1861 Civil War Battles
1861 American Civil War Battles |
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Confederate
and Union Generals of the American Civil War
During the course of the Civil War, more than 1,000 Union and
Confederate Generals fought or served. Generals from both sides
served alongside their troops and a great many were wounded and/or
killed in battle. For most of the war the Union Army assigned
only two general ranks: brigadier-general (1 star) and major-general
(2 stars). In 1864, however, the rank of lieutenant-general (3
stars) was reactivated and assigned to Ulysses Simpson Grant.
The Confederate Army utilized these three ranks and added a fourth,
the highest rank simply termed as general. All Confederate generals
wore the same insignia making identification by insignia impossible.
An interesting side note is that Robert E. Lee, the Confederacy’s
highest ranking and most celebrated general wore the uniform insignia
of a colonel. Robert
E. Lee, CSA
Fort Sumter is bombarded, yields to Southerners
Charleston,
S.C., April 14, 1861
Following a bombardment lasting
more than two days, the 73- man United States garrison, led by
Major Robert Anderson, has surrendered to General Pierre Beauregard,
commander of the Provisional Forces of the Confederate States
of America. For several months in both the North and the South,
all eyes have been watching the new island fort in Charleston
harbor and its beleaguered commander. President Jefferson Davis,
the leader of the new Confederate government, had insisted that
the federal fort belonged to the fledgling Confederacy. President
Lincoln, whose election platform swore to keep, possess and defend
all property of the United States, disagreed, but he did not want
his stand to lead to civil war, particularly not to the Union's
firing of the first shot.
The drama centered around the ability
of Major Anderson to feed his troops. A supply ship had already
been turned away when it was fired on. President Lincoln had shown
great political acumen when he informed Davis that he intended
to resupply Anderson with food and water, but no military supplies.
Davis could fire on the supply ship, thus precipitating war, or
he could not fire, and lose face in front of the South Carolina
firebrands who ardently desire war. Either way, Lincoln won, politically
if not morally. Davis ordered General Beauregard, in command of
7,000 men who completely surrounded the fort, to ask for Anderson's
surrender. Failing that, the general was under orders to "reduce
the fort as you see fit."
The garrison had enough supplies
to last only until April 15, and a supply ship was under way when
three Confederate officers landed at the fort on April 11. There
they asked for Anderson's surrender. When the major refused, the
Confederate captain informed him that: "by authority ... of the
Provisional Forces of the Confederate States, we have the honor
to notify you that (Beauregard) will open the fire of his batteries
on Fort Sumter in one hour from this time." It was then 3:20 a.m.,
April 12. At 4:30 a.m., there was a flash of light and a huge
mortar shell traced its thin red line into the early morning air,
exploding directly over the fort and the Stars and Stripes, which
rippled in the breeze blown in from the ocean. Within minutes,
hundreds of howitzers and mortars surrounding the fort were blazing
and the fort was encircled by a ring of fire. Major Anderson did
not call muster until daylight, at which time his tiny band of
men began to return fire.
After two days, Anderson surrendered.
He and his men were allowed to leave with the federal supply ship.
There were no casualties on either side, although the fort sustained
a lot of damage (-> Apr. 15).
North now blockading South's ports
Port
Royal, South Carolina, November 7, 1861
Naval
cannons pounded Confederate troops into submission here today,
the second major victory for the Union blockade in little more
than two months. After shells fell into the fort "as fast as a
horse's feet beat the ground in a gallop," as one participant
described the scene, the rebel forces abandoned the fort. Their
casualties were 10 killed and 20 wounded. Union casualties were
six killed and 20 wounded.
Although the attack was a joint
land-sea operation, it is generally conceded that the victory
was won by the naval artillery.
The military expedition was strikingly
similar to the Union naval victory on August 28, in which Flag
federate Blockade Runner and Union Man-o- War" (1861) by F. Mullen.
Officer Silas H. Stringham and Major General Benjamin Butler were
able to seize Forts Clark and Hatteras on the Carolina coast.
The string of victories is expected
to strengthen the Union's blockade, which got under way on April
19. The operation has already illustrated the importance of sea
warfare, and it is likely to continue doing so as the war wears
on.
The Union now has 90 ships listed
in military service, but many are still in commission. To upgrade
naval technology, the War Department has contracted with a Missouri
engineer to construct seven of the new "ironclad" gunboats that
some believe are going to render the wooden warship obsolete.