Struck Down By A fever

Confederate General John Bordenave Villepigue resigned his commission with the Union army on March 31^st 1861.

John Bordenave Villepigue was born July 2^nd 1830 in Camden, Kershaw, South Carolina.  He attended the South Carolina Military Academy in 1846, the Citadel in 1847 and finally graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point in 1854, the 2^nd in his class.  Villepigue’s first duty as a Second Lieutenant was with the 2^nd United States Dragoons.  He saw action in Kansas and Nebraska against the Sioux, and was part of the Utah campaign in 1857.  Promoted to First Lieutenant he taught for a time at the Carlisle Cavalry School in Pennsylvania.

Villepigue was on duty in Utah when the Civil War started, he resigned his commission in the Union Army March 31^st 1861.  He took a commission in the Confederate Army of Captain of artillery.  In a short time Villepigue was promoted to Colonel in the 36^th Georgia Infantry, and he took command of Fort McRee in time for the bombing on November 22^nd 1861, where he was seriously wounded.  Serving under Confederate General Braxton Bragg; who praised him for his leadership, Bragg said Villepigue was "an educated soldier, possessing in an eminent degree the love and confidence of his officers and men, he had been specially selected for this important and perilous post."  He moved onto Mobile, Alabama and received an appointment to Brigadier General in 1862.  Villepigue commanded a brigade at the Second Battle of Corinth in October 1862, serving under Confederate Major General Earl van Dorn.

Villepigue caught a fever during the campaign.  He was sent to Port Hudson, Louisiana to recuperate, but developed pneumonia and died November 9^th 1862.  He is buried in the Old Quaker Cemetery in Camden, South Carolina.

Burning Hay

Stanwix Station a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stage line saw a small skirmish on March 30^th 1862 which slowed the progress of Union troops, giving Confederate troops in the capital of Arizona time to evacuate.

Stanwix Station was built in the 1850’s near the Gila River to the east of Yuma, Arizona as a stop on the Butterfield Overland Stagecoach line.  An advanced unit of the California Column under the command of Union Captain William P Calloway came onto a detachment of Confederates.  The Confederates under command of Second Lieutenant John W Swilling were burning hay that had been deposited at Stanwix Station for the animals of the California Column.  The two forces exchanged gun fire on March 30^th 1862, before the larger force of Union troops forced the Swilling’s men to retreat.  The only casualty was a German born Union private; William Semmilrogge, who recovered.

The burning of the hay at Stanwix as well as several other stations slowed down the movement of the California Column.  This gave the Confederates time to evacuate the territorial capital of Mesilla, Arizona.  It also allowed Swilling to reach Confederate Captain Sherrod Hunter at Tucson, Arizona and warn him of the advancing Union troops.

She Went Down

The USS Milwaukee struck a torpedo and was sunk on March 28^th 1865.

The USS Milwaukee was a 1300 ton double turreted ironclad monitor.  It was launched at Carondelet, Missouri on February 4^th 1864.  She was commissioned into Union service August 27^th 1864 at Mound City, Illinois with Lieutenant James W Magune in command.  The Milwaukee joined the West Gulf Blocking Squadron in October, where she was placed under a new commander, Lieutenant James H Gillis.  During the next few months the Milwaukee; along with other light draft Union ships, swept Mobile Bay for Confederate mines, removing any obstructions.  She was also used to transport Union troops.

Union General Edward Canby decided the key to taking Mobile, Alabama was by way of the rivers from the east.  With help from the Union Navy the plan was to take Spanish Fort on the Blakely River.  Canby moved his forces and began a siege on Spanish Fort on March 27^th 1865.  That day the Milwaukee with five other ships moved across the Dog River Bar to cut communication between Mobile and Spanish Fort.  The next afternoon the Milwaukee and the USS Winnebago moved up the Blakely River to stop Confederates from supplying Spanish Fort.  On the way back down the river the Milwaukee struck a torpedo on her port side and she quickly sank.  The crew from the Milwaukee was saved by the USS Kickapoo.

A Maine Boy

Union Captain Richard Small Ayer was mustered out of the service March 22^nd 1863 due to disability.

Richard Small Ayer was born October 9^th 1829 in Montville, Maine, the son of William and Caroline (Small) Ayer.  He attended local schools, and then made living as a farmer and store owner.

In 1861 when the Civil War started Ayer joined the Union army as a private in the 4^th Maine Infantry.  He was quickly promoted through the ranks, but on March 22^nd 1863 was mustered out of the service because of disabilities.

After the war ended Ayer moved to Warsaw, Virginia.  He took part in the Virginia constitutional convention and represented the state as a Republican in the 41^st United States Congress.  After his term was up Ayer moved back to Montville, Maine.  He served in the Maine House of Representatives in 1888.  Ayer died December 14^th 1896 in Liberty, Maine, and is buried in the Mount Repose Cemetery, Montville, Waldo, Maine.

A Speech

Confederate Vice President Alexander Hamilton Stephen delivered “the Cornerstone Speech” March 21^st 1861 in Savannah, Georgia.

The Cornerstone Speech as delivered by Confederate Vice President Alexander Hamilton Stephens on March 21^st 1861 in Savannah, Georgia.  It explained the differences between the constitutions of the United State and the Confederate Republic.  In the speech Stephens defended slavery and explained the need for the Civil War.  The speech outlined the Confederate constitution including the elimination of tariffs, and the rights of the states above all.  The date of the speech was just a few weeks after several southern states seceded and only three week after Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated.

If you would like to read the speech Cornerstone Speech is the place.

Protection For Washington DC

Fort Stanton outside of Washington DC was closed March 20^th 1866, and everything in it sold off with the land returned to its owners.

When Virginia seceded to join the Confederacy, Union troops moved into the Arlington area of northern Virginia.  This movement was to stop the Confederates from seizing the United State Capital.  During the next seven weeks the Union forces built forts along the Potomac River.  Following the First Battle of Bull Run and Union Major General George B McClellan’s becoming the commander of the Army of the Potomac, it was decided that Washington, DC needed even more protection.

Union Brigadier General John G Barnard was appointed the chief engineer of the defenses of Washington.  Fort Stanton was the first of these new forts.  It was located in Garfield Heights and was begun in September 1861, across from the Washington Navy Yard.  Work went fast, and by Christmas that year Fort Stanton was completed and fully armed.  By the summer of 1862 the fort was garrisoned.  In 1864 Fort Stanton was reported to be armed with six 32 pounders, three 24 pounders field howitzer, four 8 inch guns, and was garrisoned by the 4^th New York Heavy Artillery and 88^th Pennsylvania Infantry.

After Confederate General Robert E Lee’s surrender at Appomattox on April 9^th 1865, there wasn’t much reason to keep the forts around Washington, DC.  The forts were dived into classes; first class being those that should be kept active, second class should be kept in reserve, and third class should be abandoned.  Fort Stanton was listed as first class, as it defended the Washington Navy Yard.  As listed Fort Stanton received maintenance and continued to be fully garrisoned.  However with the Civil War over military budgets were cut, and soon all the first and second class forts were looked at as surplus.  The guns were taken out of Fort Stanton, and the land the fort sat on was returned to its original owners.  Fort Stanton was abandoned March 20^th 1866.

Because Of An Oath Of Allegiance

Edward Clark became the Governor of Texas on March 18^th 1861, when Sam Houston refused to take an oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.

Edward Clark was born in New Orleans, Louisiana April 1^st 1815 the son of Elijah Clark Jr.  He spent his childhood in Georgia and Alabama.  He moved to Marshall, Texas in 1842 where he opened a law practice.  Clark served at the Texas Annexation Convention and two terms as a Texas State Representative.  He fought during the Mexican American War, and when that was over he was Secretary of State to Texas Governor Elisha M Pease and Lieutenant Governor to Sam Houston.

In 1861 Texas voted to secede, but then Governor Sam Houston refused to take the oath of allegiance to the Confederacy.  Clark was made the Governor of Texas March 18^th 1861.  Once in office Clark moved quickly to raise militia, and stabilize Texas’ finances.  When the next election for Governor took place in the autumn of 1861, Clark lost the race by 124 votes to Francis Richard Lubbock.  Clark joined the 14^th Texas Infantry as their Colonel.  He was wounded while leading an attack at the Battle of Pleasant Hill, and ended the war as a Brigadier General.

When the Civil War came to an end Clark fled to Mexico.  He would return to his home in Marshall, Texas, where he died May 4^th 1880.  Clark is buried in the Marshall City Cemetery.