Monday, 20 March 1865
In North Carolina, Major General William T. Sherman's right wing of Union reinforcements under Major General Oliver O. Howard arrived at daybreak for the second's day fighting around Bentonville, and soon Sherman's entire 100,000-man army took up positions to confront General Joseph E. Johnston's barely 16,000 Confederates. Considerable amounts of heavy skirmishing ensued as Sherman prepared for a general counter attack.
Major General George Stoneman and over 4,000 Federal cavalrymen left Jonesboro, Tennessee, to support Sherman in North Carolina with destruction operations.
Union General-in-Chief Hiram U. Grant sent a message to President Abraham Lincoln: "Can you not visit (Grant's headquarters at) City Point for a day or two?" Lincoln immediately accepted the invitation. The visit was intended to be part vacation, part observation, and part conference with Grant on future plans.
Grant also messaged Major General Philip H. Sheridan at White House, Virginia: "Start for this place as soon as you conveniently can." Grant instructed Sheridan to wreck the Southside and Danville railroads, "...and then either return to this army or go on to Sherman, as you may deem most practicable." Grant emphasized that "...the principal thing being the destruction of the only two roads left to the enemy at Richmond."
The advance of the Union forces--Major General Frederick Steele's column, of Major General Edward R. S. Canby's Army--operating with the main attack on Mobile, Alabama, moved towards that city from Pensacola, Florida.
Skirmishing occurred near Falling Creek, North Carolina; Ringgold, Georgia; and at Talbot's Ferry, Arkansas.
A Federal column advanced on Mobile from Pensacola, Florida. Federal expeditions began from Brashear City, Louisiana; Lexington, Missouri; Kabletown and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; and Winchester, Virginia.
A Federal expedition sailed with the 93rd US Colored Infantry from Brashear City aboard the gunboat, No. 49, to Bayou Pigeon, Louisiana, to bring within the Union lines the family of a government employee, with a skirmish at Bayou Teche.
Federals scout against guerrillas from Lexington, Missouri, to Tabo Church, 12 miles east, Wellington and the Snibar Hills. The Yankees commence with the banishment of certain widows--including the widow of the late partisan Wilhite, killed a year ago--who are suspected of continuing to aid and abet the Rebels in the vicinity.
Union troops scout from Winchester to Edenburg, Virginia, with a skirmish near Fisher's Hill, in the Shenandoah Valley.
Other Federals scout from Harper's Ferry into Loudoun County, Virginia, with skirmishes near Hamilton and at Goose Creek.
A Federal expedition moves to Kabletown, Myerstown, and Myers' Ford, West Virginia.
Commander William H. Macomb, operating the USS Shamrock, reported the successful raising of the Confederate ram Albemarle. The formidable ironclad had been sunk the previous autumn on 27 October in a daring attack led by Lieutenant William B. Cushing in an improvised torpedo boat.
In North Carolina, Major General William T. Sherman's right wing of Union reinforcements under Major General Oliver O. Howard arrived at daybreak for the second's day fighting around Bentonville, and soon Sherman's entire 100,000-man army took up positions to confront General Joseph E. Johnston's barely 16,000 Confederates. Considerable amounts of heavy skirmishing ensued as Sherman prepared for a general counter attack.
Major General George Stoneman and over 4,000 Federal cavalrymen left Jonesboro, Tennessee, to support Sherman in North Carolina with destruction operations.
Union General-in-Chief Hiram U. Grant sent a message to President Abraham Lincoln: "Can you not visit (Grant's headquarters at) City Point for a day or two?" Lincoln immediately accepted the invitation. The visit was intended to be part vacation, part observation, and part conference with Grant on future plans.
Grant also messaged Major General Philip H. Sheridan at White House, Virginia: "Start for this place as soon as you conveniently can." Grant instructed Sheridan to wreck the Southside and Danville railroads, "...and then either return to this army or go on to Sherman, as you may deem most practicable." Grant emphasized that "...the principal thing being the destruction of the only two roads left to the enemy at Richmond."
The advance of the Union forces--Major General Frederick Steele's column, of Major General Edward R. S. Canby's Army--operating with the main attack on Mobile, Alabama, moved towards that city from Pensacola, Florida.
Skirmishing occurred near Falling Creek, North Carolina; Ringgold, Georgia; and at Talbot's Ferry, Arkansas.
A Federal column advanced on Mobile from Pensacola, Florida. Federal expeditions began from Brashear City, Louisiana; Lexington, Missouri; Kabletown and Harpers Ferry, West Virginia; and Winchester, Virginia.
A Federal expedition sailed with the 93rd US Colored Infantry from Brashear City aboard the gunboat, No. 49, to Bayou Pigeon, Louisiana, to bring within the Union lines the family of a government employee, with a skirmish at Bayou Teche.
Federals scout against guerrillas from Lexington, Missouri, to Tabo Church, 12 miles east, Wellington and the Snibar Hills. The Yankees commence with the banishment of certain widows--including the widow of the late partisan Wilhite, killed a year ago--who are suspected of continuing to aid and abet the Rebels in the vicinity.
Union troops scout from Winchester to Edenburg, Virginia, with a skirmish near Fisher's Hill, in the Shenandoah Valley.
Other Federals scout from Harper's Ferry into Loudoun County, Virginia, with skirmishes near Hamilton and at Goose Creek.
A Federal expedition moves to Kabletown, Myerstown, and Myers' Ford, West Virginia.
Commander William H. Macomb, operating the USS Shamrock, reported the successful raising of the Confederate ram Albemarle. The formidable ironclad had been sunk the previous autumn on 27 October in a daring attack led by Lieutenant William B. Cushing in an improvised torpedo boat.
