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 January 6, 1864
Confederate guerrillas attacked the steamer Delta on the Mississippi River, one of numerous such incidents occurring on the Western rivers. Skirmishes took place at Flint Hill, Virginia, and at Dalton, Georgia, both areas where the major armies remained at rest.
Until the end of the month, Federal troops under Kit Carson operated against the Navajo Indians from Fort Canby, New Mexico Territory, the Canon de Chelly area. Many Navajos were sent to a reservation at Bosque Redondo in a sad condition.
Thursday January 7, 1864
On Waccamaw Neck, South Carolina, near Charleston, a lieutenant and a private of the 21st Georgia Cavalry captured twenty-five Federal troops. Other fighting occurred at Martin’s Creek, Arkansas and Warrenton, Virginia.
The Confederacy named William Preston as envoy to Mexico.
Federal Judge Caleb Blood Smith, Secretary of the Interior in Abraham Lincoln’s cabinet until December 1862, died in Indianapolis, Indiana.
Friday January 8, 1864
In New Orleans, pro-Union elements convened to consider reconstruction of Louisiana.
David O. Dodd, convicted as a Confederate spy, was executed in Little Rock, Arkansas, in a case which aroused considerable agitation.
Saturday January 9, 1864
Confederate President Jefferson Davis warned his commanders in Alabama, Georgia, and Mississippi of reports that Admiral David Farragut was preparing to attack Mobile and attempt to pass the forts as he had at New Orleans.
A skirmish at Terman’s Ferry, Kentucky, was the only recorded military operation.
Sunday January 10, 1864
Off the south Atlantic coast the blockade was tighter than ever, with numerous blockade-runners captured by the Federals. However, the blockader U.S.S. Iron Age was lost off Lockwood’s Folly Inlet, North Carolina, after it went aground and was bombarded from land.
Monday January 11, 1864
Senator John B. Henderson of Missouri proposed a joint resolution in the U.S. Senate abolishing slavery throughout the United States by amendment (the Thirteenth) to the Constitution.
Two blockade-runners were captured off of the Florida coast and two others forced ashore and burned off of Lockwood’s Ferry Inlet, North Carolina.
Tuesday January 12, 1864
Skirmishing increased by mid-January but there still was no large-scale fighting. Fighting took place near Mossy Creek, Tennessee; Marshall, Kentucky; Accotink, Ellis’s Ford and a Federal raid operated on Northern Neck, all in Virginia.
A two-day affair occurred at Matamoros, Mexico, where two Mexican factions were warring and Federal troops were sent in to protect and remove the U.S. Consul, L. Pierce.
Where Minnesota Regiments were the week of January 6-12, 1864
1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – In camp at Stevensburg, Virginia until February 5, 1864.
2nd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty at Ringgold, Georgia until April 29, 1864.
3rd Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On garrison duty in Little Rock, Arkansas until April 28, 1864.
4th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty in Huntsville, Alabama until June 22, 1864.
5th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty in LaGrange, Tennessee to guard Memphis & Charleston Railroad until January 26, 1864.
6th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty at various Minnesota outposts for garrison duty until June 9, 1864.
7th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On duty in St. Louis, Missouri until April 20, 1864.
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.
9th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Stationed at Rolla, Jefferson City, LaMine Bridge, Warrensburg, Independence, Knob Noster, Kansas City, Waynesville and Franklin with headquarters in Jefferson City until April 14, 1864.
10th Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – On garrison and provost duty at Benton Barracks, Missouri until April 21, 1864.
1st Regiment Minnesota Cavalry “Mounted Rangers” – Formally mustered out of service on December 7, 1863. Inactive.
2nd Regiment Minnesota Cavalry - On duty at Fort Snelling and at frontier posts throughout Minnesota until May 24, 1864.
Brackett’s Battalion of Minnesota Cavalry – Battalion veteranized, detached from the 5th Iowa Cavalry, left Alabama and headed to Minnesota, where it arrived on February 25 for duty at Fort Snelling.
Hatch’s Independent Battalion of Cavalry - Companies A,B,C and D on frontier duty in Pembina until May 5, 1864.
1st Minnesota Light Artillery Battery – On duty at Vicksburg, Mississippi until April 4, 1864.
2nd Independent Battery Minnesota Light Artillery – On duty at Rossville, Georgia until March 21, 1864.
3rd Independent Battery Minnesota Light Artillery - Various sections of the battery were stationed at Fort Snelling, Fort Ridgely, Fort Ripley and Pembina until June 5, 1864.
2nd United States Sharpshooters, Company A – On duty around the Rapidan River, Virginia until May 4, 1864.
