May 6 1861 Monday
Arkansas Seceded
Camp Jackson Operations
Great Britain. Great Britain decided to recognize the Confederacy as a belligerent, but not as an independent, sovereign nation.
USA. The Gulf Blockading Squadron was formed to patrol the Confederate coasts from Key West to the Mexican border. The squadron became the largest Union fleet in operation for most of the war. It was divided later into the East and West Gulf Blockading Squadrons for greater efficiency.
CSA. The Confederate Congress passed an Act recognising a state of war with the United States of America and authorised the issuing of Letters of Marque to private vessels. President Jefferson Finis Davis issued detailed instructions to these armed “privateers”.
Arkansas. The state of Arkansas passed an Ordinance of Secession and the state seceded from the Union by a vote of 69 to 1. Arkansas authorized its delegates to the Provisional Congress to transfer the arsenal at Little Rock and the hospital at Napoleon to the Confederate government.
Maryland. Commissioners Otho Scott, Robert M McLane, and William J Ross reported the results of their interview with US President Abraham Lincoln, expressing the opinion that some modifications of the course of the US government towards Maryland ought to be expected.
Maryland. State Brigadier-General Benjamin Franklin Butler and the 8th New York took possession of the Relay House, nine miles south of Baltimore, at the vital junction of the Baltimore, Washington, and Ohio railroads.
Missouri. The pro-secession Governor of Missouri Claiborne F Jackson made efforts to make the state turn to the Confederacy at a state convention but this had been foiled. He planned with the pro-Confederate Brigadier-General of the Missouri Militia Daniel Marsh Frost to seize the Union arsenal at St Louis. Frost’s small brigade of militia encamped at Lindell Grove on the outskirts of St Louis which was named Camp Jackson. The Police Commissioners of St Louis demanded that US Army Captain Nathaniel Lyon remove all Federal troops from all locations beyond the US Arsenal.
Tennessee. The Tennessee state legislature ratified in secret session the league entered into by A O W Totten, Gustavus A Henry, Washington Barrow, the Commissioners for Tennessee, and Henry W Hilliard, Commissioner for the Confederate States. Their pact stipulated that until Tennessee became a member of the Confederacy it should place the State’s entire military force under the control of the Confederate States, and turned over to the Confederate States all public property, naval stores, and munitions of war. Also passed were a Declaration of Independence and an ordinance dissolving the US relations between Tennessee and the United States, and an ordinance adopting and ratifying the Confederate Constitution. These latter two issues were to be voted on by the people of Tennessee on 8th June 1861. The state of Tennessee formed an alliance with the Confederacy but did not formally secede on this date.
Union Organisation
USA: The Gulf Blockading Squadron of the US Navy was established to patrol the coasts west of the southern extremity of Florida to the Mexican border.
USA: Flag Officer William Mervine USN assumed command of the Gulf Blockading Squadron of the US Navy.
USA: The patrol of the Coast Blockading Squadron of the US Navy was redefined as the coasts from Chespeake Bay southwards to the east and north of Florida.
Commander in Chief: President Abraham Lincoln
Vice-President: Hannibal Hamlin
Secretary of War: Simon Cameron
Secretary of the Navy: Gideon Welles
- Coast Blockading Squadron USN: Flag Officer Silas Horton Stringham USN
- Gulf Blockading Squadron USN: Flag Officer William Mervine USN
- Pacific Squadron USN: Captain John B Montgomery USN
- Potomac Flotilla USN: Commander James Harmon Ward USN
General–in-Chief: Winfield Scott
- Department of Annapolis: Benjamin Franklin Butler awaited
- Department of the East: John Ellis Wool
- Department of Florida: Harvey Brown
- Department of New Mexico: Vacant
- Department of the Ohio: George Brinton McClellan awaited
- Department of the Pacific: Edwin Vose Sumner
- District of Oregon: George Wright
- Department of Pennsylvania: Robert Patterson
- Department of Texas: Vacant
- Department of Utah: Philip St George Cooke
- Department of Washington: Joseph King Fenno Mansfield
- Department of the West: Edmund Brooke Alexander temporary
Confederate Organisation
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”: Thomas Jonathan Jackson
- “Forces in Norfolk”: Walter Gwynn
- Forces in Richmond: Joseph Eggleston Johnston
- Forces in the Kanawha Valley: Christopher Quarles Tompkins
Union Generals
- Major-General USA Winfield Scott 5 July 1841 to rank from 25 June 1841 General-in-Chief
- Brigadier-General USA John Ellis Wool 25 June 1841 Department of the East
- Brigadier-General USA William Selby Harney 14 June 1858
- Brigadier-General USA Edwin Vose Sumner 16 March 1861 Department of the Pacific
- Colonel Joseph King Fenno Mansfield 28 May 1853 Department of Washington
- Colonel George Wright 3 March 1855 District of Oregon
- Colonel Edmund Brooke Alexander 3 March 1855 Department of the West temporary
- Colonel Philip St George Cooke 14 June 1858 Department of Utah
- Lieutenant-Colonel Harvey Brown 28 April 1861 Department of Florida
- State Major-General Robert Patterson Department of Pennsylvania
- State Major-General George Brinton McClellan Department of the Ohio awaited
- State Brigadier-General Benjamin Franklin Butler Department of Annapolis awaited
Confederate Generals
- Major-General PACS David Emanuel Twiggs March 22 1861 District of Louisiana
- Brigadier-General ACSA Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard March 1 1861 Department of South Carolina & Forces in Charleston
- Brigadier-General ACSA Braxton Bragg March 7 1861 Forces in Louisiana & Department of West Florida & Forces in Pensacola & Forces in New Orleans
- Brigadier-General PACS Alexander Robert Lawton 13 April 1861 Defences of Savannah
- Brigadier-General PACS Milledge Luke Bonham 23 April 1861
- Colonel Joseph Eggleston Johnston Forces in Richmond
- Colonel Earl Van Dorn 16 March 1861 Department of Texas
- Colonel Theophilus Hunter Holmes March 1861 Department of North Carolina & Defences of North Carolina
- Colonel Thomas Jonathan Jackson 21 April 1861 Forces in Harper’s Ferry
- State Major-General Walter Gwynn 10 April 1861 Forces in Norfolk
- State Brigadier-General Philip St George Cocke 21 April 1861 Department of Alexandria & Alexandria Line
- State Brigadier-General Daniel Ruggles May 1861 Potomac Line
- Colonel Christopher Quarles Tompkins Forces in the Kanawha Valley
