Your search returned 375 results in 131 document sections:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...
General Joseph E. Johnston, Narrative of Military Operations During the Civil War, Letters. (search)
nge. The rules of military correspondence require that letters addressed to you by members of this army should pass through my office. Let me ask, for the sake of discipline, that you have this rule enforced. It will save much time and trouble, and create the belief in the army that I am its commander; and moreover will enable you to see both sides of every case (the military and personal) at once. I have just received information from General Whiting that the enemy's forces near Evansport have just been considerably increased, both on land and on water. And from General Jackson, that from Moorefield the enemy has a graded road to Strasburg, passing a good deal to the south of Winchester. Most respectfully, Your obedient servant, J. E. Johnston, General. Headquarters, Centreville, February 25, 1862. To his Excellency the President: I respectfully inclose a copy of a report by Major-General Jackson. Brigadier-General Whiting informs me that Brigadier-General Fre
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 2. (ed. Frank Moore), Mr. Julius Bing's Adventures. (search)
ek; but just as he was starting off, a soldier swore that he had seen him on board a Federal ship, and denounced him as a spy. Where-upon he was sent back to Fredericksburg for examination. There he was in imminent danger from a fourth mob that gathered about him, some one having reported that he was a chaplain in our army. Being released, after examination, he proceeded yesterday, some 20 miles, to the encampment of a Tennessee regiment, whose colonel gave him a letter to Mr. Evans of Evansport, a miserable little place on the Potomac. Evans was instructed to put him across the river. Our cruisers were so constantly on the alert, that for some time no opportunity offered. But at length, while one of them was examining a transport, he slipped across to Chicamuxeon Creek, near Dorchester Post-office, Md.; thence he made his way here, via Alexandria, to-night. Mr. Bing says that on the whole our prisoners are well treated. But the Zouaves are at Richmond caged in a factory,
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 3. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 93 (search)
seven o'clock, having left Washington yesterday morning. Nothing very remarkable occurred on the way down to Quantico Creek. At that point the steamer Pocahontas, which was some miles ahead of us, threw three or four shells into the bushes at Evansport, or Shipping Point, Va. The fire was not returned, and she proceeded on her way. As we neared the Point. at half-past 10 A. M., our decks were cleared for action, all hands at quarters, hatches closed, and every thing ready. At forty-five minutes past ten they opened on us, with rifled shot and shell, from three batteries--two on the bank and one about four hundred yards inland, at Evansport. These shot fell twenty rods short. The Seminole returned the fire briskly, and with effect, from her pivot gun and two medium thirty-two-pounders. We kept on our course, returning their fire during thirty-five minutes, and receiving theirs during forty-five. We were a fine target for them — a slow steamer clear against the horizon, whil
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Poetry and Incidents., Volume 3. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 198 (search)
es of the long, long ago. It is now Thursday evening. Last week at the same time I felt very well assured that before set of sun to-day great events would have happened all around and very near us. Yet every thing is quiet as before at the critical points on the border. Not a word more of the 40,000 Yankees that landed at Newport News. Nothing farther of the advance upon Winchester. All serene at Centreville. Some artillery practice at transports attempting to go by the batteries at Evansport — reported sensationally as heavy firing --only this, and nothing more. Very funny stories came across the lines to us of the horsemanship of the Federal cavalry. A day or two ago a prisoner was brought into Centreville who was strapped to his saddle to keep him from falling off, although the saddle was of the McClellan pattern, invented expressly for bad riders. At a cavalry review a fortnight ago, near the Federal capital, a sham charge was ordered, in which not less than thirty-fiv
Rebellion Record: a Diary of American Events: Documents and Narratives, Volume 4. (ed. Frank Moore), chapter 85 (search)
could keep the Union troops at bay; and about half a mile further in the rear a large steel gun is, or rather was, mounted. This was surrounded by other rifle-pits, by means of which it was hoped that, even though the intrenchments in part might be carried, the rebels might make the last stand, and either repel the Unionists, or, if the worst came to the worst, secure their own final retreat. The batteries extending from Chapawamsic Creek to Quantico Creek, embracing Shipping Point and Evansport, are provided with defences in the rear somewhat similar to those at Cockpit point. Shipping Point may be considered as an island, for the only way to make the mainland from that place, is by means of a narrow wooden bridge, thrown across a deep and dangerous swamp. It was shrewdly calculated that this narrow passage would be a point of strength to themselves in case of a retreat, with the Unionists in pursuit; for nothing would be easier than to burn or otherwise destroy the bridge. An
Elias Nason, McClellan's Own Story: the war for the union, the soldiers who fought it, the civilians who directed it, and his relations to them., Chapter 13: (search)
irectly his main railway communication. The fords of the Occoquan below the mouth of the Bull Run are watched by the rebels; batteries are said to be placed on the heights in the rear (concealed by the woods), and the arrangement of his troops is such that he can oppose some considerable resistance to a passage of that stream. Information has just been received to the effect that the enemy are entrenching a line of heights extending from the vicinity of Sangster's (Union Mills) towards Evansport. Early in January Spriggs's ford was occupied by General Rhodes with 3,600 men and eight (8) guns; there are strong reasons for believing that Davis's ford is occupied. These circumstances indicate or prove that the enemy anticipates the movement in question, and is prepared to resist it. Assuming for the present that this operation is determined upon, it may be well to examine briefly its probable progress. In the present state of affairs our column (for the movement of so large a forc
Southern Historical Society Papers, Volume 9. (ed. Reverend J. William Jones), Sketch of Longstreet's division. (search)
low 25,000. The only accurate returns of its forces which I can find (besides the figures given above,) are for May 1st, 1864, when there were present for duty 42,124, and for March 1st, 1865, when although there was no Confederate force north of Richmond to threaten its safety, the garrison numbered 26,056. Report of Secretary of War, 1865. These figures do not include the garrison of Baltimore which seems to have always been several thousands. As the blockade of the Potomac by the Evansport batteries was, of course, quietly given up when the army withdrew from Centreville, there was no trouble upon that score, but upon the other two heads McClellan seemed himself to have apprehensions, based upon his exaggerated idea of the Confederate force, which he estimated at 115,500, its true strength being only 50,000. He accordingly left for the defence of Washington 77,456 men and 109 guns, McClellan's Report, page 65. while 120,500 met. were transferred to Fortress Monroe, where
Jefferson Davis, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Chapter 11: (search)
enever the enemy chooses to advance, and that he will be ready to take the field before yourself, clearly indicates prompt effort to disencumber yourself of everything which would interfere with your rapid movement when necessary, and such thorough examination of the country in your rear as would give you exact knowledge of its roads and general topography, and enable you to select a line of greater natural advantages than that now occupied by your forces. The heavy guns at Manassas and Evansport, needed elsewhere, and reported to be useless in their present position, would necessarily be abandoned in any hasty retreat. I regret that you find it impossible to move them. The subsistence stores should, when removed, be placed in positions to answer your future wants. Those can not be determined until you have furnished definite information as to your plans, especially the line to which you would remove in the contingency of retiring. The Commissary-General had previously stoppe
Jefferson Davis, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Chapter 12: (search)
e summer, which received the niter from its vicinity, and from the caves in East and Middle Tennessee. Some inferior powder was made at two small mills in South Carolina. North Carolina established a mill near Raleigh; a stamping mill was put up near New Orleans, and powder made there before the fall of the city. Small quantities were also received through the blockade. It was estimated that on January 1, 1862, there were fifteen hundred seacoast guns of various caliber in position from Evansport on the Potomac to Fort Brown on the Rio Grande. If their caliber was averaged at thirty-two pounder, and the charge at five pounds, it would, at forty rounds per gun, require six hundred thousand pounds of powder for them. The field artillery—say three hundred guns, with two hundred rounds to the piece—would require one hundred twenty-five thousand pounds; the small-arm cartridges—say ten million—would consume one hundred twenty-five thousand pounds more, making in all eight hundred fif
Harper's Encyclopedia of United States History (ed. Benson Lossing), Trimble, Isaac Ridgeway 1802- (search)
esigned in 1832 and became a civil engineer; was with various railroads as chief engineer till the outbreak of the Civil War, when he took command of the nonuniformed volunteers recruited to defend Baltimore from Northern soldiers. In the same year he was made colonel of engineers in Virginia and directed the construction of the field works and forts at Norfolk; was promoted brigadier-general on finishing that work, and then took charge of the location and construction of the batteries at Evansport on the Potomac River. With these batteries he blockaded the river against United States vessels during the winter of 1861-62. He also participated and won distinction in various battles, including Gaines's Mills, Slaughter's Mountain, Second Bull Run, Chancellorsville, etc.; was promoted major-general for gallantry and meritorious services April 23, 1863. During the third day of the action at Gettysburg he lost a leg, was captured, and held a prisoner at Johnson's Island for twenty-one
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 ...