Chronological History of the American Civil War

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Sunday, January 1, 1865 : Major General Benjamin F. Butler (U.S.) was just not having much luck blowing things up. Last week at Fort Fisher (CSA) at Wilmington, North Carolina, he tried to blow it up using a boat loaded with black powder, but did no damage to the fort. Now, after trying to hurry the construction of a Dutch Gap canal to get around Confederate forts on the James River in Virginia, using another large explosion of gunpowder; it blew up alright. Just the dirt fell back in the hole and would need to be dug out by hand, but it now exposes his men to direct fire from enemy forts. The South’s last large Confederate army is still under siege at Petersburg. General Lee (CSA) continues to fight off small attacks, while bracing for the next big one. In Savannah, Georgia, General Sherman (U.S.) is readying his men for the next drive north through the Carolinas. For the next month, Federal operations against Rebel guerrillas in Arkansas will include, the 11th U.S. Colored Infantry, (U.S.) and the use of the steamers, U.S.S. Alamo, U.S.S. Annie Jacobs, and the U.S.S. Chippewa. In Oregon, the Federals began a campaign against the Snake Indians to either kill them, or put them on reservations. Future U. S. Vice-President, but still now Military Governor Andrew Johnson announces the convening of a state convention to reorganize Tennessee on January 9th. Steps have been taken, and every effort will be made to carry them out for the reorganization of the State. Monday, January 2, 1865 : Back in Mississippi, General Forrest’s horses have had only 2 feedings, since the crossing the Tennessee River on December 27th. Both man and beast are starved and worn, but late afternoon fresh supplies arrive and the horses almost choke trying to eat it so fast. Brig. General Benjamin H. Grierson’s (U.S.) latest Federal expedition moves to Frankland, Mississippi and skirmishes with Confederates along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad. The guerrillas are active in Texas County in the neighborhood of Rolla, Missouri, robbing several families of everything they had. Tuesday, January 3, 1865 : The fighting moves down the line on Mobile and Ohio Railroad as Brig. General Benjamin H. Grierson (U.S.) continues to attack Southern forces in the area around Mechanicsburg, Mississippi. A large portion of the Federal Army of the Tennessee, under Major General Oliver O. Howard (U.S.) is transferred from Savannah, Georgia to Beaufort, South Carolina, as Major General William T. Sherman (U.S.) prepares to move north and invade South Carolina. Federal operations begin again, to capture Fort Fisher (CSA) at Wilmington, North Carolina. Fort Fisher was sometimes referred to as the “Gibraltar of the South” and was the last major coastal stronghold of the Confederacy. This time, the planned attack is chosen by Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant. Major General Alfred Terry (U.S.) was to lead 9,000 troops from the Army of the James (U.S.) in the land attack. Rear Admiral David D. Porter (U.S.) will return and assist in the attack, to the North Carolina coast, after his last failed December attempt to try again. Now with almost 60 vessels of the North Atlantic Blockading Squadron (U.S.). Wednesday, January 4, 1865 : At Ponds, Mississippi along the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, Brig. General Benjamin H. Grierson’s (U.S.) expedition which, began back on Dec 21, effectively comes to an end, with a partial list of destruction: 200,000 feet of bridges and trestle- work, 10 miles of track (rails bent and ties burned), 20 miles of telegraph (poles cut down and wire destroyed), 14 locomotives and tenders, 95 railroad cars, over 300 army wagons, 30 warehouses full of Confederate commissaries, machine shops, 5,000 new arms, 700 head of fat hogs, and an immense amount of grain, etc. This is a big setback in General Hood’s supplies.