March 3, 1862

March 3, 1862:  The Richmond Daily Dispatch, on this day, announces the safe running of the Federal blockade by the CSS Nashville after a fast run from Southampton, England, to Beaufort, North Carolina.  The Nashville, a fast side-wheeler steamer whose primary purpose was to have been commerce raiding, was commissioned into service early in the war, and had been cruising the Atlantic, taking the occasional prize and dodging the U.S. Navy abroad: 

Decidedly an improvement in the condition of the public mind was manifested Saturday by the report that the C. S. steamer Nashville had arrived in a Confederate port, and that her commander, Capt. Pegram, was in this city. . . . The news published but a few days ago was, that the Nashville had left the port of Southampton, and that twenty-four hours after the [USS] Tuscarora had started in pursuit.–The next information concerning her is that she lies safely moored under the guns of Fort Macon, Beaufort harbor, and that the gallant Pegram is in the Confederate capital. . . . It is generally understood that the Nashville brought over several million dollars worth of Post-Office stamps, bank-note paper, dies, etc. The report that fifteen thousand stand of arms were on board is undoubtedly untrue.

---Gen. Samuel Curtis and his Army of the Southwest are poised to cover two roads in northwestern Arkansas that connect St. Louis with the  main overland routes into the far west, especially the Telegraph Road that runs all the way to Ft. Smith.  Curtis has only 10,500.  On the Confederate side, the Missouri State Guard, under Gen. Sterling Price, and a force of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas Confederate regiments (including several regiments of Cherokee and Creek Indians) under Gen. Ben McCullough, are combined under the command of Lt. Gen. Earl Van Dorn of Mississippi (a flamboyant, vainglorious ladies’ man, a West Point graduate), who   is ordered by Richmond to take command of this newly-designated Army of the West, 16,000 strong.  Van Dorn’s plan is to attack Curtis near Bentonville and destroy the outnumbered Federals in detail, since Curtis has divided his troops, somewhat, to cover the two roads.  However, on this date, Curtis decides that his position is untenable, and he has his troops fall back to a new position northeast of Bentonville, near Little Sugar Creek, where some high bluffs made a better defensive position.

---Gen. John Pope and his Union force begin to lay siege to the town of New Madrid, Missouri.

---Judith White McGuire in Richmond writes in her diary: 

“March 3.—Last Friday was the third day appointed by our President as a day of fasting and prayer within nine months. The churches were filled to overflowing, with, I trust, heart-worshippers, and I believe that God, in his great mercy, will direct our Government and our army.”

---Today, army troops under Gen. Horatio G. Wright and naval forces under Flag Officer Samuel Du Pont enter the harbor of Ferdnandina, Floriday, a blockade-runner port, and establish Federal control of that city and harbor.

---A combined army-navy force leaves Cairo, Illinois and steams downstream to Columbus, Kentucky, formerly the site of a nearly impregnable Confederate fortress.  The Rebels having lately withdrawn, the soldiers of the 27^th, 52^nd, and 55^th Illinois Infantry Regiments land and secure the fortifications, and raise the U.S. over the fortress and town, capturing huge amounts of heavy siege guns, ammunition, and supplies.

---A series of communications reveals Gen. Halleck’s increasing frustration with Gen. Grant, who against orders had sent troops to occupy Nashville ahead of Buell:

General GEORGE B. MCCLELLAN,
Washington, D. C.:
    General Pope will attack New Madrid to-morrow. At the same time there will be a bombardment of Columbus.
    I have had no communication with General Grant for more than a week. He left his command without my authority and went to Nashville. His army seems to be as much demoralized by the victory of Fort Donelson as was that of the Potomac by the defeat of Bull Run. It is hard to censure a successful general immediately after a victory, but I think he richly deserves it. I can get no returns, no reports, no information of any kind from him. Satisfied with his victory, he sits down and enjoys it without any regard to the future. I am worn-out and tired with this neglect and inefficiency. C. F. Smith is almost the only officer equal to the emergency.

H. W. HALLECK.

WASHINGTON, March 3, 1862-6 p. m.
Major General H. W. HALLECK,
Saint Louis:
    Your dispatch of last evening received The future success of our cause demands that proceedings such as Grant's should at once be checked. Generals must observe discipline as will as private soldiers. Do not hesitate to arrest him at once if the good of the service requires it, and place C. F. Smith in command. You are at liberty to regard this as a positive order if it will smooth your way.
    I appreciate the difficulties you have to encounter, and will be glad to relieve you from trouble as far as possible.

GEO. B. MCCLELLAN,
Major-General, Commanding U. S. Army.

Approved:

EDWIN M. STANTON,
Secretary of War.

Series I., Vol. 7, Part 1, Page 680.

Grant had been sending updates to Halleck, but the telegraph operator in his section had deserted and (unknown to Grant) nothing was sent.  Grant had gone to Nashville to coordinate strategy with Buell and not, as Halleck assumed from reports, to get drunk.  Once Grant was able to explain all this to Halleck's satisfaction he was restored to command.