September 21 In Civil War History

[Jim Klag]

On this day in Civil War History
Compiled by Mitchell Werksman and Jim Klag

September 21, 1817 - Carter L. Stevenson, American Major General (Confederate Army), born in Fredericksburg, Virginia (d. 1888)

September 21, 1820 - Williams Carter Wickham, American Brigadier General (Confederate Army), born in Richmond, Virginia (d. 1888)

September 21, 1824 - Joseph Andrew Jackson Lightburn, American Baptist Minister and Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Webster, Pennsylvania (d. 1901)

September 21, 1827 - Michael Corcoran, Irish-American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in County Sligo, Ireland (d. 1863)

September 21, 1832 - Samuel S. Carroll, American Brigadier General (Union Army), born in Takoma Park, Maryland (d. 1893)

September 21, 1846 - September 23, 1846 - Battle of Monterrey, Mexico Mexican American War.

September 21, 1858 - The sloop Niagara leaves Charleston with African slaves rescued from a slave ship.

September 21, 1861 - Albert Gallatin Blanchard, CSA, is appointed Brig. Gen.

September 21, 1861 - Edward Dickinson Baker, U.S.A., is appointed Maj. Gen.

September 21, 1861 - Federal reconnaissance toward Columbus, and skirmish at Mayfield Creek, KY, by Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant, USA. (Sep 21-22)

September 21, 1861 - Brig. Gen. Ormsby MacKnight Mitchel, USA, assumes the command of the Dept. of the Ohio, KY.

September 21, 1861 - Gen. Joseph E. Johnston, CSA, calls upon the state of Tennessee for 30,000 men.

September 21, 1861 - Maj. Gen. Leonidas Polk is assigned to the command of the 1st (or Western) Division, the Confederate Dept. No. 2, TN.

September 21, 1861 - Gen. Robert E. Lee, CSA, is in immediate command of the Confederate forces in the Valley of the Kanawha, WV

September 21, 1862 - Affair at the San Pedro Crossing, the Arizona Territory.

September 21, 1862 - Affair on the Yreka Road, near Fort Crook, CA.

September 21, 1862 - Federal expedition from Carrollton to Donaldsonville, LA, and skirmish, as the Federal landing party after sugar, etc, was forced to retreat. (Sep 21-25)

September 21, 1862 - Skirmish at Cassville, MO.

September 21, 1862 - Skirmish near Van Buren, TN.

September 21, 1863 - After withdrawing from Chickamauga, Gen. George Thomas forms a line in Rossville. He abandons the position later that evening.

September 21, 1863 - Mortally wounded at Chickamauga, Confederate Brigadier General Benjamin "Ben" Hardin Helms dies. He was Abraham Lincoln's brother-in-law.

September 21, 1863 - Armistead Lindsay Long, CSA, is appointed Brig. Gen.

September 21, 1863 - Skirmishes at Rossville, Lookout Church, and Dry Valley, GA, the Chickamauga Campaign.

September 21, 1863 - The Army of the Cumberland retreats to Chattanooga, TN, as Gen. Braxton Bragg, CSA, fails to order a thrust against the defeated Federals, thus missing a major opportunity to inflict further damages on the defeated Union army, the Chickamauga Campaign. (Sep 21-22)

September 21, 1863 - Action at Jonesborough, TN.

September 21, 1863 - Skirmish at Fisher's Hill, VA.

September 21, 1863 - Skirmish at Madison Court-House, VA, with the Federal reconnaissance party.

September 21, 1863 - Federal operations about Princess Anne Court-House, VA, near Fog Island, Back Bay and to Knott's Island, in the Great Dismal Swamp where guerrillas were supposed to be camping. (Sep 21-25)

September 21, 1863 - Federal reconnaissance across the Rapidan River, VA, including to Madison Court-House, Wolftown, Burtonsville, Standardsville, Orange Court-House, and Liberty Mills with the capture of Confederate supply wagons and beef-cattle near Gordonsville, by Brig. Gens. John Buford and Judson Kilpatrick's US Cavalry. (Sep 21-23)

September 21, 1863 - Skirmishes at White's Ford, VA, with the Federal reconnaissance party that crossed the Rapidan River. (Sep 21-22)

September 21, 1863 - Federal scout from Harper's Ferry, WV, into Loudoun County Valley, VA, and skirmish (Sep 25) near Upperville, VA, with men under Maj. John S. Mosby, CSA. (Sep 21-26)

September 21, 1863 - Affair at Moorefield, WV.

September 21, 1864 - The siege of Petersburg is ongoing.

September 21, 1864 - Affair near Council Grove, KS, as two normally peaceful, but drunk, Indians pull knives on some Union men, swearing they will kill them unless they give them some whiskey. One of the Union men picks up a rifle and bayonets one of the Indians.

September 21, 1864 - Federal expeditions from Vicksburg to Deer Creek, MS, and skirmishes near Rolling Fork. (Sep 22-23). (Sep 21-26)

September 21, 1864 - Maj. Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest, CSA, crosses the Tennessee River, TN, and moves on Athens.

September 21, 1864 - Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, USA, is assigned to the permanent command of the Middle Military Division, VA.

September 21, 1864 - Skirmish at Fisher's Hill, VA, as both Lieut. Gen. Jubal A. Early, CSA, and Maj. Gen. Philip H. Sheridan, USA, dig in.

September 21, 1864 - Skirmish at Front Royal, VA, the Shenandoah Valley, Campaign.

September 21, 1864 - Skirmish at Strasburg, VA, the Shenandoah Valley, Campaign.

September 21, 1887 - William Preston III, American lawyer, politician and Brigadier General (Confederate Army), dies at 70 in Louisville, KY.

September 21, 1906 - Samuel Arnold, Lincoln conspirator, dies at 72 in Baltimore, MD.

 

[5fish]

September 21, 1862 - Skirmish at Cassville, MO.

I found this...

CIVIL WAR MISSOURI 1862, UNION CAVALRY RAID ON CASSVILLE

sites.rootsweb.com

SEPTEMBER 21, 1862
UNION CAVALRY RAID ON CASSVILLE


Goodspeed's Account
In 1862, at a time when the Confederates held Cassville, a Federal force of about 150 men entered town at a gallop, driving the pickets before them. The Confederates fled to the houses, and the battle was continued from house to house. The skirmish ended in the half log, half frame house, just south of the kitchen of the present Pharis House. One Federal was killed and one wounded, and one Confederate was killed. Forsythe, of Washburn, was one of the Confederates present. Dr. Clements came on the same day and rendered aid to the wounded. The Federal force retreated as Confederates poured into town from the east and west.

SOURCE: Goodspeed's 1888 History of Barry County, Missouri (reprint), page 85.

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Excerpt from a book by Lt. Col. A. W. Bishop, First Arkansas Cavalry (Union)
In September, while the rebels were in possession of Cassville, and Capt. Gilstrap, of the First Arkansas Cavalry, was stationed with his company at Crane Creek, to watch them, Galloway and Worthington, with a detachment of one hundred men, were ordered to cooperate with him in a descent on the town. Early on the morning of the 21st the dash was made. It was a complete surprise and resulted in some excellent "skedaddling". (From the Greek EXODUS - to scatter.) The notorious Hawthorne was among the first to leave. Others were not so fortunate, though they seemed to prefer flight to powder and ball. Several were killed, and more were taken prisoners, who, with a number of horses, were sent to Springfield.



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The occupation then of Cassville by the rebel forces, shortly after the Federal troops retired, was to Arkansians and the loyal Missourians of the Southwest an eye-sore of the worst description. On the other hand military circles were not long disturbed, and a force was sent to Crane Creek with directions to keep out scouts below. Their intelligence was reliable that Cassville was held by a small detachment only, and it was, therefore, determined to make a descent upon the town. Leaving Springfield on the 19th of September with one hundred men, of the First Arkansas Cavalry, and obtaining at Crane Creek a reinforcement of seventy-five, under Captain Jesse M. Gilstrap, of the same regiment, Captain Galloway passed the Federal pickets and struck over the hills for Cassville. All regularity of movement was now disregarded, and dividing his men into two parties he approached the town from opposite directions. Lying in the adjacent woods during the latter part of the night of the 20th, early on the morning of the 21st he dashed into town from a southerly direction, Captain Worthington accompanying him, and leading a portion of the men, while Captain Gilstrap simultaneously hurried forward from the North. Between one hundred and fifty and two hundred rebels, reposing in confident security, were holding the town. They were the advance of a much larger force a few miles away to the South-West, and having their pickets out on the usual approaches, were unprepared for a sudden attack. Had a meteor fallen in their midst, it could not more thoroughly have startled them. Some, hastily mounting their horses, made all speed for a safer portion of "Dixie ;" others trusting to the agility of the natural man, clambered up a convenient hill-side, while still others commenced an annoying fire from houses, the only display made of even the lowest type of courage.

Meanwhile Captain Galloway was hurrying his men into town. Tactics were " thrown to the winds," and above all the noise and confusion rose his shrill and peculiar voice --

" Charge 'em, boys, G-d d--n 'em, charge 'em !"

Language, we admit, more forcible than moral; but the boys "charged," gathering some of the escaping, hurrying others up the hill-side with accelerated speed, and driving the remainder from their shelter, killing fifteen and capturing twenty. Captain Gilstrap co-operated well, and the victory was complete. Fugitives had now carried the news below, and an immediate retreat was necessary. Retiring over the hills, the next day Captain Galloway arrived at Springfield. Cassville was speedily filled with rebels, but they found nothing to fight.