Chronological History of the American Civil War

P a g e | 200

Saturday, June 18, 1864 : At Petersburg, Virginia, after two failed assaults, General Meade (U.S.) orders a third and final assault, which also failed with more horrendous losses. One of the leading regiments was the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery Regiment, which lost 632 of 900 men in the assault, the heaviest single-battle loss of any regiment during the entire war. General Grant (U.S.) had no choice except to accept another siege, if he wanted it or not. With Lee’s entire Army of Northern Virginia (CSA) now in defensive positions, he would for now have to settle for the Union control of two-fifths of the railroad lines and several roads. General Grant (U.S.) will now concentrate his efforts on gaining possession of the remainder of the transport system and cutting off the flow of supplies. Just in the last four days of fighting here, cost Grant (U.S.) 8,100 men. Fighting continues in Georgia at Acworth and Allatoona near Kennesaw Mountain just north of Atlanta, as General William T. Sherman continues his push there. Another Sherman, Thomas West Sherman, no relations to William T., assumes the command of the Defenses of New Orleans, Louisiana. Sunday, June 19, 1864 : The 220 foot long C.S.S. Alabama served as the most successful

commerce raider, attacking Union merchant and naval ships over the course of her three-year career, during which. she never anchored in a Southern port. Her captain, Raphael Semmes took a record sixty-five prizes. But after three years and 75,000 miles, his vessel needed overhauling in a modern shipyard. He sailed round Africa to France, where the French denied him access to a dry dock. Semmes moved out of Cherbourg Harbor and found the U.S.S. Kearsarge waiting. In a

spectacular battle, the U.S.S. Kearsarge won and finally sank the C.S.S. Alabama. (pictured) Later an unexploded cannon ball was found lodged in the rudder of the U.S.S. Kearsarge , if it had exploded, things may have ended very differently for both sides, today. Lieut. General Ulysses Simpson Grant (U.S.) is in a siege with General Lee at Petersburg, Virginia, while General David Hunter (U.S.) is in full retreat from the Shenandoah Valley at Liberty, Virginia fights his way back to Union held West Virginia. In Washington, Lincoln attends funeral of 18 women killed in the explosion at the Arsenal, and buried in Congressional Cemetery. Monday, June 20, 1864 : Major General David B. Birney (U.S.) leads a Federal expedition against the Wilmington and Weldon Railroad in North Carolina. They burn the large covered bridge over the Northeast Cape Fear River, and over the next couple of days seize prisoners, weapons, horses, etc., as well as destroying 2 ferry boats and a schooner loaded with salt at Swansborough. President Lincoln leaves Washington at 5 p.m. with his son Tad and Asst. Secretary Fox on U.S.S. Baltimore , to visit General Grant and the army on the James River. Tuesday, June 21, 1864 : President Abraham Lincoln tours the Petersburg, Virginia siege lines on horseback with Lieut. General Ulysses S. Grant, as Grant stretches his lines further around Petersburg’s left flank hoping to encircle the town, if possible. Wednesday, June, 22, 1864 : Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston, moves his defense line west of Marietta, Georgia to protect his supply line, the Western & Atlantic Railroad. General John Bell Hood (CSA) attempts an attack without orders on the Union forces, but poor terrain conditions lead to its failure and 1,000 are killed, wounded, or missing, while inflicting fewer than 300 casualties on the Federal troops of Joe Hooker (U.S.) and John Schofield (U.S.).