Chronological History of the American Civil War

P a g e | 226

Sunday, October 9, 1864 : In the Shenandoah Valley at Tom’s Brook, near Strasburg, Virginia, General Phil Sheridan (U.S.) orders his cavalry generals, Alfred T. Torbert, George Armstrong Custer, and Wesley Merritt to attack a detachment of Confederate cavalry under Brig. General Thomas L. Rosser (CSA) that had been harassing his infantry column. The Yankees pursue the defeated Confederates for over 20 miles, a fight the North will call the “Woodstock Races.” The Yankees capture 350 men, 11 artillery pieces, and all of the cavalry’s wagons and ambulances. Nine Union troopers are killed, and 48 wounded. Major General Sterling Price (CSA) is making a sweep through Missouri, capturing the towns of Boonville, California, and Russellville. A Confederate battery near Freeman’s wharf on Mobile Bay opens fire on side-wheeler U.S.S. Sebago ; after a hour of return cannon fire, reports 5 casualties. Monday, October 10, 1864 : The U.S.S. Key West and U.S.S. Undine along with 3 transport ships City of Pekin, Kenton and Aurora combined operations to take Eastport, Mississippi on the Tennessee River. Their objective is to secure the river at that point against the crossing of General Forrest’s cavalry and provide an outpost against the threatened advance of Confederate General Hood from the East. General Forrest (CSA) has camouflage cannon batteries on both sides of the river open a severe crossfire, immediately disabling transports Aurora and Kenton and causing widespread confusion among the troops. With a couple of the ships now disabled, floating out of control down river, the U.S.S. Undine follows them, while the U.S.S. Key West stays with the City of Pekin as they try to get troops to re-embarked and then make their own escape downstream in retreat. Major General Philip H. Sheridan (U.S.) moves into a strong position near Cedar Creek near Rectortown, Virginia, in the Shenandoah Valley, and awaits the oncoming forces under Lieut. General Jubal Early (CSA).

Brig. General R. Delafield, (pictured) Chief Engineer U. S. Army makes a report in reference to the estimated cost of completing the defenses of Nashville. The long list of repairs and new construction adds up to about $300,000 or about $4,545,000 in today’s money. This report not only provides information previously unknown to early twenty-first century Tennesseans, but also a good insight into the sheer and overwhelming power of the Union over the Confederacy. That is, in the midst of everything else that was going on, the U. S. Army could spend hundreds of thousands of dollars, while during this time the Confederates could not hardly afford to feed or clothe their own men, much less the many thousands of prisoners, they had and could not exchange.

The Memphis plan is initiated today that all prostitutes in the Bluff City are required by the Army to “be registered and take out weekly certificates [of good health].” A $2.50 fee for medical examinations was charged, while a certificate cost $10.00. The money collected was to go to treating any prostitute who may have contracted venereal diseases. By the end of the war the system, like the one in Nashville, was deemed a success, but it was not continued by civilian authorities. Tuesday, October 11, 1864 : In the North the elections are today for some governorships, as well as the House of Representatives, and one-third of the U.S. Senate. Lincoln, in Washington was deeply afraid that voters after almost 4 years of sending their sons off to fight; might decide that it was not worth fighting any longer to keep a part of the country that wanted to leave.