Civil War Raids & Skirmishes in 1865

•  January 1865   •  Febuary 1865   •  March 1865   •  April 1865   •  May 1865   •

JANUARY

January 15, 1865 near Charleston Harbor, South Carolina - On January 15, the Union moniter, USS Patapsco, was on its mission of dragging for torpedoes in the Charleston harbor area. The Confederates had been placing and hiding the torpedoes in the area for some time. During Patapsco's mission, it accidently struck a torpedo. Within 15 seconds, the ship went down. Although some of the crewmen on deck managed to escape, most of the 62 crewmen that were still aboard went down with the ironclad.

January 16, 1865 in Fort Fisher, North Carolina - On January 16, the main powder magazine at Fort Fisher accidently exploded. The cause of the ignition source was thought to be started by intoxicated soldiers, sailors, and marines discharging their firearms and looting the fort. This killed 25 and wounded over 75

January 23, 1865 in Fort Brady, Virginia - On January 23, the Confederate Navy sent 11 ships on a mission to manuever downriver and assault the Union flotilla that was stationed there. As the Confederates were moving downriver, a naval skirmish erupted. This resulted with 4 Confederate ships running aground and the rest travelling back to their base.

January 29, 1865 in Mooresfield, West Virginia - On January 29, Brig. Gen. Thomas L. Rosser continued his raid and entered the town of Mooresfield. While there, the Confederates stampeded a supply train and attacked the local Union garrison. The Confederates drove away the Federals and proceeded to captured 95 wagons.

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FEBRUARY

February 2-6, 1865 at Julesburg, Colorado Territory - On February 2-6, a combined Sioux, Southern Cheyenne, and Arapaho war party captured, sacked, and burned the settlement of Julesburg. Julesburg was located in northeastern Colorado.

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MARCH

March 4, 1865 below Fort Anderson, North Carolina - On March 4, the Union navy was conducting operations in the Cape Fear River below Fort Anderson. While clearing the waters of torpedoes and mines, the transport USS Thorn was destroyed by a torpedo.

March 7, 1865 in Laurinburg, North Carolina - On March 7, the Union force entered the town of Laurinburg. Once there, they proceeded to destroy the railroad depot and the temporary railroad shops.

March 8, 1865 in Solemn Grove, North Carolina - On March 8, Maj. Gen. Judson Kilpatrick and his Union cavalry force attacked the rear of Maj. Gen. William J. Hardee's Confederate column. The Federals captured a good many Confederate prisoners.

March 9, 1865 in Lumberton, North Carolina - On March 9, the Union force entered the town of Lumberton. Once there, they proceeded to destroy the wagon and railroad bridges over the Lumber River, the rail depot, 6 box cars, and one mile of railroad track.

March 28, 1865 in Boone, North Carolina - On March 28, during the early morning, Brig. Gen. George Stoneman led a detachment of the 12th Kentucky Cavalry and attacked the town of Boone. They caught the community and the Confederate Home Guard by surprise. After the Confederates were beaten, the Federals burned down the jail. Before they left, the Federals captured 40 horses to take with them. The Confederates lost at least 9 killed and 63 were caprured

March 29, 1865 in Patterson, North Carolina - On March 29, Brig. Gen. George Stoneman and his Union raiders surprised the town of Patterson and quickly captured it. They burned a cotton mill and obtained food for their horses and troops. The Federals then left town.

March 29, 1865 in Montevallo, Alabama - On March 29, Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson and his Union raiders neared Montevallo. They destroyed 2 ironworks facilities. During this time, a Confederate force was felling trees to block the Union advance. When the Federals finished their destruction in Montevallo, they encountered the Confederates at a ford in the Cahaba River. The Confederates were driven off. The Union engineers built a crude trestle bridge with cross ties. Once they crossed over the bridge, they destroyed a rolling mill and railroad supplies. By dark, the Federals finally entered Montevallo

March 30, 1865 in Trion, Alabama - On March 30, Brig. Gen. John T. Croxton and his 1,600-man Union force was moving towards Trion. When they arrived there, they were met and were engaged by a Confederate force of about 1,800 commanded by Brig. Gen. William H. "Red" Jackson. The Confederates had been positioned between Trion and Tuscaloosa. Croxton broke off the engagement and moved north of the Confederate position to head to Tuscaloosa.

March 31, 1865 near Montevallo, Alabama - On March 31, the Union cavalry had left the town of Montevallo. Around noon, the advance guard of Brig. Gen. ?? Alexander's cavalry was soon attacked by a force of Confederate cavalry, commanded by Brig. Gen. Philip D. Roddey, and part of Crossland's (Kentucky) Brigade, at the area where the Alabama River and Tennessee River crosses Randolph Road. The Federals quickly sent a group of 60 men and attcked the Confederates, driving them back about 3 miles. Sabers were drawn and a column of Union cavalry charged the line of the Confederates and broke it instantly, with a number of them being wounded and captured.
The Union attack had resulted in the complete rout of the Confederates and the capture of almost 100 its men. They finally drove the Confederates towards Randolph. The Bibb Iron-Works, about 6 miles south of Montevallo, was soon destroyed afterwards.

March 31, 1865 in Columbiana, Alabama - On March 31, Brig. Gen. James H. Wilson and his Union raiders neared Columbiana. Wilson sent out some scouting parties, which rode some 20 miles to Columbiana. There, the Federals demolished the ironworks and railroad depot. The other patrols scouted the area and gathered food and horses.

March 31, 1865 in Shelby Springs, Alabama - On March 31 , Maj. Gen. James H. Wilson led his Union cavalry force into Shelby Springs. They proceeded to destroy the ironworks, consisting of two blast furnaces and the rolling mill, of the Shelby Iron Works. Several other factories and 5 collieries in the area were also destroyed that same day.

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APRIL

April 3, 1865 in Hillsville, North Carolina - On April 3, Brig. Gen. George Stoneman and his Union raiders entered the town of Hillsville. He detached columns of his men from the main Union body to cause as much destruction as possible. They managed to capture and burn a Confederate train of 22 wagons that was destined for Gen. Robert E. Lee's army in Petersburg.

April 3, 1865 in Willicomack Creek, Virginia - On April 3, Col. William Wells was leading a Union cavalry brigade when he came upon a group of Confederate cavalry at Willicomack Creek. The Confederates, commanded by Brig. Gen. Rufus Barringer, was attacked by the Federals and chased up the creek to Namozine Church.

April 5, 1865 in Amelia County, Virginia - On April 5, Confederate cavalry under Maj. Gens. Fitzhugh Lee and Thomas L. Rosser assaulted Union cavalry under Maj. Gen. George Crook as they returned from burning Confederate wagons at Painesville. This running fight started north of Amelia Springs and pushed through and beyond Jetersville.
There weren’t many casualties, but Lee had to detour around Jetersville – the Union troops were ahead of him as well as hot on his trail. Maj. Gen. George Crook lost 20 killed & 86 wounded. This is part of the Appomattox Campaign

April 5, 1865 in Cowpen Landing, North Carolina - On April 5, several Confederate detachment, commanded by Col. J.N. Whitford's, were near Cowpen Landing when they discovered a Union transport that was loaded with commisary stores. They quickly captured and burned the ship.

April 5, 1865 in Maple Cyprus, North Carolina - On April 5, Col. J.N. Whitford, of the 76th North Carolina Infantry, sent a few Confederate detachments on a mission to destroy Union ships in the area. They found and burned the Union steamer, USS Mystic, near Maple Cypress.

April 6, 1865 in Prince Edward County, Virginia - On April 6, Lt. gen. James Longstreet's command reached Rice's Station, its farthest point south, where it was blocked by Union XXIV Corps.
After some skirmishing, Longstreet withdrew over the High Bridge during the night toward Farmville.

April 7, 1865 in ??, North Carolina - On April 7, a group of 4 Confederate soldiers managed to capture and destroy the Union side-wheel steamer, USS Minquas, and 2 barges loaded with quartermasters and commissary stores. The ship's crew managed to escape capture by jumping overboard and swimming ashore.

April 10, 1865 in Moccasin Swamp, North Carolina - On April 10, about a mile east of Moccasin Swamp, some Union scouts encountered a strong Confederate force consisting partly of the 1st South Carolina Cavalry and 6th North Carolina Infantry. The Federals split their force with some deploying to the right side of the road with the remainder of the brigade being in support. The Confederates were forced to fall back to Moccasin Creek, about a mile away.
The Federals continued their pursuit of the retreating Confederates to the creek. Before the entire Union force could reach the creek, the Confederates were in a full retreat.

April 10, 1865 in Smithfield, North Carolina - On April 10, around noon, the Union force entered the town of Smithfield. The Confederates were there waiting for them after falling back to the town. They have been retreating all morning because of the persistant Federal advance. The Confederates were behind some barricades in the middle of the street. The battle lasted for a little while but the Confederates were once again forced to retreat. They managed to cross the Neuse River and burned the bridges behind them.

April 11, 1865 in Pikeville, North Carolina - On April 11, Col. S.C. Rogers was in charge of a 23-man group of Union hospital attendants and convalescents. They were on their way from Goldsboro to rejoin their commands in the XV Corps. They were suddenly attacked by a group of Confederate "bushwhackers" near Pikeville. Since only 9 Federals had weapons, they quickly fled into the nearby woods.

April 15, 1865 in New Hope Church, North Carolina - On April 15, a Union brigade, commanded by Brig. Gen. Smith D. Atkins, moved to New Hope Church. This was located about 8 miles east of Chapel Hill. When they arrived at a swollen stream, they encountered some Confederates on the opposite bank. The day before, the Confederates had destroyed the only bridge across the stream and left a small detachment and a few artillery pieces to harass the Federals when they arrived.
Atkins decided to split his force with 100 troops staying in place and the majority moving further upstream to rebuild a bridge across the stream. The 100 Federals managed to drive away the Confederate detachment, leaving the Union engineers time to build a bridge.

April 16, 1865 in Columbus, Georgia - On April 16, a Union force, commanded by Brig. Gen. Emory Upton, attacked the Confederate forces at Columbus. The Confederates were driven out of the city, leaving the Federals to capture Columbus and its naval works. They also burned the ram CSS Jackson.

April 21, 1865 in Millwood, Virginia (The Disbanding of Maj. John S. Mosby)- Maj. John Singleton Mosby, refusing to surrender to Union forces, disbands the 43rd Virginia Cavalry Battalion and his Virginia Partisan (Mosbey's Rangers) at Millwood, Virginia. "Mosby's Confederacy" forever reserving his place in the halls of Civil War history.
However, the majority of his command, now under Lt. Col. Chapman, rode to Winchester, Virginia, where they surrendered to the Union army. They were paroled under the same conditions as the rest of the Confederate forces. After he left his disbanded unit, he went back to work as a lawyer. He was not formally paroled until 1866 by the Federal government.

April 26, 1865 in Hendersonville, North Carolina - On April 26, Maj. Gen. George Stoneman learned of the surrender of Gen. Joseph Johnston's surrender . Later in the day, Stoneman and his Union cavalry discovered the remains of Lt. Gen. Jubal Early's army. They attacked the Confederates, capturing 2,000 Confederate prisoners and 14 field-guns.

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MAY

May 7, 1865 in Kingsville, Missouri - On May 7, at 3:00 A.M., 110 Confederate guerrills rode into the town of Kingsville. They proceeded to sack the town and burn down 5 houses. 8 were killed and 2 were wounded.

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