Knee Deep In The Mud

Begun on January 20th 1863 there was an attempt the flank Robert E Lee’s Army, by Major General Ambrose Burnside known as the Mud March.

After the defeat at the Battle of Fredericksburg at the end of 1862, General Burnside was desperate to get back his standing and raise the morale of the Army of the Potomac. As the Union and Confederate armies faced each other across the river, his plan was to make a surprise crossing, south of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock, and to flank General Robert E Lee, while at the same time having Union Cavalry hit in Lee’s rear taking out his supply lines. Upon learning about the plan Abraham Lincoln, feeling it was to risky, told Burnside to stop. Burnside just revised his plan, simply moving the river crossing to the north of Fredericksburg at Bank’s Ford.

It was an unseasonably warm day on January 20th 1863 when the Army of the Potomac began moving. As evening fell a steady rain began and continued for two days. The troops struggled to move themselves, wagons, pontoons, and artillery through knee-deep mud. While on the other side of the river Confederate pickets watching the amusing sight put up large signs on the riverbank saying “Burnside’s Army Stuck in the Mud” and “This Way to Richmond”. General Burnside finally capitulated to his subordinates and ordered his army back into its camp across from Fredericksburg. The Mud March would mark the end of Burnside’s command. On January 26th 1863 President Lincoln brought in Major General Joseph Hooker to replace him.

He Didin't Die on US Soil

The tenth President of United States, John Tyler Jr died January 18th 1862.

Tyler was the first President to come to the office via succession, when President William Henry Harrison died April 4th 1841. Without question the most important thing that Tyler’s administration can claim is the annexation of Texas.

After his term of service was up, Tyler retired to his plantation in Virginia where he continued to work with the Democrats on the issue of States Rights. On the eve of the Civil War, February 1861 former President Tyler was in Washington, DC as part of the Virginia Peace Convention, which was meeting to try to prevent the coming war. Tyler strongly believed that each state should decide on the state level if it should be “free” or “slave” without interference from the Federal Government. When the Civil War began Tyler joined the Confederacy and went to the Provisional Confederate Congress as a delegate. He was elected to the Confederate Congress as part of the House of Representatives.

President John Tyler’s death would be the first presidential death not to be officially mourned in the Capital. He is also the only president to die while living outside of the United States, as Richmond,Virginia was considered to be a part of the Confederate States. He is buried at his plantation in Virginia.

The Lawyer of the Vermont Brigade

On January 17th 1828 Medal of Honor holder, Lieutenant Colonel Lewis Addison Grant was born.

Lewis Grant was born in Winhall, Vermont the son of James and Elizabeth [Wyman] Grant. He went to local schools, and than taught school in Vermont, New Jersey, and Boston while reading for the bar. In 1855 he was admitted to the bar and began a law practice in Bellows Falls,Vermont.

He was mustered in as a Major of the 5th Vermont Infantry in September 1861. He was promoted several times, was wounded at the Battle of Fredericksburg, and he took over command of the Vermont Brigade and was leading them in 1863 at the Battle of Gettysburg. He was the acting commander of the 2nd Division 6th Corp during the Battle of Cedar Creek.

When the war ended General Ulysses S Grant recommended Lewis for an appointment in the regular army. He was appointed in August 1866 as a Lieutenant Colonel in the 36th Regiment of the United States Infantry, but he turned down the appointment. He lived in Illinois, Iowa and finally settled Minnesota. During President Benjamin Harrison’s administration he was the Assistant United States Secretary of War. He also served in President Grover Cleveland’s cabinet.  Grant was awarded the Medal of Honor in May 1893 for "Personal gallantry and intrepidity displayed in the management of his brigade and in leading it in the assault in which he was wounded.”  He died at Minneapolis March 20th 1918, and is buried in Lakewood Cemetery. He was 90.

Hadn't Planned on the Winter Weather

The Romney Expedition was part of a Confederate Army military expedition into the Shenandoah Valley and was begun January 14th 1862.

The bulk of the action of the Romney Expedition was conducted by forces under Confederate Major General “Stonewall” Thomas J Jackson and Federal Major General Nathaniel Banks. An unusually warm December ended as Jackson issued orders to move into the valley. Stonewall was able to occupy the town of Romney, Virginia [now West Virginia] on January 14th 1862.  From here he planned his advance to Cumberland,Maryland, but the weather became severe, and he had to cancel any further movements. Jackson left William Wing Loring’s division behind to occupy Romney while he returned to Winchester.

Youngest Vice President

The seventeenth Vice President of the United State, United States Representative and Speaker of the House, Schuyler Colfax Jr died on the 13th of January 1885.

Schuyler Colfax Jr was born in New York City March 23th, 1823, the son of Schuyler and Hannah [Stryker] Colfax. His father passed away before he was born. After a time his mother re-married. In 1836 the family moved to New Carlisle, Indiana. He became active in Indiana politics, using the press he became a rising star in the Whig party. He was nominated for Congress in 1850, but lost to his Democratic opponent, he ran successfully two years later. When the Whig party collapsed he became a member of the Republican Party. He was an energetic opponent of slavery. In 1862 he was elected to be the Speaker of the House, it was during his term that he announced the passage of the 13th Amendment. In 1868 Colfax was elected to be Ulysses S Grant’s Vice President [the youngest President and Vice President until 1992]. He died on January 13th 1885 after walking about a mile in cold weather to a train depot in Mankato,Minnesota from a heart attack. He is buried in the City Cemetery in South Bend, Indiana.

A President's Cousin

Libby Prison

On January 12th 1865 Edwin Louis Hayes was brevetted Brigadier General.

Edwin L Hayes was born in Ellicottville,NY the son of Harvey B Hayes. He was a cousin of President Rutherford B Hayes, and was age 34 when he enlisted on August 26, 1862 to serve for three years. In September of 1863 he was captured and sent to Libby Prison for eleven months [he was part of the men who dug an escape tunnel from the prison]. After the war he spent a short time as the Reconstruction Governor of NC. He died at his home at the age of 98, the oldest living Civil War General.

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.