1861 March 31st

March 31 1861 Sunday

Go to April 1 1861

Florida. Reconnaissance at Santa Rosa Island ended.

Louisiana: After 52 years of service in the United States Navy, Lieutenant Lawrence Rousseau was the highest-ranking US Navy officer to resign and offer his services to the South. His resignation was accepted by the US Navy Department and became effective on 11 February 1861. His backdated commission as a Captain in the Confederate States Navy made him the highest-ranking officer of the Confederate States Navy until 1862 when his junior, Franklin Buchanan, was promoted to the rank of Admiral. Rousseau assumed command of the Mississippi River Naval Squadron. where he helped to fit out commerce raiders while also attempting to improve the naval defences of New Orleans and the Mississippi River.

Virginia. US Secretary of the Navy Gideon Welles ordered 250 men to be transferred from New York to strengthen the garrison of the Norfolk Navy Yard.

Texas. Fort Bliss was abandoned and surrendered to Texas state forces. Fort Bliss was established on 7 November 1848 with the name of Post at El Paso in present-day El Paso. It was first garrisoned by Captain Jefferson Van Horne (3rd US Infantry with six companies from 7 September 1849. It was also known as Camp at Franklin, Camp Concordia, and Post at Smith Ranche. Fort Bliss was the western end of two lines of forts that guarded the upper and lower San Antonio-El Paso Road. The post saw intermittent use until 1851 when it was abandoned. The Army returned to El Paso in 1853 and the post was renamed for Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel William Wallace Smith Bliss in 1854.
The Union garrison at Fort Bliss was directed to surrender to Confederate forces and remained in Confederate hands until Union Colonel James Henry Carleton (1st California Infantry), forced out the garrison on 20 August 1862. The retreating Confederates destroyed Fort Bliss, apart from the hospital housing their sick and wounded. The destroyed post was not reoccupied by Union forces until after the war ended.

Union Organisation

Commander in Chief: President Abraham Lincoln
Vice-President: Hannibal Hamlin
Secretary of War: Simon Cameron
Secretary of the Navy: Gideon Welles

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: William Wing Loring

Department of the Pacific: Albert Sidney Johnston interim, Edwin Vose Sumner awaited

• District of Oregon: George Wright

Department of Texas: Carlos Adolphus Waite

Department of Utah: Philip St George Cooke

Department of the West: William Selby Harney

Confederate Organisation

CSA: Lieutenant Lawrence Rousseau CSN assumed command of the Mississippi River Naval Squadron.

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 Louisiana”: David Emanuel Twiggs

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

Department of South Carolina: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard

• “Forces in Charleston”: Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard

Department of West Florida: Braxton Bragg

• “Forces in Pensacola”: Braxton Bragg

Union Generals

Major-General USA

Winfield Scott

Brigadier-General USA

John Ellis Wool
William Selby Harney
Edwin Vose Sumner

Brigadier-General USA (Staff)

Joseph Eggleston Johnston

Confederate Generals

Major-General PACS

David Emanuel Twiggs

Brigadier-General ACSA

Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard
Braxton Bragg