Walter Coffey's Blog, page 27

Petersburg: Reviving Withered Hopes

Federal forces continue building fortifications outside Petersburg, Virginia, and set up a massive supply base at City Point. George G. Meade faces internal conflicts within the Federal Army of the Potomac, and Abraham Lincoln calls for more volunteers as war weariness afflicts the North.Continue reading

The Northern Mississippi Campaign

Andrew J. Smith leads a Federal army to destroy the Confederate command of Nathan Bedford Forrest in Mississippi. The Federals leave destruction in their wake as they move through the state before eventually clashing with the Confederates near Tupelo.Continue reading

The Washington Raid Ends

Following his unsuccessful attempt to capture Fort Stevens, Jubal Early leads his Confederate Army of the Valley away from the outskirts of Washington and back into Maryland. Federals stage a feeble pursuit as concerns about leaving the capital vulnerable persist.Continue reading

Georgia: Davis Contemplates a Command Change

President Jefferson Davis grows exceedingly impatient with Joseph E. Johnston’s constant retreats toward Atlanta and begins to consider replacing him as commander of the Confederate Army of Tennessee.Continue reading

The Battle of Fort Stevens: Day Two

Jubal Early’s Confederate Army of the Valley attacks Fort Stevens, north of Washington, D.C. The battle attracts several observers from the capital, including President Abraham Lincoln.Continue reading

The Battle of Fort Stevens

Jubal Early’s Confederate Army of the Valley spreads panic throughout Washington by reaching the capital’s suburbs and attacking a portion of the city’s defenses.Continue reading

Petersburg: Floored in the First Round

Ulysses S. Grant grows increasingly dissatisfied with the performance of Benjamin F. Butler, whose feud with William F. “Baldy” Smith ends with the dismissal of Smith from the Federal army.Continue reading

The Battle of the Monocacy

A makeshift Federal force hurries to Monocacy Junction to block Jubal Early’s Confederate Army of the Valley as it marches toward Washington.Continue reading

Georgia: Sherman Crosses the Chattahoochee

Leading elements of William T. Sherman’s Federal forces begin crossing the Chattahoochee River and getting ever closer to the vital railroad and industrial city of Atlanta.Continue reading

Confederates Seize Hagerstown

Jubal Early’s Confederate army advances through Maryland to threaten Washington, D.C., in an effort to divert Federal forces from besieging Petersburg. Panic spreads through Washington as reinforcements hurry to defend the city, and a makeshift Federal army awaits Early at the Monocacy River.Continue reading