August 6 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 6, 1811 - Judah Philip Benjamin, Confederate Secretary of War/Secretary of State born at Christianstad, United States Virgin Islands. (August 6 and August 11 both noted as DOB)

August 6, 1819 - Samuel Powhatan Carter, American Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Elizabethton, Tennessee (d. 1891)

August 6, 1832 - Abraham Lincoln is defeated in a run for the Illinois House.

August 6, 1846 - Second Independent Treasury Act signed into law by James Polk.

August 6, 1850 - Millard Fillmore, in a message to Congress, urges the payment to Texas for abandoning her claims to a portion of New Mexico.

August 6, 1861 - Ambrose Everett Burnside, USA, is appointed Brig. Gen.

August 6, 1861 - First Confiscation Act or The Confiscation Act of 1861 allows federals to seize property used in the insurrection, essentially freeing slaves forced to participate in the Confederate war effort.

August 6, 1861 - Second Session of the Second Wheeling Convention, West Virginia, is called to order.

August 6, 1861 - Lt. Bull Nelson of the U. S. Navy is ordered to build a camp where Kentucky residents can train for service in the Kentucky militia. Nelson names the camp for the owner of the property in Garrard County, Captain Dick Robinson.

August 6, 1862 - Battle of Kirksville, Missouri.

August 6, 1862 - Brig. Gen. Robert Latimer McCook, USA, of the famous "fighting McCooks" from Ohio, dies from the excruciating stomach wound received the day before near Decherd, TN.

August 6, 1862 - William Edwin Starke, CSA, is appointed Brig. Gen.

August 6, 1862 - Skirmish near Fort Gaston, CA.

August 6, 1862 - Destruction of the CSS Arkansas, about Vicksburg, MS, after attacked by the Union gunboats, the USS Cayuga, Essex, Ratahdin, Kineo, and Sumter.

August 6, 1862 - Action at Kirksville, MO.

August 6, 1862 - Col. P. Edward Connor, 3d California Infantry, assumes the command of the District of Utah.

August 6, 1862 - Skirmish at Malvern Hill, VA, with a general Federal retreat.

August 6, 1862 - Action at Thornburg, Matapony or Massaponax Church, VA.

August 6, 1862 - Skirmish at Beech Creek, WV.

August 6, 1862 - Skirmish at Pack's Ferry, New River, WV, with Brig. Gen. Jacob D. Cox, USA, pitted against Maj. Gen. William W. Loring, CSA.

August 6, 1863 - The Union vessel, the Sea Bride, is captured in the Atlantic Ocean, near Cape of Good Hope, by the Confederate raider, the CSS Alabama.

August 6, 1863 - Federal scout from Greenfield to Golden Grove and Carthage, MO. (Aug 6-9)

August 6, 1863 - Federal scout from Spring River Mills, MO, and skirmishes. (Aug 6-11)

August 6, 1863 - Federal scout from Lexington to the vicinity of Hopewell, MO. (Aug 6-9)

August 6, 1863 - Skirmish at Cacapon Mountain, WV, with Brig. Gen. William W. Averell, USA.

August 6, 1863 - Skirmish at Moorefield, WV.

August 6, 1863 - The capture and recapture of sutlers' wagons near Fairfax Court-House, VA, by Col. John Mosby, CSA.

August 6, 1864 - The siege of Petersburg is ongoing.

August 6, 1864 - The affair on the Somerville road, near Decatur, Northern AL.

August 6, 1864 - Federal expedition with men under Maj. Gen. Frederick Steele, USA, from Little Rock to Little Red River, AR, and with skirmishes with Brig. Gen. Joseph O. Shelby, CSA, at the following locations:

Hickory Plains (Aug 7)

Bull Bayou (Aug 7)

Hatch's Ferry (Aug 9)

near Augusta (Aug 10)

near Searcy (Aug 13)

(Aug 6-16)

August 6, 1864 - Federal scout in Saline County, MO, with skirmishes at Arrow Rock. (Aug 7). (Aug 6-9)

August 6, 1864 - Skirmish at Indian Village, LA.

August 6, 1864 - Skirmish at Plaquemines, LA.

August 6, 1864 - Confederate forces evacuate Fort Powell in Mobile Bay, Alabama.

 

[5fish]

August 6, 1862 - Battle of Kirksville, Missouri.

This is an odd one for it ends in a fire squad... Union

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In June 1862, the Civil War Battle of Kirksville involved about 1,000 soldiers; with approximately 500 Union soldiers and 500 Confederate troops taking part.

It is unclear how many men were killed during three hours of fighting. Reports vary anywhere from five to 28 Union soldiers, and to between 35 and 100 Confederate soldiers. An unknown number of Confederate soldiers were executed following the battle.

The battle was seen as a victory for the Union; a marker in Forest Llewellyn Cemetery (four blocks west of Kirksville's square) was erected on the spot of a mass grave where local residents buried executed Confederates.

Here is from a report about about the battle...

LINK: https://ironbrigader.com/2018/01/25/the-battle-of-kirksville-missouri/

Finding that 15 of the persons captured had been prisoners before, and upon their own admissions had been discharged on their solemn oath and parole of honor not again to take arms against their country under penalty of death, I enforced the penalty of the bond by ordering them shot. Most of these guerrillas have certificates of parole from some provost-marshal or post commandant with them, for use at any time they may be out of camp. These paltering tokens of pocket loyalty were found on the persons of nearly all the men so executed. Disposed that an evidence of clemency and mercy of the country toward the erring and misguided should go hand-in-hand with unrelenting justice, I discharged on parole all the prisoners who had not violated parole and who were in arms for the first time against their country and Government.

Here is to odd executions... one of them gave the order for the firing squad to fire at him...

LINK: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Kirksville

A number of other questionable shootings followed, including those of Dr. John Davis (said by some to have been told to run and then shot when he did) and Lt. Col. Frisby McCullough — a subordinate of Porter who was tried and sentenced to death as a bushwhacker, even though he was captured wearing a regular Confederate uniform and carrying letters authorizing him to recruit troops. He was granted permission to give the order to fire, and his final words were, “May God forgive you for this cold-blooded murder. Aim at the heart. Fire!” A second volley was necessary.