Chronological History of the American Civil War

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City Belle , is captured on the Red River. The fighting starts at Catoosa Springs, Chickamauga Creek, and Red Clay, in Georgia. President Abraham Lincoln and his Cabinet discuss the alleged massacre by Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Cavalry command at Fort Pillow, Tennessee. In Bolivar, Tennessee, Mr Bills tells us, “ We hear of 3 being buried. 2 Feds and 1 Confed. perhaps 20 wounded… the day passes off pretty quietly.” Thursday, May 5, 1864 : Grant and Lee’s armies meet again, in the forest fought over just a year earlier called the Wilderness. The gun muzzle blasts will set the woods on fire. Trapping men, losing their way in fire and smoke, whole brigades would become lost in the woods. By nightfall, the Union was still in control of the major crossroads at the Wilderness. The C.S.S. Albemarle fought seven blockading Union ships to a draw, at the mouth of the Roanoke River, Virginia. Back in Bolivar, Tennessee, John Houston Bills takes his pen and writes: “Troops remain camped all around us. The day passes off without any striking incident. … At 8 the Feds commence to move off toward Corinth. Soon, we discover the town is on fire. The store of A. Warren is in a blaze, the printing office is burning also, then the Courthouse, my buildings, 1 sadlers shop, drug store, 2 brick stores - value of my property burned $7,500. The burned district sums up nearly two squares. to wit: 5 stores, 1 sadlers shop, 3 law offices, 1 printing office, 1 hotel & concert hall, 1 Baptist Church, 1 Carpenter Shop, 2 Residences.” This was done to punish the town for supporting Forrest, General Sturgis (U.S.) ordered the courthouse and town square burned to the ground. Thanks to a Union Masonic brother, local resident Judge, Austin Miller (Magnolia Manor) was allowed to move the court’s records to the Miller home, before the courthouse was burned. Friday, May 6, 1864 : General Grant's (U.S.) attempted to move quickly through the dense underbrush of the "Wilderness" near Spotsylvania, Virginia, he sought to break the stalemate by sending Major General Winfield Hancock’s (U.S.) corps against the Confederate right flank at the southern end of the battle line. But, like the Union troops earlier, they too, became disoriented as they drove Hancock’s troops back. In the confusion, General Longstreet (CSA) was wounded by his own men, just four miles from the spot where, Stonewall Jackson was mortally wounded by his own men the year before. In two days, the Union lost 17,000 men to the Confederates’ 11,000. This was nearly one-fifth of each army. The worst was yet to come. In eastern Virginia, The U.S.S. Commodore Jones was searching for and found one--an “electric torpedo” which, was set off by means of an electric wire by an operator on shore. Jeffries Johnson (CSA) the operator, set the bomb off and blew the ship up. Unfortunately, he was caught and tied to the bow of the next minesweeper, therefore, Mr. Johnson became a bit more cooperative in revealing where the other mines were. Back on April 13, 1864, new orders for 200 men from the 6th Tennessee ( Hurst - WORST ) (U.S.) with equipment, but no horses, were ordered to Helena, Arkansas, for temporary duty, with orders to report to Brigadier General N. B. Buford (U.S.). Today, General Buford (U.S.) reported that four companies, 177 men, dismounted, under Lieutenant Francis Tucker (U.S.), had arrived. He described them as “a raw, undisciplined, detachment.” I guess a few got lost on the way there. Back in Bolivar, Mr. Bills of The Pillars, must be having a good day… 4th Iowa Cavalry passing through only take a horse worth $100. Saturday, May 7, 1864 : In northern Virginia, General U.S. Grant, beaten the day before, did not retreat like his predecessors had always done. He headed for Spotsylvania Court House to attack again. General Robert E. Lee (CSA) is rushing his troops to get there first. Near