February 24, 1865
Grant orders General John Parke, in temporary command of the Army of the Potomac, and Major General Edward O. C. Ord, in command of the Army of the James, to announce the capture of Wilmington, North Carolina on February 22 and fire a salute in honor of the capture at 4 pm.
Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant asks Army of the James commander Major General Edward O. C. Ord to look over the Confederate defenses along the Howlett Line on Bermuda Hundred to see if it might be possible to mass Ord’s reserves and score a breakthrough in the center.
Confederate Secretary of War John C. Breckinridge asks Robert E. Lee if preparations should be made for the evacuation of Richmond.
Robert E. Lee goes over the growing problem of desertion in the Army of Northern Virginia with Secretary of War Breckinridge, particularly in his North Carolina regiments hailing from the western, mountainous portion of the state.
Note: All “Today In The Petersburg Campaign” blog entries are used with permission from Ronald A. Mosocco’s Chronological Tracking of the American Civil War per the Official Records of the War of the Rebellion. Order the book HERE.
Copyright © 1993, 1994 by Ronald A. Mosocco
Mentions of This Date at The Siege of Petersburg Online:
- LT: February 24, 1865 Robert E. Lee
- OR XLVI P1 #4: Itineraries of the Army of the Potomac, Sheridan’s Cavalry Command, and the Army of the James, January-April 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #180: Returns for the Army of Northern Virginia, Jan 10, 26-31, 31, Feb 10, 20, Feb 24-Mar 1, 1865
- OR XLVI P1 #6: Report of Surg. Thomas A. McParlin, Medical Director, Army of the Potomac, Jan 1-Jun 30, 1865
Hi,
I’m Professor Emili Valdero from the University of Barcelona, and I would like to know what is the source of your 24th of February blog entry “Robert E. Lee goes over the growing problem of desertion in the Army of Northern Virginia with Secretary of War Breckinridge, particularly in his North Carolina regiments hailing from the western, mountainous portion of the state”.
I’m particularly interested in gathering information about desertion in the Army of Northern Virginia in the last stages of the war.
Best regards,
Emili
Hi,
I’m Professor Emili Valdero from the University of Barcelona, and I would like to know what is the source of your 10th of February blog entry “Jefferson Davis approves of Robert E. Lee’s intention to order a proclamation giving amnesty to all deserters who return to the Confederate army within a set time”.
Best regards,
Emili
Professor Valfero, thank you for taking the time to write in. Both of the entries you asked about come from the Official Records, Volume 46, Part 3. The Confederate correspondence is at the back of the book. I’m away from home on vacation at the moment, but I’ll get you exact page numbers later today.
Professor Valdero, the February 10 item is in OR XLVI, Part 3, page 1228. The February 24 item is in OR XLVI, Part 3, page 1254.
Brett