THE BATTLE CRY - Sarasota Civil War Round Table

V o l u me 10 , I ss ue 8
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A p r il 2 1, 2 01 5
THE BATTLE CRY
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
Lincoln 150 yrs.
April 1865 Events
1&5
2-4;6
Trivia; Surrenders and Smithsonian articles.
5
Administration/Officers
PRESIDENT LINCOLN
MURDERED
150 YEARS AGO, APRIL 1865
6
Notes: Tampa Bay Civil War
Round Table. Buffalo Soldiers
Cavalry.
6
NEXT PROGRAMS:

April 21: Group discussion of favorite
books read and or
books that you did
not think hold value.
Meetings 3rd Tues. of
the month (7 pm)
GRACE CHURCH
ADULT ANNEX, 8000
Bee Ridge Rd, Sarasota,
Fl 34236. On Occasion
time and location of the
meeting will be changed.
Assassination news outran the facts. The
Herald of Demopolis, Alabama, reflected a
common Southern hope.
Adulation for Lincoln did not become widespread until years after he was killed. Painting,
statues, and other types of works appeared
over the years..
Source: Harold Holzer. Afterlife … in Smithsonian. March, 2015
Page 2
American Civil War April 1865
April 1865 saw the Union flag flying over Richmond's buildings for the first time since April 1861.
To many the American Civil War was over. Others preferred to continue their fight against the
North. But to all intents, the war ended in April 1865. Lincoln was also assassinated in April
1865.
April 1st:
The attack on Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia continued. Union troops were especially successful at Five Forks where nearly 50% of the Confederate force there was taken prisoner.
April 2nd:
Grant launched an all-out attack against Lee’s army before dawn. Thick fog covered the attackers and the thinly defended Confederate line was broken in many places. The Army of Northern
Virginia pulled back to the Amelia Court House, just 40 miles from Richmond. Panic swept
through the Confederacy’s capital and many evacuated the city. Looting and a general breakdown in law and order occurred.
Grant’s men occupied Petersburg. There was nothing between Petersburg and Richmond to
stop the approach of Union forces.
Selma was taken – nearly 3,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered here.
April 3rd:
The US flag was flown in Richmond as Union troops entered the city. Jefferson Davis and his
cabinet fled their capital on a train that took them to Danville in Virginia. What was left of the Army of Northern Virginia fled in a westwards direction from the city but the level of command
over these men was minimal.
April 4th:
President Lincoln visited Richmond and was greeted and cheered by many African Americans
who up to this day had been slaves in numerous households in the city. Grant decided that an
active pursuit of Lee’s men was not required. He got his army to follow them but only on a parallel course. Grant hoped that what had happened at Petersburg would lead to Lee’s army imploding with many soldiers simply trying to return home. However, Grant was wary about any
attempt by Lee to link up with what was left of Johnston’s men.
April 5th:
General Lee gathered what was left of his command group at Amelia Court House. Here he expected to find rations for his men – but none had been sent.
:
Continued on page 3
“TH E BA TTL E C RY ”
P a ge 3
April 6th
Lee continued his retreat. But now mutiny was a problem. General Ewell had to surrender his
men at Sayler’s Creek when they refused to carry out his order to fight advancing Union troops.
April 7th:
Grant called on Lee to surrender the Army of Northern Virginia. Lee was effectively surrounded
by a very large Union force.
April 8th:
Lee decided to try to break through Grant’s lines and continue his retreat. However, he cautioned this decision with one rider – if nearby Union cavalry forces were supported by Union infantry, he would surrender. Lee assumed that Grant’s cavalry was further advanced than the infantry. If this was not the case, he believed that any attempted breakout was doomed to failure.
April 9th:
The Army of Northern Virginia fought its last battle. However, it was against Union infantry and
Lee stuck to his plan. Lee and Grant met at Appomattox Court House and Grant presented Lee
with the terms of surrender. Grant allowed all Confederate officers to keep their own personal
weapons (primarily swords) and their horses if they claimed ownership. Lee rode back to what
was left of the Army of Northern Virginia and told them: “Go to your homes and resume your occupations. Obey the laws and become as good citizens as you were soldiers.”
In the South, Mobile fell to Union troops when 16,000 troops attacked a much smaller Confederate force.
April 10th:
The Army of Northern Virginia received rations from Grant’s men. In a final address to his men
Lee wrote: “With an increasing admiration of your constancy and devotion to your country, and a
grateful remembrance of your kind and generous consideration of myself, I bid you a affectionate farewell.”
April 11th: Sherman continued with his task of hunting down what was left of General Johnston’s
army.
April 12th:
The Army of Northern Virginia formally surrendered its weapons and flags at Appomattox.
Montgomery in Alabama was occupied by Union forces.
April 14th:
President Lincoln met Grant to discuss the status of the war. In the evening he went to Ford’s
Theatre to see the comedy ‘Our American Cousin’. At 22.00, Lincoln was shot in the back of the
head by John Wilkes Booth. The assassin made his escape by jumping on to the stage and running off.
Page 4
April 15th:
Lincoln died at 07.22. At 11.00 Andrew Johnson was sworn in as President.
Wilkes Booth was helped by a doctor as he had badly damaged his leg when he leapt onto the
stage during his escape. The doctor, Samuel Mudd, was sentenced to life in prison for helping
Booth.
April 16th:
Sherman received a message from General Johnston asking for a cessation of hostilities with a
view to negotiating a surrender.
April 17th:
Sherman and Johnston met at Durham Station. During the talks Johnston made it clear that he
included other armies in the surrender, not just his own.
April 18th:
Sherman and Johnston continued their discussions. The terms of surrender went beyond military issues. Sherman guaranteed Southerners political rights as laid down in the US Constitution. The document also stated “the US government is not to disturb any of the people by reason
of the late war, so long as they abstain from acts of hostility and obey the law.” Sherman received a great deal of criticism regarding this and politicians in Washington DC saw him as interfering in political issues that were outside of his military remit. In his defence, Sherman claimed
that he was doing what Lincoln would have wanted as part of his policy of reconciliation.
April 19th:
Jefferson Davis learned of the death of President Lincoln. Lee wrote to Davis advising him that
any form of guerrilla warfare against the victorious Union forces was folly.
April 21st:
Lincoln’s body started its journey to Springfield, Illinois.
April 24th:
Grant met with Sherman and criticised him for trespassing on political issues when he drew up
the settlement with Johnston. He ordered Sherman to resume hostilities against Johnston until a
proper surrender had been negotiated with a political input rather than a sole military one.
April 25th:
Sherman met with Johnston and told him that hostilities would have to begin between the two
armies within 48 hours. Johnston informed Jefferson Davis that he would have to surrender to
Sherman regardless of what terms were laid down.
.
.
Page 6
Page 5
Volume 10, Issue 8
APRIL, 1865: A MONTH OF SURRENDERS
TRIVIA QUESTIONS

What was “Company
Q” in the Confederate
army?

What famous Old
West lawman served
as a Union scout at
the Battle of Pea
Ridge?

What general died
singing “Rock of Ages”
after being wounded
in a skirmish north of
Richmond?

What union general
was court martialed
for not following orders at the Second
Battle of Manassas?

Who was the first officer to be killed West
of the Mississippi?

What notable C.S.A.
strategist typically refused to inform top
aides about forthcoming movements?
Most Americans have heard of the surrender at Appomattox Court
House (April 9, 1865) and the account of Generals Lee and Grant negotiating a peace. However, Appomattox was not the end of the Civil War but
was the surrender of the Army of Northern Virginia. One can argue that
Lee’s surrender was essentially the end but other units of the Confederate
Army were still in the field. Two surrenders occurred prior to Appomattox,
the first, April 2 is Selma and the second at Sayler’s Creek by General Ewell.
Following events provide a timeline that is not usually covered in scholarly
works. Lincoln’s death (April 15) occurred right in the middle of the various
surrenders. General Sherman was ordered to track down General Johnston
(C.S.A.). By April 17, Sherman found Johnston at Durham Station and began surrender talks that day and the next (April 18). Finally a formal surrender was agreed on April 26th for which Sherman received criticism from
Grant for making the surrender details too easy. Finally, on April 30, C.S.A.
soldiers surrendered in Mobile.
SMITHSONIAN DOES ITS PART FOR THE SESQUICENTENNIAL
During the sesquicentennial of the Civil War the Smithsonian has been particularly
involved in publishing articles on various period events in its monthly magazine.
Listed here are a few references to recent issues that have carried fascinating
articles on some lesser known events as well as others more familiar but with additional information that is not as popularly exposed:

Wortman, Marc. True Colors. Oct., 2014. Vol. 45, no. 9, p.68-73.

Horwitz, Tony. Hundreds of Women and Children were Coming Towards Us,
and Getting on their knees for Mercy. Dec., 2014. Vol. 45, no. 8, Photography
by Joanne B. Pinneo. P. 70-77.

Malanowski, Jamie. Beyond Gettysburg … April, 2015. Vol. 46, no. 1, Maps
by Martin Sanders. P. 64-71.

March 2015. Vol. 46, no. 11. April 14, 1865. (Entire Issue) 96 p. Articles by
Paige Williams, Booth’s Sister Tells All; Terry Alford. Did Booth’s Friend Warn
Lincoln?; Harold Holzer. Why Booth Wasn’t a Southern Hero.
FOR A MORE THOROUGH SEARCH OF CIVIL WAR SESQUICENTENNIAL ARTICLES
GO TO SMITHSONIAN.COM
Page 6
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April 26th:
General Johnston surrendered his army to Sherman who adopted the
same terms as Grant had done for Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia. Sherman even provided Johnston’s men with transport to their homes.
April 27th:
Jefferson Davis continued to move further away from Federal forces.
April 30th:
Confederate forces around Mobile surrendered.
—————
MLA Citation/Reference
"American Civil War March 1865". HistoryLearningSite.co.uk. 2014. Web.
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NOTE:
On Wednesday, March 25, 2015 Bruce Maxian presented a power
point talk, “Andersonville Prison Then and Now.” His talk was given to the Tampa
Bay Civil War Round Table. In addition, a second program was given by the reenactor group representing the Buffalo Soldiers 3rd Cavalry. Sargent Major John
Russell was spokesman and two Troopers provided added information about the unit
that fought in the Civil War and later in the West. John Russell, president of the Buffalo Soldiers of Florida, would like you to know real Floridians were part of the true story
of the Buffalo Soldiers. Russell's mother gave him a couple of books on the role of
blacks in settling the West. Reading the books, he said, was ''like walking into a room
full of new toys; it was a real surprise. I kept saying, 'I didn't know that.' ''Russell learned
''blacks and other minorities played a really large part in the settling of this country, ''He
began thinking about combining an old interest in horseback riding with his new interest in blacks in the West. Russell, an Orange County firefighter is based in Orlando.
BUFFALO SOLDIERS CAVALRY 3rd Brigade, from the 9th
and 10th cavalry.
Sargent Major Russell (RT side)
described the focus of the group
is education. Most adults and
hardly any young people know of
the colored cavalry and their contributions to the Federal Army during the Civil War. He and his
Troopers actively work to enlighten
young and old to understand the
role played by colored