Sunday Aug. 11 1861
SOUTHERNERS SECURE SPRINGFIELD SWAY

The Battle of Wilson’s Creek was over and the survivors were sure of only one thing: they had seen the elephant and survived. It was ruled a Southern victory, and many Confederates sympathizers in Missouri rejoiced. Unfortunately this did not benefit Sterling Price, Ben McCulloch or their men, as they were in the southern part of the state and most of their sympathizers were in the North. A dispute over command of the combined regulars and militiamen was settled in favor of McCulloch.



Monday Aug. 11 1862
REFUGEES RECEIVE RATIONS RELIABLY

Almost a month ago President Lincoln had signed the 2nd Confiscation Act. One of the provisions of this was to regularize what had been unofficial policy for some time: any escaped or refugee Negros who came within Union lines were deemed to be legally free men and women. U.S. Grant, presently at the important railroad hub of Corinth, Miss., was busy reorganizing his army, but today issued orders that such refugees were to be employed as necessary as laborers and paid wages or ‘in kind.’ In practice this meant that they would be issued rations.



Tuesday Aug. 11 1863
MASSIVE MUNITIONS MAUL MORRIS

In Charleston Harbor, where the whole mess had begun, the battle was nowhere near over. The guns of Ft. Sumter roared today, joined by other firepower from James Island and Battery Wagner, but they were firing on Union troops. The latter were the men who had taken positions at the end of Morris Island, where they were furiously digging trenches. The fire slowed, but did not stop, the digging.



Thursday Aug. 11 1864
SHERIDAN SCATTERING SHENANDOAH SOUTHRONS

Jubal Early had been doing his best to disrupt the Union war effort, even to the gates of Washington, but rather than pull troops North away from Petersburg, he had succeeded only in getting Phil Sheridan brought in from the West. Sheridan was given the men formerly under the much-detested Gen. “Black Dave” Hunter, who was better at burning civilian property than fighting. Sheridan was not confident in his men, but Early didn’t know this and today began to pull back further south up the Shenandoah Valley.

Choose a different date