Saturday, 18 March 1865
The Confederate Congress ended its session in a fit of contention with President Jefferson Davis. Many essential war measures were left unpassed and for the last few days its main business was to argue with Davis whether he or Congress had delayed action and was responsible for some of the difficulties facing the Confederacy. It was symptomatic of the need to blame someone for the obvious impending disaster. Both branches were continuing to accuse each other of inactivity; many war measures to improve finances, mobilize subsistence, or enhance army recruiting did not pass. Davis wrote to a friend: "Faction has done much to cloud our prospects and impair my power to serve the country."
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was attempting to concentrate his forces against Major General William T. Sherman's Federals, who were advancing towards Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Confederates had fewer than 20,000 troops versus well over 30,000 Union forces that were just south of Bentonville. Johnston planned to attack one section of Sherman's army at a time, thus diminishing Sherman's numerical superiority. The target was Sherman's left wing under Generals Henry W. Slocum and Judson Kilpatrick.
Skirmishing occurred along Mingo Creek, Bush Swamp and near Benton's Cross Roads, North Carolina; Livingston, Tennessee; near Dranesville, Virginia and on the Amite River in Louisiana.
A Federal expedition began from Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.
At Mobile Bay, approximately 1,700 Federal troops advanced from Dauphin Island on the west side of the bay to deceive the Confederate defenders as to which side would be attacked; the main effort would be to the east.
A naval expedition, led by Lieutenant Commander Thomas H. Eastman, consisting of the U.S.S Don, Stepping Stones, Heliotrope and Resolute, proceeded up the Rappahannock River and its tributary, Mattox Creek, on 16 March to the vicinity of Montrose, Virginia, where it destroyed a supply base that had been supporting Confederate guerrillas on the peninsula between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. Eastman led a landing force of 70 Marines and sailors up the right fork of Mattox Creek where he found and destroyed four boats. The landing party, led by Acting Ensign William H. Summers, that cleared the left fork encountered heavy musket fire but successfully destroyed three schooners. Houses in the vicinity were also searched and contraband destroyed. Acting Ensign John J. Brice, who led the 40 man search party,"...found himself opposed by about 50 cavalry. He formed his men to receive their attack. While doing this, 8 or 10 cavalry came down on his left flank, which he drove off. The main portion, on seeing this, retired to the woods."
The Confederate Congress ended its session in a fit of contention with President Jefferson Davis. Many essential war measures were left unpassed and for the last few days its main business was to argue with Davis whether he or Congress had delayed action and was responsible for some of the difficulties facing the Confederacy. It was symptomatic of the need to blame someone for the obvious impending disaster. Both branches were continuing to accuse each other of inactivity; many war measures to improve finances, mobilize subsistence, or enhance army recruiting did not pass. Davis wrote to a friend: "Faction has done much to cloud our prospects and impair my power to serve the country."
Confederate General Joseph E. Johnston was attempting to concentrate his forces against Major General William T. Sherman's Federals, who were advancing towards Goldsboro, North Carolina. The Confederates had fewer than 20,000 troops versus well over 30,000 Union forces that were just south of Bentonville. Johnston planned to attack one section of Sherman's army at a time, thus diminishing Sherman's numerical superiority. The target was Sherman's left wing under Generals Henry W. Slocum and Judson Kilpatrick.
Skirmishing occurred along Mingo Creek, Bush Swamp and near Benton's Cross Roads, North Carolina; Livingston, Tennessee; near Dranesville, Virginia and on the Amite River in Louisiana.
A Federal expedition began from Fort Gibson in the Indian Territory.
At Mobile Bay, approximately 1,700 Federal troops advanced from Dauphin Island on the west side of the bay to deceive the Confederate defenders as to which side would be attacked; the main effort would be to the east.
A naval expedition, led by Lieutenant Commander Thomas H. Eastman, consisting of the U.S.S Don, Stepping Stones, Heliotrope and Resolute, proceeded up the Rappahannock River and its tributary, Mattox Creek, on 16 March to the vicinity of Montrose, Virginia, where it destroyed a supply base that had been supporting Confederate guerrillas on the peninsula between the Rappahannock and Potomac Rivers. Eastman led a landing force of 70 Marines and sailors up the right fork of Mattox Creek where he found and destroyed four boats. The landing party, led by Acting Ensign William H. Summers, that cleared the left fork encountered heavy musket fire but successfully destroyed three schooners. Houses in the vicinity were also searched and contraband destroyed. Acting Ensign John J. Brice, who led the 40 man search party,"...found himself opposed by about 50 cavalry. He formed his men to receive their attack. While doing this, 8 or 10 cavalry came down on his left flank, which he drove off. The main portion, on seeing this, retired to the woods."
