In March of 1864, a land force consisting of the Union Army’s 19th Corps and portions of the 13th, 16th, and 17th Corps under the command of Major General Nathaniel Banks headed northwest up the Red River in Louisiana. Accompanying the army was Admiral David D. Porter and the Mississippi Squadron, a fleet of vessels designed [...]
Continue reading about Colonel Joseph Bailey’s Red River Dam
150 Years Ago in the Civil War There were no battles that were on the scale of those at Bull Run, Virginia and Wilson’s Creek, Missouri in July and August, but there were some significant smaller events in the Civil War in September 1861. On September 4th, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant arrived at Cairo, Illinois, [...]
Located about a dozen miles southwest of Springfield, Missouri, Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield was established in 1960. The Battle of Wilson’s Creek was fought on August 10th, 1861 and was the second major battle of the Civil War. It was one of the largest battles fought west of the Mississippi River. On that August day, [...]
Continue reading about Visiting Wilson’s Creek National Battlefield
150 Years Ago in the Civil War While the North came to terms with the sobering defeat in July at the Battle of Bull Run, it became clear to both sides that this would not be a quick and easily won war. In August 1861, there was scattered minor skirmishing from Maryland to the New [...]
Continue reading about Battle of Wilson’s Creek, MO; Fighting at Cape Hatteras, NC: August 1861
150 Years Ago in the Civil War Through the first three months of the Civil War, the fighting had been on a relatively small scale as both sides built up their armies. Regiments were formed, mustered into service, equipped, and trained. As the size of the armies grew and the calendar moved into summer, the [...]
