Chronological History of the American Civil War

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seems, however, that it was only a matter of authority - in December, 1863 Hurst was granted “a roving commission . . . to 'grub up' West Tennessee” by General William Sooy Smith. Wednesday, November 4, 1863 : General Bragg (CSA), supported by Jefferson Davis, rid himself of General Longstreet and his 20,000 men, who were sent to support Confederate troops at Knoxville to operate against Ambrose Burnside (U.S.). Longstreet is the last of the generals that complained to Jefferson Davis about Bragg. Near Maryville, Tennessee, skirmishes at Motley’s Ford on the Little Tennessee River. Fifty Confederates are killed or drowned; 40 are captured, including four officers. Thursday, November 5, 1863 : “This morning at 3 a.m. the enemy, about 1,000 strong, pushed in 5 miles east of Saulsbury and commenced destroying track; damage not ascertained. Hatch and Mizner are ordered to push in upon them. I think the road is badly broken, but cannot yet tell.” S. A. Hurlbut, Major-General (U.S.). Skirmish at Moscow, Tennessee, as Lieut. General Ulysses S. Grant (U.S.) impatiently hopes that Major General William T. Sherman, (U.S.) arrives at Chattanooga before Lieut. General James Longstreet, (CSA), arrives against Major General, Ambrose E. Burnside, (U.S.), at Knoxville, Tennessee, on the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Friday, November 6, 1863 : Action today, at Rogersville, Tennessee, as Brig. General, William E. "Grumble" Jones, (CSA) Cavalry captures Rogersville, along with 775 prisoners, 32 wagons, ambulances, 1,000 horses. However, by the time the horses got to headquarters, only 300 remained. Major General Robert Ransom, Jr., (CSA) commanding the District of Southwestern Virginia and East Tennessee believes the “missing” horses were appropriated by the men. Also at Droop Mountain in West Virginia, after eight hours of fighting, the Confederate army was driven South into Virginia, and was never able to regain control in West Virginia. Federal Casualties were 119 and an estimated casualties: 526 total. After this battle, Confederate resistance in West Virginia collapsed. Saturday, November 7, 1863 : General Meade, (U.S.) commander of the Army of the Potomac, attacked Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia (CSA). Several Confederate redoubts were captured at Kelly’s Ford on the Rappahannock River in Virginia, and 1,629 prisoners were taken. A Union victory however, the North lost far more men killed – 83 to 6. Sunday, November 8, 1863 : Scottish photographer who immigrated to the

United States in 1856, Alexander Gardner took 70 photographs of the battlefield at Gettysburg just a few months earlier, now his next photo shoot would be of President Lincoln (pictured) himself. This photo is one of the pictures he took, today. It seems that Confederate President Jefferson Davis is having a hard time getting generals to get along together, just as much as Lincoln had with his generals. Today, Major General John C. Breckinridge, (CSA) supersedes Lieut. General Daniel H. Hill, (CSA) in the command of the 2nd Confederate Army Corps, the Army of Tennessee, in part due to Hill's inability to get along with General Braxton Bragg (CSA). Monday, November 9, 1863 : Abraham Lincoln was not, if truth be told, a great enthusiast for the theater. If he did have to attend a performance to make his wife happy, he preferred a comedy. Tonight’s offering, alas, was

more of a melodrama, which the already pressured and depressed Lincoln certainly did not need more of this, but the tickets were already bought. The play was one called “Marble Heart”, and was performed by one of the premier actors of the American stage--a certain John Wilkes Booth. The two men were not at this point acquainted. General Grant (U.S.) writes to General Hurlbut (U.S.) in Memphis, Tennessee: “Collect mules and horses in West Tennessee and Northern Mississippi to supply all required in your command. From North Mississippi collect all serviceable animals and beef-cattle you can reach, giving receipts to be paid on proof of loyalty, not transferable. That country ought to be put in such condition that it will not support Chalmers’ command any longer.”