The Civil War This Week: Sep 1-7, 1864 Thursday, September 1 The Battle of Jonesboro continued outside Atlanta, as Confederates fended off several Federal attacks while trying to maintain control of the Macon & Western Railroad. However, a massive Federal assault finally broke the Confederate line, destroyed two brigades, and led to the capture of hundreds of prisoners. Two days of fighting at Jonesboro resulted in at least 1,450 Federal casualties and an unknown number of Confederate losses. This evening, the Confederate Army of Tennessee withdrew to regroup at Lovejoy’s Station. The Confederate defeat meant that only one railroad line remained to feed the starving soldiers and civilians in Atlanta. General John Bell Hood, commanding the Confederate Army of Tennessee ordered the evacuation of Atlanta. Confederate cavalry burned supplies that could not be evacuated, including seven locomotives, 81 rail cars, 13 siege guns, and many shells. The fires raged for hours and sparked massive explosions. In Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley, Major General Philip Sheridan regrouped his Federal Army of the Shenandoah to launch an offensive. The Federals had been stalemated with General Jubal Early’s Confederate Army of the Valley around Winchester. Federal expeditions began in Missouri and California. Skirmishing occurred in Missouri and Arkansas. Friday, September 2 Federals entered Atlanta unopposed. Mayor James M. Calhoun and a city delegation formally surrendered the city to Major General Henry Slocum. Philip Sheridan planned to advance up the Shenandoah Valley as skirmishing in the region increased. President Abraham Lincoln spoke with various political leaders and administration officials to gather support and gauge public opinion about the upcoming election. General Robert E. Lee, commanding the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia under siege at Petersburg, wrote to Confederate President Jefferson Davis about the dangerous manpower shortage: “Our ranks are constantly diminishing by battle and disease, and few recruits are received; the consequences are inevitable…” Lee urged the Confederate government to restrict exemptions to the conscription law. He also supported allowing blacks to be substituted for whites “in every place in the army or connected with it when the former can be used.” Skirmishing occurred in Tennessee, Missouri, and Arkansas. Saturday, September 3 Major General William T. Sherman, commanding the Federal Army of the West, wired Washington at 6:00 a.m.: “Atlanta is ours, and fairly won.” News of Atlanta’s capture sparked joyous celebrations throughout the North, along with 100-gun salutes in Washington and dozens of other cities. President Lincoln declared 5 September a day of celebration for the victories at Atlanta and Mobile Bay. The capture of Atlanta strengthened the Federal fighting spirit and immediately shifted momentum in the upcoming presidential election to Lincoln. Conversely, the loss of Atlanta demoralized the South, and crucial industrial resources in the heart of the Confederacy were lost. In the Shenandoah, a corps from Jubal Early’s Confederate army left to reinforce General Robert E. Lee’s Confederates at Petersburg. The corps accidentally clashed with a corps from Philip Sheridan’s Federal army, revealing Sheridan’s intention to invade the Valley against Early’s depleted force. President Davis tried gathering troops to reinforce John Bell Hood’s struggling Confederate Army of Tennessee. Skirmishing occurred in Virginia, Kentucky, and Missouri. Sunday, September 4 Famed Confederate raider John Hunt Morgan was killed by a Federal raiding party in Greenville, Tennessee. Morgan’s headquarters were raided by Federals emulating his own tactics, and Morgan was shot trying to reach his troops. The legend and terror of John Hunt Morgan would be long remembered in poems, songs, and stories. In the Shenandoah, Philip Sheridan’s Federals moved to cut the Confederate supply lines south of Winchester. Jubal Early countered by advancing along the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad from Stephenson’s Depot, north of Winchester, toward Martinsburg. Early had only 12,000 men to oppose some 40,000 Federals. President Lincoln replied to a letter from Eliza P. Gurney of the Society of Friends: “The purposes of the Almighty are perfect, and must prevail, though we erring mortals may fail to accurately perceive them in advance.” A third major Federal bombardment of Fort Sumter in Charleston Harbor ended after 60 days. The attack included 14,666 rounds fired that inflicted 81 casualties. Confederates attacked steamers on the White River in Arkansas. Skirmishing occurred in Arkansas and Louisiana. Monday, September 5 In the Shenandoah, portions of Philip Sheridan and Jubal Early’s armies clashed near Stephenson’s Depot, north of Winchester. Louisiana voters approved the new state constitution, which included abolishing slavery. Swearing loyalty to the U.S. was required to vote. Tuesday, September 6 A Maryland state convention adopted a new state constitution that also included the end of slavery. Lieutenant General Richard Taylor assumed command of the Confederate Department of Alabama, Mississippi, and East Louisiana. An eighth minor Federal bombardment of Fort Sumter began with 573 rounds fired. A Federal expedition began from Morganza, Louisiana. Skirmishing occurred in Tennessee, Mississippi, Missouri, Arkansas, and Texas. Wednesday, September 7 William T. Sherman wrote to Confederate General John Bell Hood, “I have deemed it to the interest of the United States that the citizens now residing in Atlanta should remove, those who prefer it to go South and the rest North.” Sherman ordered all residents who had not already fled Atlanta to evacuate to make the city safer for Federal troops. Atlanta Mayor James Calhoun called Sherman’s order “appalling and heartrending.” Hood angrily called it “studied and ingenious cruelty.” Sherman replied, “You cannot qualify war in harsher terms than I will. War is cruelty and you cannot refine it; and those who brought war into our country deserve all the curses and maledictions a people can pour out.” In the Shenandoah, portions of Philip Sheridan and Jubal Early’s armies skirmished near Brucetown and Winchester. A Federal expedition began from Lake Natchez, Louisiana. Skirmishing occurred in Missouri. —– waltercoffey.wordpress/2014/09/02/the-civil-war-this-week-sep-1-7-1864/?utm_source=Newsletter+for+September+2%2C+2014&utm_campaign=Sep+2+2014&utm_medium=email
Posted on: Thu, 04 Sep 2014 16:15:02 +0000