Misconceptions.....

[bdtex]

I really couldn't think of a better title for this thread. The inspiration is a misconception of my own. As I've said many times,I'm a late-bloomer as a CW enthusiast. It started for me in June 2014. I'd always had a latent interest in the Civil War but,however, up until 2004 I'd only read 3-4 CW books and watched the Ken Burns series and all the CW movies I knew of. From 2004-June 2014,life happened and I don't recall anything CW-related in my life during that time period. I visited Marianna,Florida this past April and shortly thereafter read a book about the September 27,1864 battle there. A couple things I learned from that book are the inspiration for this thread. The book talked about the Union forces in that battle being based out of Pensacola and that Union forces occupied parts of Pensacola for the duration of the war. That was news to me. I had heard of Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens but didn't know much about them. The book also said that some of the Confederates taken prisoner at Marianna went to Ship Island where most of them died and that Union forces had occupied Ship Island for most of the war. That was news to me also. For a long time,I was under the misconception that Confederates had full control of the terrirory in all of the states that formally seceded and formed the CSA. That's just not true. I'm guessing there were areas in other states besides Mississippi and Florida that Union forces occupied/held for the duration of the war. Early in the war,that should've been an omen of the outcome. Perhaps it was to some folks.

 

[jackt62]

Within the first year of the war, Union forces also gained footholds on the North and South Carolina coasts, from which they remained throughout the course of the war. While they never succeeded in using these bases to make further inroads into the interior, they were used as coaling stations for the blockading fleets.

 

[USS ALASKA]

I'm guessing there were areas in other states besides Mississippi and Florida that Union forces occupied/held for the duration of the war.

As far as 100 top population centers from the 1860 census...

#63 / Wheeling / Virginia / 14,083
#74 / Alexandria / Virginia / 12,652
15

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[USS ALASKA]

Fort Monroe and Fort Wool, VA

And though you did state other than Florida, on the most southern point, Key West and Fort Taylor / The Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson were never under Confederate control

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

 

[UCVRelics]

There were many areas of the South especially in the Gulf States where there was nothing but sand dunes and sea oats (Now its wall to wall condos) so there was no reason to excerpt men or material. The Anaconda plan only involved major ports in the Gulf Of Mexico but there was mile after mile of places for blockade runner to come in. Cedar Key Fl. and west to the Chattahoochee river has a very interesting CW history.

 

[bdtex]

Fort Monroe and Fort Wool, VA

And though you did state other than Florida, on the most southern point, Key West and Fort Taylor / The Dry Tortugas and Fort Jefferson were never under Confederate control

Cheers,
USS ALASKA

I was a bit hasty on that post. With such a long coastline,I figured some other coastal areas in Florida were probably under Union control at the outset or early in the war.

 

[jgoodguy]

Civil War Territory maps
1861

1862

1863

1864

 

[wausaubob]

The United States targeted any city that could build a boat, any port or river city that had railroad connections, and any railroad hub they could reach. Charleston, Richmond, Wilmington and Mobile were critical places that the Confederates defended.

 

[Lubliner]

One could almost claim Florida to be a big hide-out. The U. S. had discovered some interior spots during the Seminole War, and the harsh environment. It turned out to be a good salt manufactory, and some open grazing lands, but most of it was uninhabitable, except by natives and deserters. Just like Texas, so much land became a barrier that led to isolation. Only pockets of civilization sprang up where tourist resorts and rich folk dwelt by hacking out the undergrowth and settling in, via boat and dock.
Lubliner

 

[bdtex]

Civil War Territory maps
1861
View attachment 215563
1862
View attachment 215562
1863
View attachment 215561
1864
View attachment 215560

Thanks for those maps. They are in a book I have but it has been awhile since I saw them. Good stuff.

 

[jgoodguy]

Thanks for those maps. They are in a book I have but it has been awhile since I saw them. Good stuff.

I found them in
Advanced American history : Forman, Samuel Eagle

 

[bdtex]

I found them in
Advanced American history : Forman, Samuel Eagle

I'll have to check my book again. It's a huge book that is nothing but maps. It belonged to chellers. The Executor of her estate shipped it to me.

 

[bdtex]

One could almost claim Florida to be a big hide-out. The U. S. had discovered some interior spots during the Seminole War, and the harsh environment. It turned out to be a good salt manufactory, and some open grazing lands, but most of it was uninhabitable, except by natives and deserters. Just like Texas, so much land became a barrier that led to isolation. Only pockets of civilization sprang up where tourist resorts and rich folk dwelt by hacking out the undergrowth and settling in, via boat and dock.
Lubliner

That's true but Union control of part of Pensacola was consequential. Union sympathizers, Confederate deserters and freed and runaway slaves were taken in. Union forces got valuable intelligence from them and they were trained and armed and put into Union service.

 

[Lubliner]

That whole Bay area was more of an exception due to the Navy and shipyard and military forts. Plus it was near Tallahassee, which I mistakenly thought of in your initial post. My misconception here was the idea that you had mentioned the Capital, when you had not. I had a clear memory of confederate troops being stationed there and moved in February 1864 for the battle of Olustee. On my previous post I think I meant to reveal the lack of infrastructure which was so prevalent, though population centers did exist, such as Jacksonville. Thanks.
Lubliner.

 

[archieclement]

I really couldn't think of a better title for this thread. The inspiration is a misconception of my own. As I've said many times,I'm a late-bloomer as a CW enthusiast. It started for me in June 2014. I'd always had a latent interest in the Civil War but,however, up until 2004 I'd only read 3-4 CW books and watched the Ken Burns series and all the CW movies I knew of. From 2004-June 2014,life happened and I don't recall anything CW-related in my life during that time period. I visited Marianna,Florida this past April and shortly thereafter read a book about the September 27,1864 battle there. A couple things I learned from that book are the inspiration for this thread. The book talked about the Union forces in that battle being based out of Pensacola and that Union forces occupied parts of Pensacola for the duration of the war. That was news to me. I had heard of Fort Barrancas and Fort Pickens but didn't know much about them. The book also said that some of the Confederates taken prisoner at Marianna went to Ship Island where most of them died and that Union forces had occupied Ship Island for most of the war. That was news to me also. For a long time,I was under the misconception that Confederates had full control of the terrirory in all of the states that formally seceded and formed the CSA. That's just not true. I'm guessing there were areas in other states besides Mississippi and Florida that Union forces occupied/held for the duration of the war. Early in the war,that should've been an omen of the outcome. Perhaps it was to some folks.

You left out Fort McRee, which was on Perdido Key opposite Fort Perkins. It formed the trifecta of Pensacola defenses and was part of the battle of the forts. I vacationed years ago on Perdido Key.

 

[jgoodguy]

I'll have to check my book again. It's a huge book that is nothing but maps. It belonged to chellers. The Executor of her estate shipped it to me.

I think yours is this.

 

[bdtex]

You left out Fort McRee, which was on Perdido Key opposite Fort Perkins. It formed the trifecta of Pensacola defenses and was part of the battle of the forts. I vacationed years ago on Perdido Key.

Left it out because I didn't know about it.

 

[bdtex]

I think yours is this.

View attachment 215575

Yessir it is and I may be mistaken about those maps being in it. Lotta maps.

 

[jgoodguy]

Yessir it is and I may be mistaken about those maps being in it. Lotta maps.

Heavy too. Mine sits on top of boxes of books and acts as a table. I cannot find the sources of the maps, but they had to come from somewhere.

 

[Borderruffian]

One could almost claim Florida to be a big hide-out. The U. S. had discovered some interior spots during the Seminole War, and the harsh environment. It turned out to be a good salt manufactory, and some open grazing lands, but most of it was uninhabitable, except by natives and deserters. Just like Texas, so much land became a barrier that led to isolation. Only pockets of civilization sprang up where tourist resorts and rich folk dwelt by hacking out the undergrowth and settling in, via boat and dock.
Lubliner

The Big Thicket, Jerrigan's Thicket, Wild Cat Thicket etc in North Texas were inhabited my deseters both Union and Confederate known as Bushmen that preyed on Civilians in IT and Texas. Some of these were hunted down by Quantrills Men while they were in Winter Quarters in the Denton/Sherman Areas 63-64 .......he and his men killed more than they brought in.