August 7 In Civil War History

Jim Klag

Ike the moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
3,690
Reaction score
2,296
OnThisDay.png
On this day in Civil War history

Compiled by Mitchell Werksman and Jim Klag

August 7, 1829 - Thomas Ewing Jr, American attorney, 1st chief justice of Kansas, congressman, and Brevet Major General (Union Army), born in Lancaster, Ohio (d. 1896)

August 7, 1833 - Powell Clayton, American politician, diplomat, and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Delaware County, Pennsylvania (d. 1914)

August 7, 1836 - Evander McIver Law, Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Darlington, SC. (d. 1920)

August 7, 1838 - Robert E. Lee promoted to captain.

August 7, 1861 - Federal expedition to Price's Landing, Commerce, Benton, and Hamburg, MO, with Union troops ferried on the US steamer, Luella, under Maj. John McDonald, 8th MO Infantry. (Aug 7-10)

August 7, 1861 - The US War Dept. signs a contract with Mr. James B. Eads, of St. Louis, MO, to construct the following seven iron clad gunboats for the Union's western river operations:

USS Cairo

USS Carondolet

USS Cincinnati

USS Louisville

USS Mound City

USS Pittsburg

USS St. Louis

August 7, 1861 - John Bankhead Magruder burns the village of Hampton, Virginia, near Fort Monroe. General Benjamin Butler had been planning to use it to house "contraband." (Butler's word for slaves)

August 7, 1861 - The Maryland legislature adjourns without seceding, but votes to reconvene in September.

August 7, 1862 - Francis Preston Blair, Jr., USA, is appointed Brig. Gen. Richard Busteed, USA, is appointed Brig. Gen.

August 7, 1862 - Confederate attack on, and capture of, the convalescent train near Moseley's Plantation, about 2.5 miles from Decatur, AL

August 7, 1862 - Federal reconnaissance from Pensacola to Bagdad and Milton, FL, where the Federals remove cut lumber from the local sawmills. (Aug 7-10)

August 7, 1862 - Skirmish near Montevallo, MO.

August 7, 1862 - Federal scout from Ozark to Forysth, MO, and skirmishes. (Aug 7-9)

August 7, 1862 - Skirmish at Rocky Bluff, Platte County, MO.

August 7, 1862 - Skirmish near Fort Fillmore, the New Mexico Territory.

August 7, 1862 - Skirmish at Wood Springs, 5 miles east of Dyersburg, TN, where Union Cavalry surprise and totally rout Jackson's Cavalry.

August 7, 1862 - Skirmish at Wolftown, VA, 4 miles south of Thoroughfare Mountain.

August 7, 1863 - The 13th US Army Corps is assigned (from the Dept. of the Tennessee) to the Dept. of the Gulf, LA, with Maj. Gen. Cadwallader C. Washburn, USA, temporarily in command of the 13th US Army Corps, LA.

August 7, 1863 - Skirmish near New Madrid, MO.

August 7, 1863 - Affair at Burke's Station, VA, as the Confederates attack Union wood cutters along the railroad.

August 7, 1864 - The siege of Petersburg is ongoing.

August 7, 1864 - Battle of Moorefield. Last major engagement in West Virginia during the Civil War.

August 7, 1864 - Affair with the Comanche and Kiowa Indians near Fort Lyon, the Colorado Territory.

August 7, 1864 - Affair at Bayou Grand, FL, where the Union gunboats shell the Confederate Cavalry there, setting fire to numerous buildings.

August 7, 1864 - Brig. Gen. Richard W. Johnson, USA, succeeds Maj. Gen. John M. Palmer, USA, in the temporary command of the 14th US Army Corps, GA.

August 7, 1864 – Skirmish at Arrow Rock, MO involving a detachment of Missouri’s 1st State Militia Cavalry.

August 7, 1864 - Skirmish 5 miles south of Huntsville, MO, with guerrillas.

August 7, 1864 - Federal scout from Independence into La Fayette County, MO, against guerrillas. (Aug 7-8)

August 7, 1864 - Skirmishes at the Tallahatchie River, MS, with Brig. Gen. Joseph A. Mower, USA. (Aug 7-9)

August 7, 1864 - The Confederate raid in Union County, TN, by the notorious Bill Gibbs, at the head of the most villainous gang of guerillas. Arriving from Thorn Hill, Grainger County, they murdered 3 men, taking many prisoners, robbing houses, killing those who tried to escape.

August 7, 1864 - The Shenandoah Valley, Virginia, Campaign, as Maj. Gen. Philip Henry Sheridan, USA, moves against the Confederates under Lieut. Gen. Jubal Anderson Early, CSA, and his cavalry commander, Maj. Gen. Lunsford Lindsay Lomax, CSA. (Aug 7-Nov 28)

August 7, 1864 - The Middle Military Division (Middle Dept. and the Dept. of Washington, of the Susquehanna, and of West Virginia) is constituted, and Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, USA, is assigned to its temporary command, as Lieut. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, USA, orders Maj. Gen. Sheridan to clear the Shenandoah Valley of Rebels.
 

5fish

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
10,626
Reaction score
4,544

5fish

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
10,626
Reaction score
4,544
August 7, 1864 - Battle of Moorefield. Last major engagement in West Virginia during the Civil War.
This was an interesting battle for one it was a saber charge hardly a shot fired and the confederates were routed...

Averell's plan was for Gibson's Brigade to attack using their sabers, and to continue to the river. Averell rode with this brigade.[30] Surprise was important for Averell's force, since it was outnumbered approximately 3,000 to 1,760.[31]

At dawn, Kerr's squad (still dressed as Confederates) casually rode by the First Maryland Cavalry regiment (Confederate), and proceeded west of the road to the McNeill house (Willow Wall) where Johnson made his headquarters. (They were near the tiny community of Old Fields, and sometimes this battle is called the Battle of Oldfields.)[36] No weapons were fired until Kerr reached the house. At that time, Averell's advance brigade, led by Major Gibson, attacked.[37][27] Gibson's advance brigade quickly caused the Confederate 1st Maryland Cavalry, and then the 2nd Maryland Cavalry, to flee "in the wildest confusion" without offering much resistance.[27] Many of the men in the Union cavalry shouted "Remember Chambersburg" as they attacked.[29] About 200 men were captured from the Maryland cavalry units.

Gibson's Brigade continued south, waking the 37th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry. This unit fled in all directions, and Gibson's men did not need to shoot. This left the 36th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, between Gibson's Brigade and General Johnson's headquarters at the McNeill house. The 36th offered the best resistance Gibson had faced so far, but the surprised Confederates were forced to retreat toward the McNeill farm. Near the McNeill house the men from the Confederate Baltimore Battery attempted to fire canister from their two guns, but the unit and guns were captured by the 8th Ohio Cavalry before they could be fired.[38] General Johnson was nearly captured when his headquarters was partially surrounded by Union cavalry. He escaped out the back door and jumped on a horse—racing south to the 8th Virginia Cavalry.

General Johnson noted in his report that "Besides the First and Second Maryland and a squadron of the Eighth Virginia there was not a saber in the command."[41] This was a disadvantage in cavalry warfare, and Johnson's men were insufficiently armed for close combat with one-shot muskets. He added that "The long [E]nfield musket once discharged could not be reloaded, and lay helpless before the charging saber."
[41]

After this point the union cavalry meets resistance form McCausland cavalry command but are too scattered far and wide as well... Aftermath was the decimation of Early's cavalry... The victory also marked the beginning of the "permanent ascendancy of the Union cavalry in the Shenandoah Valley"

 

Jim Klag

Ike the moderator
Staff member
Moderator
Joined
May 12, 2019
Messages
3,690
Reaction score
2,296
This was an interesting battle for one it was a saber charge hardly a shot fired and the confederates were routed...

Averell's plan was for Gibson's Brigade to attack using their sabers, and to continue to the river. Averell rode with this brigade.[30] Surprise was important for Averell's force, since it was outnumbered approximately 3,000 to 1,760.[31]

At dawn, Kerr's squad (still dressed as Confederates) casually rode by the First Maryland Cavalry regiment (Confederate), and proceeded west of the road to the McNeill house (Willow Wall) where Johnson made his headquarters. (They were near the tiny community of Old Fields, and sometimes this battle is called the Battle of Oldfields.)[36] No weapons were fired until Kerr reached the house. At that time, Averell's advance brigade, led by Major Gibson, attacked.[37][27] Gibson's advance brigade quickly caused the Confederate 1st Maryland Cavalry, and then the 2nd Maryland Cavalry, to flee "in the wildest confusion" without offering much resistance.[27] Many of the men in the Union cavalry shouted "Remember Chambersburg" as they attacked.[29] About 200 men were captured from the Maryland cavalry units.

Gibson's Brigade continued south, waking the 37th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry. This unit fled in all directions, and Gibson's men did not need to shoot. This left the 36th Battalion, Virginia Cavalry, between Gibson's Brigade and General Johnson's headquarters at the McNeill house. The 36th offered the best resistance Gibson had faced so far, but the surprised Confederates were forced to retreat toward the McNeill farm. Near the McNeill house the men from the Confederate Baltimore Battery attempted to fire canister from their two guns, but the unit and guns were captured by the 8th Ohio Cavalry before they could be fired.[38] General Johnson was nearly captured when his headquarters was partially surrounded by Union cavalry. He escaped out the back door and jumped on a horse—racing south to the 8th Virginia Cavalry.

General Johnson noted in his report that "Besides the First and Second Maryland and a squadron of the Eighth Virginia there was not a saber in the command."[41] This was a disadvantage in cavalry warfare, and Johnson's men were insufficiently armed for close combat with one-shot muskets. He added that "The long [E]nfield musket once discharged could not be reloaded, and lay helpless before the charging saber."
[41]

After this point the union cavalry meets resistance form McCausland cavalry command but are too scattered far and wide as well... Aftermath was the decimation of Early's cavalry... The victory also marked the beginning of the "permanent ascendancy of the Union cavalry in the Shenandoah Valley"

This is exactly the same post you posted in the Battle Of Moorefield thread. It wasn't necessary in either place.
 

5fish

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jul 28, 2019
Messages
10,626
Reaction score
4,544
This is exactly the same post you posted in the Battle Of Moorefield thread. It wasn't necessary in either place.
I did not see your post about the Moorefield battle after I has posted here... about the saber charge...
 
Top