George E Pickett was an American soldier. He was born in 1825 and died in 1875. He served with distinction during the Mexican War at Vera Cruz, Contreras and Chapultepec. He joined the Confederates and in 1862 commanded a brigade under General Johnston. He was active at Richmond and Gaines' Mills, and commanded a division at Fredericksburg, Gettysburg and Petersburg. His command was routed at Five Forks, and he surrendered with General Lee. He was famous for a cavalry charge at Gettysburg. Research George Pickett
Samuel Dale was an American army scout. He was born in 1772 and died in 1841. He became a US army scout in 1793 and commanded a battalion against the Creeks in 1814. He was appointed with Colonel George Gaines to remove the Choctaw Indians to their reservations on the Arkansas and Red Rivers. Research Samuel Dale
Thomas Jonathan Jackson was an American Confederate general. He was born in 1824 at Virginia and died in 1863. He was nicknamed 'stonewall'. He graduated at West Point in 1846, in time to see service in the Mexican War. He taught in the Virginia Military Institute, and was, like so many other West Pointers, lifted by the Rebellion from obscurity. Having sided with the Confederacy he was intrusted with a brigade, whose firm stand at the first battle of Bull Run led to its commander's epithet, 'StonewallJackson'. His military fame was well grounded by the extraordinary rapidity of his movements in the Shenandoahcampaign of 1862, where he outgeneraled the Federals Fremont, Banks and others, gained the battles of Front Royal, on May the 23rd, Winchester, on May the 25th, Cross Keys, on June the 8th, and Port Republic, on June the 9th. Hastily joining Lee before Richmond, he decided the victory at Gaines' Mills, on June the 27th. On August the 9th he defeated the Federals at Cedar Creek. His bold march ended in the victory over Pope at the second battle of Bull Run. In the invasion he seized Harper's Ferry on September the 15th, and commanded the left wing at Antietam. At Fredericksburg he led the right wing of Lee's army, and at Chancellorsville on May the 2nd, 1863, his flanking movement around Hooker's right resulted in success. But Thomas Jackson was by mistake shot by his own men in this battle and died a few days later. Research Thomas Jackson
The Battle of Gaines' Mills, also known as the Battle of Chickahominy was an engagement of the American Civil War that took place on June the 27th, 1862. Porter, commanding 20,000 troops of McClellan's army, was defeated by Robert E Lee with a Confederate force of 35,000. On. the morning of June the 27th, Porter fell back to a range of low hills, and there repelled the Confederate attack until 5000 more men were sent him by McClellan. Meantime Jackson had joined Robert E Lee with 25,000 fresh troops. A P Hill first attacked Porter's position, and was driven back with great loss after a two hours' struggle. Then Jackson came up and joined the attack. Porter, having no entrenchments, was forced to give way before the superior numbers. He crossed the Chickahominy in rapid retreat, and burned the bridges behind him. Research Battle of Gaines' Mills
The Battle of Mobile Bay was a naval engagement between the Federal and
Confederate fleets between August the 5th to the 23rd, 1864 during the American Civil War. Farragut commanded the National fleet of eighteen vessels, fourteen of these being of wood and four ironclads, the Tecumseh, Winnebago, Manhattan and Chickasaw. The Confederate Admiral Buchanan had far fewer vessels, three gunboats, the Morgan, Gaines and Selma and the ramTennessee. Still he was defended by three strongly garrisoned forts, Gaines, Morgan and Powell, at the harbour's entrance, and the Tennessee was deemed a host in itself.
Farragut entered the harbour with the gunboatBrooklyn leading and the entire fleet firing upon FortMorgan, whence a lively reply was begun. The Tecumseh immediately struck a torpedo and was sunk. The fleet became confused and for some moments was in great danger. But Farragut forged ahead with the flag-ship Hartford and was attacked by the Tennessee. The other Federal vessels quickly destroyed the Selma and chased away the Morgan and the Gaines. The Monongahela and the Lackawanna were struck by the Tennessee, but the latter was disabled by a broadside at close range from the Hartford. The other boats closed around her. Her smokestack and steering chains were gone, her crew panic-stricken and she soon became unmanageable. She therefore surrendered. The Confederate forts were shelled for several days. FortPowell was blown up and abandoned. Forts Gaines and Morgan surrendered. Research Battle of Mobile Bay
The Black Hawk War was a conflict between native American Indians and the White settlers. Under the provisions of the treaty with the chiefs of the Sac and Fox Indians at Prairie du Chien, July 15th, 1830, their land east of the Mississippi was ceded to the whites. Black Hawk, a prominent chief, refused to submit to the treaty. In 1831 he made an attack upon some Illinois villages, but was driven off by a force of militia under General Gaines in June of that year. The next spring he returned with a strong force and began to massacre the whites. General Scott marched some United States troops against him. Black Hawk was defeated at the Wisconsin River on July the 21st, 1832, by General Dodge and again, on August the 2nd, by General Atkinson at Bad Axe River. This ended the war. Research Black Hawk War
The Seminoles were a nation of Florida Indians, composed chiefly of Creeks and remnants of other tribes. During the War of 1812, the British had been materially aided by the Seminoles. The combined British and Indian stronghold - the Negro Fort, on the Appalachicola - was a constant menace to Georgia. During 1817, there were constant collisions and massacres of the whites. General Gaines accomplished little. Florida was then held by Spain. In January, 1818, Andrew Jackson was given command, and in less than six months had carried out genocide of the Seminoles, burning their towns and slaying them day after day. Ambrister and Arbuthnot, English adventurers working for the Spanish and Indians, were summarily hanged.
Pensacola was captured and the whole of East Florida was taken possession of. After the acquisition of Florida, many slaves fled to the Seminoles. The American Government endeavored to recover them, and to force the Seminoles to remove to the West.
War with the Seminoles ensued and was carried on with severity on both sides. General Thompson, the US agent, finding their chiefs opposed to migration, put Osceola in chains. War followed and Osceola killed Thompson and others at Fort King on December the 28th, 1835, and cut to pieces a body of troops under Major Dade. After a most disastrous struggle they were partially conquered, and in 1837 agreed to emigrate. Osceola, however, fled and renewed the war. He was finally taken by treachery and the conflict ended in 1842. By a treaty of 1845 the Seminoles were removed west of the Mississippi; in 1856 they were assigned lands west of the Creeks. Remaining Indians in Florida, however, never signed a peace treaty and at the end of the 20th century were still pursuing a peaceful 'war' through the courts of America in pursuit of reclaiming their lands which had been stolen by force. Research Seminole War
Abbreviations
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