Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Saturday, December 3, 1864 : President Lincoln orders the release of husbands of two Tennessee ladies, who had visited him December 1, 1864, again yesterday, and today. He then said to this lady, “You say your husband is a religious man; tell him when you meet him, that I say I am not much of a judge of religion, but that, in my opinion, the religion that sets men to rebel and fight against their government, because, as they think, that government does not sufficiently help some men to eat their bread on the sweat of other men’s faces, is not the sort of religion upon which people can get to heaven!” President Lincoln and Lieut. General, Ulysses S. Grant (U.S.) urges Major General George H. Thomas (U.S.) to attack the Confederate Army of Tennessee outside the city of Nashville, Tennessee. Sunday, December 4, 1864 : At Nashville, the Confederate line of about 4 miles of fortifications faces the southerly facing portions of the Union line. General Hood (CSA) is still hoping that the Union would charge first and on counter attack the Rebels could break through and retake Nashville. General Hood (CSA) believes that his diversion of troops, and fighting at Murfreesboro, would draw General Thomas (U.S.) out of the Nashville fortifications. General Hood (CSA) sends Major General Nathan Bedford Forrest (CSA) with two cavalry divisions, to support Major General William B. Bate’s (CSA) infantry division at Murfreesboro, Tennessee. Skirmishing takes place at White’s Station, near Memphis, when Union advance guards and flankers charge after withdrawing Rebels, only to find themselves surrounded and made prisoners. Monday, December 5, 1864 : General Forrest (CSA) divides his men to attack a small fort and a Blockhouse No. 4, both at La Vergne, Tennessee. Upon his demand for surrender at both locations, the Union garrisons do so. Forrest then hooks up with Bate’s division and the command advances on to Murfreesboro along two roads, driving the Yankees into their Fortress and the Rebels encamp in the city outskirts for the night. Near Dalton, Georgia, Rebels manage to capture 30 Federals and cut the telegraph lines before retreating. Tuesday, December 6, 1864 : The President communicates his Annual Message to Congress. It is very upbeat, but tells the Public Debt is now $1,740,690,489. Lincoln declairs, “Money required to meet expenses of war derived from taxes should be increased.” Lincoln nominates Salmon P. Chase of Ohio, to be Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United States. Later, Lincoln responds to the crowd assembled at the White House, to congratulate him on Annual Message, “I have no good news to tell you, and yet I have no bad news to tell. . . . We all know, where he [General Sherman] went in at, but I can’t tell where he will come out at.” At Murfreesboro, Tennessee, General Forrest (CSA) orders Bate’s (CSA) division to “move upon the enemy’s works.” Fighting between both side flares for a couple of hours, but the Union troops ceased firing, and both sides just glare at each other for the rest of the day. General Hylan Benton Lyon’s (CSA) led a Confederate Raid from Paris, Tennessee toward Hopkinsville, Kentucky. Lyon has under his command 800 poorly equipped, undisciplined new recruits, many without shoes and proper clothing. Wednesday, December 7, 1864 : Major General Lovell Rousseau, (U.S.) commanding all of the forces at Murfreesboro, sent two brigades out on the Salem Pike to feel out the enemy. These troops engaged the Confederates, and fighting continues. At one point some of Forrest’s troops (CSA) broke and run causing disorder in the Rebel ranks; even direct requests from Forrest and Bate did not stop the rout of these Confederate units. The rest of Forrest’s command conducts an orderly retreat, from the field and encamps for the night outside Murfreesboro. Forrest had destroyed railroad track, blockhouses, and some homes and generally disrupted Union operations