1865
April 2- After the Confederate defeat at Five Forks Lee split his forces and began a defensive retreat. Close to 4,000 men followed General Walter H. Taylor as he made his way towards North Carolina. As this occurred Lee set about pulling his troops out of Petersburg, and dismantling any supplies they could not take with them.
April 4- Grant ended the Siege of Petersburg, with minimal loses and close to 500 prisoners. Yet due to the withdrawal a day earlier Lee’s army was miles away and had taken most of their supplies.
April 9- Walter H. Taylor and a contingent of 4,000 Confederate troops and around 750 militiamen met with General Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina.
April 12- Lee and his army of close 11,000 to arrive near the city of Durham, North Carolina. The link up with his Army of Northern Virginia, and Johnston’s Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and also the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia. This placed roughly 29,000 troops under General Lee’s command.
April 15- President Abraham Lincoln decides to stay at home instead of visiting Ford’s theater to discuss the new situation in the south.
April 16- A meeting with Lee and Johnston brought about the decision for a offensive move. Lee favored luring the Union forces near the state Capital of Raleigh. It was considered ideal with its flat land, not allowing the Union army to make proper use of their artillery. Raleigh
being a local road way would be a spot the Union would have to pass through if they wanted to catch up with the remaining Confederate army.
Johnston favored more attritional moves. So while Lee would remain defending Northern Carolina, Johnston would move out and make partisan actions against Grant’s army. Lee was disgusted at the idea when Johnston spoke of living off the land and “offers” of local farmers.
Lee being the superior officer struck down the whole of Johnston’s plan. He did however allow for a small section of Confederate troops to move out into the countryside to make delaying actions against the Union army.
April 18- Lee was given notice that the Union army was a few days outside of Raleigh. The General quickly sent his army out to meet them. What was important about this day was that only half of Johnston’s force was among the men assembled. Earlier General Johnston issued order 208, which ordered his troops to break into small groups and move about North Carolina, South Eastern Virginia, and Western Tennessee.
April 21- Confederate forces arrived at Burlington. Lee ordered them to dig in, and set up numerous breastworks along the outer edge of the town.
April 26- A union Cavalry Division, under Brig. Gen. August Kautz. moved into the outer edge of Burlington. The Battle of the Third Mill began at 11 o’clock between Kautz and his cavalry and Major General Charles W. Field of the First Corps Third division.
The Confederates, having been entrenched, quickly repelled the Union attackers. Suffering 67 causalities and inflicting close to 500 upon the enemy Gen. Field was the hero of the day. Lee was extremely happy with the outcome.
April 27- Near sunup Grant’s V Corps arrived at Burlington. Maj. Gen. Governor K. Warren, ordered an attack. With the Confederates entrenched, and the terrain flat and featureless the Union artillery was rather ineffective. The Battle of Burlington lasted several hours and ended in Union forces retreating to their lines with close to 3,000 dead. That evening General Grant arrived along with the II corps and took command of the situation.
As this occurred the men Johnston had sent out days before had encountered various parts of the Union army including parts of the XI and VI corps. The tactics used where extremely effective, taking pot shots at Union soldiers and then fleeing away. It caused the troops to search areas expecting a large group of Confederates yet finding only three or four and in most causes nothing at all.
April 28- The numbers had changed since the last day with the Union army at 35,000 and the Confederates at 19,000. While outnumbered Lee saw his position as strong, and while supplies where not what they could be the city of Raleigh had delivered enough to boost moral.
V Corps began the morning with a large artillery barrage upon the Confederate breastworks. General Grant did not want a repeat of the day before and focused his fire upon individual sections of the fortifications as his prior experience that the Siege of Petersburg had taught him.
By forcing fire at one point and then pushing as many troops as one could into the opening simple numbers almost assured a victory. The only problem was the staggering amount of causalities and wounded such actions produced.
General Lee had also learned from the Siege of Petersburg. His breastworks where designed, at the recommendation of his Aide-de-camp Walter H. Taylor in three sets at intersecting points, with narrow paths between. This caused whatever entrenchment taken by the Union to be limited, and more importantly limit how quickly they can move.
By five o’clock a retreat was called for the Union side. They had only made it as far as the second trench, but one of the few cannons the Confederate’s had was placed at a trench opening to shoot canister at point blank range as the Union tried to push its way through.
At the end of the day 9,000 Union soldiers lay dead beside 3,000 Confederate counterparts.
April 29- After the failure of the previous day General Grant ended his dreams in a quick victory at Burlington. He took to creating his own breastworks, and waiting out the conflict till the rest of his forces arrived. The problem was that the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James had split themselves in half. Some held steady near Richmond, but none of the commanders dared to take it. The rest followed Grant to defeat General Lee once and for all.
May 6- As Grant held the line around Burlington and Sherman pushed his way up through North Carolina, the Confederate forces had a severe falling out. Lee insisted on remaining in place, as to allow the government in Richmond to arrange a peace treaty or cease fire. Many note how Lee around this time was not his normal vibrant self, he stayed near his tent all hours of the day and clung to thought of foreign assistance or a last minute victory.
Johnston on the other hand was pulling more and more of his devoted troops out of the lines at Burlington, and sending them out into the Southern countryside to fight against the Union. He saw the Union as too strong to fight in a conventional manner and preferred to wait out inflicting damage to the Union as he pleased with minimal casualties to the sparse Confederate population.
Johnston even went so far as to personally write sixty letters detailing his orders. Know as Order 216, each letter went into detail about how Confederate troops where to act, as well as giving said soldiers permission to take supplies from locals. One such letter fell into General Lee’s hands. He was furious with Johnston and demanded he recall all of the soldiers he sent away.
Johnston having to deal with the quagmire currently surrounding Burlington, as well as having to making a defensive withdrawal from Sherman’s forces, he had no more patience for the elderly Lee. He stormed out an act which seemingly divided the Confederate army, and leadership.
May 12- In a private discussion with his subordinates Johnston came with a final solution to the ongoing civil war. The first act was to divert close to ¾’s of the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia into the woods and order them to keep the fight going. Johnston assumed of the seven thousand army regulars, volunteers, and militiamen close to five thousand would desert. Of course deciding upon partisan warfare a large number of troops of unneeded. All remaining troops would be sent about defending what remained in Confederate hands.
Following such actions Johnston was going to resign his command and destroy as much of his personal papers as he could. It was hoped that such an action would delay Lee from ordering his partisans back to Burlington. General Johnston would leave Lt. General William J. Hardee in charge of his remaining forces.
At noon that day he sent out his orders and prepared his resignation letter. Of his effects he kept only his personal journal, and one of the ornate revolvers he owned. He left with no word to Robert E. Lee and snuck out from Burlington heading North to Richmond.
May 7- General Lee upon learning of Johnston’s actions went into a rage, something he rarely did. His left flank was severely weakened as the most experienced troops had left during the night. His attempts to send word to the soldiers that had already left did no good.
May 13- The Battle of Palmito Ranch was fought ending in a Confederate victory.
May 16- The Army of Northern Virginia was in a horrid state. Little supplies, men deserting by the hundreds each day. General Lee it seems saw the glimmer of a final victory leave his grasp. Contacting General Grant he asked for surrender terms. Grant sent back a single sentence, “Lay down your arms, and send your men home.”
May 19- In the Mayor’s house in Burlington, General Lee sat done with General Grant and signed the surrender of the Army of North Virginia, the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and also the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.
May 23- Union forces marched into Richmond following the official surrender of the Confederate government.
June 3- In Western Tennessee twenty nine Union soldiers died. In the eyes of the officer who died was two Confederate coins.
July 12- Congress set up a commission to investigate, and deal with the amount of violence against occupying Union forces.
July 19- Abraham Lincoln visiting Burlington, North Carolina gave a speech to the troops and people assembled. Afterwards William “Little Billy” Mahone step forward pistol in hand and shot the President through the heart. The man was quickly shot down by surrounding Union soldiers.
July 21- Vice President Andrew Johnson was sworn into office on the steps of Congress.
July 23- The United States Congress held an emergency session. Following Lincolns death numerous groups arose claiming to fight for the Southern State. The congress decided that martial law was to be enforced on all Southern States until reconstruction could be implemented.
August 7- General Braxton Bragg, who fled into Georgia with Jefferson Davis and fought under General Johnston, announced he was the commanding officer of the Confederate Carolinian Army. His words where at first scoffed at, until various partisan leaders along the East and Gulf Coast pledged to fight under him.
September 3- President Andrew Johnson created the Western Southern Army, and the Eastern Southern Army. The Eastern Army was granted distraction and occupation over Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The Western was given Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
1866
March 8- Congress deems “Military Consolidation” a inexpensive way to control the Southern States.
March 16- The two Southern occupation armies move into major trading, and economic centers securing them. This leaves large stretches of the South undefended. Southern soldiers who have grown in number quickly make strong holds out of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
April 20- The “Johnny Reb” brigade captured the Union garrison stationed in Atlanta.
April 24- President Johnson under pressure from all sides to end the turmoil in the South called for “Scorching them from the soil.”
May 6- The III Corps. under the command of George Armstrong Custer went into Atlanta.
May17- Custer declares Atlanta clear. With only twenty Confederate bodies found it is considered a poor victory by all.
June 5- In Knoxville Tennessee, General Bragg and over twelve state partisan leaders, and local partisan leaders met and decided upon a unified strategy with the ultimate goal of Southern Independence.
June 7- The Independent States Declaration was drafted. In its three pages the Confederate Army set out its goals, and its beliefs. The main point was that the surrender of the Southern States was unlawful for the government never surrendered but a section of the army did. On top of this it promised to expel any Northern soldier on Southern soil.
April 2- After the Confederate defeat at Five Forks Lee split his forces and began a defensive retreat. Close to 4,000 men followed General Walter H. Taylor as he made his way towards North Carolina. As this occurred Lee set about pulling his troops out of Petersburg, and dismantling any supplies they could not take with them.
April 4- Grant ended the Siege of Petersburg, with minimal loses and close to 500 prisoners. Yet due to the withdrawal a day earlier Lee’s army was miles away and had taken most of their supplies.
April 9- Walter H. Taylor and a contingent of 4,000 Confederate troops and around 750 militiamen met with General Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina.
April 12- Lee and his army of close 11,000 to arrive near the city of Durham, North Carolina. The link up with his Army of Northern Virginia, and Johnston’s Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and also the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia. This placed roughly 29,000 troops under General Lee’s command.
April 15- President Abraham Lincoln decides to stay at home instead of visiting Ford’s theater to discuss the new situation in the south.
April 16- A meeting with Lee and Johnston brought about the decision for a offensive move. Lee favored luring the Union forces near the state Capital of Raleigh. It was considered ideal with its flat land, not allowing the Union army to make proper use of their artillery. Raleigh
being a local road way would be a spot the Union would have to pass through if they wanted to catch up with the remaining Confederate army.
Johnston favored more attritional moves. So while Lee would remain defending Northern Carolina, Johnston would move out and make partisan actions against Grant’s army. Lee was disgusted at the idea when Johnston spoke of living off the land and “offers” of local farmers.
Lee being the superior officer struck down the whole of Johnston’s plan. He did however allow for a small section of Confederate troops to move out into the countryside to make delaying actions against the Union army.
April 18- Lee was given notice that the Union army was a few days outside of Raleigh. The General quickly sent his army out to meet them. What was important about this day was that only half of Johnston’s force was among the men assembled. Earlier General Johnston issued order 208, which ordered his troops to break into small groups and move about North Carolina, South Eastern Virginia, and Western Tennessee.
April 21- Confederate forces arrived at Burlington. Lee ordered them to dig in, and set up numerous breastworks along the outer edge of the town.
April 26- A union Cavalry Division, under Brig. Gen. August Kautz. moved into the outer edge of Burlington. The Battle of the Third Mill began at 11 o’clock between Kautz and his cavalry and Major General Charles W. Field of the First Corps Third division.
The Confederates, having been entrenched, quickly repelled the Union attackers. Suffering 67 causalities and inflicting close to 500 upon the enemy Gen. Field was the hero of the day. Lee was extremely happy with the outcome.
April 27- Near sunup Grant’s V Corps arrived at Burlington. Maj. Gen. Governor K. Warren, ordered an attack. With the Confederates entrenched, and the terrain flat and featureless the Union artillery was rather ineffective. The Battle of Burlington lasted several hours and ended in Union forces retreating to their lines with close to 3,000 dead. That evening General Grant arrived along with the II corps and took command of the situation.
As this occurred the men Johnston had sent out days before had encountered various parts of the Union army including parts of the XI and VI corps. The tactics used where extremely effective, taking pot shots at Union soldiers and then fleeing away. It caused the troops to search areas expecting a large group of Confederates yet finding only three or four and in most causes nothing at all.
April 28- The numbers had changed since the last day with the Union army at 35,000 and the Confederates at 19,000. While outnumbered Lee saw his position as strong, and while supplies where not what they could be the city of Raleigh had delivered enough to boost moral.
V Corps began the morning with a large artillery barrage upon the Confederate breastworks. General Grant did not want a repeat of the day before and focused his fire upon individual sections of the fortifications as his prior experience that the Siege of Petersburg had taught him.
By forcing fire at one point and then pushing as many troops as one could into the opening simple numbers almost assured a victory. The only problem was the staggering amount of causalities and wounded such actions produced.
General Lee had also learned from the Siege of Petersburg. His breastworks where designed, at the recommendation of his Aide-de-camp Walter H. Taylor in three sets at intersecting points, with narrow paths between. This caused whatever entrenchment taken by the Union to be limited, and more importantly limit how quickly they can move.
By five o’clock a retreat was called for the Union side. They had only made it as far as the second trench, but one of the few cannons the Confederate’s had was placed at a trench opening to shoot canister at point blank range as the Union tried to push its way through.
At the end of the day 9,000 Union soldiers lay dead beside 3,000 Confederate counterparts.
April 29- After the failure of the previous day General Grant ended his dreams in a quick victory at Burlington. He took to creating his own breastworks, and waiting out the conflict till the rest of his forces arrived. The problem was that the Army of the Potomac and the Army of the James had split themselves in half. Some held steady near Richmond, but none of the commanders dared to take it. The rest followed Grant to defeat General Lee once and for all.
May 6- As Grant held the line around Burlington and Sherman pushed his way up through North Carolina, the Confederate forces had a severe falling out. Lee insisted on remaining in place, as to allow the government in Richmond to arrange a peace treaty or cease fire. Many note how Lee around this time was not his normal vibrant self, he stayed near his tent all hours of the day and clung to thought of foreign assistance or a last minute victory.
Johnston on the other hand was pulling more and more of his devoted troops out of the lines at Burlington, and sending them out into the Southern countryside to fight against the Union. He saw the Union as too strong to fight in a conventional manner and preferred to wait out inflicting damage to the Union as he pleased with minimal casualties to the sparse Confederate population.
Johnston even went so far as to personally write sixty letters detailing his orders. Know as Order 216, each letter went into detail about how Confederate troops where to act, as well as giving said soldiers permission to take supplies from locals. One such letter fell into General Lee’s hands. He was furious with Johnston and demanded he recall all of the soldiers he sent away.
Johnston having to deal with the quagmire currently surrounding Burlington, as well as having to making a defensive withdrawal from Sherman’s forces, he had no more patience for the elderly Lee. He stormed out an act which seemingly divided the Confederate army, and leadership.
May 12- In a private discussion with his subordinates Johnston came with a final solution to the ongoing civil war. The first act was to divert close to ¾’s of the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia into the woods and order them to keep the fight going. Johnston assumed of the seven thousand army regulars, volunteers, and militiamen close to five thousand would desert. Of course deciding upon partisan warfare a large number of troops of unneeded. All remaining troops would be sent about defending what remained in Confederate hands.
Following such actions Johnston was going to resign his command and destroy as much of his personal papers as he could. It was hoped that such an action would delay Lee from ordering his partisans back to Burlington. General Johnston would leave Lt. General William J. Hardee in charge of his remaining forces.
At noon that day he sent out his orders and prepared his resignation letter. Of his effects he kept only his personal journal, and one of the ornate revolvers he owned. He left with no word to Robert E. Lee and snuck out from Burlington heading North to Richmond.
May 7- General Lee upon learning of Johnston’s actions went into a rage, something he rarely did. His left flank was severely weakened as the most experienced troops had left during the night. His attempts to send word to the soldiers that had already left did no good.
May 13- The Battle of Palmito Ranch was fought ending in a Confederate victory.
May 16- The Army of Northern Virginia was in a horrid state. Little supplies, men deserting by the hundreds each day. General Lee it seems saw the glimmer of a final victory leave his grasp. Contacting General Grant he asked for surrender terms. Grant sent back a single sentence, “Lay down your arms, and send your men home.”
May 19- In the Mayor’s house in Burlington, General Lee sat done with General Grant and signed the surrender of the Army of North Virginia, the Department of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and also the Department of North Carolina and Southern Virginia.
May 23- Union forces marched into Richmond following the official surrender of the Confederate government.
June 3- In Western Tennessee twenty nine Union soldiers died. In the eyes of the officer who died was two Confederate coins.
July 12- Congress set up a commission to investigate, and deal with the amount of violence against occupying Union forces.
July 19- Abraham Lincoln visiting Burlington, North Carolina gave a speech to the troops and people assembled. Afterwards William “Little Billy” Mahone step forward pistol in hand and shot the President through the heart. The man was quickly shot down by surrounding Union soldiers.
July 21- Vice President Andrew Johnson was sworn into office on the steps of Congress.
July 23- The United States Congress held an emergency session. Following Lincolns death numerous groups arose claiming to fight for the Southern State. The congress decided that martial law was to be enforced on all Southern States until reconstruction could be implemented.
August 7- General Braxton Bragg, who fled into Georgia with Jefferson Davis and fought under General Johnston, announced he was the commanding officer of the Confederate Carolinian Army. His words where at first scoffed at, until various partisan leaders along the East and Gulf Coast pledged to fight under him.
September 3- President Andrew Johnson created the Western Southern Army, and the Eastern Southern Army. The Eastern Army was granted distraction and occupation over Virginia, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. The Western was given Florida, Alabama, Mississippi, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas.
1866
March 8- Congress deems “Military Consolidation” a inexpensive way to control the Southern States.
March 16- The two Southern occupation armies move into major trading, and economic centers securing them. This leaves large stretches of the South undefended. Southern soldiers who have grown in number quickly make strong holds out of Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina.
April 20- The “Johnny Reb” brigade captured the Union garrison stationed in Atlanta.
April 24- President Johnson under pressure from all sides to end the turmoil in the South called for “Scorching them from the soil.”
May 6- The III Corps. under the command of George Armstrong Custer went into Atlanta.
May17- Custer declares Atlanta clear. With only twenty Confederate bodies found it is considered a poor victory by all.
June 5- In Knoxville Tennessee, General Bragg and over twelve state partisan leaders, and local partisan leaders met and decided upon a unified strategy with the ultimate goal of Southern Independence.
June 7- The Independent States Declaration was drafted. In its three pages the Confederate Army set out its goals, and its beliefs. The main point was that the surrender of the Southern States was unlawful for the government never surrendered but a section of the army did. On top of this it promised to expel any Northern soldier on Southern soil.
