What was the most significant event on March 26 during the U.S. Civil War?

2016-03-26T16:34:07-04:00

1862 Battle of Glorieta Pass, NM terr. Confederate hopes of decisive victory dashed and ends with Union victory
1863 WV statehood passes after compromise that slaves will be emancipated gradually
1864 Under Naval Prize Law in AR the Navy had been seizing all of the cotton within reach, regardless of who it belongs to. Army disapproves but has no authority over Navy. Image:Battle of Glorieta Pass

Response by SP5 Mark Kuzinski made Mar 26 at 2016 4:36 PM

2016-03-26T16:36:15-04:00

Great post.

Response by SFC William Farrell made Mar 26 at 2016 4:43 PM

2016-03-26T16:43:22-04:00

A sad time in our Nation's past LTC Stephen F. . When I was down in Virginia last month for surgery, we drove past so many Civil War battlefields and monuments. We had spent the weekend with friends there and if I were on my own with my wife or just by myself, we would have been stopping left and right. May not have made it surgery!

Response by LTC Stephen F. made Mar 26 at 2016 4:46 PM

2016-03-26T16:46:02-04:00

The two most significant events on this day was
(1) the fact that a compromise on slave emancipation had to be reached in order to pave the way for West Virginia statehood in 1863 which was 2 years after the civil war started.
(2) in 1862 the Confederate forces attempt to break the Union possession of the West along the base of the Rocky Mountains was turned on its head by a decisive union victory.
Since RallyPoint truncates survey selection text I am posting events that were not included and then the full text of each survey choice below:
a. March 26, 1862---In Missouri, pro-Union State Militia clash with Confederate troops near Hammondsville, and drive them off. At Warrensburg, pro-Union irregulars confront another Confederate force and force them to retire. Source: http://civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=March+26%2C+1862
b. March 26, 1863 --- As U.S. naval gunboats and transports are being pushed through the Yazoo Pass to make their slow, laborious way down to reinforce the Union forces in front of Fort Pemberton, artilleryman Jenkin Lloyd Jones writes in his journal about the tough going in river channels that are narrow and twisting in a heavy forest:
c. March 26, 1863 --- On Yazoo Pass, Thursday, March 26. A fine day. Health poor. Nausea and diarrhea very bad. Advanced very slowly to-day, the current being swifter than before, so that we are just tossed from tree to tree. Obliged to use the capstan continually. A limb took off one of the escape pipes, another entered the cook room on the second floor. It is with great trouble the men can save themselves from falling limbs. One fell on two boys which came very near proving serious. Passed at 2 P. M. by the “Hamilton Belle”, dispatch boat.
d. March 26, 1863 --- Gen. Robert E. Lee writes to the Confederate Secretary of War Seddon about the scarcity of rations in the Army of Northern Virginia, detailing his own efforts to secure food for his men, and clearly putting the problem where it belongs---with Seddon’s department. Lee concludes his letter: The troops of the portion of the army have for some time been confined to reduced rations, consisting of 18 ounces of four, 4 ounces of bacon of indifferent quality, with occasionally supplies of rices, sugar, or molasses. The men are cheerful, and I receive but few complaints; still, I do not think it is enough to continue them in health and vigor, and I fear they will be unable to endure the hardships of the approaching campaign. Symptoms of scurvy are appearing among them, and to supply the place of vegetables each regiment is directed to send a daily detail to gather sassafras buds, wild onions, garlic, lamb's quarter, and poke sprouts, but for so large an army the supply obtained is very small. I have understood, I do not know with what truth, that the Army of the West and that in the Department of South Carolina and Georgia are more bountifully supplied with provisions. I have also heard that the troops in North Carolina receive one-half pound of bacon per day. I think this army deserves as much consideration as either of those named, and, if it can be supplied, respectfully ask that it be similarly provided. I have the honor to be, with great respect, your obedient servant, R. E. LEE General
http://civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=March+26%2C+1864
e. March 26, 1864 --- Major General James Birdseye McPherson assumes command of the Army of the Tennessee
f. March 26, 1864 --- Gen. Grant describes his situation and that of the Army of the Potomac for the coming Spring campaign: That portion of the Army of the Potomac not engaged in guarding lines of communication was on the northern bank of the Rapidan River. The Army of Northern Virginia confronting it on the opposite bank of the same river, was strongly entrenched and commanded by the acknowledged ablest general in the Confederate army. The country back to the James River is cut up with many streams, generally narrow, deep, and difficult to cross except where bridged. The region is heavily timbered, and the roads narrow, and very bad after the least rain. Such an enemy was not, of course, unprepared with adequate fortifications at convenient intervals all the way back to Richmond, so that when driven from one fortified position they would always have another farther to the rear to fall back into.
http://civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=March+26%2C+1864
g. March 26, 1864 --- Capt. Augustus C. Brown, of the 4th New York Heavy Artillery Regiment, writes in his diary of the fateful orders putting the 4th in the field, leaving their comfortable quarters in Fort Marcy, one of the fortifications protecting Washington, D.C.: Fort Marcy, Va., Saturday, March 26th, 1864. I was suddenly awakened at 5 o’clock this morning by Capt. McKeel of Company A, who rushed frantically into my quarters with the intelligence that the regiment had received “marching orders,” and was immediately to join the Army of the Potomac. McKeel appeared to be in great glee; declared that he had long been “spoiling for a fight”; that now the grand object of his military existence was to be attained, and that it would never be recorded of him that he had fought three years for his country without seeing an enemy or firing a gun. Indeed, I may frankly say that just at that moment no order could have been more unexpected or undesirable to myself, for, forgetful of the proverbial mutability of human affairs, and particularly of military affairs, I had just completed for the officers of my company a residence within the fort. It will, therefore, hardly be wondered at, that the order to march was welcomed by the Commander of Company H., Fourth N. Y. Heavy Artillery, about as joyfully as a mortar shell is received in a comfortable “Gopher-hole,” and that he looked upon the movement as an arbitrary exercise of a little brief authority on the part of the Government, and an unwarranted invasion of personal and proprietary rights.
http://civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=March+26%2C+1864
1 March 26, 1862 The Battle of Glorieta Pass, fought from March 26 to 28, 1862 in northern New Mexico Territory, was the decisive battle of the New Mexico Campaign during the American Civil War and a Union victory. The engagement was intended as the killer blow by Confederate forces to break the Union possession of the West along the base of the Rocky Mountains. It was fought at Glorieta Pass in the Sangre de Cristo Mountains in what is now New Mexico, and was an important event in the history of the New Mexico Territory in the American Civil War.
There was a skirmish on March 26 between advance forces from each army, with the main battle occurring on March 28. Although the Confederates were able to push the Union force back through the pass, they had to retreat when their supply train was destroyed and most of their horses and mules killed or driven off. Eventually, the Confederates had to withdraw entirely from the territory back into Confederate Arizona and then Texas. Glorieta Pass thus represented the climax of the campaign.
The Confederates were led by Charles L. Pyron and William Read Scurry. During the battle on March 26, Pyron had his battalion of the 2nd Texas Mounted Rifles, four companies of the 5th Texas Mounted Rifles under Major John Shropshire, and two cannons. Scurry's force included nine companies of the 4th Texas Mounted Rifles under Major Henry Raguet, five companies of the 7th Texas Mounted Rifles under Major Powhatan Jordan, and three additional cannons.
The Union forces were led by Colonel John P. Slough of the 1st Colorado Infantry, with units under the command of Major John M. Chivington. In the action on March 26, Chivington had three infantry companies and one mounted companies of the 1st Colorado and a detachment of the 1st and 3rd U.S. Cavalry regiments. During the main battle on the 28th, Slough commanded, in person, nine companies of the 1st Colorado, a detachment from the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd U.S. Cavalry regiments, and two artillery batteries. Chivington commanded five companies of the 5th U.S. Infantry, one company from the 1st Colorado, James Hobart Ford's Independent Company from the 2nd Colorado, and some New Mexico militia.
Prior to the battle, Union forces performed a forced march from Denver, over Raton Pass, to Fort Union, and then to Glorieta Pass, covering the distance of 400 miles in 14 days. Combat commenced shortly after their arrival at the battlefield, leaving them little time to recuperate.
Apache Canyon
Pyron's force of 300 camped at Apache Canyon, at one end of Glorieta Pass, leaving a picket post of fifty men at the summit of the pass. Chivington led 418 soldiers to the pass and, on the morning of March 26, moved out to attack. After noon, Chivington’s men captured the picket post at Mace’s Hole, Colorado, near Pike’s Peak and then found the main force behind them. Chivington advanced on them, but their artillery fire threw him back. He regrouped, split his force to the two sides of the pass, caught the Confederates in a crossfire, and soon forced them to retire. Pyron retired about a mile and a half (not quite two and a half kilometers) to a narrow section of the pass and formed a defensive line before Chivington’s men appeared. The Union forces flanked Pyron’s men again and punished them with enfilade fire. Pyron ordered another retreat, but the withdrawal of the artillery caused the Confederates to become disorganized and start fighting in separate clusters of men. Chivington ordered a mounted Colorado company to make a frontal charge against the artillery; this charge succeeded in capturing several Confederates and scattering the rest. Not knowing if Confederate reinforcements were nearby, Chivington then retired and went into camp at Kozlowski’s Ranch to await Slough with the main body. His small victory was a morale booster for Slough's army.
No fighting occurred the next day as reinforcements arrived for both sides. Scurry's troops arrived at 3 am on March 27, swelling the Confederate force to about 1,100 men and five cannons; as senior officer present, Scurry took command of the entire Confederate force. Thinking that Slough would attack again and expecting Green to arrive in the Union rear at any time, Scurry chose to remain in place for the day, digging rifle pits. Slough arrived early in the morning of March 28 with about 900 more men, bringing the Union strength to 1,300.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Glorieta_Pass
March 26, 1862: Trans-Mississippi Theater, New Mexico Campaign – THE BATTLE OF APACHE PASS, New Mexico. Early in the morning, Maj. Pyron’s Rebels are marching east through Apache Canyon toward the summit of the pass. Maj. Chivington starts his Federals westward, and near the summit, his pickets find 30 Rebel skirmishers and capture them without a shot. Pyron sees the Union force in the distance, and he throws out his men into line of battle and advances two mountain howitzers forward, firing shell and canister into the Union ranks. Chivington sends some of his Coloradans around the Rebel flank (and capturing some), which makes Pyron pull his line back further. Chivington sends 100 mounted men in a charge, which fails and returns. Pyron falls back to his original camp at the mouth of the canyon; Chivington falls back even farther to Pecos to await the rest of Col. Slough’s Federals from Ft. Union. The Union loses 5 killed, 15 wounded, and 5 missing. The Confederates lose 4 killed, 6 wounded, and 70 captured, so far.
http://civilwarsesquicentdaily-wolfshield.blogspot.com/search?q=March+26%2C+1862
2 March 26, 1863, the majority of citizens who voted approved the statehood bill, including the Willey Amendment, and on June 20, the state of West Virginia was officially created. The Willey Amendment emancipated the slaves gradually based on date of birth and when they attained to the age of 21.
When Congress addressed the West Virginia statehood bill, Massachusetts Senator Charles Sumner demanded an emancipation clause to prevent the creation of another slave state. Restored Government Senator Carlile wanted a statewide election to decide the issue. Finally, a compromise between Senator Willey and Committee on Territories Chairman Benjamin Wade of Ohio resulted in the Willey Amendment, which read: "The children of slaves born within the limits of this State after the fourth day of July, eighteen hundred and sixty-three, shall be free; and all slaves within the said State who shall, at the time aforesaid, be under the age of ten years, shall be free when they arrive at the age of twenty-one years; and all slaves over ten and under twenty-one years, shall be free when they arrive at the age of twenty-five years; and no slave shall be permitted to come into the State for permanent residence therein."
http://www.wvculture.org/history/statehoo.html
3 March 26, 1863 Gen. Pegram of the Confederate army is raiding deep into Kentucky, while Nathan Bedford Forrest conducts raids of his own behind Rosecrans’ lines in central Tennessee. Yesterday, he attacks the town of Brentwood, and the Yankees there---a regiment of Wisconsin infantry, under command of Col. Edward Bloodgood---immediately surrender. The Rebel troopers carry off supplies and destroy the railroad depot. Then, Forrest sends an officer to a railroad bridge nearby over the Little Harpeth River, who demands that Yankee garrison’s surrender as well. This colonel accepts the deception, and surrenders his regiment of Michiganders. Forrest, in one day, captures 750 Yankees, losing only 4 dead and 13 wounded in the attack on Brentwood. With his loot and prisoners, Forrest departs the area in haste, as a Union cavalry force is on his heels.
4 March 26, 1864 As the Federal forces continue to prepare to advance up the Red River, the Navy (under Admiral Porter) has been seizing all of the cotton within reach, regardless of whether it belongs to the Confederate government, Confederate sympathizers, Union sympathizers, or even free blacks. Under Naval prize law, half of the profits go the crew, and 5% to the Admiral. When General Banks arrives, he disapproves, but legally cannot give orders to the Navy. The cotton speculation continues. Meanwhile, Banks drafts orders for the army to begin their advance.
(Source: Civil War Daily Gazette http://civilwardailygazette.com )

The American Civil War 150 Years Ago Today: Search results for March 26, 1862

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Response by SSG Leo Bell made Mar 26 at 2016 5:52 PM

2016-03-26T17:52:37-04:00

Thanks for sharing

Response by SGT John " Mac " McConnell made Mar 27 at 2016 10:10 AM

2016-03-27T10:10:05-04:00

Thanks LTC Stephen F.