Richmond was raided by Federal cavalry. The Lincoln administration continued efforts to reconstruct conquered southern states. Federals resumed efforts to capture eastern Texas, and Confederates prepared for a Federal invasion of Georgia from Chattanooga. Ulysses S. Grant became general-in-chief of all Federal forces, and he began devising an overall military strategy against the Confederacy.
The Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid Ends
A daring Federal cavalry raid on Richmond, Virginia, ends when the city proves more heavily defended than expected.
The Kilpatrick-Dahlgren Raid Takes a Sinister Turn
Outside Richmond, Confederates continue pursuing the Federal raiders led by Ulric Dahlgren. The pursuit leads to uncovering incriminating documentation that causes intense controversy in the South.
President Jefferson Davis holds a cabinet meeting at Richmond to discuss what measures should be taken in response to the controversial Federal raid on Richmond and the discovery of incriminating papers on the body of Ulric Dahlgren.
Ulysses S. Grant arrives in Washington to accept his promotion to lieutenant-general, making him commander of all Federal armies in the field. Grant was welcomed by President Lincoln and other officials at the White House, where he was urged to address potential military rivalries in his upcoming speech.
Grant Becomes Lieutenant-General
An official ceremony takes place at the White House, where Ulysses S. Grant formally receives his commission as lieutenant-general. Grant’s brief, humble acceptance speech and private strategy discussion with President Lincoln marks a significant shift in Federal military leadership.
The Grand Federal Military Reorganization
When Ulysses S. Grant receives official authority to assume command of all Federal armies, he is already in the field with the Army of the Potomac, where he meets with George G. Meade and sets about reorganizing the Federal military.
Nathaniel P. Banks and David D. Porter embark on the largest army-navy expedition ever conducted west of the Mississippi River in hopes of seizing the vital cotton crop in western Louisiana and eastern Texas.
Red River: The Fall of Fort DeRussy
Federal forces embarking on a campaign to conquer western Louisiana and eastern Texas approach a small Confederate fort on the first leg of their journey up the Red River.
Restoring Unionism in the South
Federal authorities try implementing President Abraham Lincoln’s “Ten Percent Plan” in many states. The plan involves loyalty pledges and supervised elections meant to establish Unionist governments in several southern states. Lincoln suggests for the first time that black men be given the right to vote, but the issue remains contentious.
Red River: Federals Target Alexandria
Federal army-navy forces follow up their capture of Fort DeRussy by continuing up the Red River toward Alexandria, Louisiana.
Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate horsemen launch a raid through western Kentucky and Tennessee. This culminates in a confrontation at Paducah as Forrest’s raid spreads alarm through the Ohio River Valley.
The Grand Federal Military Strategy
Ulysses S. Grant meets with William T. Sherman at Nashville, where Grant issues his first order since becoming general-in-chief of all Federal armies. Sherman takes Federal command of the Western Theater, while Grant goes east to join the Army of the Potomac. Grant envisions Federal advances on all fronts designed to exhaust Confederate resources.
The Henderson’s Hill Engagement
Nathaniel P. Banks assembles 27,000 Federal troops and the largest naval flotilla west of the Mississippi for a drive on the vital supply center at Shreveport, Louisiana. A small Confederate force tries to impede the Federal advance at Henderson’s Hill.
Reorganizing the Army of the Potomac
Ulysses S. Grant takes up headquarters with the Army of the Potomac in northern Virginia, which is undergoing a massive reorganization. Grant’s presence leads to rumors of his influence, but Meade defends Grant and expresses hope for successful operations.
Red River: The Two-Pronged Advance Finally Begins
Nathaniel P. Banks’s Federal forces in Louisiana concentrate at Alexandria, while Frederick Steele’s Federals finally begin moving out of Little Rock in Arkansas. The two-pronged mission to capture the key cotton-producing city of Shreveport is now under way.
Red River: Banks Gets Bad News
Nathaniel P. Banks assembles the largest Federal force west of the Mississippi River, but he soon finds himself facing several problems as he tries to advance on the key city of Shreveport.
Robert E. Lee, commanding Confederates in northern Virginia, anticipates a Federal offensive as scouts report that officers’ wives are leaving the Army of the Potomac. Initially focused on the west, Lee soon concludes that the impending threat is to his Army of Northern Virginia, which consists of just 40,000 ill-equipped troops.
Violence erupts in the deeply divided town of Charleston, Illinois, as Federal troops on furlough clash with local Copperheads opposed to the war.
George G. Meade, commanding the Federal Army of the Potomac, is summoned to Washington to testify before Congress. He directly addresses allegations that he had planned to retreat at the Battle of Gettysburg and tries to address personal attacks on his leadership.
Last Updated: 3/29/2024