Chronological History of the American Civil War

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In Georgia, Brig. General George Stoneman and his aide, Myles Keogh, are captured by Confederate soldiers outside Macon, becoming the highest ranking Union prisoner of war. July 1864 brought about another 18,600 casualties to be listed in the war’s effort. With cities and forts still under under siege, it seems like it will never end. Supplies of food, medicine, and men are all running low, it has to stop sometime. The thought of new elections in the North could change things. The South will hold out a little longer. Monday, August 1, 1864 : General Jubal Early’s Rebel cavalrymen at Folck’s Mill near Cumberland, Maryland are attacked by Federals and after several hours eventually the Confederates have to withdraw. Union General Grant knows, he has to stop General Early (CSA). Although a career cavalry officer, today General Philip Sheridan (U.S.) was given command of infantry composed of 40,000 troops that included many battle weary veterans from the spring and summer campaigns. Grant told Sheridan to put an end to the nuisance of General Early (CSA) once and for all. Today, the Elgin Watch Company is founded in Elgin, Illinois. It will be the major U.S. watch maker from 1864 until its closure in 1968. For nearly 100 years the company’s manufacturing complex in Elgin was the largest site dedicated to watchmaking in the world. The rights to the name “Elgin” were sold and subsequently resold multiple times and eventually were purchased by MZ Berger Inc., which now manufactures its watches in China. Elgin-branded watches produced after 1968 have no connection to the original Elgin Watch Company. Tuesday, August 2, 1864 : A rumor gets out that Confederate General Nathan Bedford Forrest has died of lockjaw. It just is not true. In Florida, the schooner, U.S.S. Stonewall , moves up the Manatee River and destroys a sawmill, a gristmill, and a sugar mill that reportedly belongs to Confederate President Jefferson Davis. No Federal casualties were reported. Wednesday, August 3, 1864 : In Alabama, the Battle of Mobile Bay begins. While under protection from one of Rear Admiral Farragut’s (U.S.) flotillas, 1,500 men land approximately 15 miles west of Fort Gaines (CSA), on Dauphin Island, Alabama, which is west of Fort Morgan (CSA), across the bay entrance of Mobile Bay. Mobile subsequently became the center for blockade running on the gulf. Most of the trade between the Confederacy, Havana and other Caribbean ports passed through this port city. In Tennessee, Federal scouts leave from Fort Pillow and Union City, in search of Rebels. A skirmish breaks out near Denmark, with a party of Rebel guerrillas. Thursday, August 4, 1864 : The Union operation against Confederate defenses around Atlanta, Georgia, stalls when fighting erupts between Yankee generals and their seniority. It started when General Sherman (U.S.) was moving troops around. He orders General John Schofield, who commanded the Army of the Ohio (U.S.), from the east side of Atlanta to the west, in an attempt to cut the rail lines that supplied the city from the south and west. When Schofield’s force arrived at Utoy Creek, General John Palmer (U.S.) refused to accept orders from anyone, but General George Thomas (U.S.). Although Schofield (U.S.) was the director of the operation, Palmer felt that General Schofield was his junior. I guess, he thought seniority has it's privileges. At Mobile Bay, U.S. Admiral David Farragut, sends orders to senior officers at Pensacola requesting the Monitor-class ironclad USS Tecumseh to be sent there. Friday, August 5, 1864 : Back in Atlanta, General Palmer (U.S.) is now only agreeing to relay General Schofield’s (U.S.) orders to Schofield’s division commanders; Palmer refused even to accept Sherman’s orders. Sherman declared that Schofield is senior to Palmer, upon which