Wednesday June 5 1861
BEAUREGARD BOMBAST BLASTS BOOTY BANDITS

Gen. P.T.G. Beauregard, new to the command of what was not yet called the Army of Northern Virginia, issued a proclamation to get the populace fired up today. “A reckless and unprincipled tyrant has invaded your soil,” it said. “Abraham Lincoln...has thrown his abolition hosts among you, who are murdering and imprisoning your citizens, confiscating and destroying your property, and committing other acts...too revolting to humanity to be enumerated.” He also claimed the Union rallying cry was “Beauty and booty”, implying threats to women as well as other property.



Thursday June 5 1862
NEGRO NATIONS NATIONALLY NOTICED

Abraham Lincoln, although unwavering in his opposition to slavery, was nevertheless no supporter of full racial integration in America. Although many different plans had been proposed, Lincoln’s preference was to resettle liberated slaves in a nation of their own, preferably in Africa. Today he signed a bill giving full diplomatic recognitions to the Caribbean nation of Haiti and the African country of Liberia. These were the first nations under black rule ever recognized by the United States.



Friday June 5 1863
HILL HIKES; HOOKER HUDDLES HELPLESSLY

First Longstreet’s corps had moved out of the Fredericksburg area. The next day, Ewell’s. Today it was the last Confederate corps, that of A. P. Hill, who packed up and moved out. Union Gen. Joseph Hooker tried to send out scouts across the Rappahannock to find out where everybody had gone, but they were turned back by pickets left by Hill. Hooker’s commander-in-chief suggested, none too gently, that he get a move on and find out where they were moving to, and, if he felt like it, attack them. Hooker stalled until it was too late--they were gone. Lincoln was not amused.



Sunday June 5 1864
GRUMBLE GAMBLES, GETS GRIEF(DEAD)

Union forces under General David Hunter rout a Confederate force led by General William "Grumble" Jones, giving the North their first real success in the 1864 Shenandoah campaign.

As part of his attempt to knock out the Confederates in Virginia, Union General Ulysses S. Grant sent Franz Sigel to neutralize Rebel forces in the Shenandoah Valley in western Virginia. But Sigel did little to assist Grant, instead presiding over a Union defeat at New Market on May 15.

Hunter, who replaced Sigel, quickly moved toward the rail center at Staunton with some 11,000 soldiers and another 5,000 cavalry troopers. Resisting him were about 5,600 troops under the command of Jones and John D. Imboden, cobbled together from various Confederate units scattered about western Virginia.

As the Union force marched south to Staunton, Imboden moved his part of the army to block the Yankees. They met north of Piedmont, where Hunter attacked on the morning of June 5 and forced Imboden to retreat. After being reinforced by Jones at Piedmont, the Confederates spread out to stop the Federals but left a small gap in their lines that later proved fatal. The Union troops pressed through the gap, and Jones was killed while leading an attempt to drive the Yankees back. The Confederate line was broken, and the Southerners retreated. Six hundred soldiers were killed or wounded, and another 1,000 were captured; the Yankees lost 800. Rebel opposition evaporated, and Hunter entered Staunton the next day. The victory cleared the way for Union occupation of the upper Shenandoah Valley.


1862:  
Skirmish at Round Grove, Oklahoma

Skirmish at Sedalina, Missouri

Action at Tranter's Creek, North Carolina

Union Forces occupy Fort Pillow, Tennessee


1863:  
Skirmish at Franklin's Crossing, Virginia

Skirmish at Smithville, Tennessee


1864:  
Skirmish at Worthington's Landing, Mississippi

Engagement at Piedmont, Virginia


Primary sources:
Official Records of the War of the Rebellion
A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion ; by Frederick Dyer;
The Civil War Day By Day: An Almanac 1861-1865 by E. B. Long with Barbara Long;
National Archives Guide Index