August 12 In Civil War History

Jim Klag

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On this day in Civil War history

Compiled by Mitchell Werksman and Jim Klag

August 12, 1819 - Daniel Davidson Bidwell, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Buffalo, New York (d. 1864)

August 12, 1829 - John Horace Forney, Major General (Confederate Army), born in Lincolnton, NC. (d. 1902)

August 12, 1833 - William Price Sanders, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Frankfort, Kentucky (d. 1863)

August 12, 1861 - Eliphalet Remington, American inventor, designer of the Remington rifle dies at 67. (b. 1793)

August 12, 1861 - The following wooden Union gunboats, which were converted riverboats, arrive at Carlo, IL:

USS Conestoga

USS Lexington

USS Tyler

August 12, 1861 - Apache Indians led by Chief Nicholas attack and kill about 15 Confederate soldiers south of Fort Davis, in the Big Bend country, Texas.

August 12, 1862 - William Barksdale, CSA, is promoted Brig. Gen.

August 12, 1862 - Federal expedition from Fort Leavenworth, KS, to Independence, MO, as the Confederates threaten Kansas City, MO. (Aug 12-14)

August 12, 1862 - Federal expedition from Camp Gamble, MO, in search of guerrillas. (Aug 12-18)

August 12, 1862 - Skirmish between Stockton, Cedar County, and Humansville, MO.

August 12, 1862 - Skirmish at Van Buren, Carter County, MO.

August 12, 1862 - Col. John Hunt Morgan's CSA, Cavalry captures Gallatin, TN, and destroys bridges in that vicinity (Aug 12) and skirmish (Aug 13). (Aug 12-13)

August 2, 1862 - The Federal capture of the Breaker and the destruction of the Elma and the Hannah, by the USS Arthur, in Corpus Christi Bay, TX.

August 12, 1863 - William Smith, C.S.A., is appointed Maj. Gen.

August 12, 1863 - Benjamin Grubb Humphreys, CSA, is appointed Brig. Gen.

August 12, 1863 - The 1st Division, 9th US Army Corps, arrives from Vicksburg, MS, at Covington, KY, en route to Tennessee.

August 12, 1863 - Skirmish at Big Black River Bridge, MS.

August 12, 1863 - Union heavy Parrott batteries on Morris Island, SC, return fire against Fort Sumter and Battery Wagner, Charleston Harbor, SC.

August 12, 1863 - Federal expedition from Memphis, TN, to Grenada, MS, with skirmishes at:

Craven's Plantation, MS, (Aug 14), and at

Grenada, MS. (Aug 17).

August 12, 1864 - The siege of Petersburg is ongoing.

August 12, 1864 - Joseph Anthony Mower, U.S.A., is appointed Maj. Gen.

August 12, 1864 - Federal operations in Madison County, AL, near Fayetteville, and New Market. (Aug 12-14)

August 12, 1864 - Skirmish at Van Buren, AR.

August 12, 1864 - Federal scout from Camp Anderson to Bald Mountain, CA. (Aug 8-12)

August 12, 1864 - Federal scout against guerrillas on the Fort Union road, near Fort Garland, the Colorado Territory. (Aug 12-16)

August 12, 1864 - Skirmishes at Baldwin, FL.

August 12, 1864 - Affair with Indians in the San Andres Mountains, the New Mexico Territory.

August 12, 1864 - The Confederate raider, CSS Tallahassee, captures six more Federal vessels off the coast of New Jersey and New York, causing alarm up and down the eastern seaboard.

August 12, 1864 - Federal operations in Ray and Carroll Counties, MO, and skirmish with guerrillas who attack the Yankees but are repulsed (Aug 12) at Fredericksburg, MO. (Aug 12-16)

August 12, 1864 - Skirmish at Cedar Creek, VA, as Lieut. Gen. Jubal A. Early, CSA, against Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, USA, begin to meet up with each other.

August 12, 1867 - US President Andrew Johnson defies Congress and suspends Secretary of War Edwin Stanton.

August 12, 1867 - Ulysses S. Grant becomes ad interim Secretary of War.

August 12, 1896 - Thomas Chamberlain, officer of the 20th Maine at the Battle of Gettysburg dies in Bangor, ME.
 

5fish

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Two places with the same name in different states had skirmishes on the same day two years apart...

August 12, 1862 - Skirmish at Van Buren, Carter County, MO.
On August 12, 1862, the 24th Missouri Infantry (Union) under the command of Colonel Boyd surprised six rebel soldiers near Van Buren. In the ensuing skirmish two of the rebel soldiers were killed and another three captured. In the course of events one mill and three houses were burned. Also taken was a packet of rebel mail that was being sent from the camp of Confederate general James McBride to Potosi, Missouri, telling of his plans to take Greenville.

August 12, 1864 - Skirmish at Van Buren, AR.
You got to love AR. Encyclopedia...


Skirmish at Van Buren (August 12, 1864)
Location:Crawford County
Campaign:None
Date:August 12, 1864
Principal Commanders:Lieutenant John C. Anderson (US); Unknown (CS)
Forces Engaged:70 cavalry (US); 200 men (CS)
Estimated Casualties:Unknown (US); Unknown (CS)
Result:Confederate victory
Fought in the aftermath of the July 31, 1864, Action at Fort Smith, this skirmish was just one of many that continued to take place in western Arkansas late in the Civil War.
Fort Smith (Sebastian County) served as an important Federal post at this point of the war, and nearby Van Buren (Crawford County) was also held by Union forces. The late July skirmish was one of only a few organized movements by Confederate forces against the fortified settlements. Federal troops more typically faced guerrilla attacks at this time.
Colonel Thomas Bowen of the Thirteenth Kansas Infantry served as commander of the Federal garrison at Van Buren and regularly reported to Brigadier General John Thayer, commander of the District of the Frontier with headquarters at Fort Smith. Bowen sent out regular patrols to search for enemy movements. One of these patrols under the command of Captain Marion Beeler attacked a group of bushwhackers on the night of August 11, 1864. This took place about twenty-five miles northeast of Van Buren. Several of the Federals were wounded in the skirmish, including Beeler, who later died from his wounds. Bowen sent out an ambulance and more troops to escort the soldiers back to Van Buren.
Even though his command had just suffered losses in combat, Bowen continued to send parties outside the city. On the morning of August 12, seventy men under the command of Lieutenant John Anderson of the Sixth Kansas Cavalry set out from Van Buren. This unit was tasked with escorting the mail and a sutler’s train.
About thirteen miles north of the city, the command was attacked near Lee’s Creek. The enemy numbered around 200 and quickly overwhelmed the Federals. The mail and the train were both lost, but only seven of the Union troops were unable to escape easily. No casualties for either side during the engagement were listed in Bowen’s report, and the fate of the remaining troops is not known.
An extremely brief skirmish, this fight demonstrates just how dangerous it was for Union troops in Arkansas outside of their fortified outposts.


LINK: https://encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/skirmish-at-van-buren-6801/
 
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