American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

April 16, 1862 Wednesday
President Davis approved an act of the Confederate Congress calling for conscription of every white male between eighteen and thirty-five years of age for three years’ service. The measure provided for administration of enrollment and draft by state officials , assignment to units from their own states, election of company, battalion, and regimental officers, and for substitutions. There were no specific exemptions; those provided by the act of April 21 exempted government officials, ferrymen, pilots, employees in iron mines and foundries, telegraph operators, ministers, printers, educators, hospital employees, and druggists, among others. There were a number of later revisions in exemptions.

In military operations there occurred an engagement at Lee’s Mill, also known as Burnt Chimneys and Dam No 1, Virginia. On the Peninsula near Yorktown there was some minor fighting; skirmishing at Whitemarsh Island, Georgia; and near Blackwater Creek, Missouri. Federal troops kept on the move in Alabama, occupying Tuscumbia.

President Lincoln signed a bill ending slavery in the District of Columbia and for appointment of board of commissioners to appraise slaves of loyal citizens and allow payment not exceeding an average of $300 ( http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/featur ... ation_act/ ). He also approves act authorizing establishment of branch post offices in cities.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 17, 1862 Thursday
The activities of the day were light, but the Confederates had a mounting worry on their minds. It had been clear for some time that Federals were about to move against New Orleans, thus culminating their drive on the Mississippi River from both north and south. The build-up of Federal troops on Ship Island, Mississippi had been observed, and now in the passes and river below Forts Jackson and St Philip there was the large fleet of Flag Officer David Glasgow Farragut, plus the mortar fleet of David Dixon Porter, and transports with troops of Benjamin F. Butler. The Confederates were putting their faith in the two major forts and the barrier of old hulks and chains in the Mississippi River itself. New Orleans, up the river, was virtually indefensible otherwise. Furthermore, the Confederacy was rushing work on huge ironclad gunboats, for its existing river fleet was comparatively weak. President Davis wrote Gov Thomas O. Moore of Louisiana of his concern over attack from both directions: “The wooden vessels are below, the iron gun boats are above; the forts should destroy the former if they attempt to ascend. The Louisiana may be indispensable to check the descent of the iron boats. The purpose is to defend the city and valley; the only question is as to the best mode of effecting the object.”

There was skirmishing at Warsaw, Missouri; near Monterey, between Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee and Corinth, Mississippi; and near Woodson’s Gap, Tennessee where a group of Union refugees were captured. In the Shenandoah Banks’ Federals were still moving forward, occupying New Market, Virginia as Stonewall Jackson retired slowly before them. A Federal expedition from Summerville to Addison, western Virginia operated until the 21st.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 18, 1862 Friday
Union mortar boats, Commander D. D. Porter, began a five day bombardment of Fort Jackson below New Orleans. Moored some 3,000 yards from Fort Jackson, they concentrated their heavy shells, up to 285 pounds, for six days and nights on this nearest fort from which they were hidden by intervening woods. The garrison heroically endured the fire and stuck to their guns. Farragut had little belief in David Dixon Porter’s mortars, but had allowed them to try to reduce the forts. General consensus would be that after six days of action no crippling damage had been done the forts. But at least the softening-up process was being tried preparatory to an actual effort at passage up the river. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Fort_Jackson

In Virginia Gen Irvin McDowell, marching overland toward McClellan from Washington, occupied Falmouth near Fredericksburg. But he still was between Washington and the Confederate army, despite McClellan’s entreaties that McDowell be sent to the Peninsula, where the huge Federal army was doing little to win the siege of Yorktown. In the Shenandoah Jackson left Harrisonburg for Elk Run Valley and Conrad’s Store, where the Confederate forces remained until near the end of April, leaving the valley mainly to Banks’ Federals.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 19, 1862 Saturday
While the mortars boomed in the waterways of the Mississippi River below New Orleans, Federals ponderously put pressure on Yorktown, Virginia. Halleck was enlarging and reorganizing his army at Pittsburg Landing. There was less important fighting elsewhere. Edisto Island, South Carolina saw another skirmish, as did Talbot’s Ferry, Arkansas; South Mills in Camden County ( http://cwbattlefields.blogspot.com/2010 ... -1862.html ), and the Trent Road, North Carolina. President Lincoln announces ratification of treaty with Potawatomi Indians of Kansas. In afternoon, accompanied by Secs Stanton and Chase, Comdr Dahlgren, and D. Dudley Field, New York merchant, boards revenue cutter "Miami" at Navy Yard for trip down Potomac to meet Gen McDowell at Aquia Creek. Reaches destination. McDowell does not arrive. Lincoln spends night on board. Mortar schooner U.S.S. Maria J. Carlton, commanded by Acting Master Charles E. Jack, bombarding Fort Jackson, was sunk by Confederate fire. Commander Bell observed that the Confederate guns were being worked "beautifully and with effect." U.S.S. Huron, commanded by Lieutenant John Downes, captured schooner Glide loaded with cotton, rice, and flour off Charleston.

The Governor of Wisconsin dies in a boating accident while assisting the wounded at Shiloh http://www.wisconsinhistory.org/highlig ... 1862_g.asp

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 20, 1862 Sunday
During the night, parties from U.S.S. Itasca and Pinola tackled the troublesome river obstructions near Forts Jackson and St Philip on the Mississippi River in a daring operation. Although explosives failed to work, the Federals did manage to weaken and force a break in the barricade of old hulks and chains that blockaded the Mississippi.

Gen McDowell met President Lincoln at Aquia Creek near Fredericksburg and accompanied the President and Secretaries Stanton and Chase back to Washington.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 21, 1862 Monday
The regular Confederate Congress adjourned after declaring certain classes of persons exempt from military conscription. President Davis was concerned over the two-pronged attack of McClellan and McDowell toward Richmond. The only new fighting recorded was a skirmish at Pocahontas, Arkansas although the mortars continued firing in the Mississippi River below New Orleans, the siege continued at Fort Macon in North Carolina, and in general there was no improvement in the deteriorating Confederate military picture.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 22, 1862 Tuesday
Additional Federal reinforcements swelled McClellan’s already mighty ranks near Yorktown as the siege against Joseph E. Johnston’s Confederates continued. In Aransas Bay, Texas daring Confederate raiders captured several Union launches.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 23, 1862 Wednesday
Farragut, his fleet below the forts on the Mississippi River, reached a decision. The bombardment of the mortars had not yet reduced the forts, land operations were inadvisable due to the low-lying, swampy, waterway-cut nature of the geography. Therefore Farragut would attempt to pass his wooden, deep-sea vessels past Forts Jackson and St Philip the following morning and head for New Orleans itself ( http://www.navalhistory.org/2011/04/23/ ... pril-1862/ ). In another Federal naval operation, the Chesapeake and Albemarle Canal in North Carolina was successfully blocked, shutting off an important small-boat waterway. There was a skirmish at Bridgeport, Alabama. President Lincoln discusses army maneuvers with Sec Stanton who orders Gen McDowell not to cross the Rappahannock River.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 24, 1862 Thursday
At 2 A.M. two red lanterns rose to the mizzen peak of U.S.S. Hartford on the Mississippi River below New Orleans. Farragut’s large fleet of wooden frigates and gunboats was about to attempt to run past the Confederate forts, crash through the remainder of the barricade, and head for New Orleans (http://www.historyofwar.org/articles/ba ... _1862.html and http://americancivilwar.com/statepic/la/la001.html ). About 3 A.M. of a dark and chilly night the fleet was under way. The first division of eight vessels got through the barricade without discovery. But at 3:40, as the moon rose, Forts Jackson and St Philip opened fire. The second group of nine ships, including Farragut’s Hartford, followed, slowly coming under heavy fire. Porter’s Federal mortars from below added to the din and fury of the fight. Darkness, smoke, flashes of guns, screams of shells, Confederate fire rafts, and some confusion among the Federals, but they got through – all but three smaller vessels, which were badly disabled. The forts had been proficiently manned but they were no match for the moving targets on the river. An important lesson was being learned – that ships could generally, although at a cost, get past fixed fortifications.

Once upstream, Farragut’s fleet faced more fighting against Confederate gunboats, including the ram C.S.S. Manassas. The ram, battling gallantly, struck both U.S.S. Mississippi and U.S.S. Brooklyn but to no avail. A few of the Confederate squadron fought capably, while others of the makeshift fleet fled before the Federals. Although considerably cut up, the North had lost only U.S.S. Varuna and 37 men killed, 149 wounded. The forts suffered light casualties, but the Confederate squadron had at least 61 killed and 43 wounded. Altogether 8 Confederate vessels were lost, only 2 escaping. Moving rapidly forward, leaving the forts to die on the vine, Farragut advanced on New Orleans, anchoring April 25 at the panic-stricken, undefended city. Confederate Mansfield Lovell had been unable to defend his area. By courage and daring the Federals had climaxed with victory a campaign that resulted in the capture of the South’s largest city and most vital port. Soon the North had a new base for operations against the heartland of the Confederacy. The Battle of New Orleans was one of the more decisive in the West, and a new hero had been found, this time a naval man. “Like Grant, Farragut, always went ahead,” wrote young officer George Dewey, years later to “go ahead” himself at Manila Bay.

Other fighting of the day was pale in comparison, but there was skirmishing at Tuscumbia, Alabama; at Lick Creek and on the Shelbyville Road, Tennessee; and on the Corinth Road, Mississippi, all part of the Federal probing into northern Alabama and Mississippi.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 25, 1862 Friday
With eleven vessels Farragut moved up the Mississippi River from his scene of victory at the forts. After a brief, successful duel with Confederate guns near English Turn, the Federal fleet anchored off the blazing waterfront of New Orleans, set afire by the populace. Floating down the river came the flaming hulk of the unfinished Confederate gunboat Mississippi. A rude, noisy, and vindictive throng met Farragut’s officers as they went ashore to confer with Mayor John Monroe, who claimed he had no authority to surrender the city. Military commander Gen Mansfield Lovell also refused to surrender, but indicated he and his forces were retiring from the city. A teenage New Orleans girl told her diary: “We are conquered but not subdued.”

On the coast of North Carolina near Beaufort the more than month-long siege of Fort Macon reached its culmination. Federal troops of John G. Parke opened a heavy fire on the fort, dismounting over half the guns. Gunboats went into action from the water side. Late in the afternoon the white flag rose and firing ceased as Col Moses J. White had no recourse but to surrender. Blockade runners Alliance and Gondar were captured after the fort's surrender. Casualties were light, but yet another bastion of the South was gone. http://www.americancivilwar.com/statepic/nc/nc004.html

Elsewhere on the active fronts there was skirmishing at Tuscumbia, Alabama; an affair at Socorro, New Mexico Territory; and a skirmish on the Osage, near Monagan Springs, Missouri. At Savannah, Tennessee, Maj Gen C. F. Smith died of a seemingly minor leg injury. An experienced soldier, Smith had been a most valuable subordinate to Grant at Fort Donelson and in other operations.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 26, 1862 Saturday
Formal surrender ceremonies were held at Fort Macon, North Carolina where the Confederate garrison of 400 became prisoners of the Federals. Skirmishing occurred at Neosho and Turnback Creek, Missouri as well as at Atkins’ Mill, Tennessee. There were several days of operations on Forked Deer River, Tennessee. In the Shenandoah Valley Federals under Banks were concentrating at Harrisonburg and New Market. President Lincoln visited the French man-of-war Gassendi at the Washington Navy Yard, to the crew’s shouts of “Vive le President.” At New Orleans negotiations continued between Farragut and the mayor. One William Mumford removed the U.S. flag from the mint as mobs still thronged the streets.

U.S.S. Onward, commanded by Acting Lieutenant J. Frederick Nickels, forced schooner Chase aground on Raccoon Keys near Cape Romain, South Carolina, and subsequently destroyed her.

U.S.S. Flambeau, commanded by Lieutenant John H. Upshur, captured blockade runner Active near Stono Inlet, South Carolina.

U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba, under Commander Ridgely, captured schooner Mersey off Charleston.

U.S.S. Uncas, commanded by Acting Master Lemuel G. Crane, captured schooner Belle off Charleston.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 27, 1862 Sunday
Four small forts – Livingston, Quitman, Pike, and Wood – protecting New Orleans surrendered to Federal forces. Elsewhere there was fighting at Pea Ridge, Tennessee near Pittsburg Landing; at Bridgeport, Alabama; and at Haughton’s Mill near Pollocksville, North Carolina. Mutiny broke out at Fort Jackson below New Orleans with half the stranded garrison departing.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 28, 1862 Monday
Surrounded and cut off from any hope of relief, Forts Jackson and St Philip surrendered to Federals, completing the opening of the Mississippi River to New Orleans. At the city Farragut threatened to bombard the place unless the Federal flag was respected. In northern Mississippi it became evident that Gen Halleck’s huge Federal army was about to advance on Beauregard at Corinth. There was a skirmish at Monterey, Tennessee; at Bolivar and Paint Rock Bridge, Alabama; and at Warsaw, Missouri. At Nassau in the Bahamas the British Oreto arrived to be outfitted officially as a Confederate raider, C.S.S. Florida.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 29, 1862 Tuesday
The massive army of Gen Halleck was completing its preliminary preparations for marching from Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee toward the Confederates at Corinth, Mississippi. By now Halleck had over 100,000 men; Beauregard had about two thirds as many. Grant was relegated to second-in-command under Halleck, and was much upset by what he considered a demotion. In early operations Federals occupied Purdy, and there was skirmishing near Monterey, Tennessee. In addition, other fighting occurred at West Bridge, near Bridgeport, Alabama; on the Mobile and Ohio Railroad near Bethel Station, Tennessee; at Pineberry Battery, Willstown, and White Point, South Carolina; Cumberland Gap, Kentucky; and Batchelder’s Creek, North Carolina. Federal officers raised the U.S. flag at the New Orleans Customs House and the city hall over the opposition of the frustrated populace and city authorities.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00

April 30, 1862 Wednesday
As the most active month of the war to date (and most disastrous to the Confederacy so far) ended, Stonewall Jackson left Elk Run near Swift Run Gap in Virginia’s Blue Ridge and headed for Staunton and what would become the major part of the famed Shenandoah Valley Campaign. U.S.S. Santiago de Cuba, under Commander Ridgely, captured schooner Maria off Port Royal.

_________________
Gen Ned Simms
2/XVI Corps/AotT
Blood 'n Guts hisself, a land lovin' pirate. Show me some arty tubes and we'll charge 'em.
VMI Class of '00