Sunday, March 30 1862
COMMANDER CALCULATES CARONDELET CONNIVANCE

Flag Officer Foote, commander of the US Navy operations on the Mississippi River, thought up a sneaky move today, and he had just the man and ship to carry it out. He ordered Commander Henry Walker to take his ship, the USS Carondelet, and...” avail yourself of the first fog..and drift your steamer down past the batteries of the Tennessee shore and Island #10..for the purpose of covering Gen. Pope’s army while he crosses...that he may move up to Island No. 10 and attack the rebels in the rear while we attack them in front.”



Monday March 30 1863
NAVAL NAUGHTINESS NOTED

The life of a navy man, especially a Confederate one, could be severe at times, but it had its corresponding rewards. One such occurred today for the men of the CSS Florida. They captured a civilian vessel, the M.J. Colcord, which was fully loaded and on course for South Africa. Florida took her easily. The crew they transferred to a Danish ship. The Colcord was sunk, but not before the crew had taken off all desired provisions. “We lived like lords on Yankee plunder,” said Lt. Maffitt, CSA



Wednesday, March 30 1864
SCOUTS SPEND SELVES SEARCHING

The battles get the attention, but the battles happened when and where they did largely because of the efforts of scouting expeditions. These missions typically lasted several days but could stretch into weeks. Several began today: a Federal reconnaissance left from Lookout Valley, Tenn., proceeding to McLemore’s Cove, GA; other missions worked around Woodville and Athens, Ala.; Columbus, Clinton and Moscow, Ky.



Thursday, March 30 1865
RAIN RESISTS RUN RAIDS

Just as the final campaign was declared underway, heavy rains began around Petersburg, Va. Phil Sheridan was working to get the right flank offensive organized. Gen. Humphreys got his Second Corps into a dustup at Hatcher’s Run, near Five Forks. Warren’s Fifth Corps, on the other hand, got into a similar skirmish in an area known as Gravelly Run. The Union men were encountering less resistance as Lee pulled men back to reinforce the southwest side as a possible escape route.

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