal corps, one by one, as they
emerged from the mountains.

~sSeptember 10 - 20th~
~bBATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA, Georgia~~#

After taking Chattanooga, @Rosecrans@ moved out against
@Bragg@'s Confederates. However, Bragg, now reinforced,
awaited the Federals at Chickamauga Creek, twelve miles
south-west of Chattanooga.

On September 10th, Bragg struck at @Thomas@'s corps,
but this attack failed, as did another attack against XXI corps.

Concentrating all his forces, Bragg's Army of the West
struck at Chickamauga on September 19th, cutting the
Federal forces off from the river, and so from their water supply.

The next day, on the 20th, the Confederates pressed their attacks
home, succeeding everywhere except on the right.  Rosecrans's
army was in retreat by nightfall.

The Confederates suffered 12,000 casualties, while the Union
lost 16,351 men and 36 guns.

Federal losses would have been worse, had Bragg followed
up more swiftly. Rosecrans was able to reach Chattanooga,
re-order his forces, and establish a good defensive position.

Bragg finally followed Rosecrans to Chattanooga and,
securing the high ground around the town, settled down to a siege.

~sOctober 1863~
~bGRANT AT CHATTANOOGA~~#
@Rosecrans@ was relieved of his command, and replaced by Major
General George @Thomas@. @Hooker@ arrived at nearby
Bridgeport with two corps from the Army of the Potomac, ready
to aid the besieged Army of the Cumberland. @Grant@, now head of
the new Military Division of the Mississippi, arrived in the area to
oversee the lifting of the siege. He re-opened communications
with Chattanooga, securing a supply line for the beleaguered
army. Hooker's force moved closer to Chattanooga, digging in
just beyond Bragg's entrenched Army of the West. The Federals
now prepared to hold on until @Sherman@'s four divisions of
some 20,000 had arrived, when the break-out would begin.

~sSept. 5th 1863~
~bCHARLESTON HARBOR, South Carolina~~#
Union attempts at securing Charleston Harbor had so far failed.
Two attacks in July by sea-borne troops been repelled, with total losses
of about 1,000 on both sides.

On September 5th, however, after a heavy bombardment
from the sea, Fort Wagner was abandoned and Morris Island
was taken by the Union.

But Charleston's Fort Sumter continued to hold out. Earlier
in the year, in April, a Union fleet of nine ironclads had
attacked the fort, without success.~#

~sNov. 23rd - 27th~
~bBATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA, Tennessee~~#

With @Sherman@'s force still arriving, @Grant@ resolved to
engage the Confederates without further delay. He feared that
@Bragg@ was about to withdraw of his own accord, in order
to reinforce the besieging Confederate divisions at Knoxville, in
eastern Tennessee.  There, Federal troops under @Burnside@ were
already under pressure.

So, with some 80,000 troops, Grant prepared to begin
a break-out battle which would not only raise the siege of
Chattanooga, but also maul Bragg's 64-strong Army of the
West.

Union troops made their first move on November 23rd, when, in
a surprise attack, two divisions overran the forward Confederate line
at Orchard Knob, which lay below the formidable high ground of
Missionary Ridge.

Next day, on the 24th, @Sherman@ made initial attempts on the
Ridge itself. Meanwhile, the Confederate high ground on Lookout
Mountain, across the valley from Missionary Ridge, was being
challenged by @Hooker@. His three divisions advanced high up the
mountain, disappearing into the mist to fight the "Battle of
the Clouds".  By evening, the Confederates were withdrawing from
the mountain and across the valley to Missionary Ridge.

The following day, @Sherman@'s men repeatedly attacked the northern
end of Missionary Ridge, while @Hooker@'s force gradually made its
way across the valley, aiming to attack the southern portion.  But the
delay was giving the Confederate troops, evacuated from Lookout
Mountain, time to consolidate and reinforce their comrades on
Missionary Ridge.  And time was of the essence.

Consequently, four divisions from the Army of the Cumberland were
sent across fire-swept open ground to seize the rifle line along the
base of the Missionary Ridge, in the Confederate center.
Having taken the first line, the survivors continued on up the side
of the ridge, breaking through the second line and reaching the crest.
The Confederate center was shattered, and Bragg's army was driven
away in disorder.

The next two days, November 26th and 27th, saw rearguard action as
Union troops harried Bragg's flight south into Georgia.

Confederate casualties were 361 killed, 2,160 wounded, and 4,000
taken prisoner. The Confederates also lost 40 guns, and, extraordinarily,
7,000 rifles. Union casualties were 753 killed, 4,722 wounded and 349
missing. It was a clear victory, but the toll was heavy.

The Union's success at Chattanooga was to prove important.  During the
following spring, Chattanooga would become the base for the Union's
invasion of the Confederate heartland.

~sNovember 29th~
~bKNOXVILLE, Tennessee~~#
At Knoxville, north-east of Chattanooga, @Longstreet@ launched
a Confederate attack against a Union salient, called Fort Sanders.
10,000 infantry and 5,000 cavalry were sent out in freezing
weather, losing 813 to the Union's 113. The attack failed, and
@Longstreet@ withdrew.

~sTHE YEAR 1864~
1864 saw three major campaigns: @Grant@'s attempt to take
Richmond, @Early@'s struggle against @Sheridan@ in the
Shenandoah, and @Sherman@'s Atlanta campaign and "March
to the Sea".

~sFebruary 20th 1864~
~bOLUSTEE, Florida~~#
The Union's attempt to secure Florida in early 1864 had
several aims. Capturing the state would cut off Confederate
supplies drawn from Florida, and hopefully provide recruits
for the Union's black regiments. Politically, it also offered
possibilities: disaffected Southerners in Florida might
form a new state government and return to the Union fold,
setting an example for other Southern states.

In early February a division of 7,000 Union troops landed
unopposed at Jacksonville.  Moving inland, much of the
Federal initiative was lost during a week of hesitant
maneuvers.  Meanwhile, the few and scattered Confederate
defenders in north-eastern Florida called for reinforcements
from Charleston and Savannah, in Georgia. By February 13th
about 5,200 Confederate troops were concentrated at Ocean Pond,
Olustee, about 13 miles east of the Confederate headquarters
at Lake City.  A slightly larger Union force of about 5,500 men
prepared to oppose them.


The morning of the 20th the Union troops advanced, driving
in the pickets. Battle was finally joined in the afternoon, on
level ground covered with open pine forest.  The Union
line was gradually forced to yield ground, and two regiments
broke and fled.  After a dangerous delay due to ammunition
shortage, the Confederates pushed steadily forward, until
the Union line gave way completely.  The pursuit lasted
until nightfall.  By the 23rd, the Union survivors had reached
the safety of Jacksonville.

Union casualties were high, numbering about a third of the
5,500-strong force.  The Union also lost 1,600 rifles and muskets,
and about six field guns.  The Confederate victory cost 940 killed
and wounded.

Olustee was the only major land battle fought in Florida throughout
the war, and the result meant that the state would simply await the
outcome of the struggle taking place elsewhere.

~sMarch 1864~
~bGRANT AS GENERAL-IN-CHIEF~~#
@Grant@, now promoted to Lieutenant General and named
General-in-Chief of all the Union armies, joined the Army of
the Potomac. However, @Meade@ continued in nominal
command of the Army of the Potomac, with @Sheridan@
as his cavalry commander.

~sMarch - April 1864~
~bRED RIVER CAMPAIGN~~#
The Red River Campaign aimed to drive Union control westwards
from the Mississippi, and across hostile Louisiana, and ultimately
into Texas. A combined naval and military operation
would push north-west up Red River, from the point where it
flowed into the Mississippi.  It would take Alexandria first, and
then Shreveport.

The Union's General @Banks@, who, in late 1863 had been
making successful landings by sea along the Texas coast,
was ordered by @Halleck@ to join General @Sherman@ and
Admiral Porter, and lead the Red River campaign instead.
Banks's column numbered 17,000, and Sherman's 10,000.
In the Red River valley itself, Kirby Smith commanded 25,000
Confederates.

As @Sherman@'s force, led by Brigadier General A.J. Smith,
approached Alexandria, the Confederate force under General
Richard Taylor retired upriver, towards Natchitoches.  Alexandria
was occupied by Union troops on the March 15th.

After @Grant@ took over from @Halleck@ as Commander-in-Chief,
he imposed a time limit on the Red River campaign.  In May,
@Kirby Smith@ and @Banks@ were to turn east, to join the campaigns
against Atlanta and Mobile. Receiving his new orders in Alexandria,
@Banks@ found he had just under a month to win through to
Shreveport, where he would be joined by 15,000 troops moving
south from Arkansas


~sApril 8 - 9th 1864~
~bSABINE CROSSROADS and PLEASANT HILL~~#
Confederate troops under @Taylor@ had retreated two hundred
miles when they made a stand at Sabine Crossroads. There,
just two days' march from Shreveport, Taylor's force of 11,000
formed made their dispositions and awaited the arrival of the Union
column, advancing from the Red River.

When battle was joined, Union troops were still strung out the
length of a day's march, or 20 miles in all.  The advance Union guard
formed a 4,500-strong battle line, but it was driven back, pressing
onto the still-advancing column.  Panic threatened to overwhelm
the Union force, which now began a general retreat, with Taylor's
men in pursuit. Complete disaster was averted by a single Union
division, which covered the column's confused retreat to Pleasant
Hill, about 10 miles away.  From Pleasant Hill, the Union force
could make for the Red River, and the safety of the waiting fleet.

Late the following afternoon, the Confederates attacked the Union
force at Pleasant Hill.  Fighting in hilly, forested terrain, the attempt
to smash the Federals failed. As night fell, Taylor withdrew, leaving
@Banks@ to resume his retreat.

In all, the Confederates had suffered 2,500 casualties,
to the Federals' 3,500.  The failed campaign cost @Banks@
his field command. Kirby Smith continued to hold the country
around Shreveport until the war ended. When he surrendered
at Baton Rouge, on 26 May, his force still numbered 17,686.

~sMar.-Apr. 1864~
~bFORREST'S RAID, west Tennessee - Kentucky~~#
Showing great audacity, Nathan @Forrest@ advanced north from
Mississippi, raiding western Tennessee up to the northern
border. There, he captured the Union City garrison, numbering
some 500 men.

Forrest then pushed north into Kentucky, attacking Paducah,
on the Ohio River. Although he entered the city, he was
unable to capture its forts or garrison.

Meanwhile, @Sherman@ had sent his cavalry out against
Forrest, who fell back rapidly. Heading southwards past
Union City, Forrest turned in towards Fort Pillow, on the
Union-held Mississippi River.

~sApril 12th 1864~
~bFORT PILLOW, Tennessee~~#
Fort Pillow had been evacuated by the Confederates in June1862,
when the Union's western flotilla had pushed southwards down
the Mississippi, heading for Memphis.

In 1864 the fort was held by 262 black and 295 white soldiers,
led by Major Lionel Booth. It also contained a number of
civilians, including about 40 black women and children.
When the garrison refused to surrender,
@Forrest@ ordered an assault.

Union casualties were extraordinarily high, and the
killed: wounded: captured ratio made the North suspect a
deliberate massacre.  Of the 557-strong garrison, 231 were
killed, 100 seriously wounded and 226 captured. Confederate
losses were slight, with only 14 killed and 86 wounded.

"The river was dyed with the blood of the slaughtered for
two hundred yards," @Forrest@ was to say.  Revealingly,
he also said that the result  should "demonstrate to the
Northern people that Negro soldiers cannot cope with
Southerners."

The Union Committee on the Conduct of the War subsequently
reported that the Confederates had shouted "No quarter" as
they carried the fort, and that they embarked on an "indiscriminate
slaughter"

@Forrest@ averred that most of the casualties occurred as
the Union troops retreated from the fort towards the river,
firing as they went and still carrying their colors. They received
deadly enfilading fire as they descended the bank.  But he
also acknowledged that "destructive fire" continued to be
poured into "the rear of the retreating, and now panic-stricken,
and almost decimated, garrison".  By @Forrest@'s own
account, this fire came from the occupied fort, and only when
the Confederates lowered the Union flag within did the firing
cease.  By then, many of the retreating soldiers had either been
shot or had fled into the river where they drowned.

The defense in @Forrest@'s version seemed to rest on whether or
not the retreating garrison had technically surrendered.
Responding to Union criticism, General @Lee@ argued that the
garrison had been unusually reluctant to surrender, and that the
assault had been made "with considerable loss to the attacking
party".  At Fort Pillow, he said, the North had used "a servile race
armed against their masters", and had stiffened their resolve by
telling colored troops they would be slaughtered on capture.

~sJune 10th 1864~
~bBRICE'S CROSS ROADS~~#
In May, the Union's General Samuel Sturgis had set out
from Memphis, attempting to intercept @Forrest@'s
withdrawal southward, after his capture of Fort Pillow.
But @Forrest@ was already in northern Mississippi.

In early June, Sturgis set out again, with a force that
outnumbered @Forrest@ by at least 2 to 1. By June 8th,
the 8,000-strong force, with its 3,400 cavalry under
General Benjamin Grierson, had reached Ripley, Mississippi.
Two days later the column was still moving southwards,
when the advance guard encountered Confederate troops at
Brice's Crossroads.

Attacking with his 3,500 cavalry before Sturgis could
fully deploy, @Forrest@ drove the Union cavalry back onto
its infantry. The Union force retreated in confusion, fleeing
north to Ripley, 24 miles away.

Union casualties were high, with 223 killed, 394
wounded and 1,623 captured. 16 guns and 250 wagons
were also lost. Confederate casualties totalled 492.

~sJuly 14th - 15th 1864~
~bTUPELO, Mississippi~~#
@Forrest@ had become a serious embarrassment to the
Union. His pursuit was to be turned over to General
A.J. Smith, newly arrived in Memphis after the failed
Red River campaign.

In early July, 14,000 troops under General A.J. Smith moved
southwards. @Forrest@ hovered on the column's front and
flanks, while Smith drove steadily into Mississippi. On July 13th,
when Smith suddenly turned west towards Tupelo, which lay
on the Mobile and Ohio railroad. @Forrest@, who had
anticipated an engagement further south, tried to intercept him,
striking twice at the rear of Smith's force. The attempt failed,
and the Union force set up a blocking position near Tupelo.
Grierson's cavalry was sent to Tupelo itself, with orders to
destroy the railroad to the north and south.

On the morning of the 14th, @Forrest@, with a force of
about 10,000, attacked Smith.  Three cavalry divisions, mostly
fighting dismounted, and one division of infantry, struggled to
break the Union lines.  Repeated attacks against the well-prepared
lines were repelled. By early afternoon, @Forrest@'s force was
largely spent, and the Union force sounded the advance.  The
Confederates withdrew.

However, later that evening, @Forrest@ returned for a brief,
unsuccessful night attack.  He renewed the attempt again the
following day, as Smith's force began moving northwards.
But the battle had already been fought and won.

The Union had suffered 674 casualties, of whom 82 were
killed. @Forrest@ had received a sharp shock, with 210
dead and 1,116 wounded.

However, the Confederate force was largely intact, and @Forrest@
remained in west Tennessee, northern Mississippi, and northern Alabama,
until he joined @Hood@'s Tennessee campaign in November.

~sMay-June 1864~
~b WILDERNESS and PETERSBURG CAMPAIGNS, Virginia~~#
@Grant@ planned to approach the South's capital, Richmond, from
both north and south.  The 120,000-strong Army of the Potomac, still
nominally under @Meade@'s command, but with @Grant@
overseeing operations in the field, would march from the north. It
would cross the Rapidan and move through the dense, wooded
area called the Wilderness, and then onto Richmond. The
30,000-strong Army of the James, under @Butler@, would move
south from the York River to the James River, and then approach
Richmond from the south.

~sMay 4th - 8th 1864~
~bBATTLE OF THE WILDERNESS, Virginia~~#

@Grant@ believed he could push his 120,000-strong army through
the Wilderness before @Lee@ could react. @Lee@, however,
was alert to the danger.  With his smaller 64,000-strong force, he also
preferred to meet @Grant@ in the Wilderness itself, rather than
risking a battle on open ground.  In the tangled thickets of
the Wilderness, the Union's artillery and cavalry
advantages could be offset.

On May 5th and 6th several fierce, confused, often bitterly
fought actions took place, most brought to an end by mutual
exhaustion. A Confederate encircling attack, engineered by
@Longstreet@, achieved partial success. But when @Longstreet@
tried to follow it up with a frontal attack he was seriously
wounded by friendly fire. Even so, the Union's right wing had
been stopped and driven back.

After the woodland battles, both sides were disoriented, hungry
and battered. The armies spent May 7th trying to re-establish
order amid the confusion. Five generals had been killed, six
wounded and two captured. Union casualties had been
17,666, to the Confederates' 7,750. Although he could ill-afford
the losses, @Lee@'s inclination to engage @Grant@ in the
Wilderness had been sound.

~sMay 10th - 12th 1864 SPOTSYLVANIA, Virginia~
On the night of the 7th @Grant@ sent the Army of the Potomac
around @Lee@'s right flank to try to get between him and
Richmond. @Lee@ reacted quickly. Marching swiftly, the
Confederates reached the key road junction at Spotsylvania
Courthouse, digging in before @Grant@ arrived.

On May 10th @Grant@ launched three fierce attacks against
the Confederates. Although prisoners were taken, he failed
to break @Lee@'s position.

Early on the 12th @Grant@ struck hard at a salient, dubbed
the Bloody Angle, again taking prisoners but not breaking through.

For almost a week @Grant@ pushed and probed at @Lee@'s
defenses but found no critical weaknesses. The bloody battle
finally petered out on the 20th.

Again, Union casualties were heavier, with 17,400 losses to
the Confederates' 9,600.

However, rather than retreating, @Grant@ continued to look for a
way around @Lee@'s flanks.

~sMay 11th 1864~
~bYELLOW TAVERN, Virginia~~#
@Sheridan@, Grant's cavalry commander, struck out for
Richmond with 10,000 horse. His opposite number,
J.E.B. @Stuart@, split his 4,500 troopers, sending one column
under General James Gordon to follow @Sheridan@ and fall
upon his rear. @Stuart@ himself rode to hit the front of
@Sheridan@'s column.

But @Sheridan@ repelled both attacks, killing both Gordon
and @Stuart@. @Stuart@'s death was a grave blow to the
Confederacy.

~sMay 16th 1864~
~bDREWRY'S BLUFF, Virginia~~#
Meanwhile, the Union's General @Butler@ was approaching
Richmond from the south. On May 4th his 30,000-strong
force disembarked at Bermuda Hundred Neck, on the south
bank of the James. The army entrenched a three-mile wide
position across the Neck.

On May 9th @Butler@ moved several miles west and broke
up the Richmond-Petersburg railway.  Petersburg lay just three
miles to the south, and Richmond less than nineteen miles to the
north.  Both were weakly defended, with General @Beauregard@
still awaiting 19,000 reinforcements from further south. @Butler@
missed his opportunity to take Petersburg swiftly. Worse, he
also missed the opportunity to invest Richmond and position his
army so that one flank projected up to the Chickahominy River.
There, it would be able to link up with @Grant@'s Army of
the Potomac as it moved from the north.

However, @Butler@ simply withdrew onto the Neck again,
venturing out on the 12th to challenge the fortifications at
Drewry's Bluff, on the James River six miles south of Richmond.
By then, Beauregard had reinforced not only Petersburg but also
the Bluff. 17,000 infantry were now strongly entrenched
there, with artillery and cavalry in support.

On May 16th @Beauregard@ launched a surprise assault,
turning @Butler@'s flank and forcing his retreat back to
the Neck.

Although the immediate danger was averted, the Confederates
had lost 4,160 casualties to the Union's 2,506.

@Butler@ was now bottled up behind his own entrenchments,
unable to challenge Richmond from the south. @Grant@ ordered
that he send all the troops that could be spared back to the head
of the York River, from where they could reinforce the Army of
the Potomac.

~sMay 20th - 26th 1864~
~bNORTH ANNA RIVER, Virginia~~#
Aware that @Grant@ was threatening his right, @Lee@ deployed
50,000 men behind the North Anna River.  He was already
in position when the 100,000-strong Union force arrived opposite.
@Grant@'s probing maneuvers gave the Union initial gains, but also
split his army into three bodies, vulnerable to counter-attack. The
Confederates were securely dug in, occupying a good central position.

But @Lee@, Ewell and @Hill@ were ill and exhausted.
@Stuart@ had been killed.  @Longstreet@ was wounded and
out of action. General R.H. Anderson was inexperienced. And
so the counter-attacks never came, leaving @Grant@ free to
move further south-east, looking for an open flank.  As he
moved, so did @Lee@.

~sJune 1st - 12th 1864~
~bCOLD HARBOR, Viriginia~~#
On May 31st @Sheridan@'s cavalry, moving on the left of the
Union army, drove a Confederate cavalry division out of Cold Harbor.
@Sheridan@ had been ordered to hold the point at all costs, since the
crossroads lay on the line of the Union army's advance towards the
Chickahominy River. Cold Harbor was just six miles from the
fortifications of Richmond.

@Grant@, guessing that @Sheridan@ would be challenged, ordered
reinforcements to march swiftly towards the area.  Meanwhile, the
Confederates attacked on the morning of June 1st. @Sheridan@ held
on until an infantry corps arrived, when he set off again to continue
the movement towards the Chickahominy.

At Cold Harbor, both sides prepared for battle, with a second
Union corps arriving by the afternoon. At 6 p.m., the Federals
launched an attack on the Confederate lines, with partial
success.  The cost, however, was great, with 2,000 casualties.

Throughout the 2nd, the Union army continued to deploy, despite
some sharp fighting in the afternoon. Now with 108,000 men to
the Confederates' 59,000, @Grant@ prepared for a full-scale
attack on the 3rd.

At 4.30 a.m. four Union corps launched their attack through a storm of
frontal and enfilading fire. The actual advance took about eight minutes,
through merciless fire. Within an hour, up to 7,000 Union soldiers
had fallen. The Union survivors gained some advanced Confederate
positions, but most were forced to find shelter wherever they could,
or else withdraw to cover. By 8 a.m. the offensive was effectively over.

@Grant@ twice sent out orders to resume a general assault along
the whole line. But further advance was impossible.  For the
most part, the troops merely opened fire where they lay. Just
after midday, @Grant@ relented, and ordered the men to
entrench.

Some 7,000 Union soldiers were lost during the attack.  Confederate
casualties numbered about 1,500. No-man's land was covered
with the dead and wounded. For four days @Grant@ refused to seek
a truce to remove the wounded. Untended in the heat, most died.

For eight days after the attack, the battle became a slogging match,
sometimes fought out from trenches only 50 yards apart.

Union casualties reached 12,737, while the Confederates suffered
perhaps 5,000 losses in all. So far, the campaign south of the Rapidan
had cost @Grant@ 54,929 men, to @Lee@'s 19,000 or so.

@Lee@ had proved himself a master of defensive tactics, and @Grant@,
conceding Cold Harbor, began to withdraw on the night of the 12th.
Instead, the Army of the Potomac would support the Army of the
James in its approach to Richmond through the southern "back door".
By the night of June 16th the Army of the Potomac would be on
the south bank of the James.

~sJune 15th - 18th 1864~
~bPETERSBURG, Virginia~~#
The Confederates under @Beauregard@ were holding Petersburg
with 3,500 men, while also containing @Butler@ at Bermuda
Hundred.

On June 15th General W.F. Smith's corps, which had arrived
from Cold Harbor, attacked the entrenchments before Petersburg.
The next day, @Beauregard@ withdrew the force which was bottling
up @Butler@, and concentrated his troops in front of Petersburg.
During the afternoon the defenders were driven from the first line.
Rallied by @Beauregard@, they regained it.  But during the night
the Confederates withdrew to a stronger defense line, and were
reinforced by 14,000 troops.

Meanwhile the Union build-up was continuing. By June 18th
@Grant@ had 95,000 men available. @Lee@ was also
bringing up his reinforcements as fast as he could, starting
the day with 20,000 and reaching 38,000 by the end.

@Grant@'s main attack, when it came, was too late. The
defenses had been greatly strengthened, and repeated
assaults were repulsed.

The cost of the operation was heavy. In the three days since
crossing the James, @Grant@ had lost about 11,000
casualties, of whom 1,688 were killed, 8,513
wounded and 1,185 captured. Confederate losses are not known,
but were certainly less.

@Grant@ prepared for siege operations before Petersburg.

~sJuly 30th 1864 - 2nd April 1865~
~bSIEGE OF PETERSBURG~~#
The long siege of Petersburg began aggressively.
On July 30th @Grant@'s sappers exploded a four ton mine
under the Confederate lines in an attempt to break into the
town. It killed or wounded 278 Confederates, and left a
crater 170 feet long, 80 feet wide and 30 feet deep.

About 20,000 Union troops attacked to exploit this hole
in the defenses. @Beauregard@ covered it, and the
attacking force was largely trapped in the crater. The
attempt cost the Union 3,798 men. The defenders lost 1,500.

By now, @Grant@ had lost 75,000 men since crossing
the Rapidan. But @Grant@ correctly judged that a campaign
of attrition at Petersberg, and the destruction of Richmond's
other lines of supply, would ultimately doom the Confederacy.


~sAugust 3rd - 5th 1864~
~bMOBILE BAY, Alabama~~#
This vital Confederate port was the object of a combined
operation. On August 3rd 5,500 Federal troops were
landed on Dauphine Island, where they began preparations
for a siege of Fort Gaines.

On August 5th, Admiral @Farragut@ ran his fleet past the
Confederate guns guarding the entrance to Mobile Bay,
losing the monitor USS "Tecumseh" when it was sunk by
a mine. However, @Farragut@ went on to defeat the defending
Confederate naval squadron.

During the next three weeks, the forts of Gaines, Powell and
Morgan were reduced. But the city of Mobile itself held out
until 12 April 1865.~#

~sMay - September 1864~
~bATLANTA CAMPAIGN~~#
Maneuvering deftly with a 99,000-strong army from his
jumping-off point in Chattanooga, south Tennessee,
@Sherman@ pushed aggressively towards Atlanta and
the Confederate "granary", Georgia.

Until mid-July his opponent was @Joe Johnston@, who had relieved
@Bragg@ after the Chattanooga disaster. The Confederate general
began the 1864 campaign with 53,000 men, but this grew to 75,000.

Sherman's course roughly followed the Chattanooga-Atlanta railroad, a
140-mile stretch. As @Joe Johnston@ fell back he destroyed the railroad,
but Sherman's engineers repaired it almost as fast as the Union army
advanced.

~sMay 14th 1864~
~bRESACA, Georgia~~#
@Sherman@'s opening moves brought him to Dalton, where
@Joe Johnston@ had dug in to protect the railroad.  @Sherman@
detached part of his army on a flanking march to Resaca, about
14 miles further south along the railroad. @Joe Johnston@ had
left a garrison entrenched.  With Resaca and his rear both
threatened, @Joe Johnston@ abandoned Dalton and withdrew, and
joined his holding garrison at Resaca.

At Resaca, @Joe Johnston@ beat off several assaults, but
@Sherman@'s encircling maneuvers again forced him to
abandon a strong position.

The pattern continued until the end of June, which found
@Joe Johnston@ strongly fortified at Kenesaw Mountain, just
25 miles from Atlanta.

~sJune 27th 1864~
~bKENESAW MOUNTAIN, Georgia~~#
16,000 troops from @Sherman@'s army launched a frontal attack
against @Joe Johnston@, aiming to drive the Confederates away from
the Chattanooga-Atlanta railroad. Repeated uphill attacks against
strong Confederate positions failed. Union casualties were heavy,
reaching over 2,000.  The Confederates lost only 270.

Again, @Sherman@ planned yet another flank movement, which
would force @Joe Johnston@ to abandon his lines and fall back behind
the Chattahoochee River, which lay on Atlanta's doorstep.

The move succeeded, and July 9th saw @Sherman@ on the north
bank of the Chattahoochee, with @Joe Johnston@ retiring to the
south bank, burning the bridges behind him. @Sherman@ was
just six miles from Atlanta.

Continual skirmishing, and several sharper battles, throughout the
two-month campaign had cost the Union 16,800 casualties, and
the Confederates 14,500.

~sJuly 20th 1864~
~bPEACH TREE CREEK, Georgia~~#
By mid-July, @Joe Johnston@ had fallen back to Atlanta and was
facing dismissal. @Sherman@ had crossed the Chattahoochee.

On July 17th @Joe Johnston@ was replaced by General John
@Hood@, in the hope that he would defend Atlanta more aggressively.

At Peach Tree Creek, which lay between Atlanta and the
Chattahoochee River, @Hood@ attacked Union positions.
Despite being repulsed, the Confederates attacked again and
again, while their losses mounted. Confederate casualties are
variously estimated at between 2,600 and 6,000, to the Union's
1,707.

@Hood@ withdrew from Peach Tree Creek to fresh entrenchments
nearer Atlanta.

~sJuly 22nd 1864~
~bATLANTA/DECATUR, Georgia~~#
@Hood@ now attempted an offensive against the Union's southern
flank, which lay 15 miles to the east, near Decatur.
After a night march, General Hardee's corps attacked the
Union positions at about noon on the 22nd. Early gains
were lost, and the battle lasted until nightfall, long after
chances of success had vanished.

The Confederates' doggedness cost them over 8,000 casualties,
to the Union's 3,700. Attacks on both wings of @Sherman@'s
army had now failed, with heavy losses.

~sJuly 28th 1864~
~bEZRA CHURCH, Georgia~~#
@Hood@ made yet another attempt to prevent the envelopment
of Atlanta, at Ezra Church on the 28th. Again, he was defeated,
losing 4,632 men to the Union's 700.

~sSept. 1st - 2nd 1864~
~bEVACUATION OF ATLANTA, Georgia~~#
Throughout August, @Sherman@ sought to destroy
Atlanta's remaining lines of supply to the south and
east.

Initially, he attempted to use mostly cavalry, keeping
his main force ready to prevent @Hood@'s escape from
Atlanta. For @Sherman@'s task was not only to secure
Atlanta, but also destroy @Hood@'s army.

Towards the end of August, @Sherman@ sent much
of his force south of Atlanta, in order to break the vital rail
link to Macon. Possession of the rail link sealed the city's
fate.

@Hood@ took the opportunity to evacuate Atlanta, leaving
the city in flames. The gateway to the South was in @Sherman@'s
hands.

@Sherman@ had sustained over 21,000 casualties throughout the
campaign, and had inflicted over 27,000 on the Confederates.

~bMay - October 1864~
~bSHENANDOAH VALLEY Campaign~~#
The two main theaters of war in 1864 were eastern Virginia
and Georgia. But the Shenandoah Valley was also important.
It had often been a disastrous trap for the Union. Now,
in 1864, undisputed possession was vital.

~sMay 13th 1864~
~bNEWMARKET, Virginia~~#
Breckenridge, with 3,500 Confederate troops, using a rapid
flank march, caught a Federal force of 5,150 under Sigel as
they marched in columns along the road. The Federal troops
were driven into the surrounding woods, and their guns were
taken in a gallant attack by 247 cadets of the Virginia
Military Institute who lost 10 killed and 47 wounded. Sigel
retired, having lost 831 casualties and 6 guns.

~sJune 5th 1864 PIEDMONT, Virginia~
Federal forces under Hunter advanced down the valley towards
Staunton.  Meeting Confederate positions at Harrisonburg, he
moved around them and tried to continue.  But General William
Jones left the Confederate defenses and took 5,000 men to
intercept Hunter at Piedmont.  Hunter struck first in an early
morning attack.  Within hours the Confederates had been beaten
and Jones killed. The Confederates lost 780 men killed or
wounded, and 1,000 were captured.  The Union lost 600 men.

~sJuly 23rd 1864~
~bKERNSTOWN II, Virginia~~#
The Confederates under Breckenridge attacked Crook's
Union lines, inflicting 1,185 casualties. The Federal
troops were driven north across the Potomac.

~sJuly 9th 1864~
~bMONOCACY RIVER, Maryland~~#
In mid-June, @Lee@ had sent @Early@'s corps from Cold
Harbor to help reinforce Lynchburg, to the west. Lynchburg,
with its important rail link to Charlottesville and Petersburg,
and so to Richmond, was threatened by an imminent Union attack.

After deterring the Union forces, which withdrew into the Kanawha
Valley, the Shenandoah Valley was left open to @Early@. @Lee@
had already suggested the possibility of @Early@ marching down
the Shenandoah Valley and threatening Washington.

Audaciously, @Early@, together with Breckinridge, decided to
push towards Washington. Their 17,000-strong force consisted
of four infantry divisions, one cavalry division and about forty guns.

Just south-east of Frederick City, at Monacacy River,
the Confederates defeated a Federal blocking force of some
6,000. The Union lost 1,800 men to the Confederates' 700.

The following day @Early@ pushed on the last few miles to
Washington. @Early@'s arrival coincided with that of
reinforcements from the Army of the Potomac. The chance
to take Washington was missed by a day or so, and @Early@
withdrew swiftly into the Valley.

~sSeptember 19th 1864~
~bWINCHESTER III, Virginia~~#
@Early@'s exploit had demonstrated the danger which the
Shenandoah Valley posed. He sent @Sheridan@ to drive
the Confederates out, and then devastate the Valley so that
they could not return. When at full strength, his
38,000-strong force, called the Army of the Shenandoah,
consisted of three infantry corps and a three-division
cavalry corps.

In mid-September, @Early@ was holding the Valley entrance
at Winchester. @Sheridan@ attacked on both flanks at once.
The Confederate positions were taken one by one. By
nightfall @Early@ could no longer hold the town and
retreated down the Valley.

The victory cost the Union 4,800 casualties, of whom about
900 were killed. The Confederates sustained 2,103 casualties,
with 276 of these killed.

~sSeptember 21st 1864~
~bFISHER'S HILL, Virginia~~#
After Winchester, @Early@'s force of 12,000 retreated twenty
miles south to Fisher's Hill, where he occupied a strong
position on the ridge. However, he lacked sufficient
strength to cover the five-mile width of the Valley, even
at this narrow spot.

@Sheridan@, following @Early@ down the Valley, vastly
outnumbered his opponent. Faced with a carefully executed attack,
@Early@'s line collapsed.

The Union incurred 528 casualties. About 240 Confederates
were killed or wounded, and perhaps a thousand were taken
prisoner. However, the bulk of @Early@'s force escaped.

~sOctober 17th 1864~
~bCEDAR CREEK, Virginia~~#
@Early@, now reinforced, launched his 21,000-strong
army against @Sheridan@'s Army of the Shenandoah.
At Cedar Creek he attacked @Sheridan@'s right flank,
taking it completely by surprise and turning it, with the
capture of 18 guns.

@Sheridan@ rallied his troops and led them into a counter-
attack, catching the Confederate troops as they were
plundering the Federal camp. Following up his advantage he
swept the Confederates off the field, capturing
22 guns and recovering his own 18.

The Federals' lost 5,685 casualties to the Confederates'
3,000. However, it was a decisive Union victory, which
signaled the end of Confederate power in the Valley.

@Sheridan@ now proceeded to destroy the Confederates'
Valley "bread basket", torching barns and mills, and either
killing or consuming the remaining livestock.

~sNovember 30th 1864~
~bFRANKLIN, Tennessee~~#
@Hood@, retreating from Atlanta in September,
turned north in order to try and cut @Sherman@'s
line of communications. @Sherman@ was forced to
pursue him, leaving behind a corps to hold Atlanta.
For two weeks their forces maneuvered around
each other.

@Hood@, bent on luring @Sherman@ further away from
the south, decided to march even further north, boldly
invading Tennessee.

@Sherman@ alerted @Thomas@ at Nashville, and sent him
two additional corps.  Then @Sherman@ himself turned
southwards, for his "March to the Sea".

At Franklin, 30,000 Federal troops held strong positions
covering Nashville. @Hood@'s 40,000 Confederates
struck o November 30th, penetrating the defenses. But
the Union force rallied and counter-attacked, recapturing
the lost positions, and linking up with @Thomas@.

The Confederates sustained 4,500 casualties; the Union 2,500.

~sDecember 15th - 16th 1864~
~bNASHVILLE, Tennessee~~#
@Hood@ deployed his 31,000-strong Army of the Tennessee
before Nashville, challenging @Thomas@ to do battle.

@Thomas@, with 41,000, chose his own moment to attack. He
feinted against @Hood@'s right, engaging the Confederates'
attention, and then hit hard at @Hood@'s left. The Confederate
lines wavered, but did not break. Nightfall gave @Hood@ time to
reorganize his forces.

Very early next morning @Thomas@ unleashed a ferocious
assault. On the far right @Thomas@'s cavalry reached
@Hood@'s rear and threatened to cut his line of retreat.
The Confederate army started to collapse. Again, @Hood@
was reprieved when night fell. However, the Confederates
had lost 1,500 killed and wounded, and 4,462 had been
taken prisoner. @Hood@ withdrew.

@Thomas@ now undertook a thorough pursuit of
@Hood@'s  Army of the Tennessee. For ten days and
200 miles, the Confederate Army was harried to
destruction. On December 29th, in Tupelo, Mississippi,
@Hood@'s army, now numbering less than 15,000, was
disbanded.

~sNov. 15th - Dec. 21st 1864~
~b"MARCH TO THE SEA", Georgia~~#

Having left @Thomas@ to deal with @Hood@'s Army of the
Tennessee, @Sherman@ returned to Atlanta. After
destroying the city's remaining railways and supply depots,
he set out with 60,000 men on his epic "March to the Sea".

Over four weeks he marched for 350 miles through hostile
territory, living almost entirely off the land.  His force
maintained a wide front, sweeping aside whatever
opposition the Confederates were able to muster.
Determined to neutralize the richest state left to the
Confederacy, @Sherman@'s army cut a ruthless swathe
through Georgia. The railroads were torn up, and the
countryside plundered for grains and livestock.

On December 10th, @Sherman@ reached the sea near
Savannah, and linked up with the Union fleet.

@Hardee@, commanding the Confederate garrison at Savannah,
initially refused to surrender the city. However, he decided to
abandon it on the 20th, after @Sherman@ had landed siege
artillery from the fleet.

On December 21st @Sherman@ entered Savannah. The "March
to the Sea" was over. The campaign had cost the Union only 531
casualties, with another 1,616 missing, probably deserted.

~s1865~~#
By the new year, @Hood@ had been crushed in Tennessee,
@Early@ had been expelled from the Shenandoah Valley,
and @Sherman@ had marched virtually unopposed through
Georgia, and was now preparing to turn north and roll up
South and North Carolina. @Lee@'s army in Richmond
numbered only 50,000. @Joe Johnston@ would have only
37,000 men with which to try to check Sherman. It all signaled
ultimate defeat for the Confederacy.

~sJanuary 13th -15th 1865~
~bFORT FISHER, North Carolina~~#
In a combined operation, the Union attacked the last port
remaining to the Confederacy. Fort Fisher covered
Wilmington Harbor, in North Carolina. From
Wilmington, railroads radiated north to Richmond, and
deep into the Carolinas. Fort Fisher, held by 8,000
Confederates was stormed by 8,000 Union troops after
a heavy bombardment. Federal casualties were 206
killed and 749 wounded. While Confederate losses are not
known, 2,083 men were taken prisoner.

~sFebruary 3rd 1865~
~bHAMPTON ROADS PEACE CONFERENCE~~#
@Lincoln@ and Secretary Seward met Confederate
representatives on board a steamer in Hampton Roads, off Fort
Monroe. @Lincoln@ offered peace if the South would
concede emancipation, and the authority of the Union.
The Confederacy refused, and the negotiations broke up.

~sFeb. 1st - Mar. 23rd 1865~
~bTHE CAROLINAS CAMPAIGN~~#
@Sherman@ left Savannah on February 1st, moving north
into South Carolina. The capital, Columbia was taken on
February 17th, and on February 18th Charleston was
evacuated.

On March 10th, Sherman captured North Carolina's Fayetville,
and with it, the Confederates' last arsenal.

In North Carolina, @Sherman@ had a brief engagement with
Hardee at Averasboro on March 16th, losing 554 men.
At Bentonville on the 18th @Joe Johnston@, with a force of
about 20,000, made a stand. After a battle in which the
Confederates suffered 2,600 casualties, to the Federals' 1,646,
@Joe Johnston@ withdrew further north. Union troops entered
Goldsboro on March 21st.

From Savannah to Goldsboro, @Sherman@'s force had
marched 425 miles in fifty days. The Carolinas had been won.

The Confederates were doomed. @Sherman@, with his
90,000-strong army, would now be free to move north
and link up with @Grant@, hastening the fall of Richmond.

~sMarch 25th 1865~
~bFORT STEDMAN, Virginia~~#
@Lee@'s Army of Northern Virginia was the only viable
force left to the Confederacy, and it was tied down in the
defense of Richmond and Petersburg.

By now @Grant@ had some 125,000 troops. @Lee@'s line was
so long that he could not hope to hold it all with his 57,000.

@Lee@ decided that to save his army, he must abandon
Richmond. While Confederate forces remained in the field,
there was a slim chance that the North might tire of the war
and concede a measure of independence to the South.

He aimed to withdraw south-west to Danville, towards the
North Carolina border, and link up with @Joe Johnston@'s
retreating force.

In an effort to break through the Federal siege lines near
Petersburg, @Lee@ sent in Gordon's Corps against the
Union's entrenchments at Fort Stedman, about a mile and
a half south of the Appomattox River.  Here, the main lines
of the two armies were only 150 yards apart, and only 50
yards separated the pickets. @Lee@ hoped that @Grant@
would have to pull back his left in order to support his right
at Fort Stedman, enabling @Lee@ to break through.

On 25th March, at 4.30 a.m., Gordon launched a surprise
attack, taking the pickets and carrying the main line and
Fort Stedman itself. But assaults on other forts to the
left and right failed, and when daylight arrived, Union
artillery opened fire on Fort Stedman.

The 150-yard line between the two armies was also
blanketed with fire, preventing reinforcements from
reaching Gordon. Union troops recaptured the Fort, and
then carried the Confederate picket lines as well. Gordon
had lost 4,400 men. Federal casualties were 2,000.

~sApril 1st 1865~
~bFIVE FORKS, Virginia~~#
@Sherman@ and @Grant@ had agreed that the Army of the
West would begin to move northwards from Goldsboro
on April 10th, if was needed to cut off @Lee@'s inevitable
retreat.

However, @Grant@ was keen to secure @Lee@'s surrender
alone.  He hoped that after so many trials and tribulations,
the Army of the Potomac could defeat the Army of Northern
Virginia without help.

@Sheridan@'s Federal cavalry struck the Confederate right
flank at Dinwiddie on March 29th. He then made for the
important crossroads at Five Forks.

Five Forks was defended by 19,000 Confederates under
@Pickett@. @Sheridan@, with only 12,000 men, called up
Warren's corps of 16,000 to support his attack.

Pinned by a frontal attack, and hit in the flank, @Pickett@'s
force collapsed.  5,200 prisoners were taken, although
other casualties were light.


~sApril 2 - 3 1865~
~bPETERSBURG AND RICHMOND EVACUATED~~#
The battle of Five Forks had sealed the fate of Petersburg. It
gave the Union possession of the key Southside Railway,
leading to Petersburg. @Lee@ would be forced to send so many
troops to block any Union approach to Richmond from that
direction that he was unable to hold the Petersburg lines.

Hearing of the result at Five Forks, @Grant@ ordered an
assault at dawn on April 2nd, along his entire front. This
penetrated the defenses in two places. In Petersburg,
@Lee@ was forced back into his last line of defenses. A
final assault was to be made on both Petersburg and Richmond
the following day.

@Lee@ evacuated Petersburg on April 2nd. ~bRichmond~
was evacuated the next day. The Army of Northern Virginia
began to retreat westward, along the Appomattox River.

During the ten-month siege the Federals had suffered 40,000
casualties, to the Confederates' 28,000.

~sApril 6th 1865~
~bSAILOR'S CREEK, Virginia~~#
@Lee@'s immediate objective was to reach the Amelia
Court House, 35 miles from Richmond and on the south
side of the Appomattox River.

The Amelia Court House was on the railroad to Danville,
on the North Carolina border.  @Joe Johnston@'s Confederate
army would be waiting at Greensboro, just fifty miles south
of Danville, to link up with @Lee@.

@Grant@ sent @Sheridan@ to cut off @Lee@'s railway escape.
On April 5th, his cavalry seized the Danville railroad. @Lee@
was forced to retreat further west, towards Lynchburg, hoping
to use the railroad from there.

At Sailor's Creek, on April 6th, Union troops overwhelmed
@Lee@'s rearguard.  7,000 prisoners were taken, including
six generals. Of @Lee@'s four corps, two had been virtually
destroyed.

~sApril 9th 1865~
~bAPPOMATTOX COURT HOUSE, Virginia~~#
Still marching towards Lynchburg, @Lee@ was brought to
bay at  ~bAppomattox Court House~ on April 8th.

The next day, @Lee@ surrendered the Army of Northern Virginia
to @Grant@. The army numbered just 28,356 officers and men.

Union rations were given to the hungry, exhausted Confederates.
They were immediately paroled, on condition that they not fight
again.  And so the Army of Northern Virginia disbanded, the
battle-worn survivors returning to their homes.

~sApril - May 1865~
~bFINAL CAPITULATIONS~~#
Jefferson @Davis@, stubborn to the last, had escaped Richmond
and Virginia, reaching @Joe Johnston@ at Greenboro in North
Carolina. He urged the Confederate general to retreat to the
mountains and continue the war.  @Joe Johnston@ declined. Davis
bowed to the inevitable.

On April 26th @Joe Johnston@ formally surrendered the
Army of the Tennessee to @Sherman@. 37,047 men were
paroled; about 8,000 had already deserted.

On May 4th, @Taylor@ surrendered the remaining Confederate
forces in Alabama and Mississippi to @Canby@, near Mobile.
Mobile, the last Confederate stronghold on the Gulf, had already
surrendered on April 12th, after Fort Blakeley was stormed.

On May 10th, @Davis@ was captured by a cavalry squadron
near Irwinville, in southern Georgia. He was sent as a prisoner to
Fort Monroe.

Ironically, on May 13th, the Confederates won a victory during
the final engagement of the war at Palmito Ranch, Texas.
But on May 26th @Kirby Smith@ brought his forces to New
Orleans, where they also surrendered to @Canby@.


~bThe war was over.~
@@@