THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR: WAR BETWEEN THE STATES 1861-65

Hatteras to Fort Fisher: The Civil War’s Forgotten Laboratory for Amphibious Warfare

IntroThe amphibious tradition of the United States military is one that dates back to the founding of the United States. The American Civil War is no exception to this tradition. When Union troops struggled ashore at Hatteras Inlet in 1861, soaked, undersupplied, and nearly unsupported, no one imagined the operation would help shape how America fought wars from the sea. Yet four years later, at Fort Fisher, the Union executed the most successful joint amphibious assault of the Civil War, and in doing so, they learned lessons that would echo into the 20th century. HatterasThe Hatteras Inlet Operation (also known as the Battle of the Hatteras Inlet Batteries) was the first true joint amphibious operation to occur during the Civil War. It began when Major General Benjamin Butler received reports that Confederates were fortifying Hatteras Inlet along the North Carolina coast. The reports mentioned how the Confederates were in the process of constructing two earthen forts—Fort…

Started by Anthony M Cardo

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30 November 1864: The Five-Hour Battle Of Franklin

Overview The winter of 1864 marked a pivotal moment in the American Civil War. As General William T. Sherman carved his destructive path through Georgia toward the sea, another drama unfolded in Tennessee that would effectively end Confederate hopes in the Western Theater. The Franklin–Nashville Campaign, led by Confederate General John Bell Hood, represents one of the war's most tragic and consequential military disasters—a desperate gamble that would shatter the Army of Tennessee and seal the Confederacy's fate. By late 1864, the Confederacy faced mounting pressure on multiple fronts. Sherman's Atlanta Campaign had captured the vital rail hub, and his subsequent March to the Sea threatened to bisect the remaining Confederate territory. In this desperate context, General John Bell Hood conceived an audacious strategy that would prove to be his army's undoing. Right: Battle of Franklin, by Kurz and Allison (1891). The original was a chromolithograph. Library of Congress Prints and…

Started by Scott Lyons

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"They Shoot Horses, They Do!" by Randall S. Wells, Jr.

Since time immemorial, mankind has used animals in one form or another during armed conflict. Ancient historian Livy tells of how the Romans used geese to avert an attack from Gallic barbarians in 386 B.C. Livy relates that as barbarian invaders silently scaled the walls of the Citadel, neither Roman guards nor dogs heard them. Roman Consul Marcus Manlius would have been slain had it not been for the flapping of goose wings.[1] In 1207, the Mongols reportedly used cats to attack the city of Volohai by tying cotton to the cats’ tails and lighting them on fire. The terrified felines ran back into the city, igniting it on fire. The defenders were so busy fighting the fires that had erupted that the Mongols enjoyed a leisurely time breaching the city's walls.[2] But geese and cats are not the only animals that have been used in warfare. The horse is arguably the one animal that has consistently been utilized for warfare, perhaps more than any other animal throughout recorded history. Even…

Started by Dr. Randall S. Wells Jr.

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"25-26 June 1876: The Battle of Little Bighorn" by Scott Lyons

The significance of the Battle of Little Bighorn extends well beyond the immediate outcome of the conflict. This consequential showdown between Native American tribes and United States forces encapsulates the height of struggle for control over the Great Plains. Painted against a backdrop of tension, the resounding Native American victory underscored their fortitude in repelling encroachment upon their lands, while simultaneously foreshadowing a devastating aftermath for the indigenous tribes – an ultimate defeat and relegation to reservations. It stands as a pivotal yet paradoxical chapter in their resistance; a poignant triumph followed by the erosion of freedom and age-old traditions. RIGHT: "The Custer Fight," by artist Charles Marion Russell (1864–1926). Lithograph showing the Battle of Little Bighorn, from the Indian side. Source: Wikimedia, in the Public Domain. For greater detail, click to enlarge. In 1868, an all-too-fleeting tranquility settled upon the western front of the…

Started by Scott Lyons

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“9 May 1800: Abolitionist John Brown is Born – in 1859 the U.S. Civil War Ignites” by Scott Lyons

John Brown's raids in Kansas and at Harpers Ferry have cemented his legacy as a complex figure in American history. Labeling him solely as a terrorist oversimplifies the multifaceted nature of his campaigns against slavery. Brown's actions, particularly the Pottawatomie raid and the seizure of Harpers Ferry, were undeniably violent and resulted in loss of life. However, these acts were driven by a fervent opposition to the institution of slavery, which he viewed as a moral abomination against God's law. His strategic use of violence aimed at dismantling the infrastructure of slavery and provoking a broader insurrection among enslaved populations. The dichotomy of Brown's character—seen as a martyr by some and a fanatic or terrorist by others—highlights the profound divisions in antebellum America over the issue of slavery. In both instances, Brown's actions were underpinned by a combination of moral imperatives and tactical considerations. The Pottawatomie raid was a direct response…

Started by Scott Lyons

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12 April 1862: The Great Locomotive Chase and the First Medal of Honor

The Great Locomotive Chase was a daring military action initiated on 12 April 1862, in northern Georgia, during the American Civil War. Conceived by civilian scout James J. Andrews and executed by Union Army volunteers, this mission sought to cripple the Confederate stronghold by disrupting the Western and Atlantic Railroad. In a meticulous chain of events, members cut telegraph wires, destroyed track switches and bridges, and ultimately commandeered the steam engine General to redirect toward Chattanooga, Tennessee. This offensive march spanned 87 miles and evaded initial Confederate attempts at interdiction due to the severed communication lines. Right: The Mitchel Raiders set a train car on fire in an attempt to set a covered railway bridge ablaze and thwart pursuit, from Deeds of valor; how America's heroes won the Medal of Honor, published in 1901. The event is referred to now as the Great Locomotive Chase, but Deeds of Valor refers to it as "The Mitchell (sic) Raid"." Source:…

Started by Scott Lyons

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6-7 April 1862: Exorbitant Casualties in Tennessee: The Battle of Shiloh

The Battle of Shiloh was a turning point in the American Civil War and a defining moment in the history of the United States. The two-day conflict, fought on April 6-7, 1862, between General Ulysses S. Grant's Union forces and General Albert Sidney Johnston's Confederate troops, resulted in a Union victory that changed the course of the war. The battle was fought in southwestern Tennessee, along the Tennessee River, and was known by the Union as the Battle of Pittsburg Landing, after the landing where Grant's troops disembarked. Right: The Battle of Shiloh, or Pittsburg Landing, April 6th & 7th, 1862 / J.H. Bufford's lithograh, Boston. Names: J.H. Bufford's Lithograph. Created/Published: Boston: Published by Oliver Ditson & Co., c1862. Headings: United States, History, Civil War, 1861-1865-Campaigns & battles; Shiloh, Battle of, Tenn., 1862; United States--History--Civil War, 1861-1865--Songs & music. Source: Library of Congress. In the Public Domain. The battle was one of the…

Started by Scott Lyons

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"29 March to 9 April 1865: War of Brother Against Brother Ends - The Appomattox Campaign" by Scott Lyons

The Appomattox campaign marked a turning point in the American Civil War. It was the culmination of four years of fighting, and the decisive victory by the Union Army signaled the end of the war and the beginning of a new era in American history. The Appomattox campaign was one of the most critical and decisive events of the United States Civil War. The campaign marked the end of the longest and most brutal conflict in American history and gave rise to the dawn of a new era, one in which slavery was abolished, and the prospects of unity and progress were enhanced. Right: Extraordinary leadership and generalship; West Pointers, both: Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and General Robert E. Lee. Source: Originals from Mathew B. Brady and U.S. National Archives. Click to enlarge. The campaign began in March of 1865, when Union forces under the command of General Ulysses S. Grant launched a series of attacks against Confederate forces led by General Robert E. Lee. The goal of the campaign was to…

Started by Scott Lyons

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"11 December 1862: Failed Union Leadership in Virginia: The Battle of Fredericksburg Begins" by Scott Lyons

The Battle of Fredericksburg was one of the bloodiest battles of the American Civil War, fought from 11 December to 15 December 1862, in and around Fredericksburg, Virginia. The Union army, led by General Ambrose Burnside, suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of Confederate General Robert E. Lee's forces. The battle was fought in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War, and the two armies represented the largest number of armed men that had ever confronted each other. The battle was fought between the Union Army of the Potomac, commanded by Major General Ambrose Burnside, and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia, commanded by General Robert E. Lee. Right: Battle of Fredericksburg: The Army of the Potomac crossing the Rappahannock: in the morning of December 13, 1862, under the command of Generals Burnside, Sumner, Hooker & Franklin. Kurz & Allison, Art Publishers, Chicago, U.S., copyrighted 1888. Source: Library of Congress Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C.…

Started by Scott Lyons

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17 September 1862: the Bloodiest Single Day in American History - the Battle of Antietam by Scott Lyons

The Battle of Antietam, fought on 17 September 1862, between Confederate Gen. Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and Union Gen. George B. McClellan's Army of the Potomac, remains one of the most significant battles of the American Civil War. It was the first major engagement in the Eastern Theater of the war to take place on Union soil and resulted in the bloodiest single day in American history, with a combined total of 22,726 casualties. Although the Union emerged victorious, the battle was somewhat inconclusive from a tactical standpoint, and the Confederates were able to withdraw their forces back to Virginia. However, the battle's outcome had significant political ramifications, as President Abraham Lincoln gained the confidence to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring all slaves within Confederate territory to be "forever free." RIGHT: Battle of Antietam by Kurz & Allison. Smaller text reads: Army of the Potomac: Gen. Geo. B. McClellan, Comm., 17 September 1862.…

Started by Scott Lyons

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