U.S. Civil War Turn 3 (2nd battle of Springfield, Battle of Goldsboro, capture of Wilmington)

Fall 1861

The Union Navy got into action right away, destroying a river flotilla in Aquia Station on the Potomac, and also the ironclad under construction on the Georgia coast. Jefferson Davis decided he would no longer take naval advice from his astrologer after this debacle.

In Missouri Price got the militia ready for battle, and Curtis attempted to take Springfield again, but once more was repulsed, and his force was left demoralized. At this point, however, the militia was scattered, and the town was left defenseless against further onslaught – the union walked in and Curtis rallied his (finally) victorious troops. Earl Van Dorn led a force up from Little Rock to begin a flanking maneuver around Curtis’s troops in Springfield.

Buell took the Army of the Tennesee from Cairo, IL, launching an attack on the fort along the Mississippi in northwest Tennessee defended by Kirby Smith. The defensive position was too strong, and Buell was repulsed - the victorious Confederates christened the fortifications "Fort Kriby". Meanwhile the newly created Army of Tennessee under A.S. Johnston in Nashville was preparing to invade Kentucky.

In North Carolina, Patterson was sent to relieve Butler, and command the union forces in Goldsboro along with boatload of cavalry under Stoneman, The Confederacy sent Bragg by train to root him out. Worried that Patterson would head for Wilmington, Bragg blocked his path. Patterson entrenched, hoping Bragg would assault his position, but Bragg instead swung around to the coast to cut the Union supply lines.

Patterson sent Stoneman's cavalry division up by Raleigh while he took his main force down to Wilmington, and Forts Johnson and Fisher, manned by German immigrants with no love for the new nation, surrendered as soon as the saw the Union flag on the horizon. Bragg liberated Goldsboro after clearing the Union garrison out of Washington on the coast, and Stoneman's cavalry division was scattered and effectively destroyed due to lack of supplies once the cold winter winds began to blow. Patterson's force had all the grub they needed due to the cowardly quick surrender of the coastal fort outside Wilimington.

Joe Johnston led the Army of Northern Virginia away from Alexandria and its position threatening the U.S. Capitol to liberate Harper’s Ferry. McDowell had a few more months of leisurely reading time in Staunton (with the still inappropriately named Army of Northeastern Virginia), and the Union finally began to fortify D.C.

Seeing no opposition, Joe Johnston swung down to liberate Strasburg, closing in on McDowell.

Finally, the Union Navy saw some more action, as Burnside took Jacksonville, Florida by amphibious assault.