Stoneman's Raid and the Battle of Fort York

Wikipedia.

It was during tghis raid that the Battle of Fort York took place.

His roommate at West Point was Stonewall Jackson.

George Stoneman had led a previous raid in Virginia in 1863, before the Battle of Chancellorsville was fought.  He was later captured during the Atlanta Campaign.

This raid began March 23, 1865, in Knoxville, Tennessee.  His command consisted of 4,000 troopers.  They headed east into North Carolina where they plundered and destroyed towns.  Then they went into Virginia on April 2 where they destroyed 150 miles of railroad track.

Seven days later, on April 9, they returned to North Carolina and went to the towns of Winston and Salem, now Winston-Salem,, then toward High Point.

On April 12, Stoneman's men entered Salisbury with the intention of setting free Union prisoners held there.  But, they had already been removed.  Stoneman then set fire to the town.  It was at this time that the battle of Fort York took place.

Leaving Salisbury, Stoneman plundered Statesville, Lincolnton, Taylorsville and Asheville before returning to Tennessee on April 26th.

They had covered 600 miles and three states during the raid.

--Old Secesh

Fort York, North Carolina-- Part 4: Part of Stoneman's Raid

The Battle of Fort York was fought April 12, 1865, three days after General Lee surrendered at Appomattox.

Col. John K. Miller arrived by the fort with 1,000 Union troops at 2 a.m..  His first two scouts to arrive at the site were killed.

He sent word back to General Stoneman who was busy pillaging and plundering nearby Salisbury that he needed artillery to take the fort.  The artillery arrived an hour or so later and a five and a half hour battle ensued.  The Union force lost 16 soldiers.

With dark approaching, Col. Miller retreated back to Salisbury after tearing up tracks on their side of the Rowan River, but they did not destroy their target, the trestle railroad bridge.

It is believed that the Confederates lost two men.

So, the Confederacy won the last pitched battle in North Carolina.  Even though Lee had surrendered, neither side knew about it.

--Old Secesh

150 Years Ago on Stoneman's Raid: "Bursting Shell" Offense

I went to the Stoneman Gazette to see what was going on 150 years ago today.  The article entry was "Bloody Welcome to Virginia."

Other than a fight at Boone, N.C., Stoneman's Raid to this point had mainly been riding a whole lot of miles.  Today, as they crossed into Virginia on Monday, April 3, 1865, Stoneman began deploying what he called his "Bursting Shell" offense where he sent out cavalry regiments to different points to hit multiple targets at once.

--Old Secesh

Following the 150th Anniversary of Stoneman's Raid-- Part 2

This raid visited Salisbury, N.C., and there alone destroyed 10,000 weapons, a million rounds of ammunition, 17,000 uniforms, 250,000 blankets and some 200 tons of food and goods intended for the Confederate government.

Until this raid, George Stoneman's military career had been largely one of failure.  On two previous raids, he had been a failure.  The first was at Chancellorsville in 1863, then there was another one to liberate Union prisoners from the Andersonville prison camp.  Stoneman was captured on this one.

There are some who believe that the raid this late in the war and with the Confederacy already in its death throes was unnecessary and much more destructive than it needed to be. However, it can be considered as a major detriment to keeping Lee from escaping Grant via the mountains and kept badly needed supplies from General Johnston's Army in North Carolina.

On April 12, 1865, Stoneman attacked Salisbury.  The raid lasted into May when some of Stoneman's cavalry units captured President Jefferson Davis in Georgia.

--Old Secesh

Following the 150th Anniversary of Stoneman's Raid-- Part 1

From the April 2, 2015, Salisbury (NC) Post "Online Daily 'Gazette' tracks people, stories behind Stoneman's Raid" by Mark Wineka.

Tom Layton is the creator, publisher, editor and writer on the new online newspaper The Stoneman Gazette where he is tracking the day-to-day events of Major General George Stoneman's Raid through Tennessee, North Carolina, southern Virginia and South Carolina.

Right now, we are in the midst of this raid's 150th anniversary.  This is one of the longest cavalry raids in U.S. military history.  His 4,000 troopers fought Confederate home defense forces, destroyed rail road tracks, bridges, factories, arsenals and supplies.  Anything that could be of use to the fast-dying Confederacy.

--Old Secesh

Charlotte's Involvement in the War

From the August 31, 2012, Charlotte (NC) Observer "Charlotte put men, ships, gunpowder into Civil War" by Sam Shapiro.

A review of Michael C. Hardy's new book, "Civil War Charlotte: Last Capital of the Confederacy."

Charlotte was fortunate in having been spared the havoc of fighting, but it was completely involved in the war effort.  Even so, in the waning days of the war, Charlotte and Mecklenburg County were on high alert with Sherman's Army heading its way, but it turned toward Wilmington. 

Then, on April 19th, with the Confederacy in its death throes, Stoneman's Raiders got as far as the Catawba River before withdrawing.

Charlotte became a major strategic point because of its railroads.  By 1862, supplies, machinery and troops were streaming through town.   The railroad accessibility caused the Confederate government to establish a navy yard in what today is the First Ward.  Shipbuilding became a primary Charlotte industry.

Also located in the city were industries supplying the war machine: the Sulphuric Acid Works, Mecklenburg Iron Works and North Carolina Powder Manufacturing Company.

All this caused Charlotte's population to grow.

On April 19, 1865, Confederate President Jefferson Davis and his cabinet along with the Confederate Treasury arrive in Charlotte.  Today, a marker on Tryon Street shows where Davis stood when he received news of Lincoln's assassination.  Seven days later, Davis and his cabinet met for the last time at the William Phifer home on North Tryon Street.

A Navy Yard That Far From the Coast?  --Old Secesh