1861 March 1st

March 1 1861 Friday

Go to March 2 1861

USA. The US Congress refused to act upon the proposals drawn up by the Virginia Peace Conference.

CSA. President Jefferson Finis Davis assumed command of the military affairs in the Confederate States of Alabama, Florida, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, South Carolina, and Texas.

CSA. Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was promoted to Brigadier-General, the first General Officer appointed by the Army of the Confederate States.

South Carolina. As the US Army garrison of Fort Sumter still refused to surrender, this post became the focal point for confrontation between the Confederate States’ government and the United States’ Government. The Confederate government took over responsibility for military affairs at Charleston, making it a matter of national and not just State interest.

Texas. After he had surrendered Federal government and military property to the Texas state authorities, Brigadier-General David Emanuel Twiggs was dismissed from the US Regular Army for dishonourable conduct. Twiggs had ranked third in seniority in the US Army and was soon to be appointed Major-General in the Confederate Army. This left only four substantive General Officers on duty in the US Regular Army – Major-General Winfield Scott, John Ellis Wool, and William Selby Harney, while Joseph Eggleston Johnston was a Brigadier-General of the Staff

Union Organisation

USA. Brigadier-General David Emanuel Twiggs was dismissed from the US Army by President James Buchanan for dishonourable conduct after his surrender of US military property to the state of Texas.

Commander in Chief: President James Buchanan
Vice-President: John Cabell Breckinridge
Secretary of War: Joseph Holt
Secretary of the Navy: Isaac Toucey

African Squadron: William Inman
Brazil Squadron: Joshua Ratoon Sands
East Indian (Asiatic) Squadron: Cornelius Kinchiloe Stribling
European Squadron: vacant
Home Squadron: Garrett J Prendergast
Mediterranean Squadron: Charles H Bell
Pacific Squadron: John Berrien Montgomery

General–in-Chief: Winfield Scott

Department of the East: John Ellis Wool

Department of New Mexico: Thomas T Fauntleroy interim, William Wing Loring awaited

Department of the Pacific: Albert Sidney Johnston

• District of Oregon: George Wright

Department of Texas: Carlos Adolphus Waite temporary

Department of Utah: Philip St George Cooke

Department of the West: William Selby Harney

Confederate Organisation

CSA: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard was promoted Brigadier-General ACSA.

President Jefferson Finis Davis
Vice-President: Alexander Hamilton Stephens
Secretary of War: Leroy Pope Walker
Secretary of the Navy: Stephen Russell Mallory

“Department of Louisiana”: Braxton Bragg

• “Forces in New Orleans” “Army of Louisiana”: Braxton Bragg

Union Generals

Major-General USA

Winfield Scott

Brigadier-General USA

John Ellis Wool
David Emanuel Twiggs
William Selby Harney

Brigadier-General USA (Staff)

Joseph Eggleston Johnston

Confederate Generals

Brigadier-General ACSA

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard