The Four Important Men

United States President Abraham Lincoln travel to City Point, Virginia and on March 28^th 1865 [I have seen the date listed as March 27^th] met with his Generals about the wrap up of the Civil War.

Union General William T Sherman’s troops were moving north up through the Carolinas, and Ulysses S Grant was about the break the 10 month long siege on Petersburg, Virginia that had been holding Confederate General Robert E Lee in place.  Lincoln had come to Virginia to meet with these men; he also toured the Union line in front of Petersburg, reviewed the troops and visited with the wounded.

On March 28^th 1865 Lincoln, Grant, Sherman and Union Admiral David Dixon Porter sat down together on the USS River Queen.  This was the first time Lincoln and Sherman had ever met.  Lincoln explained his worries that Lee could break out of Petersburg, move his troops south, join up with Confederate General Joseph E Johnston’s Army in North Carolina, and the war would go on for many more months.  He was assured by Grant and Sherman that the end of the war was close, although Grant wrote after the war that he “was afraid every morning that I would wake from my sleep to hear that Lee had gone, and that nothing was left but his picket line.”  Lincoln then stressed that the Confederates’ surrender term had to preserve the Union, and uphold the emancipation.  He told the men that he wanted the “Confederate armies back to their homes, at work on their farms and in their shops. Let them have their horses to plow with, and, if you like, their guns to shoot crows with. I want no one punished; treat them liberally all round. We want those people to return to their allegiance to the Union and submit to the laws.”

Miss Managed And Failed

A force of Union infantry started moving up the Red River in Louisiana on March 12^th 1864 in what turned out to be a miss managed and failed campaigned.

The Red River Campaign had several goals, including the Union capture of the land along the Red River in Louisiana and Texas, and as a warning to the French government that had been set up in Mexico.  The plan called for Union Admiral David Dixon Porter to move up the Red River with 20 gunboats, while Union General Nathaniel P Bank followed along the western shore of the river with 27,000 troops.  Porter’s flotilla entered the river March 12^th 1864.

Fort Derussy fell to Porter’s force two days later and he moved on up the river to Alexandria.  Banks however didn’t move his troops very fast, taking him two weeks to reach Alexandria.  Banks then pushed his troops about 20 miles from the river losing the protection of Porter’s ships.  Banks’ force was attacked April 8^th 1864 by Confederate General Richard A Taylor, with the Union troops having to retreat back down the Red River.  By this time the water level had dropped in the Red River and Porter’s ships were stuck above some rapids.

The campaign was ruled a failure.

Hold Out Until Help Arrives

The Battle of Arkansas Post [Battle of Fort Hindman] a part of the Vicksburg Campaign was fought January 9^th through 11^th 1863 near the mouth of the Arkansas River.

The Confederate Army had an earthwork fort near Arkansas Post a bluff on the Arkansas River, built to prevent river passage to Little Rock, Arkansas.  The fort had a great view and was named Fort Hindman in honor of Confederate General Thomas C Hindman.  The fort was held by about 5,000 infantry from Arkansas and Texas under command of Confederate Brigadier General Thomas J Churchill.

Union political Major General John A McClernand ordered Major General William T Sherman Corps joined with his into the Army of the Mississippi, totaling about 33,000 men.  On January 4^th 1863 McClernand ordered this force with navy support to move on Arkansas Post.

Union boats beginning landing troop about 3 miles below Arkansas Post at Notrebe’s Plantation on January 9^th 1863.  These men moved up the river toward Fort Hindman.  Sherman’s Corps took the Confederate trenches forcing them back into the Fort.  By eleven on the morning of January 10^th 1863 all the Union troops were on land.  Churchill made a request for reinforcements when he saw the overwhelming size of the Union force advancing on him.  From his superior Churchill was told to “hold out till help arrived or until all dead.”  The Union troops split to make a flanking movement, but were unable to do so because of swamps and impassible roads.  With McClernand’s troops moving on the Fort, the Union Navy’s gunboats commanded by Rear Admiral David D Porter pounded the Fort from 400 yard away.  This bombardment inflicted heavy damage on the Confederate guns.

The next morning McClernand’s troops deployed in an arc around Fort Hindman.  The infantry attacked at about 1pm.  At the same time the Union gunboats also moved into attack.  By 4:30 when McClernand was planning a massive assault, the Confederates began to show surrender flags.  As the Fort fell Porter accepted the surrender of Confederate Colonel John Dunnington who was in charge of the Confederate artillery.

The defeat of the Confederates at Arkansas Post took away a quarter to the deployed military force west of the Mississippi River.  Confederate losses were about 5,500 men.  Union losses were numbered at 1,047.

A Minor Setback

Rear Admiral David D Porter and Major General Ulysses S Grant were defeated on April 29^th 1863 at the Battle of Grand Gulf, although it was a minor setback on the way to Vicksburg.

Union Admiral David D Porter took seven ironclads up the river in an attack against the batteries at Grand Gulf, Mississippi.  The attention was to shut down the Confederate guns and secure the landing area for troops of Union Major General John A McClernand.  At about 8am the ironclads began the attack and continued to fire on the Confederate batteries until about 1:30 pm.  The ships silenced the guns of Fort Wad, but the upper Confederate batteries at Fort Cobun continued their return fire.  The Union ironclads drew off, but returned again after dark engaging the Confederate gun, and running the steamboat troop transports down the river past Grand Gulf.

Grant moved his men overland below Grand Gulf across Coffee Point.  The transport ships landed at Disharoon’s plantation just below Grand Gulf.  Grant’s men loaded onto the transport.  They disembarked on the Mississippi shore and began marching overland towards Port Gibson, Mississippi.

A Marine At Fort Fisher

Union Corporal John Rannahan was awarded the Medal of Honor for his actions on January 15^th 1865 at the Second Battle of Fort Fisher.

John Rannahan was born about 1835 - 1836 in Monaghan County, Ireland. He immigrated to the United States.

Rannahan volunteered in 1861 to serve as a United States Marine.  His enlistment was credited to Pennsylvania, and he was assigned to the USS Minnesota.  On January 15^th 1865 he was part of a landing party that was to storm the Confederate held Fort Fisher on the coast of North Carolina.  The storming party was made up of marines, sailors and soldiers under the joint command of Union Admiral David Dixon Porter and General Alfred Terry.

Rannahan was awarded the Medal of Honor on June 22^nd 1865.  The citation reads, “The President of the United States of America, in the name of Congress, takes pleasure in presenting the Medal of Honor to Corporal John Rannahan, United States Marine Corps, for extraordinary heroism in action on board the U.S.S. Minnesota in the assault on Fort Fisher, 15 January 1865. Landing on the beach with the assaulting party from his ship, Corporal Rannahan advanced to the top of the sand hill and partly through the breach in the palisades despite enemy fire which killed or wounded many officers and men. When more than two-thirds of the men became seized with panic and retreated on the run, he remained with the party until dark when it came safely away, bringing its wounded, its arms and its colors.”

Rannahan died June 1^st 1892 in Millwood, Westmoreland, Pennsylvania.  He is buried in the Saint Martins Cemetery in New Derry, Pennsylvania.

Lincoln Toures The Confederate Capital

Two day after the Confederate government evacuated Richmond, Virginia; on April 4^th 1865 President Abraham Lincoln toured the former capital.

President Abraham Lincoln and his son Thomas Tad Lincoln visited the former Confederate Capital of Richmond, Virginia on April 4^th 1865.  Just days after the Confederate forces evacuated, leaving the city in smoking ruins.  Lincoln who had only 12 soldiers as escort was quickly mobbed by former slaves as he made his way to the previous Confederate White House then being used as the Union military headquarters. He hoped to meet with his commanding general, but instead was faced with a delegation of Southerners looking for the war to be brought to an end.

Following the meeting Lincoln and his son rode through Richmond by carriage, making visits to Libby Prison and other famous sites around the city.  Once they reached Rocketts Landing, Lincoln and Tad boarded the USS Malvern.  The next morning Lincoln left Richmond.

Union Admiral David Dixon Porter said of the President’s trip to Richmond, "I should have preferred to see the President of the United States entering the subjugated stronghold of the rebels with an escort more befitting his high station, yet that would have looked as if he came as a conqueror to exult over a brave but fallen enemy. He came instead as a peacemaker, his hand extended to all who desired to take it."

Freed The Gunboats

The 5^th Minnesota Infantry came to Union Admiral David Dixon Porter’s rescue on the Red River at Campti, Louisiana on April 3^rd 1864.

Minnesota Governor Alexander Ramsey received authorization from the United State Assistant Secretary of War, Thomas A Scott on October 23^rd 1861; to raise a fifth regiment.  The 5^th Minnesota mustered into Union service April 30^th 1862 at Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

Union General A J Smith with two brigades, including the 5^th were called to Campti, Louisiana on April 3^rd 1864.  Union Admiral David Dixon Porter’s gunboats had become trapped on the Red River at Campti.  After freeing the gunboats, which moved safely upriver, the 5^th Minnesota along with the rest of Smith’s men burnt the town of Campti.

The 5^th Minnesota lost 8 officers and 261 enlisted, were killed, or died of wounds and diseases during the war.

The Gibraltar Of The South

The Second Battle of Fort Fisher, was fought January 15th 1865 just outside of Wilmington, North Carolina.

Union Major General Benjamin Franklin Butler failed to take Fort Fisher in December, and was relieved of command. Union Major General Alfred Howe Terry was given command of the “Provisional Corps”, along with support of a naval force and ordered to renew the attack on Fort Fisher. Fort Fisher a massive fortification protected the mouth of the Cape Fear River. The Fort had 47 guns, and was built of logs with sand over it, and was known as the “Gibraltar of the South“. On January 13th 1865 Rear Admiral David Dixon Porter directed a bombardment on the Fort, which went on for two days. By noon on January 15th 1865 the bombing had silenced all but four of the Fort’s guns. About 2,000 Sailors and Marines led by Lieutenant Commander Kidder Breese moved on the Northeast Bastion of the Fort where they were routed in an assault. This attack drew Confederate attention away and at 2 pm a second Union attack of about 4,500 men was launched. The Confederate position was strong, despite the bombardment, and the battle went on for hours, lasting until after dark. Sometime after 9:30 that night the Confederates realized the Fort was untenable. They ran up a white flag and Terry received the official surrender from Confederate Brigadier General William Henry Chase Whiting just before 10 pm.

Loosing Fort Fisher took away the last remaining Confederate sea port, sealing the South off.

Cut Off and Forced To Surrender

The Battle of Arkansas Post [aka the Battle of Fort Hindman] fought near the mouth of the Arkansas River as part of the Vicksburg Campaign began on the evening of January 9th 1863, and ended on this date, January 11th 1863.

Beginning on the evening of January 9th 1863 Union boats unloaded troops near Arkansas Post. The troops moved up the river toward Fort Hindman, where Major General William Tecumseh Sherman’s corps forced the Confederates to retreat to the fort and its rifle pits. Than on January 10th1863 Naval Officer Rear Admiral David D Porter moved his ships in to bomb the Fort, pulling back as dark fell.

On January 11th Union artillery began firing on the fort from across the river, shutting down the Confederate guns from the fort, allowing the Union to move into position for attack. Porter’s ironclads began shelling the fort and passed by in front, cutting off any chance the Confederates had of retreat. Do to this envelopment the Confederate forces surrendered that afternoon.

Although this was a Union victory it did not contribute to capturing Vicksburg, and resulted in a high number of Union casualties [1,047 wounded and 134 killed]. This did eliminate an impediment to shipping on the Mississippi River for the Union government.