December 20th 1860: South Carolina secedes.

Thanks Cromwell. I think i may have heard it on the Civil War PC game series Battleground I used to play years ago.
Also,  If I had time, I would read a biography of Calhoun: his name appears everywhere in 1830-60 American history. Want to see Charleston too.

Al bought me Beevor’s D-Day and, wait for it… Stackpole’s 2 volume history of Wittmann and the Tiger crews of the Leibstandarte and  101SS Battalion.
She likes to keep me busy!

One day I will PM you a list of my Civil War books( although a photo would be easier).
The second book I bought was in 92 in a second hand bookshop in Wales and was Shelby Foote’s 2nd Volume of his Civil War Trilogy(Fredericksburg to Meridian). That really got me hooked. It was do easy to read.
My favourites areGordon Rhea’s 4 books on the 64 Eastern campaigns, but I also have Katcher’s reference book on The Army of Robert E Lee , detailing all the units and their Regimentsl commanders.( I am a nerd for facts and figures.)
I had to rebuy Freeman’s: Lee’s Lieutenants, as my 1st copy was  stolen from the boot of my car with my bag when visiting a Normandy museum. What a crap holiday that was: hours in a French Police station and no Civil War book to read. Had started it too, so knew I liked it.
I ordered the more expensive 3 volume version on my return to Hereford.
I starting buying the Western battles much later. Shiloh is a favourite of mine.
I am not sure I could ever buy a book on Nashville and Franklin, but I will visit the battlefield and think of Cleburne.

Today, the 9th January, in 1861 Mississippi became the second state to secede from the United States. Its secession brought Jefferson Davis, who would soon be elected President of the new Confederacy. It’s most notable Generals were the diminutive Earl Van Dorn, a former US frontier Captain who would lead the Confederate army of the West in 62, only to be beaten by an smaller Northern one lead by Sam Curtis at Elkhorn Tavern.
Perhaps a better known General was the former US congressman William Barksdale. He had commanded the 13th Mississippi, until promoted Brigadier. His fine all Mississippi Brigade fought in Lee’s Army of North Virginia and wrecked three Union ones on the second day of Gettysburg, where he was later mortally wounded.
The most famous battle fought in the state was at Vicksburg. The town sat on the mighty Mississippi river and was turned into a Fortress, because of its importance in keeping the produce rich West attached to the war devastated East.
It fell after a lengthy siege, to the North’s most successful, and lucky, General US Grant on 4th July 63. The South’s supply problems, which had been adequate until now, would only get worse with the loss of the river town of Vicksburg.

Thank you Worsham. I would like to see those works.
Unfortunately, they only serve for a time. The besieged need to be rescued, or a decent breakout needs to succeed or all is for nought.
Champion Hill should have been a better coordinated operation and Jo Johnston should have commanded more and not sat back: Pemberton was looking to the Confederacy’s no 2 field commander for advice and orders. Too many good Southern units were unutilised and left to surrender.
Johnston failed the Confederacy when it most needed him.

January 10th 1861 Florida seceded from the union,becoming the 3rd to do so.
Florida had the smallest population of the 11 which seceded, but its coastline helped bring in much needed supplies from blockade runners and as one much untouched by war also provided much needed home grown food to the Confederacy.
The largest battle in Florida during the war was at Olustee (only 10500 combatants)fought in February of 64 and was a Southern victory, which provided a much needed morale boost late in the war.
It is estimated 15000 Floridian men fought for the South(the smallest number of all the states). Three Infantry regiments(2,5 and 8)constituted the number who fought with Lee, another 3 Regiments(1,2 and 4) fought in the West with the Army of Tennessee.
Florida’s capital, Talahassee, was the second last to surrender to the Union forces and there are reenactments on the anniversary  of the Olustee battle to this day.

January 11th 1861 Alabama voted to leave the Union.
Alabama mobilised many Infantry Regiments. Wilcox’s and Law’s were the best known ones to fight in Northern Virginia. Law’s Brigade was given the task of attacking the flank of  the Union army at Gettysburg, but found the terrain and the tenacity of the flank Brigade that day too strong. Many more  Alabama Regiments obviously fought in the West with The Army of Tennessee and three surrendered with Pemberton at Vicksburg.
There were no major land battles in Alabama, but the important port of Mobile was a Federal target for most of the war. It eventually fell to Admiral Farragut’s fleet in August of 1864. The Southern commander had an Ironclad battleship, the Tennessee, as his major defence and it fought the Union forces until it could no longer manoeuvre. It is at this battle that Farragut is meant to have said: Damn the torpedoes! Full speed ahead.
After the fall of Mobile with its protective FortMorgan, only Wilmington  NC, remained open for the South.
Alabama certainly did its bit for Southern independence.

Al told me about that. I had no idea.
How exciting!
I have seen the figures for some states. Is Texas the state with the most number of signatories so far?

Good luck both of you.
It s the way of the world at the moment. Most countries are splitting into smaller ones.
Not sure if you know about Italy too. Northerners are fed up of paying for the South’s debts(many Mafia caused) and see themselves better off alone.
Scotland wants independence from the UK too.
Soon China will be the only big country left!

Today, the 19th January 1861, Georgia became the 5th state to secede from the Union.
Its  population was large, at 1 million(half were slaves) and 100000 fought for he Confederacy. Sometimes as many as 8 Georgia Brigades fought with the Army of North Virginia. The most famous were Cobb’s(Wofford), Toombs’ (Benning), GT Anderson’s and Gordon’s. They were present at all the most famous Virginia battles and the 4 1st Corps ones helped reverse a certain defeat in the Wilderness in May of 1864, when they arrived late on the field with the rest of Longstreet’s corps recently returned from action in the West.
In Summer of  1864 the city of Atlanta saw heavy fighting as the Army of Tennessee retreated before Sherman’s much larger forces and its loss, with all the accumulated war supplies, was a big blow to the Confederate war effort and probably was the main reason Lincoln was reelected in November of 1864.
Savannah, on the coast, besieged since early in the war, was another great loss that December and contributed to the eventual defeat of the greatest Southern army, that of Lee, in April of 1865, when its victor, Sherman turned north into the Carolinas.

January 26th Louisiana joined the five seceded  states today in 1861. It’s population was about 700000, half of which were slaves. It was the state with the largest number of freed slaves, most of whom inhabited the coastal areas. New Orleans was the South’s largest city and its capture by Federal forces was paramount to their initial plans. It fell in April of 62, as most of its garrison had been sent north to fight at the battle of Shiloh. After the City fell, most of the coast and the state East of it were under Union control.
Many resident non native Louisianans, were to rise to high rank: Beauregard, Bragg and an ex President’s son, Richard Taylor, all were planters. Harry Hays led the Louisiana Tigers in Lee’s NVA, again finding himself in the state at the time, though born in Tennessee. In the Army of Tennessee Liddell(Mississippi born) led a Brigade. Louisiana furnished two ANV Brigades, both of which were known for their ferocity. A large contingent from the state also contributed to the victory at Mansfield, Louisiana, in 1864, where a popular Louisiana General, Mouton, lost his life.

1st February 1861 Texas voted to become the 7th state to leave the Union.
It was the largest state to do so and being the furthest West was the one least occupied by Federal forces. It provided much needed supplies throughout the war, but after the fall of Vicksburg in July of 1863 only to the Transmississippi region. Many goods entered the state through blockaded ports and cotton was exported via Mexico to Europe.
The most famous Texan Generals were not natives of the state. AS Johnston was the ranking Field commander in 1862, but the most famous was another Kentuckian, John Bell Hood. He graduated from West Point and was a  Lieutenant in the Cavalry, when he resigned to lead the 4th Texas Inf Regiment. Hood soon got command of the Brigade of 3 Texas Regiments (1,2 and4).This was the hardest hitting unit with the  best morale of any of the Brigades in Lee’s ANV and its performance got Hood promoted to Division command before year’s end.
Far more Texan units fought in the West, many as Cavalry units. Of the 70000 Texans who fought for the Confederacy, 2/3 were Cavalry(45Regiments to 23 Inf).
No significant battles were fought in Texas, although the port of Galveston and others were besieged. After the surrender of the Confederate armies, Texas was a way to avoid remaining under the Union yoke as it was the best route to a new life in Mexico.

Worsham and others: excuse any errors in my last.
Have been busy, so rushed it( a day late!)before bed.
But I could not forget or omit Texas.