May 18, 1864 Wednesday
Sherman’s armies in Georgia, still on the march (
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atlanta_Campaign ), followed Johnston’s withdrawing forces through Adairsville and toward Kingston. By evening, Schofield, Thomas, and McPherson converged on the Confederates in the Cassville-Kingston area and fighting broke out near Cassville, near Kingston, and at Pine Log Creek.
The several days of comparative quiet around Spotsylvania Court Hour, Virginia ended. The corps of Hancock and Wright led a dawn assault on Lee’s left, mainly against Ewell’s troops fighting from behind stanch new entrenchments. The Federals charged several times without success. Gen Meade ordered the futile drive abandoned. Farther to the Federal left, Burnside also attacked and failed. During the night further shifts went on in the Federal lines. Grant, deciding the enemy was too strong to be defeated in his present position, once more started sidling toward his own left to attempt to get around Lee’s right flank.
Farther south Beauregard was completing his investment of Butler’s Army of the James at Bermuda Hundred. Fighting occurred at Foster’s Plantation and near City Point. Sheridan’s cavalry made its way back toward the Army of the Potomac from its resting places on the north side of the James River.
In Alabama skirmishing broke out at Fletcher’s Ferry and in Kentucky in Pike County and along the Wolf River. In the Red River country an engagement occurred at Yellow Bayou, also known as Bayou De Glaize, Norwood’s Plantation, or Old Oaks, Louisiana. Other fighting included a skirmish at Clarksville and an affair near Searcy, Arkansas. For several days Federals scouted near Neosho and Carthage in Missouri.
President Davis expressed his disappointment to Gen Johnston over the withdrawal in Georgia. The New York World and Journal of Commerce published a spurious proclamation from President Lincoln calling for 300,000 more troops. The President believed it wicked and traitorous and ordered the arrest of the editors, proprietors, and publishers and the occupation of the offices by troops. However, the newsmen were released soon and the papers resumed publication; the editors claimed a fraud had been perpetrated upon them by a stock manipulator.
Joseph Brevard Kershaw, CSA, was appointed to Major General and John McCausland, CSA, to Brigadier General.
After encountering many difficulties and setbacks Admiral Buchanan succeeded in floating the formidable Confederate ram Tennessee over Dog River Bar and out into Mobile Bay. With Rear Admiral Farragut's fleet forming outside the bay, the stage was now being set for one of the most dramatic and decisive naval battles of the War.
C.S.S. Florida, commanded by Lieutenant Morris, captured and burned schooner George Latimer of Baltimore, with cargo of flour, lard, bread, and kerosene.