Question of the Week: 9/16-9/22/19
Since we did western theater last week, it seems only fair to feature the question for the east!
In your opinion…in the eastern theater, what was the most Confederate raid/campaign into Northern states or territories? Why?
The Gettysburg Campaign, because of the supplies brought to Virginia.
Including the “repatriated” African American denizens..
An effort to “celebrate” the November 1864 United States Presidential election by punishing Northerners for making the wrong choice, Confederate operatives working out of Canada took the train from Montreal and got off in New York City. On November 25th nearly two dozen coordinated arson attempts, making use of Greek fire chemical, were initiated at widely separated locations across the city, targeting hotels, and a couple of entertainment venues. The coordination and wide separation of intentional fires was designed to overwhelm New York City’s fire-fighting capability. But, due to the improper use of the incendiary chemical (doors to target rooms closed, instead of propped open) the fires all self-extinguished, or were easily contained… except one. And that one burned down P.T. Barnum’s New York City Museum.
In an age when most city buildings were constructed from wood, the “most unbelievable” arson raid on New York had potential to burn the city to ashes (think Chicago of 1871.) Instead, due to negligence in conducting the operation, the major outcome was beneficial to Americans, as one destructive fire put P.T. Barnum on the path of thinking about a career change, involving a travelling show…
That would not have been the first time NYC burned under suspicious circumstances. We can use September 1776 as a reference point.
Fascinating
The eastern theater’s most Northern raid was that into St. Albans, Vermont in October, 1864,
The cruise of the CSS Shenandoah, a commerce raider that ventured into the Arctic Ocean, the Bering Sea, and the Sea of Okhotsk to strike at the Yankee whaling fleet. Might not be what we typically think of, but you can’t go much farther north!
I’ll nominate Jubal Early’s ‘raid’ on Washington, DC. While it was ultimately repulsed, it did result in the Confederates retaking the Shenandoah Valley and it’s foodstuffs and supplies. Lots of horses and cattle were taken in Maryland, and Grant had to shift some sizeable forces north, thus achieving a major goal of Lee’s in relieving the pressure on Richmond.