April 23 1861 Tuesday
Arkansas. Fort Smith was occupied by Arkansas state forces. Fort Smith was established in 1817 by Major William Bradford, Company A, 3rd US Rifles, and named for Colonel Thomas A Smith who was the current Commander of US forces west of the Mississippi. It was also known as Belle Point Fort. The location was chosen by topographical engineer Captain Steven H Long on a rocky bluff above the junction of the Arkansas River and the Poteau River known as Belle Point. This post was evacuated and the garrison moved to Fort Gibson in 1824. The fort was in intermittent use until 1834, when the last occupants transferred to Fort Coffee.
A second Fort Smith was begun in the spring of 1839 under the supervision of Captain Charles W Thomas. Camp Thomas, later renamed Camp Belknap, was built adjacent to the first fort site while the second fort was being constructed. The new post was originally planned as a massive pentagonal masonry work with five two-storey bastions at the angles. Construction halted in 1841 and the fort was reconfigured as a supply depot for other western forts. The barracks buildings were completed and occupied by troops in 1846. Fort Smith was a valuable supply post during the Mexican War. After the war, an order was made for Fort Smith to be deactivated but the order was reversed in 1850 and the post stayed in operation.
Fort Smith was the overland departure point for the California Gold Rush of 1849 and Captain Randolph Barnes Marcy charted an efficient route to the goldfields and escorted the first large group. s Fort Smith remained a gateway to the far West. Captain Samuel Davis Sturgis (1st US Cavalry) evacuated Fort Smith on 23 April 1861 when secessionist militia approached. The secessionists occupied Fort Smith the following day although Arkansas had not yet formally seceded from the Union. The post was occupied by the Confederate until 3 September 1863 when Union troops returned.
District of Columbia. USS Pawnee reached Washington and Commodore Paulding reported the loss of the Norfolk Navy Yard. The arrival of the modern warship strengthened the Capital’s defences at a critical time but news of the loss of Norfolk was a severe setback for the US Navy.
Maryland. Brigadier-General of Massachusetts Militia offered assistance to the Governor of Maryland who had expressed anxiety about the risk of a slave insurrection.
Missouri. US Army Captain Nathaniel Lyon assumed temporary command of the Department of the West in St Louis. He was responding to doubts about the loyalty of US Army Brigadier-General William Selby Harney who had shown indications of favouring the pro-Confederate factions in Missouri.
Ohio. George Brinton McClellan was appointed Major-General in command of Ohio Militia. His highly regarded services had been sought by other states, including Pennsylvania.
Texas. A group of US Army officers and a Company of the 8th US Infantry were taken as prisoners of war at San Antonio. Colonel Carlos Adolphus Waite was among those captured by Confederate authorities and the presence of free Federal forces in Texas was finally ended. Although the Union Department of Texas remained in nominal existence, it had no commanding officer and no forces under command in the region.
Virginia. State Major-General Robert Edward Lee took command of the Militia and the Provisional Army of Virginia.
Virginia. Major-General of Virginia Militia Walter Gwynn was directed to take command of forces around Norfolk and the Gosport Navy Yard.
Virginia. Major-General of Virginia Militia Joseph Eggleston Johnston was directed to take command of the Virginia state forces in and around Richmond.
Union Organisation
USA: Captain USA Nathaniel Lyon assumed temporary de facto command of the Department of the West to fill the vacancy of Brigadier-General William Selby Harney.
USA: The command of the Department of Texas became vacant when Union Colonel Carlos Adolphus Waite was captured by Confederate authorities.
USA: Colonel James Wolfe Ripley was appointed Chief of Ordnance of the US Army, succeeding Colonel Henry Knox Craig.
Commander in Chief: President Abraham Lincoln
Vice-President: Hannibal Hamlin
Secretary of War: Simon Cameron
Secretary of the Navy: Gideon Welles
Pacific Squadron: John Berrien Montgomery
General–in-Chief: Winfield Scott
Department of the East: John Ellis Wool
Department of Florida: Harvey Brown
Department of New Mexico: William Wing Loring
Department of the Pacific: Albert Sidney Johnston interim Edwin Vose Sumner awaited
- District of Oregon: George Wright
Department of Texas: Vacant
Department of Utah: Philip St George Cooke
Department of Washington: Robert Patterson
Department of the West: Nathaniel Lyon temporary de facto
Confederate Organisation
CSA: Milledge Luke Bonham was promoted to Brigadier-General PACS.
Commander in Chief: President Jefferson Finis Davis
Vice-President: Alexander Hamilton Stephens
Secretary of War: Leroy Pope Walker
Secretary of the Navy: Stephen Russell Mallory
Department of North Carolina: Theophilus Hunter Holmes
- Defences of North Carolina: Theophilus Hunter Holmes
Department of South Carolina: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
- “Forces in Charleston”: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Department of Texas: Earl Van Dorn
Department of West Florida: Braxton Bragg
- “Forces in Pensacola”: Braxton Bragg
District of Louisiana: David Emanuel Twiggs
- “Forces in New Orleans” “Army of Louisiana”: Braxton Bragg
Defences of Savannah: Alexander Robert Lawton
Potomac Line: Daniel Ruggles
“Forces in Harper’s Ferry”: Kenton Harper
“Forces in Norfolk”: William Booth Taliaferro
Union Generals
Major-General USA
Winfield Scott
Brigadier-General USA
John Ellis Wool
William Selby Harney
Edwin Vose Sumner
Confederate Generals
Note: Italics, awaiting confirmation of the commission
Major-General PACS
David Emanuel Twiggs
Brigadier-General ACSA
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Braxton Bragg
Brigadier-General PACS
Alexander Robert Lawton
Milledge Lake Bonham
American Civil War High Command 