United States Civil War (1861 – 1865) in Real Time

Day 295 of the United States Civil War, January 31st 1862

(United States) President Abraham Lincoln issues Special War Order Number 1, which is specifically directed at United States Army, Major General George B. McLellan, USA, and orders a Federal advance on Manassas before February 22nd:

Executive Order—Special War Order No. 1

January 31, 1862

Ordered, That all the disposable force of the Army of the Potomac, after providing safely for the defense of Washington, be formed into an expedition for the immediate object of seizing and occupying a point upon the railroad southwestward of what is known as Manassas Junction; all details to be in the discretion of the General in Chief, and the expedition to move before or on the 22d day of February next.

A. Lincoln.

Virginia

Confederate States Army, Major General Stonewall Jackson reacts to the intervention of the War Department amidst the constant carping of subordinate Confederate States Army, Brigadier General William Wing Loring in the difficult winter campaigning in western Virginia. Jackson is prepared to resign if necessary, arguing that “with such interference in my command I cannot expect to be of much service in the field.”

West Virginia

Delegates of the Constitutional Convention discussed the type of policy that would govern property taxes in the new state.

Kentucky

Confederate States Army, Captain John Hunt Morgan led ten raiders to the town of Lebanon and discovered three United States supply wagons and escorts. The Confederates captured the wagons and eleven men. They took all the supplies they could and then set fire to the remainder and the wagons, along with the local church. The Confederates left town and headed towards the Green River, wearing captured United States overcoats to deceive United States patrols.

United Kingdom

A critical international factor plays out when Queen Victoria asserts that her realm will remain neutral regarding the American conflict.

Day 297 of the United States Civil War, February 2nd 1862

District of Columbia

The Department of Washington, DC, is re-created, with the troops constituting the 22nd United States Army Corps, VA.

Virginia

USS HARTFORD under the command of United States Navy, Captain David Glasgow Farragut, departed Hampton Roads for Ship Island, Mississippi, in order for Farragut to take command of the coming campaign to capture New Orleans.

Illinois

United States Army, Brigadier General Ulysses Simpson Grant left Cairo to begin his advance up the Tennessee River. His invasion force consisted of 15, 000 to 17,000 men in two divisions commanded by
United States Army, Brigadier General John Alexander McClernand (two brigades) and United States Army, Brigadier General Charles Ferguson Smith (three brigades). The advance was assisted by the Western Gunboat Flotilla, commanded by United States Navy, Captain Andrew Hull Foote. Foote had four ironclad gunboats (his flagship USS CINCINNATI, USS CARONDELET, USS ST LOUIS, and USS ESSEX) under his direct command, and three wooden “timberclad” gunboats (USS CONESTOGA, USS TYLER, and USS LEXINGTON under United States Navy, Lieutenant Seth Ledyard Phelps). There were insufficient transport ships to deliver all of the army troops in a single operation so two convoyed trips upriver were required for the entire army contingent to reach the fort.

Kentucky

Operation at Greenburg ended.

Operation at Lebanon ended.

Tennessee

Skirmish at Morgan County involving Confederate States Army, Lieutenant Colonel J W White (1st Tennessee Cavalry).

Day 299 of the United States Civil War, February 4th 1862

Virginia

Incident at Bloomery Gap.

West Virginia

At the Constitutional Convention, the Committee on Education presented a bill that would use revenue from land taxation to fund public schools.

Tennessee

Fort Henry was a five-sided, open-bastioned earthen structure covering ten acres on the eastern bank of the Tennessee River, near Kirkman’s Old Landing and Standing Rock Creek, nearly opposite the mouth of the Sandy River.

Confederate States Army, Brigadier General Daniel Smith Donelson had been directed to build fortifications on the rivers of Middle Tennessee. Donelson found other more suitable sites but they were all within the borders of Kentucky, which was still neutral. Moving upriver to just inside the Tennessee border, he selected the site of Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River and Colonel Bushrod Rust Johnson of the Tennessee Corps of Engineers approved the selection. As construction of Fort Donelson began, Donelson looked twelve miles west to the Tennessee River and selected a site for Fort Henry, naming it after Tennessee Senator Gustavus Adolphus Henry. Fort Donelson was on the west bank of the Cumberland, so he selected the east bank of the Tennessee River for the second fort. This decision meant that the garrison could transfer troops easily between them to defend both forts, as he deemed it unlikely for both to be attacked simultaneously. Unlike its well-sited counterpart on the Cumberland, Fort Henry was situated on low, swampy ground, dominated by hills across the river. On the positive side, it had an unobstructed field of fire two miles downriver.

The surveying team employed by Donelson, Adna Anderson, a civil engineer, and Confederate States Army, Major William F Foster from the 1st Tennessee Infantry Regiment (Confederate States), objected strongly to the site and appealed to Johnson, who inexplicably approved it. The design of both forts was meant to stop traffic along the river and they were not as well designed to withstand infantry assaults from the land side. Construction began in mid-June 1861 using men from the 10th Tennessee Infantry Regiment (Confederate States), and slave labourers. After this early activity, little more could be done because forts on the Mississippi River had a higher priority for receiving men and artillery. In late December, additional men from the 27th Alabama Infantry Regiment (Confederate States) arrived along with 500 slaves. They constructed a small fortification across the river on Stewart’s Hill, within artillery range of Fort Henry, naming it Fort Heiman. Fort Heiman was on the higher western bank protecting Fort Henry but remained unfinished. An entrenched camp was on a higher plateau to the rear of Fort Henry.

At about the same time, Confederate States Army, Brigadier General Lloyd Tilghman assumed command of both Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. At Fort Henry, there were now approximately 2,800 to 3,400 men, in two brigades commanded by Confederate States Army, Colonel Adolphus Heiman and Confederate States Army, Colonel Joseph Drake. They were barely trained and armed with antique flintlock muskets or hunting rifles. Seventeen guns were mounted in Fort Henry, eleven covering the river and the other six positioned to defend against a land attack. There were two heavy guns, including one 10-inch Columbiad and one 24-pounder rifled guns; the remainder were 32-pounder smoothbores. There were two 42-pounders, but they were useless as no ammunition of that calibre was available. Some of the guns had been condemned as more dangerous to the firers than their targets and many of the guns facing the river were underwater if the water level rose even slightly.

When the river was at normal levels, the walls of the fort rose 20 feet above it and were 20 feet thick at the base, sloping upward to about 10 feet thick at the parapet. In February 1862, heavy rains caused the river to rise and most of the fort was underwater, including the powder magazine. The Confederates deployed an additional defensive measure, which was an innovation in the history of warfare: several torpedoes (in modern terminology, naval mines) were anchored below the surface in the main shipping channel, rigged to explode when touched by a passing ship. This measure turned out to be largely ineffective, due to the high water levels and the leaking of water into the metal containers of many of the torpedoes.

Protected by four novel ironclad gunboats and three wooden gunboats, United States Army, Brigadier General Ulysses Simpson Grant began to land his two divisions in two different locations downstream from Fort Henry. The 1st Division under United States Army, Brigadier General John Alexander McClernand was sent to land three miles north of the fort at Panther Creek on the east bank of the Tennessee River. McClernand was directed to prevent the escape of the garrison of Fort Henry (his two brigades of the 1st Division were strengthened by a brigade detached from the 2nd Division). The other two brigades from the 2nd Division under United States Army, Brigadier General Charles Ferguson Smith would arrive later from Paducah in the second journey of the transports. Smith would land on the Kentucky side by the high ground and would first occupy the abandoned Fort Heiman to ensure the fort’s fall from this dominating position.

Tilghman reported that United States gunboats and transports were landing troops five miles below the fort. After initiating the debarkation of troops below Fort Henry, Grant and Foote steamed forward on USS ESSEX with the other ironclads to reconnoitre the fort and to test the range of its defensive armament. The USS ESSEX was soon hit by a 6-inch shot and immediately withdraw, having confirmed that landings any nearer to the fort than Panther Creek would be too dangerous. Torpedoes, planted in the river but torn loose by the flooding waters, floated by and some were retrieved for inspection.

Day 301 of the United States Civil War, February 6th 1862

Virginia

United States Army, Major General George Brinton McClellan reviewed the organisation of the Army of the Potomac in preparation for his impending offensive campaign. The following order of battle indicates the present state of the growing army. The highest level of organisation was currently the division, as the grouping of divisions into Corps-level commands was not yet authorised. McClellan was the only Major General in the Army and he put earnest consideration into deciding which of his officers should be promoted to command the major segments of the army.

West Virginia

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention reopened the Committee on Education's report for further debate.

Missouri

Incident at Bloomfield.

South Carolina

United States reconnaissance to Wright River.

(Tennessee) Federal Penetration up the Cumberland and Tennessee Rivers - Battle of Fort Henry

On February 4 and 5, United States Army, Brigadier General Ulysses Simpson Grant had landed his divisions in two different locations. United States Army, Brigadier General John Alexander McClernand's division was 3 miles (4.8 km) north of the fort, on the east bank of the Tennessee River, to prevent the garrison's escape. United States Army, Brigadier General Charles Ferguson Smith's division would seize Fort Heiman on the Kentucky side of the river and turn its artillery on Fort Henry. When heavy rains the night of February 5th slowed the progress of United States troops toward the forts, the battle turned on naval actions, which concluded before the infantry saw action.

Tilghman realized that it was only a matter of time before Fort Henry fell. Only nine guns remained above the water to mount a defense. While leaving artillery in the fort to hold off the United States gunboats, he ordered the majority of his force to march, under the command of Confederate States Army, Colonel Adolphus Heiman, on the overland route to Fort Donelson, 12 miles (19 km) away. Fort Heiman was abandoned on February 4th; gunfire from the gunboats on Fort Henry garrison caused 4 Confederate casualties [1 killed 3 wounded] on the afternoon of February 5th. All but a part of Company B,1st Tennessee Artillery Regiment (Confederate States) [54 men] left Fort Henry on February 5th. (United States cavalry pursued the retreating Confederates, but poor road conditions prevented any serious confrontation and they took few captives.) Tilghman, as was his custom, spent the night of February 5–6 on the steamer DUNBAR, 1.5 miles (2.4 km) upstream from the fort. Around midnight he sent an update on the situation to Johnston, then returned to Fort Henry just before dawn.

Map: Battle of Fort Henry



The United States gunboat attack on Fort Henry, sketched by Alexander Simplot for Harper's Weekly
On the morning of February 6, Foote's seven United States gunboats arrived at Fort Henry and established their position around 12:30 p.m. They soon opened fire from a distance at 1,700 yards (around 1,554 meters), beginning an exchange of gunfire with Fort Henry that continued for over an hour. After Tilghman rejected an initial call to surrender, the fleet continued to bombard the fort. This was its first engagement using newly designed and hastily constructed ironclads. Foote deployed the four ironclad gunboats in a line abreast, followed by the three timberclads, under the command of Seth Ledyard Phelps, which were held back for long-range, but less effective fire against the fort.

Harper's Weekly: The United States gunboat attack on Fort Henry, sketched by Alexander Simplot for Harper's Weekly



The high water level of the river and the low elevation of Fort Henry's guns allowed Foote's fleet to escape serious destruction. The Confederate fire was able to hit the ironclads only where their armor was strongest. During the bombardment, all four of the United States ironclads were repeatedly hit by Confederate fire. The USS ESSEX was seriously damaged when a 32-pound shot from Fort Henry penetrated the ironclad, hitting the middle boiler and sending scalding steam through half the ship. Thirty-two crewmen were killed or wounded, including United States Navy, commander William D. Porter. The ship was out of action for the remainder of the campaign.

After the bombardment had lasted 75 minutes, Tilghman surrendered to Foote's fleet, which had closed to within 400 yards (370 m) for a close-range bombardment. Before the battle, Tilghman told his men that he would offer an hour of resistance to allow his men additional time to escape. With only one cannon still working, down to the last few rounds due to the powder magazine being underwater, and the rest of the guns destroyed or knocked out, Tilghman ordered the Confederate flag at Fort Henry lowered and a white sheet raised on the fort's flagpole. Upon seeing the white flag, the United States gunboats immediately ceased fire. A small launch from the flotilla sailed through the sally port of the fort and picked up Tilghman for the surrender conference and ceremony on USS CINCINNATI. Twelve officers and 82 men of the garrison surrendered; other casualties from the fort's garrison were estimated to be 15 men killed and 20 wounded. The evacuating Confederate force left all of its artillery and equipment behind.

Frank Leslie's Illustrated: Fort Henry, on the morning after its capture, February 6, from a sketch by Henry Lovie of Frank Leslie's Illustrated



Grant and his troops arrived at Fort Henry at around 3 p.m. on February 6th to see that the garrison had already surrendered. McClernand's division arrived at the fort about 30 minutes later. In the meantime, Smith's division had reached the deserted Fort Heiman. If Grant had been cautious and delayed his departure by two days, the battle would have never occurred.

Tennessee

United States naval expedition to Florence began. USS CONESTOGA, USS LEXINGTON, and USS TYLER set out under United States Navy, Lieutenant S L Phelps after the success at Fort Henry and headed for Florence, Alabama.

Day 303 of the United States Civil War, February 8th 1862

West Virginia

Delegates to the Constitutional Convention passed an amended version of the previous day's report from the Committee on the Legislative Department.

The Restored Government of Virginia sought to improve travel and navigation on the Kanawha River and nearby roads by reinstating the Kanawha Board.

Kansas

Martial law was declared throughout the state of Kansas by the United States authorities in response to pro-Confederate agitation and guerrilla activity.

Missouri

Skirmish at Bolivar.

North Carolina

The Dismal Swamp Canal opened to waterway traffic in 1805 and it became an important route to transport supplies from North Carolina to Virginia. Confederate States Navy, Captain William Francis Lynch, commanding the CSS SEA BIRD, a side-wheel steamer, had received naval supplies via the canal when he was in charge of the flotilla defending Roanoke Island. After Roanoke Island fell into United States hands, Lynch decided to move to Elizabeth City.

Alabama

United States Navy, Lieutenant Seth Ledyard Phelps led three timber-clad gunboats, USS CONESTOGA, USS LEXINGTON, and USS TYLER, in a raid for 150 miles up the Tennessee River from Fort Henry. The raid reached as far as Muscle Shoals just past Florence, which was the limit of navigability.
The United States ships and their raiding parties destroyed supplies and the important bridge of the Memphis & Ohio Railroad, 25 miles upriver. They also captured a variety of Southern boats, including the SALLIE WOOD and MUSCLE, and an ironclad under conversion from a steamboat, the CSS EASTPORT. The Confederates destroyed two other vessels to avoid their capture. The United States ships returned safely to Fort Henry on February 12th.

(North Carolina) Burnside's North Carolina Expedition - Battle of Roanoke Island

The United States soldiers moved out promptly on the morning of February 8th, advancing north on the only road on the island. Leading was the First Brigade's 25th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (United states), with Midshipman Porter's howitzers immediately following. They were soon halted, when they struck the Confederate redoubt and some 400 infantry blocking their path. Another thousand Confederates were in reserve, about 250 yards (230 m) to the rear; the front was so constricted that Confederate States Army, Colonel Henry Shaw could deploy only a quarter of his men. The defensive line ended in what were deemed impenetrable swamps on both sides, so Shaw did not protect his flanks.

Map: 1862 map of the positions of the United States and Confederacy at the Battle of Roanoke Island



The leading elements of the First Brigade spread out to match their opponents' configuration, and for two hours the combatants fired at each other through blinding clouds of smoke. The 10th Connecticut Infantry Regiment (United States) relieved the exhausted, but not badly bloodied, 25th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (United States), but they too could not advance. No progress was made until the Second Brigade arrived, and its commander, United States Army, Brigadier General Jesse L. Reno, ordered them to try to penetrate the "impenetrable" swamp on the United States left. United States Army, Brigadier General John G. Foster then ordered two of his reserve regiments to do the same on the right. About this time, United States Army, Brigadier General John G. Parke came up with the Third Brigade, and it was immediately sent to assist. Although they were not coordinated, the two flanking movements emerged from the swamp at nearly the same time. Reno ordered his 21st Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (United States), 51st New York Infantry Regiment (United States), and 9th New Jersey Infantry Regiment (United States) to attack. As they were firing on the Confederates, the 23rd Massachusetts Infantry Regiment (United States), from the First Brigade, appeared on the other end of the line. The defensive line began to crack; noting this, Foster ordered his remaining forces to attack. Under assault from three sides, the Confederates broke and fled.

Drawing: United States troops assault the Confederate three-gun battery



As no fall-back defenses had been set up, and he was bereft of artillery, Confederate States Army, Colonel Henry Shaw surrendered to United States Army, Brigadier General John G. Foster. Included in the capitulation were not only the 1,400 infantry that he commanded directly, but also the guns in the forts. Two additional regiments (2nd North Carolina and 46th Virginia) had been sent as reinforcements. They arrived too late to take part in the battle, but not too late to take part in the surrender. Altogether, some 2,500 men became prisoners of war.

lithograph: Capture of Roanoke Island, Feby. 8th 1862: By the federal forces, under Command of Genl. Ambrose E. Burnside, and gunboats under Commodore L.M. Goldsboroug



Aside from the men who went into captivity, casualties were rather light by American Civil War standards. The Federal forces lost 37 killed, 214 wounded, and 13 missing. The Confederates lost 23 killed, 58 wounded, and 62 missing.

The Illustrated London News: Fort Bartow, Roanoke Island, after its capture by the Federalists

Day 305 of the United States Civil War, February 10th 1862

Virginia

(Confederate States) Secretary of War, Judah Philip Benjamin had divided the Army of the Northwest, sending some regiments to Knoxville in Tennessee, others to the District of Aquia, and the remainder to the Army of the Potomac. The remnants were stationed at Camp Allegheny and were still unofficially referred to as the Army of the Northwest or the Army of the Allegheny. Confederate States Army, Brigadier General Edward Johnson retained command of this remaining segment of just six regiments, which were subordinated to the District of the Valley and Confederate States Army, Major General Thomas Jonathan Jackson.

James Patton Anderson, is appointed Brigadier General in the Confederate States Army.

West Virginia

At the Constitutional Convention, reports from several committees were considered and amended. The reports affected the judiciary and executive branches in addition to general provisions.

The Restored Government of Virginia passed an act that aimed to forbid residents of Virginia from joining the Confederate Army.

South Carolina

Skirmish at Barnwell’s Island.

Alabama

Expedition to Florence ended.

Louisiana

The United States Navy allocated 22 sailing vessels and 7 steamers to comprise a Mortar Flotilla. The
UNADILLA-class gunboat USS OWASCO (1 × 11-in Dahlgren smoothbore, 2 × 24-pdr smoothbore and 2 × 20-pdr Parrott rifle) was also assigned to protect and support the flotilla. Their mission would be to deliver an intensive bombardment of Fort Jackson and Fort St Philip on the banks of the Mississippi River south of New Orleans.

Drawing: UNADILLA-class gunboat USS OWASCO in 1861



Missouri

The United States Army of the Southwest under United States Army, Brigadier General Samuel Ryan Curtis left Lebanon and marched towards Springfield, where the 8,000 Confederates of Confederate States Army, Major General Sterling Price’s command had spent the winter. Price withdrew into northwest Arkansas and proposed to join forces with Confederate States Army, Brigadier General Benjamin McCulloch who was retreating from Keetsville. Confederate States Army, Major General Earl Van Dorn had been given authority over both of these forces and had orders to defeat Curtis. Van Dorn directed McCulloch and Price to seek refuge in the Boston Mountains south of Fayetteville. He sent forward reinforcements and prepared to lead an attack against the approaching Union forces.

Tennessee

United States Navy, Captain Andrew Hull Foote received repeated requests from United States Army, Major General Henry Wager Halleck to send at least two gunboats up the Cumber­land River to support transports carrying troops for an attack on Fort Donelson.

New York

The Fourth Regiment of Artillery was recruited in towns and cities around New York and mustered at Port Richmond on Staten Island. On February 10th the regiment left New York to serve in the fortifications around Washington, D.C.

(North Carolina) Burnside's North Carolina Expedition - Battle of Elizabeth City

Map: The Pasquotank River near Elizabeth City, site of battle of 10 February 1862



Confederate States Navy, Captain William Francis Lynch had decided to base his Mosquito Fleet for safety by a battery of four guns located at Cobb’s Point He placed the schooner CSS BLACK WARRIOR opposite the point and his five remaining steamships in a line across the river a short distance upstream because he expected the United States fleet to halt and reduce the battery before proceeding. His final instructions to his captains included the order not to let their ships fall into enemy hands; if all else failed, they should try to escape, or else destroy their vessels.

At dawn, Lynch made his first visit to the Cobb’s Point battery to coordinate its defence with his fleet. He found that it was manned by only seven militiamen and a single civilian. Since the battery was the strong point of the defence he had planned, he was constrained to order Lieutenant William Harwar Parker, captain of CSS BEAUFORT, to come ashore with most of his crew to man the guns. He left only enough crewmen on the ship to take her up the Dismal Swamp canal. With these additional crewmen, three of the four guns could mow be manned. Once the battle was joined, the militiamen promptly deserted and only two guns could be used against the enemy. In fact, United States Navy, Commander Stephen Clegg Rowan ordered his ships to bypass the Cobb’s Point battery. Parker and his men got off a few wild shots that did no harm and then found that their guns would not bear on target once the United States fleet was upstream.

The first vessel of the Confederate fleet to be lost was the schooner CSS BLACK WARRIOR. She was fired on by Rowan’s entire attacking force as they passed the Cobb’s Point battery, so her crew abandoned her and set her afire. Likewise, CSS FANNY was run ashore and burned. A boarding party from the small steamboat USS CERES (1 × 30-pounder rifle, 1 × 32-pounder smoothbore gun) boarded and captured CSS ELLIS in hand-to-hand combat. Her captain would have blown up ELLIS, but a black coal heaver discovered the charges and revealed them to the boarding party. CSS SEA BIRD attempted to escape but was run down, rammed and sunk by the USS COMMODORE PERRY. CSS BEAUFORT and CSS APPOMATTOX made good their escape into the Dismal Swamp Canal. Once, there CSS APPOMATTOX was found to be two inches too wide to pass through a lock, so she had to be burned. CSS FORREST, on the stocks to repair the damaged screw she had sustained on February 8th, was burned at the dock, along with an unnamed and uncompleted gunboat. CSS RALEIGH was still at Norfolk and was not harmed. She and CSS BEAUFORT were the only vessels in the North Carolina Mosquito Fleet to escape either capture or destruction.

When they learned of the destruction of their fleet and the surrender of the Cobb’s Point battery, the Confederate troops retreating from Roanoke Island set fires in Elizabeth City, acting under orders from Confederate States Army, Brigadier General Henry Alexander Wise to destroy the town. About two blocks had been consumed when sailors from the United States flotilla arrived and were able to save the rest. The Albemarle and Chesapeake Canal was blocked near its entrance at the North River. The retreating Confederates started the obstruction and it was then completed by the victorious United States forces, by order of United States Navy, Captain Louis Malesherbes Goldsborough.

Casualties in the attacking United States fleet were two men killed and seven wounded, and two steamers were damaged, while the Confederates lost four men killed, six wounded, and 34 captured, with five vessels lost.