On This Day - 20th November Prev / Next
Wednesday November 20 1861
- The pursuit and the capture of the Showalter Party at Warner's Ranch, in the San Jose Valley, CA, southeast of Los Angeles, 18 Confederates, including their leader, Mr. Daniel Showalter, are captured on Nov 29.
- Maj. Gen. David Hunter, USA, assumes the command of the Dept. of Kansas.
- Skirmish at Brownsville, KY, with Brig. Gen. Thomas C. Hindman, CSA.
- Maj. Gen. Henry Wager Halleck, USA, issues General Orders No. 3, excluding fugitive slaves from the military camps in the Dept. of the Missouri.
- Skirmish at Butler, MO.
- Skirmish at Little Santa Fe, MO.
- Col. William B. Wood, CSA, announces to the Honorable Judah P. Benjamin, Confederate Secretary of War, the suppression of the East Tennessee rebellion.
- Brig. Gen. John Buchanan Floyd, CSA, withdraws his troops from the vicinity of the Gauley River, WV.
Thursday November 20 1862
- Federal reconnaissance toward Van Buren and Fort Smith, AR. (Nov 20-23)
- Affair near Matagorda, TX, where a party from the US mortar vessel, Henry James, are captured after they went ashore to purchase food for the crew.
- The Confederate Army of Tennessee is constituted, to consist of the following Army Corps Commanders:
- Lieut. Gen. Edmund Kirby Smith, CSA
- Lieut. Gen. Leonidas Polk, CSA
- Lieut. Gen. William Joseph Hardee, CSA
- Federal expedition from Camp Douglas to the Cache Valley, the Utah Territory, with skirmish (Nov 23) in the Cache Valley. (Nov 20-27)
- Brig. Gen. John H. Martindale, USA, assumes the command as Military Governor of the District of Columbia.
Friday November 20 1863
- Skirmish at Camp Pratt, LA, with Maj. Gen. William B. Franklin, USA.
- Skirmish at Vermillion Bayou, LA.
- Fort Sumter, SC, continues to hold on against the heavy continuous Union bombardment.
- Skirmish at Sparta, TN.
Sunday November 20 1864
- Skirmish near Clinton, GA, with Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman, USA, as he continues to skirmish on his March to the sea, including the following skirmishes:
- Skirmish at East Macon, G A.
- Skirmish at Griswoldville, GA.
- Skirmish at Walnut Creek, GA.
- Skirmish with Indians near Fort Zarah, KS, as two Yankees are severely injured with arrow wounds.
- Skirmish at Kabletown, WV, the Shenandoah Valley Campaign.
Monday November 20 1865
- Joel Alien Dewey, USA, is appointed Brig. Gen.
On This Day information kindly provided by Martin Cross, 2nd U.S. Artillery, Bty B.