Information courtesy of the
Minnesota Civil War Commemoration Task Force
(www.mncivilwar150.com and “Minnesota Civil War 150” on Facebook)
Major Highlights for the Week
Wednesday July 30, 1862
Union Major General Henry W. Halleck ordered Major General George B. McClellan to remove the Army of the Potomac’s sick and wounded from Harrison’s Landing, Virginia with the goal of removing the whole army from the James River area towards Washington and Northern Virginia, thus ending the Peninsula campaign.
Thursday July 31, 1862
Confederates attacked Union camps and shipping between Shirley and Harrison’s Landing, Virginia. Writing from Harrison’s Landing, Virginia, the following morning, Sergeant Myron Shepard, 1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry wrote the following in his personal journal: “Rain last night. We were aroused by the rebels about midnight who opened batteries on our transports from across the river. Fall in, stack arms & pack up all but tents. Ordered to be ready to march at a moments notice, then lie down to sleep. Our guns along shore silence the rebs.”
Friday August 1, 1862
Skirmishes occurred at Ozark, Grand River and Carrollton, Missouri, and at Barnett’s Ford, Virginia. A Federal official in South Carolina announced the issuance of papers indicating their freedom to Negro soldiers, not yet legally enlisted.
Saturday August 2, 1862
Elements of the Army of Virginia under Federal Major General John Pope advanced on Orange Court House and skirmished with Confederates. Other skirmishing occurred at Clear Creek near Taberville, Missouri; Jonesborough, Arkansas; near Totten’s Plantation in Coahoma County, Mississippi; and Austin, Mississippi. Federal forces from Harrison’s Landing, Virginia reoccupied Malvern Hill.
Secretary of State William H. Seward instructed the Minister to Great Britain, Charles Francis Adams, to neither receive nor discuss any offers of mediation of the war by Great Britain.
Sunday August 3, 1862
Federal Major General Henry W. Halleck ordered Major General George B. McClellan to move his Federal Army of the Potomac further north from the Peninsula to Aquia Creek, near Fredericksburg, and to Alexandria.
The British vessel Columbia, carrying twelve pieces of artillery, several thousand Enfield rifles and other munitions, was captured after a seven-hour chase off the Bahamas by the Federal steamer Santiago de Cuba. Another blockade-runner was taken off Charleston as the effectiveness of the Federal blockade steadily developed.
Monday August 4, 1862
President Abraham Lincoln ordered a draft of 300,000 militia to serve for nine months, unless discharged sooner. This draft was never put into effect. The President also ordered the military to get rid of incompetent people holding commissions and to promote worthy officers. Lincoln also told a delegation of “Western gentlemen” who offered two Negro regiments from Indiana, that he was not prepared to enlist Negroes as soldiers, though he suggested employing them as laborers.
Major General Ambrose Burnsides’s Federal corps from North Carolina arrived at Aquia Creek to assist Pope in defending against Lee’s advance into Northern Virginia.
Tuesday August 5, 1862
BATTLE OF BATON ROUGE, LOUISIANA
There was a light engagement at Malvern Hill and a skirmish at White Oak Swamp Bridge on Virginia’s Pensinsula, as well as one at Massaponax Church, Virginia.
Recruiting for old and new regiments proceeded briskly in the North after President Lincoln’s call for 300,000 more men.
Confederate forces once more controlled the Mississippi River north and south of Vicksburg, Mississippi; from Helena, Arkansas to Baton Rouge, Louisiana. Moving southward toward Baton Rouge, Major General John C. Breckinridge and his 2,600 Confederates attacked 2,500 Federals under Brigadier General Thomas Williams. The Confederates charged through a dense fog, then the Federals counterattacked to end the battle by midmorning, aided by Federal gunboats on the Mississippi River. Losses for the Federals were 84 killed, including General Williams who succumbed shortly after the Federal counterattack began, along with 266 wounded and 33 captured or missing for a combined loss of 383. Confederates also lost 84 killed, 315 wounded and 57 captured or missing for a total of 456.
Where Minnesota Regiments were the week of July 30-Aug. 5, 1862
1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – In camp at Malvern Hill, Virginia.
2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – In camp at Athens, Alabama and then on to Winchester, Tennessee.
3rd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – At Murfreesboro, Tennessee after receiving their parole.
4th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry –Duty at Camp Clear Creek near Corinth, Mississippi, until Aug. 5 when they marched to Jacinto, Mississippi for garrison duty.
5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Companies B, C and D remained in Minnesota and Dakota Territory on garrison duty while the remaining companies were moved to Rienzi, Mississippi. Companies B and C move to Sioux Agency on the Yellow Medicine River to preserve order during annuity payments to Indians.
8th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On frontier duty at various points in Minnesota: Anoka, Princeton, Monticello, Kingston, Manannah, Paynesville, Fort Ripley, Sauk Center, Pomme de Terre, Alexandria and Fort Abercrombie until May 1864.
Brackett’s Battalion of Minnesota Cavalry – On duty at Humboldt, Tenn., scouting and protecting the railroad.
1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery – On garrison duty at Corinth, Miss.
2nd Independent Battery, Minnesota Light Artillery – On garrison duty at Ripley, Mississippi.
