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

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Day 595 of the United States Civil War, November 25th 1862

Virginia

Confederate States Army, Major General Samuel Jones, is assigned to the command of the Trans-Allegheny, or Western, Department of Virginia.

Expedition to Shepherdstown ended.

A large pontoon train finally joined the United States Army of the Potomac on the north bank of the Rappahannock River near Fredericksburg. The delay in its arrival had prevented United States Army, Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside from launching a rapid crossing and a surprise advance across the Rappahannock River. The merits of his rapid move to Fredericksburg had been thrown away by the delay of the bridging train. Yet, Burnside persisted in a plan that no longer had the advantage of surprise on which it depended. Burnside believed he still had a partial opportunity because he faced only half of Confederate States Army, General Robert Edward Lee’s army. Lee’s men under Confederate States Army, Lieutenant General James Longstreet were not yet fully entrenched and quick action might enable Burnside to attack and defeat this Corps before the rest of the Confederate army could complete its concentration. Convinced that the United States army had changed its direction of advance, Lee ordered Confederate States Army, Lieutenant General Thomas Jonathan Jackson to move his II Corps from its positions on the Rapidan and upper Rappahannock to be nearer to Fredericksburg.

Arkansas

Expedition to Yellville for the destruction of Confederate saltworks began.

Skirmish at Pitman’s Ferry.

Skirmish at Camp Babcock.

United States Army, Brigadier General James Gilpatrick Blunt attacked Confederate States Army, Brigadier General John Sappington Marmaduke, who was attempting to join forces with Confederate States Army, Major General Thomas Carmichael Hindman near Cane Hill for an advance into Missouri.

Kentucky

Skirmish at Calhoun.

Maryland

Reconnaissance to Sharpsburg ended.

Confederate cavalry from the brigade of Confederate States Army, Brigadier General William Edmondson Jones made a raid to Poolesville.

Missouri

Skirmish in Crawford County.

Skirmish in Skirmish in Jasper County involving United States Army, troops under Brigadier-General Francis Jay Herron.

Skirmish in Skirmish in Barton County.

North Carolina

After the efforts to refloat the grounded gunboat USS ELLIS under the command of United States Navy, Lieutenant Cushing at Jacksonville failed, it was set on fire to avoid capture. Confederate States Army, Brigadier General Willliam Henry Chase Whiting sent a detachment to the wreck.

Tennessee

Henderson’s Station on the Mobile & Ohio Railroad was occupied by the 49th Illinois Infantry Regiment United States) under the command of United States Army, lieutenant Colonel Phineas Pease .

Skirmish at Clarksville.

New Mexico Territory

Expedition to Fort Union ended.

Gulf of Mexico

The gunboat USS KITTATINNY under the command of United States Navy, Acting Master Lamson, captured the British blockade-runner MATILDA, bound from Havana to Matamoras.

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Day 596 of the United States Civil War, November 26th 1862

Virginia

(United States) President Abraham Lincoln travels to Aquia Creek, VA, to meet with United States Army, Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, Army of the Potomac.

Reconnaissance from Bolivar Heights to Charles Town. Incident at Lewis’ Mill.

Skirmish at Cockrall’s Mill.

United States Army, Major William H Powell led an advance detachment of 21 cavalrymen from the 2nd West Virginia Cavalry Regiment (United States) to the foot of the Cold Knob Mountains and discovered two Confederate camps at Sinking Creek. Powell decided to attack the first camp with swords instead of pistols to keep the other camp from hearing gunfire and losing the advantage of surprise. The United States troopers surprised the Confederates and demanded the surrender of the Confederate commander, Confederate States Army, Lieutenant Colonel John A Gibson. He agreed terms and 500 Confederates were captured without United States loss.

Arkansas

United States forces set out to destroy a Confederate saltworks, arsenal, and storehouses at Yellville.

Louisiana

Skirmish at Bayou Bonfouca.

Missouri

Expedition to Barton County, Jasper County, and Greenfield ended.

Skirmish in Lafayette County.

Skirmish in Jackson County.

Tennessee

Confederate States Army, Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk, assumes the command of "Polk's Corps," the Army of Tennessee.

United States expedition from Edgefield to Harpeth Shoals and Clarksville began.

United States reconnaissance to La Vergne began.

Operation at Springfield began.

Skirmish near Somerville involving the 7th Illinois Cavalry Regiment (United States).

Skirmish at La Vergne.

Gulf of Mexico

The gunboat USS KITTATINNY under the command of United States Navy, Acting Master Lamson, captured the schooner DIANA, bound from Campeche to Matamoras.

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Day 597 of the United States Civil War, November 27th 1862

(YouTube) Civil War Week By Week - Grant on the Move (November 21st - 27th 1862)



Virginia

United States Army, Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, USA, meeting with (United States) President Abraham Lincoln, declines to use Lincoln's suggested strategy of using a three-pronged attack south of the Rappahannock River, choosing instead to make a direct assault on Confederate States Army, General Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia lines.

Arkansas

Expedition from Helena to Grenada, Mississippi, began.

Louisiana

Confederates captured the steamer NEW RIVER near New River Landing.

Mississippi

United States Army, Major General Ulysses Simpson Grant reorganised the 40,000 men of the Army of the Tennessee for his advance through Mississippi towards Vicksburg. He formed three wings under United States Army, Major General William Tecumseh Sherman (Right Wing), United States Army, Major General James Birdseye McPherson (Centre), and United States Army, Major General Charles Smith Hamilton (Left Wing). Having established his base of operations and supplies at Holly Springs, the army began its advance along the Mississippi Central Railroad across the Tallahatchie River.

Mississippi

Expedition from Helena, Arkansas, to Grenada began.

Missouri

Incident at Lafayette County.

Skirmish at Carthage.

Tennessee

Reconnaissance to La Vergne ended.

Reconnaissance to Mill Creek.

Skirmish at Mill Creek involving Texas Rangers.

Incident at Scrougesville.

United States Army, Major General Henry Wager Halleck sent orders to United States Army, Major General William Starke Rosecrans at Nashville to undertake active operations immediately, expressing the impatience of the government with Rosecrans’ apparent prevarication.

Nevada Territory

Expedition to the Sierra Nevada Mountains and Fort Ruby began.

Utah Territory

Expedition to Cache Valley and Camp Douglass ended.

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Day 598 of the United States Civil War, November 28th 1862

Virginia

United States reconnaissance from Chantilly to Berryville and Snicker’s Ferry began.

Confederate States Army, Brigadier General Wade Hampton’s cavalry captured 92 men from the 3rd Pennsylvania Cavalry Regiment (United States) at Hartwood Church, about seven miles northwest of Falmouth, Virginia.

Mississippi

Skirmish at the junction of the Coldwater River and the Tallahatchie River.

Skirmish at Holly Springs.

Missouri

Incident at Lafayette County.

Tennessee

Expedition to Clarksville began.

Skirmishes at Rome, Hartsville, and the Carthage Road as United States troops attempt to recover captured wagon trains.

Alabama

Incident at Little Bear Creek.

Arkansas

Incident at Boonesboro.

(Arkansas) Prairie Grove Campaign - Battle of Cane Hill

YouTube (Battle of Cane Hill November 28 1862)



United States Army, Major General Samuel Ryan Curtis pressed his invasion of northern Arkansas with the aim of occupying the capital city of Little Rock. Curtis’ army had reached the approaches to the capital of Little Rock, but he decided to turn away after a minor defeat at Whitney’s Lane near Searcy. Curtis re-established his supply lines at Helena on the Mississippi River and ordered his subordinate, United States Army, Major General John McAllister Schofield to drive the Confederate forces out of southwestern Missouri and to invade northwestern Arkansas from his base at Springfield, Missouri. Schofield divided his Army of the Frontier into two parts. Two divisions remained near Springfield commanded by United States Army, Brigadier General Francis Jay Herron. The other division, commanded by United States Army, Brigadier General James Gilpatrick Blunt, probed into northwest Arkansas. Schofield fell ill and command of the army passed to Blunt. When Blunt took command of the largest division at Fayetteville, the two wings of his army were dangerously far apart.

In late 1862 Confederate forces had withdrawn from southwest Missouri and were wintering in the wheat-rich and milder climate of northwest Arkansas. Many regiments had been transferred across the Mississippi for operations in Tennessee and new forces had to be recruited and trained. Confederate States Army, Major General Thomas Carmichael Hindman maintained field command of the Arkansas troops and when he became becoming aware of the United States Army’s precarious tactical position, he gained approval to mount an expedition into northwest Arkansas. Hindman hoped to catch the divided United States forces and to destroy them in detail, leading to an invasion of Missouri. Hindman’s force of about 11,000 men gathered at Fort Smith and he sent out approximately 2,000 cavalry in two brigades under Confederate States Army, Brigadier General John Sappington Marmaduke to harass Blunt’s forces and to screen the main Confederate force. Blunt unexpectedly moved forward with his division of 5,000 men and 30 artillery pieces to meet Marmaduke. Hindman hoped to attack Blunt’s force which was over seventy miles distant from the nearest United States reinforcements (Herron’s two divisions were still at Springfield, Missouri. Confederate States Army, Colonel Daniel Huston had temporarily replaced Confederate States Army, Colonel James Totten in command of the 2nd Division but both the 2nd and 3rd Divisions were consolidated under the overall command of Herron).

Hindman detached Marmaduke’s cavalry from Van Buren northwards to occupy the Cane Hill area, holding Blunt in place while Hindman moved the rest of his force through the Boston Mountains. Hearing rumours of a movement of enemy cavalry north of the Boston Mountains in Arkansas, Blunt advanced from his bivouac at Lindsay’s Prairie to oppose them. Blunt took 5,000 men of his 1st Division, Army of the Frontier, seeking to destroy the Confederate cavalry before the rest of Hindman’s forces could arrive. Blunt had disrupted the Confederate plan by advancing south when he heard of Marmaduke’s approach. Marmaduke was not prepared to meet Blunt, who was 35 miles further south than expected.

After a 35-mile march, the United States vanguard encountered the Confederate rearguard of Confederate States Army, Colonel Joseph Orville Shelby’s brigade at Cane Hill, 30 miles southwest of Fayetteville, and launched a surprise attack. Shelby gradually gave ground until he could establish a stronger defensive perimeter on Cove Creek in the Boston Mountains, where he repulsed a determined attack. The Confederate delaying action managed to protect the retreat of their supply trains. Blunt had pursued Marmaduke’s forces for twelve miles until the Confederates reached the safety of the Boston Mountains but he withdrew back to Cane Hill. The Confederates returned to Van Buren to await the arrival of Hindman’s main body. United States casualties were reported as 40 or 41 killed and wounded and Confederate as 45.

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Day 599 of the United States Civil War, November 29th 1862

District of Columbia

The United States Congress nominated, confirmed, or otherwise announced the promotion of 116 General Officers in the United States Volunteers. Twenty-nine were promotions to Major General in command of the increasing number of Departments, Army Corps, and other high commands that had been established. The remaining 87 promotions were to Brigadier General, mostly to command brigades but also for territorial or special commands. This date saw the single highest number of United States promotions to General and effectively filled all the imminent vacancies. Further promotions were made, to fill vacancies or to direct new commands but never again at such a scale.

Virginia

Incident at Berryville.

United States Army, Major General Ambrose Everett Burnside returned to the Army of the Potomac at Falmouth after his military conference at Aquia Creek. He continued to develop his plan to attack at Fredericksburg with his entire army, apart from United States Army, Major General Franz Sigel’s Reserve Grand Division which was holding Manassas as protection for the capital.

Pennsylvania

United States Army, Captain H A Adams was ordered to special duty at Philadelphia as coordinator of coal supply for the United States Navy. All coal used in the United States Navy at that time was anthracite and came from the eastern district of Pennsylvania. It was forwarded from the mines to Philadelphia either by rail or barge down the Schuylkill River. There it was loaded into coal schooners and sent onward to the various blockading squadrons. Before Adams was ordered to this duty, squadron commanders had considerable difficulty in keeping their ships supplied with coal. The consumption of coal in the South Atlantic Blockading Squadron alone was currently approximately 950 tons a week.

Maryland

Ex-Marshal George B. Kane, of Baltimore, MD, after 17 months' imprisonment, arrives in Baltimore and denounces United States Secretary of State, William H. Seward in a newspaper card.

Tennessee

Expedition to Sparta ended.

United States Reconnaissance Stewart’s Ferry on Stone’s River to Baird’s Mills began.

Arkansas

Expedition to Yellville ended.

Confederate States Army, Brigadier General John Sappington Marmaduke’s cavalry rejoined the main force of Confederate States Army, Major General Thomas Carmichael Hindman on the Arkansas River. Learning from Marmaduke that United States Army, Major General James Gilpatrick Blunt was at Cane Hill, thirty miles away but over a hundred miles away from any reinforcement, Hindman planned a counter-offensive to destroy Blunt’s command.

California

Reconnaissance to Honey Lake ended.

Mississippi

Skirmish at Lumpkin’s Mill.

Skirmish at Waterford.

Incidents at Orizaba, Holly Springs, and the Junction of the Coldwater and Tallahatchie Rivers.

Missouri

Incident at Lafayette County.

North Carolina

The sidewheel gunboat USS MOUNT VERNON under the command of United States Navy, Acting Lieutenant Trathen, captured the blockade-runner LEVI ROWE off New Inlet, with a cargo of rice.

District of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona (Confederate States)

Confederate States Army, Major General John B. Magruder, assumes the command of the District of Texas, New Mexico and Arizona.

Nevada Territory

Reconnaissance to Fort Churchill ended.

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Day 600 of the United States Civil War, November 30th 1862

Virginia

Reconnaissance to Berryville, Chantilly and Snicker’s Ferry ended.

Incidents at Berryville and Snicker’s Ferry.

Confederate States Army, Lieutenant General Thomas Jonathan Jackson’s II Corps Northern Virginia arrived at Fredericksburg from the Shenandoah Valley. At this point, the reunited Confederate Army of Northern Virginia numbered around 78,500 men to oppose 122,000 men in the United States Army of the Potomac.

West Virginia

Expedition to Cold Knob Mountain and Summerville ended.

Mississippi

Skirmish at Chulahoma.

Skirmish at the Tallahatchie River resulting in the destruction of the steamer NEW MOON.

Missouri

Expedition from Rolla to the Ozark Mountains began.

Tennessee

Operation at Springfield ended.

Tennessee

Expedition to Clarksville ended.

Reconnaissance to Baird’s Mill and Stewart’s Ferry ended.

The reorganisation of the Confederate Army of Tennessee continued in preparation for the autumn campaign. Confederate States Army, Lieutenant General Leonidas Polk’s I Corps was substantially restructured.

Leeward Islands

The screw sloop-of-war CSS ALABAMA under the command of Confederate States Navy, Captain Raphael Semmes evaded the pursuit of the steamship USS VANDERBILT (
2× 100-pounder Parrott rifles, 12× 9-inch Dahlgren smoothbores and 1× 12-pounder gun), and captured and burned the bark PARKER COOK off the coast.

Photo: USS VANDERBILT In port, during the Civil War era