For eleven days, Union troops, operating out of nearby Fort Fisher, have been on the offensive against Confederate defenders along the Cape Fear River south of Wilmington. Today the Battle of Wilmington concludes in a Federal victory. With the fall of the city imminent on the 21st, Confederate General Braxton Bragg, before leaving the city…
Today Union General William T. Sherman reaches Winnsboro, South Carolina, north of Columbia. Sherman’s army has encountered little resistance since taking Columbia, and now the general has his sights set on North Carolina. Meanwhile, today’s Richmond Daily Dispatch reports on the evacuation of Charleston, stating “it is believed that the enemy took possession during the…
While Union forces under Sherman overwhelm South Carolina, Confederate legislators in Mississippi struggle to cope with the public despair evident in their state. Called by governor Charles Clark, a special session of the legislature convenes this day at the First Baptist Church in Columbus. There is little to no good news in sight. The numbers…