John Bell Hood resolved to defeat William T. Sherman’s Federals, not by direct confrontation, but by attacking Sherman’s supply lines as the Federals moved deeper into southern territory. Nathan Bedford Forrest also continued working against Sherman’s lines. A dangerous Confederate commerce raider was captured. A Confederate invasion of Missouri caused alarm in the North, while the stalemate at Petersburg continued.
The Battle of Peebles’s Farm: Day Two
Elements of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia prepare to renew their attack on Federals pushing to seize the final supply lines southwest of Petersburg, Virginia.
We Shall Teach You Another Lesson
Confederate President Jefferson Davis continues his southern tour this month, moving through Georgia and South Carolina. Davis urges citizens to oppose the Federal invasion of Georgia, and stresses the need for sacrifice and united resistance.
Smoke from a Hundred Conflagrations
Philip Sheridan directs his Federals to continue laying waste to Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley to deprive Confederates of resources and exact harsh retribution for the loss of a key aide.
Georgia: Hood Attacks Sherman’s Lifeline
Following the capture of Atlanta, William T. Sherman reorganizes his armies while John Bell Hood directs his Confederate army to attack Federal supply lines. Hood’s aim is to force Sherman to come out of Atlanta and give battle.
John Bell Hood’s Confederates attack important Federal supply warehouses at Allatoona, Georgia, in an effort to draw the rest of William T. Sherman’s Federals out of Atlanta.
The Battles of Darbytown and New Market Roads
Robert E. Lee’s Confederates face significant reductions due to illness, casualties, and desertions while defending Petersburg and Richmond. Fighting erupts outside Richmond as Lee attempts to reclaim Fort Harrison.
The Capture of the C.S.S. Florida
The Federal steam sloop U.S.S. Wachusett captures the famed Confederate commerce raider C.S.S. Florida in the waters of a neutral country, which sparks international outrage. This daring seizure draws both praise and condemnation from various quarters.
Hood Looks to Draw Sherman Out of Georgia
John Bell Hood repositions his Confederate Army of Tennessee to disrupt the Federal supply line in Georgia rather than engage directly. Hood plans to move toward Alabama, while Sherman plans an offensive march through Georgia.
Nathan Bedford Forrest’s Confederate cavalry troopers attack Federal forces on the Tennessee River and prepare to launch a new raid on Federal supply transports in Tennessee.
John S. Mosby’s Confederate partisans return to the Shenandoah Valley to disrupt Philip Sheridan’s Federal supply lines. Mosby’s raiders ambush a train, recover a large sum of money, and temporarily halt traffic on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad.
Sterling Price’s Confederates capture several towns. But despite initial victories, dwindling numbers and public discontent force Price to reconsider his strategy amid Federal advances on multiple fronts.
John Bell Hood leads his Confederate Army of Tennessee in a desperate attempt to pull the Federals out of Georgia while trying to regain Tennessee and Kentucky for the Confederacy.
The Shenandoah Valley: Early Plans to Attack
After a decisive engagement against the Confederates in mid-October, Philip Sheridan goes to attend a conference in Washington, while Jubal Early’s Confederates prepare to launch a surprise attack on Sheridan’s army.
Jubal Early’s Confederates launch one more desperate attack against Philip Sheridan’s numerically superior but unsuspecting Federal army in Virginia’s Shenandoah Valley.
The Confederate government authorizes a group of raiders to attack Federal towns from Canada in hopes of causing a Copperhead uprising in the North. This results in the northernmost Confederate attack on Federal soil.
Virginia: A Proposal to Exchange Prisoners
Robert E. Lee seeks to renew the prisoner exchange cartel with Ulysses S. Grant amidst a manpower shortage in the Confederacy.
William T. Sherman’s Federals stop pursuing John Bell Hood’s Confederates in Alabama, and Hood announces his intention to force Sherman out of Georgia by targeting Federal supply bases and troops in Tennessee.
Hood’s Tennessee Campaign Begins
John Bell Hood leads his Confederate Army of Tennessee out of Gadsden, Alabama, intending to move north and restore both Tennessee and Kentucky to the Confederacy. But Hood encounters delays and shortages as William T. Sherman readies his Federals for action.
The largest battle west of the Mississippi River takes place as Sterling Price’s Confederates take on two Federal forces approaching them from opposite directions.
Sterling Price’s Confederate Army of Missouri continues its retreat following the Battle of Westport, with Federal forces in close pursuit of his demoralized men.
The Battles of Fair Oaks and Hatcher’s Run
Ulysses S. Grant’s Federal forces move to assault both ends of the Confederate siege line stretching from Richmond to Petersburg.
The Sinking of the C.S.S. Albemarle
Federal Lieutenant William B. Cushing leads a daring operation to destroy the Confederate ironclad C.S.S. Albemarle, a formidable force on the Roanoke River of coastal North Carolina.
Last Updated: 10/30/2024