April 26 1861 Friday
CSA. Confederate Secretary of the Navy Stephen Russell Mallory reported: “I propose to adopt a class of vessels hitherto unknown to naval services. The perfection of a warship would doubtless be a combination of the greatest known ocean speed with the greatest known floating battery and power of resistance.” The CSS Sumter and CSS McRae would be fitted out as “cruisers” for this purpose. Mallory also proposed to introduce rifled guns to arm the Confederate Navy because their range and accuracy exceeded those of existing naval ordnance. He proposed also that small propeller-driven ships with great speed, and lightly armed with rifled guns would become the “most destructive element of naval warfare.” Mallory had always advocated innovation and technological change while in the US Navy Department but his appointment to lead the nascent Confederate Navy gave him new opportunities to test out new methods and equipment.
Georgia. Governor Joseph E Brown issued a proclamation ordering the repudiation by the citizens of Georgia of all debts due to creditors in Union states.
Maryland. The Maryland state legislature reassembled at Frederick.
Maryland. Annapolis was occupied by troops under Union Brigadier-General of Massachusetts Militia Benjamin Franklin Butler.
Maryland. USS Commerce, Lieutenant Peirce Crosby, captured the steamer Lancaster at Havre de Grace. Peirce-Crosby also pursued a steam tug but failed to catch up.
Maryland. Pro-Confederate forces burned the bridges over Gunpowder Creek and Bush Creek on the Philadelphia & Baltimore Railroad.
Virginia. Joseph Eggleston Johnston was appointed Major-General of Virginia Volunteers to command the state forces gathering around Richmond.
Union Organisation
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: Edwin Vose Sumner
- 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
Confederate Organisation
CSA: The Forces in Richmond was established, comprising forces collected for the defence of Richmond, Virginia.
CSA: Major-General of Virginia Militia Joseph Eggleston Johnston assumed command of the Forces in Richmond.
CSA: Major-General of Virginia Militia Walter Gwynn assumed command of the Forces in Norfolk, succeeding Colonel William Booth Taliaferro.
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 Alexandria: Philip St George Cocke
- Alexandria Line: Philip St George Cocke
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”: Walter Gwynn assumed
Forces in Richmond established: Joseph Eggleston Johnston assumed
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 