February 1862
February 22, 1862 – Jefferson Davis Officially Inaugurated President
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Just over a year after Jefferson Davis was inaugurated “Provisional” President of the Confederate States of America, the title was made official today as he was inaugurated the new country’s first full-fledged president in front of the nation’s capitol. When Davis originally took his place in of... Read more... |
February 21, 1862 – Confederate Forces Move to Capture New Mexico Territory
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Confederate forces under Brigadier General Henry Hopkins Sibley are moving on New Mexico Territory with the intention of continuing on to San Francisco to capture California. They met Union forces in a decisive conflict today at Fort Craig near Valverde in New Mexico Territory. General Sib... Read more... |
February 20, 1862 - FLASH - Lincoln's Son Willie Passes
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At 5PM today, February 20, 1862, William Wallace Lincoln died. "Willie" was the third son born to the Lincolns in Illinois, arriving on December 21, 1850, the same year their second son died. When the president gazed at him, he mourned, "My poor boy, he was too good for this ear... Read more... |
February 20, 1862 - “My Boy Has Gone”
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Abraham Lincoln is not only the president of the Union, but a father too. Imagine his distress when he received what every parent dreads-the news that his young son had succumbed to illness and died. William Wallace Lincoln, the third son of the president and his wife Mary had been poorly with ... Read more... |
HIGHLIGHTS
February 8, 1862 - The War Horse
The horse is a noble creature and it is distressing to know of the dangers and suffering they encounter during this Civil War. Both sides rely heavily on the horse for all manner of things but unlike Europe, horses are not yet bred just for cavalry use in the federal and confederate states Horses,however have been everything to the armies since the start of this war. They move guns, pull ambulances, deliver messages, as well as provide the cavalry and artillery. General William T. Sherman underlined their value when he told his troops : "Every opportunity at a halt during a march should be taken advantage of to cut grass, wheat, or oats and extraordinary care be taken of the horses upon which everything depends." So far more horses have been killed than men. But no matter what the horses are put through, they soldier on whether on an arduous march or galloping through gunfire in battle. At the start of the war, the Northern states held approximately 3.4 million horses, while there were 1.7 million in the Confederate states. The border states of Missouri and Kentucky had an extra 800,000 horses. In addition, there were 100,000 mules in the North, 800,000 in the seceding states and 200,000 in Kentucky and Missouri. The average price of a horse is $150.00 a head. Needless to say, the horses selected for military service need to fit the requirements for battle.Artillery horses and are highly scrutinized for the desired qualities most valued as described in General John Gibbon's diary: "The horse for artillery service should be from fifteen to sixteen hands high ... should stand erect on his legs, be strongly built, but free in his movements; his shoulders should be large enough to give support to the collar but not too heavy; his body full, but not too long; the sides well rounded; the limbs solid with rather strong shanks, and the feet in good condition. To these qualities he should unite, as much as possible, the qualities of the saddle horse; should trot and gallop easily, have even gaits and not be skittish." All horses are trained for battle and like a good soldier have to be abe to follow commands and withstand the worst demands of battle fire. Under a barrage of bullets the horse is supposed to lie down and stay down, creating a breastwork for its rider. During training, the horses that panic are released from duty; they are the lucky ones as war horses share the burdens of life in battle with their masters. Like their human counterparts thousands of horses killed or wounded in battle, but many are lost to disease or exhaustion. All horses in the battery need to be fed daily, but the customary rations aren't always available either due to shortage of grain or delivery wagons, which are often used as makeshift ambulances. Pasturage is sometimes available, but green grass and field plants are not sufficient in calories. Eighty pounds of pasturage was needed to match the nutritional value of 26 pounds of dry hay and grain, the prescribed daily ration. In addition, green pasturage increases the likelihood that a horse might founder, a disease that causes lameness. Finding water for the horses is a constant predicament. While in camp, a battery aims to discover the nearest creek or pond and routinely water the horses there. On the march, water needs to be located at the end of each day. If the water is any distance from camp, as it often is, the timing of the watering was critical. Without the horses, the guns are immobile. Half of the horses are usually sent to water at one time. This meant that in an emergency some movement might be achieved, but with only half the horses present, the battery is at a definite disadvantage. The horses are the backbone of the armies in this Civil War. A soldier relies on these animals for almost everything. They have to be looked after as best they can given the harsh circumstances.
February 2, 1862 – Weapons of War: Fortifications
It is important to notice what sort of weapons are being used in this massive war we now find ourselves embroiled in. Both sides have large stores of weapons and ammunition, but what exactly are inside, and being used by the soldiers on the front lines? This ongoing special report will explore the various weapons that are being used and developed for the war effort on both sides. Today, we will explore the fortifications used to guard the shores and important strategic locations. Many of the fortifications that are being used by the Confederate states are holdovers from before the war. Previously manned by soldiers of the United States, they are primarily placed to guard against foreign invasion, and most are along the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico shorelines. Originally intended to watch for fleets from other countries, they now guard against an encroachment of the US blockade fleet. Some are further inland at strategic choke points, and a few have been built since the war began to guard against Northern invasion. Fortifications are typically built in one of two fashions, masonry and earthwork. Masonry forts, such as those along the shoreline, are firm, cement buildings with heavily reinforced walls. The windows are designed to fit little more than the barrel and a spotter to see where it is firing. Long slits are also cut out of the walls for rifles to fire out. This makes in incredibly difficult for anyone to fire into and hit targets inside the building. Multiple levels provide room for tiers of cannons to fire out, and a roof to provide cover from howitzer and mortar fire coming from overhead. These large forts take many months to build, and so in these times of rapid development, smaller forts need to be dug out of the earth. Thus, the earthwork forts have been cropping up at needed points, such as along the rivers in Tennessee where the Yankees are expected to invade. These earthwork forts do not have as much protection in terms of small windows, roofs, and multi-tiered weaponry. However, some engineers have argued that their walls will perform better against the new artillery being developed. While Masonry walls can be pummeled by large siege artillery, earthwork fortifications are made of the earth itself, making it in many ways impenetrable. Artillery shells may simply crash into the thick mud and stick, or bounce off. This theory will soon be tested, as forces from General Grant’s army are presently moving on the earthwork forts of Henry and Donelson along the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers in the west, while the navy is closing in on masonry forts along the Atlantic sea coast. The guns inside the forts often vary widely. While some forts which were captured had lines of standardized cannon, many of those were spiked when abandoned, and others just need to be replaced. This means new cannon must be re-forged, or transported from other forts, or captured sea vessels. So a single side of a fort may have five different types of artillery. While we typically hear of cannons on the field having sizes such as 10 pounds and 12 pounds, they need to be small enough to be mobile. Guns inside forts need not be transportable, and are therefore much larger so they can take out ships at longer ranges. Typical fortifications guns are 24 pounders, 32 pounders, and 42 pounders, or larger. Most of these guns are of the old smoothbore type, which has been in use for centuries. However, recent rifling technology has made it possible for some artillery to shoot further. The US has thus been using a method of rifling that transforms their smoothbores into rifled cannons. This method transforms the gun into what is being called “James guns,” after the inventor of the method, General Charles T. James. The conversion involves altering the size of the bore of the gun, and thus it is referred to by the bore’s size rather than the pounds of the ordinance. This causes some confusion, especially because some cannon were already being named by their poundage, and others by their bore size. It is thus hard to compare one cannon to another. It’s easy to compare a 24 pounder to a 32 pounder, but where does an 8” gun fit in? While the James method has been revolutionary toward upgrading cannons in the North, the Confederates have needed their own solution, and have thus turned to John Mercer. Mercer is most known for inventing a sound device that maps the bottom of the ocean floor. Now he has invented a method for rifling so the Confederate forts and navy may upgrade their own weaponry. He is employing this method on a secret project presently at a navy yard in Virginia that could very well turn the tide of war in this upcoming campaign season.
