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The Week of January 1 through January 7, 1862 Episode 213 Flash Audio Player
January 1, 1862, New Year’s Day, was a cold and bitter day as troops encamped from Northern Virginia through Kentucky and Missouri and beyond. The war had in its nine months brought death and destruction to many a home in both the American North and South. Too many families mourned the death of loved ones. In both sections, there were still patriotic rallies, parades, and songs indicative of a grand crusade. Yet the glittering allure of war was rapidly dimming to both a war weary Union and Confederacy. In both Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia President Abraham Lincoln and President Jefferson Davis each carried the burden of leadership in what was perceived by many as an increasingly stalemated conflict. Few on either side relished what the year 1862 would bring. Episode 214 Flash Audio Player
On January 1, 1862, despite the hardships of war, both Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis celebrated the new year with traditional receptions. In Washington the general public was invited in addition to Cabinet members, the diplomatic corps, justices, and army and naval officers. During this festive occasion it is rumored that one guest from Illinois had his pocket picked and more than fifty dollars in gold stolen. In Richmond, Virginia, thousands grasped Davis’ hand as they attended a public reception at what was known as the Confederate White House. Through public events such as these, both Lincoln and Davis attempted to curry the favor of their respective citizenry, but contemporary observers tended to find Jefferson Davis stiff and formal, while “ol” Abe” Lincoln often appeared more relaxed and approachable. Episode 215 Flash Audio Player
Despite the harsh winter weather, Confederate troops under the command of Stonewall Jackson continued campaigning. Jackson was determined to attack the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad and destroy dams on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal. In December he had attacked Dam No. 5 and now intended to launch further strikes into western Virginia. In fact, by Sunday, January 5, Jackson’s Confederates had pushed from Bath, in western Virginia, to the Potomac River opposite Hancock, Maryland, pursuing the retreating Federals and bombarding the town of Hancock for two days. On January 7, Jackson would suddenly turn away from the Potomac and assault Union troops at Hanging Rock Pass. The sudden strike, “hit them when they least expect it” raiding pattern of Jackson began to unnerve Union troops in western Virginia. Episode 216 Flash Audio Player
On Monday, January 6, President Lincoln conferred with General George McClellan who had been ill for the last week with what was rumored to be typhoid fever. Lincoln realized McClellan had accomplished little in the last five months but defended him when Radical senators asked to have the general replaced for lack of action. In truth, Lincoln saw no other Union general capable of replacing McClellan at this time. The President had requested of his western commanders, Generals Henry Halleck and Don Carlos Buell, a date when they would conduct offensive actions, but neither had responded. Interestingly, General Ulysses Grant at Cairo, Illinois was actively preparing for a reconnaissance into nearby Kentucky, but apparently at this point Lincoln could not see beyond the top tier of the Union high command. Episode 217 Flash Audio Player
On January 10, in western Virginia Union troops evacuated the city of Romney without a fight in the face of Stonewall Jackson’s advance. Confederate troops occupied Romney, and Jackson’s men under Brigadier General W.W. Loring encamped, enjoying a brief respite from the winter weather. For some time conflict had been brewing between Jackson and Loring over whether Jackson mistreated his army. When Loring complained to the War Department in Richmond, Jackson submitted his resignation from the Confederate Army and expressed his desire to return to Virginia Military Institute to resume his teaching responsibilities. Cooler heads prevailed, and Jackson’s resignation letter was both refused and, at the behest of his friends, eventually withdrawn. The Confederacy was almost denied the contributions of one of its greatest generals, Thomas ‘Stonewall” Jackson.
The Week of January 8 through January 14, 1862 Episode 218 Flash Audio Player
Events continued to spiral out of control in the border state of Missouri. On January 8, 1861, President Jefferson Davis corresponded with Missouri Confederate Governor Claiborne Jackson, claiming that the national Confederate government was not neglecting military affairs in Missouri. Davis claimed that manpower shortages in the Confederacy limited what the Confederates could accomplish in Missouri, especially given the activity of Missouri’s rival pro-Union government. On the following day orders were issued in St. Louis to have copies of each daily newspaper sent to the provost marshal general’s office for inspection, in order to prevent seditious commentary. Pro-Union elements in the city withdrew from the Chamber of Commerce, causing confusion and dissension. Missouri remained “on the fence” with her citizens sharply divided in their loyalties to the North and South. Episode 219 Flash Audio Player
Future presidents of the United States, Ulysses Grant and James Garfield, did not let the early winter days of 1862 impede their military activities. Grant and his army left Cairo, Illinois and moved toward Columbus, Kentucky in a diversionary feint, taking attention from other Union operations directed toward eastern Tennessee. For two weeks Grant led his men on a dreary, wearisome march, returning to Cairo after little fighting but with their mission accomplished. Further east in Kentucky, General Garfield advanced against entrenched Confederates forces. Unable to penetrate the Confederate lines, Garfield withdrew, claiming victory in the slow but relentless Union drive toward eastern Tennessee. Grant’s and Garfield’s initiatives would be overlooked by the Union high command; George McClellan was the general most Northerners continued to look to for victory. Episode 220 Flash Audio Player
With President Abraham Lincoln increasingly concerned with charges of corruption within the War Department run by Secretary of War Simon Cameron, on Saturday January 11, 1861, the President accepted Cameron’s resignation and promised to name him Minister to Russia. Cameron, who was a reasonably honest man, was a Pennsylvania politician who apparently could not say no to his friends and business associates. As such, Cameron was accused of contract fraud and incompetence in the management of the War Department. Few in the American North were satisfied with War Department operations. So Cameron’s expressed desire to resign and seek other duties came, no doubt, as a relief to Lincoln. Within two days Lincoln would decide on Edwin M. Stanton, the former Attorney General for James Buchanan, as Cameron’s replacement. Episode 221 Flash Audio Player
Abraham Lincoln on Friday, January 10, 1862, wrote Secretary of War Simon Cameron, expressing discouragement over the failure of Union forces to launch an offensive in the West. An exasperated Lincoln wrote, “As everywhere else, nothing can be done.” The President was not the only one concerned about Union military activity. The next day a group of Union officers conferred about the possibility of a movement, and on Sunday, January 12, they met with several Cabinet members. General McClellan, learning of these meetings, hurried to the White House where he requested a meeting with Lincoln, fearful that his command with being undermined by a military cabal. While Lincoln urged action against the enemy, McClellan refused to divulge his plans, feeling that his generals and Lincoln were working to undercut his authority. Episode 222 Flash Audio Player
On Monday, January 13, 1862 President Lincoln informed his Cabinet that he would name Edwin Stanton to the War Department to replace Simon Cameron. The President also met with McClellan, urging the general once again to take to the field as soon as possible. Writing Generals Henry Halleck and Don Carlos Buell in the West, the President indicated his strategy for action on all fronts extolled the strategy of “menacing him (the enemy) with superior forces at different points, at the same time.” Clearly Lincoln had been positively influenced by former Union Chief of Staff Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan, which called for simultaneous strikes against the South at multiple points in an effort to overwhelm the Confederacy. But with Scott retired who could the President convince to adopt this strategy?
The Week of January 15 through January 21, 1862 Episode 223 Flash Audio Player
On Wednesday, January 15, 1862, the United States Senate confirmed the appointment of Edwin Stanton as the Secretary of War, replacing Simon Cameron. Stanton was a personal friend of General George McClellan and had reputedly in the past been critical of Abraham Lincoln. He accepted the position allegedly to "help save the country." Effective in administering the War Department, Stanton devoted considerable amounts of his energy to the persecution of Union officers whom he suspected of having traitorous sympathies for the South. As such, he became a controversial part of the war effort. Abraham Lincoln came to rely heavily on Stanton and defended him against his critics. Yet, the President often had to, using Lincoln’s words, “plow around him,” if necessary, given Stanton’s doctrinaire perspectives on the war. Episode 224 Flash Audio Player
Former President of the United States John Tyler died on Saturday, January 18, 1862 in Richmond, Virginia and would later be buried in that city’s Hollywood Cemetery on the banks of the James River. After his presidency ended in March of 1845, he retired from politics until the outbreak of the Civil War. The former President supported the Virginia secessionists and won election to the Confederate House of Representatives shortly before his death. As a result of his opposition to the Union, his death was the only one in American presidential history not to be officially mourned in Washington, D.C. To Confederates, John Tyler was a patriot, and his burial in Hollywood Cemetery was conducted with great pomp and circumstance, given who he had been in life. Episode 225 Flash Audio Player
On Thursday, January 16, 1862, Confederate forces in Kentucky encamped with their backs to the Cumberland River. The Confederates, under the command of Brigadier General Felix Zollicoffer, had been operating south of the Cumberland but had recently moved north of the river. With rumors of a Federal force moving toward the Confederates, Confederate commander General George Crittenden ordered Zollicoffer to retire south of the river, but he had not done so, placing his command in a largely defensive position which could not be held if attacked by a superior Union force. General Zollicoffer’s procrastination in following orders and by not moving south of the river invited an attack by Federal troops. That attack would not be long in coming and would cost the Confederates over 500 casualties, including Felix Zollicoffer’s life. Episode 226 Flash Audio Player
The Battle of Logan’s Cross Roads, Kentucky—Sunday, January 19, 1862—Confederate General George Crittenden, realizing that Federal troops were about to attack his Confederates on the north bank of the Cumberland River, moved out in the darkness and heavy rain. When the attack came, Confederate General Felix Zollicoffer’s brigade temporarily repulsed the Union attack, but Zollicoffer, wearing white rain gear, was shot and killed. After additional Union forces entered the battle, the Confederate line turned and collapsed. Although most Confederates crossed the river to its south bank, the Battle of Logan’s Cross Roads was the first break in the Confederate Kentucky defensive line. Union losses totaled 261, and 533 Confederates, including General Zollicoffer, were killed, wounded, captured, or missing. This battle greatly strengthened the Union position within Kentucky. Episode 227 Flash Audio Player
A Federal reconnaissance of approximately five thousand men from Ulysses Grant’s Cairo, Illinois command returned after a lengthy but satisfactory expedition into western Kentucky. While there had been little fighting, this reconnaissance had threatened the Confederates at Columbus, Kentucky and effectively prevented the reinforcement of Confederates before the Battle of Logan’s Cross Roads on the 19th of January. To anyone who cared to notice, Ulysses Grant’s Cairo command was a strategically located one, allowing Grant to operate in the surrounding states of Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, and Arkansas. In Richmond, Virginia, the Davis government and people in general lamented the defeat at Logan’s Cross Roads and feared the potential for future loss, given Ambrose Burnside’s Union invasion of North Carolina and the winter doldrums which stifled Confederate success on the battlefield.
The Week of January 22 through January 28, 1862 Episode 228 Flash Audio Player
The Confederate War Department made several command decisions to strengthen the Southern war effort. General Henry Wise, former U.S. Minister to Brazil and pre-war Virginia governor, was promoted to command at Roanoke Island, which was threatened by Union forces under Ambrose Burnside at Hatteras Inlet, North Carolina. The brother-in-law of Union General George Meade, Wise eventually abandoned Roanoke Island, but he would survive the war. In addition, General Pierre G.T. Beauregard was transferred from the Potomac District to the West, where he became second-in-command to Albert Sidney Johnston in that area. Beauregard’s transfer from the East to the West left Joseph E. Johnston in command of Confederate Virginia. Both Beauregard and Joseph Johnston would survive the war, but the Texan Albert Sidney Johnston would not, perishing at Shiloh in 1862. Episode 229 Flash Audio Player
Frustrated by Union military inactivity, Abraham Lincoln on Monday, January 27, 1862, issued presidential General War Order No. 1, directing all elements of the Northern military to move against the Confederacy on February 22, 1862. Lincoln wanted action along the Potomac River in Virginia, in western Virginia, in Kentucky from his Cairo, Illinois command, and from the navy against the southern coastline. Lincoln was tired of foot dragging and excuses; he took this provocative step only after the Union army and navy had rejected his constant exhortations to take offensive action against the South. He desired simultaneous movement at all points against the Confederacy, as envisioned by former Union Chief of Staff Winfield Scott in his so-called Anaconda Plan, squeezing the life out of the Southern insurgency. Episode 230 Flash Audio Player
On Monday, January 27, 1862, Emperor Louis Napoleon of France released a statement to the French people, claiming that the American Civil War “has seriously compromised our commercial interests” but that France would confine herself to hoping for termination of the American war as long as the rights of neutrals were respected. Sympathetic to the South, Louis Napoleon was unwilling to risk war with the United States, especially without the active involvement of England. Two days later at Southampton, England Mason and Slidell, the Confederate commissioners to Europe, arrived on a British ship after their controversial and interrupted transatlantic voyage. If Europeans intervened in the American Civil War, it probably would be England and the Royal Navy that would have to take the first step rather than Louis Napoleon. Episode 231 Flash Audio Player
On January 25, 1862, Union Captain Henry Eagle, commanding the U.S.S. Santee off Galveston Island wrote his superiors in the Navy Department that “when it is desirable to take possession of the island…it can be accomplished by landing troops at a place about 15 miles to the southward and westward of the town, where there is a little indentation in the coast….Steam gunboats of light draft…could cover the landing of troops and could run in past Bolivar Point and cut off all supplies from the interior and soon starve the rebels out.” Eagle’s report, although not later used by Federal forces during the seizure of Galveston, precisely planned the capitulation of the city. Clearly, Union navy officials wanted to deny the Confederacy her most important port on the coastline of Texas. Episode 232 Flash Audio Player
In Union Captain Henry Eagle’s January 25, 1862 assessment of Confederate defenses at Galveston, Texas which he sent to the Navy Department, the captain noted that Lieutenant Commanding James Trathen had provided information that two or more Union gunboats of light draft could sail past Pass Cavallo and toward Matagorda on the Texas coast, capturing or destroying a number of steamships which were actively involved in rebel commerce between Point Isabel and Galveston Island. Eagle’s report about Confederate Texas coastal trade proposed a viable way to cripple seaborne trade into and from Galveston Island, even if Union naval officials rejected his plan to land troops and seize the city. Despite the insights of Henry Eagle, the Union navy procrastinated, not seizing Galveston for several more months in 1862.
The Week of January 29 through February 4, 1862 Episode 233 Flash Audio Player
On Thursday, January 30, 1862, at Long Island, New York John Ericsson’s revolutionary ship, the U.S.S. Monitor, was launched. Not only was the Monitor the first ship to have a 360 degree, rotating gun turret, her hull was protected by an overhanging armored deck. The “cheesebox on a raft,” as her critics called her, was built specifically because the Confederates at the beginning of the war had captured the U.S.S. Merrimack, had rebuilt her with armored casement, and renamed her the C.S.S. Virginia. The Confederacy hoped the Virginia would destroy the Union blockade of the Chesapeake Bay. The Union had therefore to build the Monitor to defend the wooden hulled ships of the Union blockading fleet. The epic battle of the Monitor versus the former Merrimack would soon occur. Episode 234 Flash Audio Player
An anxious Abraham Lincoln on Friday, January 31, 1862, supplemented his earlier President’s General War Order No. 1 with a Special War Order No. 1, directed specifically to General George McClellan’s Army of the Potomac. That army was ordered to seize and occupy “a point upon the Rail Road South Westward of what is known” as Manassas Junction, Virginia. Of all the generals of the Union, Lincoln most desired military action by General McClellan who increasingly seemed to the President to be a procrastinator. To aid the war effort, the United States Congress on the same day authorized the President to seize all telegraph and railroad lines whenever public safety required it. Both Congress and Lincoln wanted decisive action which would clearly assert Union dominance in the ongoing war. Episode 235 Flash Audio Player
Approximately six weeks after the grand parade of the reconstructed, post-Bull Run, Union army, Julia Ward Howe continued to tinker with the lyrics of a song she was writing as an entry in the Union National Hymn Commission contest sponsored by the Atlantic Monthly magazine. After the parade Mrs. Howe and her husband had returned to Washington by carriage, traveling with Union soldiers who sang “John Brown’s Body Lies Smoldering in the Grave.” With the melody of that song in her head weeks later, Julia Howe would complete her task and be pleasantly surprised when her entry, “The Battle Hymn of the Republic,” was selected as the grand prize winner of the contest. For that enduring American song, Julia Ward Howe received five dollars from the Atlantic Monthly magazine. Episode 236 Flash Audio Player
Laboring in relative obscurity at Cairo, Illinois, Union General Ulysses Grant was determined to move against what he viewed as inadequate Confederate defenses on the Tennessee River. On Thursday, January 30, 1862, Grant’s superior, General Henry Halleck, gave his permission for Grant’s forces to move specifically against Fort Henry on the Tennessee River. Grant was not a procrastinator; by February 4, his troops occupied a position just north of Fort Henry. Two days later Union troops would force the surrender of that Confederate garrison. Ulysses Grant then would quickly attack and subdue nearby Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River near Dover, Tennessee. If anyone in Washington, D. C. had cared to look westward rather than to the Eastern theatre of war, that observer would have been impressed with Ulysses Grant. Episode 237 Flash Audio Player
By February 1862 there was an obvious manpower shortage in the Confederate armies. The Richmond "Examiner" observed “that the Southern people are not sufficiently alive to the necessity of exertion in the struggle they are involved in. Better to fight even at the risk of losing battles, than remain inactive to fill up inglorious graves.” With Confederate generals appealing to their troops to extend their terms of enlistment, some in the Confederacy began to ask why Negroes could not be used in the Southern armies. Why not offer slaves who volunteered for service in the Confederate army their emancipation from the institution of slavery if and when the South won its freedom as an independent nation from the Union? Black enlistment would greatly help solve the South’s manpower shortage.  |
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