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 February 3, 1864
SHERMAN’S MERIDIAN, MISSISSIPPI CAMPAIGN BEGINS
With over 26,000 men, Federal Major General William T. Sherman left Vicksburg, Mississippi on an expedition to destroy Confederate-held railroads in the state and to damage the Confederates in and around the city of Meridian. Cooperating with Sherman were 7,600 cavalry. Confederates in Mississippi, under General Leonidas Polk numbered approximately 20,000 and were widely scattered.
Thursday February 4, 1864
Skirmishing became heavier as Major General William T. Sherman’s Federals advanced from Vicksburg through the old battlefields of 1863. General Leonidas Polk’s Confederates fell back before the invaders as fighting broke out at Liverpool Heights, Champion’s Hill, Edwards’s Ferry and near Bolton Depot.
Other action occurred at Moorefield, West Virginia; Columbia, Louisiana along with Hot Springs, Mountain Fork and Rolling Prairie, Arkansas.
Friday February 5, 1864
After a march of eighteen miles, Federal troops marched into Jackson, Mississippi en route to Meridian. Opposed mainly by cavalry, they fought on Baker’s Creek, at Clinton and at Jackson.
In Virginia, skirmishes occurred at Aldie and Winchester.
Saturday February 6, 1864
Federal troops under Major General William T. Sherman left Jackson, Mississippi and headed to Meridian, while cavalry departed Memphis to assist.
Skirmishes occurred at Hillsborough, Mississippi; Newport Barracks near New Berne, North Carolina; and Bolivar, Tennessee.
Acts which the Confederate Congress approved included a ban on the importation of luxuries and the circulation of U.S. paper money. No cotton, tobacco, naval stores, sugar, molasses or rice could leave ports unless the government received half of the total tonnage.
Sunday February 7, 1864
Federal troops under Brigadier General Truman Seymour, under the overall command of Major General QuincyA. Gillmore, occupied Jacksonville, Florida. Meeting little opposition, the Union troops prepared to advance inland.
In Mississippi, Major General William T. Sherman’s men moved towards Meridian with skirmishing occurring at Brandon, Morton and Satraria. General Leonidas Polk’s Confederates fell back slowly offering only moderate opposition.
Monday February 8, 1864
Federals and Confederates skirmished at Ten-Mile Run near Camp Finegan as the Florida expedition advanced from Jacksonville.
Major General William T. Sherman’s Federals skirmished at Coldwater Ferry and near Senatobia, Mississippi.
Fighting also occurred at Barboursville, Kentucky; Ringgold, Georgia; near Maryville, Tennessee; and at Donaldsonville, Louisiana.
Tuesday February 9, 1864
Laboriously tunneling their way out of Richmond’s Libby Prison, 109 Federal officers, including Colonel Abel D. Streight, who was captured ten months earlier in Cedar Bluff, Alabama, after his month-long raid into Confederate territory. Eventually 59 of the escapees reached Federal lines, 48 were recaptured and two drowned. The largest and most sensational escape of the war was engineered and led by Colonel Thomas E. Rose of Pennsylvania.
Union troops moving westward from Jacksonville, Florida skirmished near Point Washington.
In the Meridian Campaign, Federals occupied Yazoo City, Mississippi.
Before attending one of the largest White House events of the season, President Abraham Lincoln had several photographs taken by Matthew Brady, including the image that was used on the U.S. Five-dollar bill from 1914 to 1995.
Where Minnesota Regiments were the week of February 3-9, 1864
1st Minnesota Volunteer Infantry – Ordered to Fort Snelling for duty and mustering out of Federal service on Feb. 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 and 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.
