The Birmingham age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1902-1950, 1907-03-13

My Dear General: 1t gives me great
pleasure TO advise you, officially, that at
the recent QsO6) Gulfport, Miss, conven-
ton of the United Daughters of the Con-
federacy, our president general. Mrs.
Lizzie George Henderson, in her annual
report, most earnestly advised the United
Daughters of the Confederacy to approve
the memorials to the Woven of the Con-
feceraey and "to help them O.. c. V.
and Z. S. C. W with this monument"
that after your most touching and con-
vincing address on this subject the rec
ommendation of the president general,
was referred to the same committee as
considered the other recommendations of
the report.
The committee made report which was
unanimously adopted, and recommended
the memorial in the following words:
l. That the United Daughters of the
ConfeGcracy approve the movement for
which the veterans and their sons are
Gun squadron, commanded by Admiral
David G.. Faragut. New Orleans and
Pensacola were already in the hands of
the enemy. On August 8, 1864, Gen. Cor
don Granger proceeded against Fort
Gaines with 1900 men. The Federal fleet
of eighteen vessels, on August 6, moved
into the bay, and although furiously at
tackled by the forts and by the Confed-
crate gunboats, it successfully entered.
This was one of the greatest naval en-
gagements of the war. The u. S. Monitor
Tecamseh was sunk with all her crew.
The Confederate ram Tennessee and one
gunboat were captured, but the two
other gunboats escaped On August s,
Colonel Anderson surrendered Fort
Gaines. Fort Morgan was then besieged.
and on August %, unable to make longer
resistance 1t was surrendered by General
Page.
The immediate defenses of the city were
no7 greatly strengthened and 1t was
some months before 1t was the subject of
further attack. On March II, 1865, Gen.
f. K. S Candy, with a force Of 81, 600. set
out from Fort Morgan to attack Span
ish Fort and Blakeley. On March q. the
seige of Spanish Fort began, and~on the
night of April 8, the garrison evacuated
1t and retreated into Mobile. In the
meantime Gen. f. Steele. with 1920 men,
left Pensacola, and reaching Pollard
burned the public property and tore up
the railroad tracks. He then invested
Blakeley April 2. In one week the Tort
was captured. On April II. batteries
11uger and Tracey were evacuated. All
of the defenses on the eastern shore being
.I,o de- Of Cen d
II. Maury. April 70, 1865, moved out of
the city. and it was at once occupied by
the Federals
While the campaign In the southern
part of the state was in progress Gen.
James II. Wilson, with picked force OF
about 900 men, in March, 1850, lett
Gravelly Springs, Lauderdale county, for
III nurpose Of attacking Selma, and di-
yerting attention from Canby's efforts to
capture Mobile. Selma was military
depot of great Importance to the confed-
eracr. Passing through Russellville,
.Jaspe-. Elyton and Montevallo. and de-
stroying much valuable property along
the route. on April he arrived before
Selma. General Forrest, with about
1000 mon, chiefly militia and mechanics
from, the shops, w2s In charge OF the de-
fenees and although he made a gallant
resistance. the city was taken on the
same day. Almost the entire garrison
was captured.
IN tho 10th the Federal forces moved
toward Montgomery. which was occupied
without: resistance, April L.
= Fivton. General Croxton, with about
1a0o men. DETECTED from General Wilson's
mai, column. and March 81. marched to-
ward Tuscaloosa. After spirited re-
..stance he entered the town April 4. He
cestroved the boundaries, factories and
public stores. on April =, the handsome
and costly buildings OF the State univer-
sitv were burned by his orders. Leaving
Tuscaloosa, General Croxton had a dis
rous engagement in Greene county
with Gen. Writ Adams, after which he
nassed across the state through Jasper
and Talladega.
On April 1s. 1865. General LAGRANGE of
Wilson's cavalry, with 1900 men, attacked
Fort Tyler. small defense IN Chambers
county, garrisoned by not exceeding
go men and boys After brief and
bloody struggle the fort was surrendered.
The same day a large force of Georgia
militia was repulsed at Girard by Will
sons cavalry These engagements. which
too; Mace on Alabama soil. were proba-
bly, the very last conflicts OF the war.
Among other acts of vandalism COM
mitted by the invading armies of the
north. was the buring of the court houses
of Jackson, Marshall and Pickens coun-
ties.
On May A. 1865. Gen. Richard Taylor
surrendered to General Candy the mill
tary department, which included Ala
ba~-l. There were no further operations
in the state.
During the four long and bitter years
now erded. although bowed down with
burdens and oppressed with sorrows. the
,le Loyalty responded as far as posi-
HE To every demand made upon them.
1rne, the aged men and boys devolved
,ba aieicult task OF home and plantation
management They also formed them
calves into companies OF Home Guards"
for local protection. The devoted women
of IN, state were equal to all the emer-
oe,ci,.. Of conditions the most TRYING.
The general assembly December O. 1864,
rendered them the thanks OF the state.
the Joint resolution recting that the
members were
profoundly and gratefully impressed