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Saturday May 25 1861
FIRST FEDERAL FUNERAL FEEDS FURY
The East Room of the White House had held the body of Elmer
Ellsworth as it lay in state, and it was the site of his funeral
service today. His friendship with the Lincolns as well as the
dramatic circumstances of his death--shotgunned by Alexandria, Va.,
hotelkeeper James Jackson as he tore a Confederate flag from the
hotel roof--combined to make him the first martyr of the Union
cause. Funerals, alas, would soon become far too commonplace to be
held at the White House.
Sunday May 25 1862
SUNDAY SCUFFLE SCORES SUCCESS
Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, better known as “Stonewall”, was a deeply
religious man who went to great lengths to avoid battle on the
Sabbath. Today it could not be avoided, so he administered a
drubbing to Gen. Banks’ men in the Battle of Winchester. Casualties
were lopsided: 400 Southerners out of an army of 16000; more than
2000 Federals from a force of 8000, the vast majority missing or
captured. The survivors scrambled back to Harpers Ferry, leaving
their huge load of supplies to Jackson.
Monday May 25 1863
VEXATIOUS VALLANDIGHAM VACATED
Rep. Charles L. Vallandigham, D-Ohio, would in a later time have
been known as a diehard peacenik. He opposed secession but also
opposed the war to prevent it, and he opposed Lincoln. Last year he
had visited an Ohio regiment in camp near Washington and had been
the target of rocks and garbage. Finally he was arrested for treason
for expressing allegedly pro-Confederate sentiments, and sentenced
to prison. Lincoln changed the sentence to exile from the United
States. Today Vallandigham was turned over to Confederate
authorities in Tennessee.
Wednesday May 25 1864
CREEKSIDE CHURCH CONFLICT CONDUCTED
Gen. William T. Sherman had marched across Georgia with little
impediment so far. This changed today at a place called New Hope
Church. Sherman’s left, under Schofield, faced Gen. Hood; on his
right, McPherson faced Hardee; in the center it was Thomas against
Polk. Combat raged along Pumpkin Vine Creek, with Hooker getting in
to the act. A furious thunderstorm raged, casualties were appalling,
but the Southern lines held.
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