Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Major General David Hunter (U.S.) replaces Major General Franz Sigel (U.S.) as commander of the Department of West Virginia, due to Sigel’s losses in the Shenandoah Valley dealt by Major General John C. Breckinridge (CSA). Sunday, May 22, 1864 : I guess sailors will be sailors, see if you can figure this out. The USS Kineo , under Lieutenant Commander John Waters (U.S.), his sailors capture the Confederate schooner, C.S.S. Stingaree , off of Brazos, Texas, and after the Federal steamer captures the ship, the Rebel commander and his crew served liquor to the Federals, got them drunk, overpowered them, and was able to beach the vessel, escaping with their own ship from the Federal steamer that originally captured them. (I do not make these stories up....) Col. Fielding Hurst and his men of the 6th Tennessee (U.S.) are now on patrol in Commerce, Mississippi, looking for General Forrest. They did not find him, but they still looted and burned the town. Monday, May 23, 1864: The campaign between Union commander Ulysses S. Grant and Robert E. Lee, the commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, continues southward to the North Anna River around Hanover Junction,

Virginia. At the North Anna River, Grant (U.S.) is forced to divide his army into three parts in order to attack. One of A.P. Hill’s (CSA) divisions assaulted the V Corps (U.S.) which had crossed the river at Jericho Mill, resulting in bloody see-saw fighting. The fighting would continue, throughout the night. A pontoon bridge (pictured) was constructed by the Union soldiers across the North Anna River in Virginia.

At Stilesborough, Georgia, Major General William T. Sherman (U.S.) attempts to turn General Joseph E. Johnston’s left flank and cross the Etowah River, and head towards Dallas, Georgia. Federal scouts from Warrensburg, Missouri are searching for the guerrillas, who attacked and killed some Yankee soldiers and citizens, including a local judge. Tuesday, May 24, 1864: In Virginia, Union infantry was repulsed at the “Ox Ford” but advanced to near the Doswell House on the Confederate right flank. Lee had hoped to strike an offensive blow, but he has fallen ill, and the opportunity for defeating an isolated part of the Federal army passed. Grant decides to pull back and make a wider swing around toward Richmond, Virginia. One disadvantage of Sherman’s advance, was that he had extended his supply lines. In Georgia, Major General Joseph Wheeler’s Confederate cavalry leads a raid on Sherman’s supply lines, which led to the destruction of large quantities of supplies. Confederate Major General Fitzhugh Lee’s (CSA) “Robert E. Lee’s nephew” cavalry division (about 3,000 men) attacked the Union supply depot at Wilson’s Wharf, on the James River in eastern Charles City, Virginia, and was repulsed by two African American regiments of the United States Colored Troops. Some skirmishing starts in Holly Springs, Mississippi and near Nashville, Tennessee. Wednesday, May 25, 1864: In Virginia, fighting still continues along Lee’s & the Grant's lines, as Grant swings around Lee’s flank. While in Georgia, General Joseph E. Johnston (CSA) anticipated Sherman’s next move, and shifted his army into Sherman’s path, centering a new line of defense at New Hope Church. In a middle of a thunderstorm, Sherman orders Major General Joseph Hooker’s (U.S.) XX Corps to attack, thinking it was a small force soon ran into Johnston (CSA) main force. The Confederate line held.