Thursday, July 10, 2014

Confederates Plan to Seize Prison Camp at Point Lookout, Maryland-- Part 1

JULY 9TH, 1864: (150 Years Ago) Major John Tyler, CSA, Asst. Adjutant General, wrote Major General Sterling Price regarding a proposed attack on Point Lookout, Md., to release Confederate prisoners held there:  The plan is that he [Lt. Gen. Jubal Early] shall seize Baltimore and hold it with his infantry while his cavalry proceeds to Point Lookout to liberate our prisoners there concentrated to the extent of nearly 30,000.

"In the meantime Captain [John Taylor] Wood, of the Navy, proceeds from Wilmington [NC] with 5 gunboats and 20,000 stand of arms for the same point by water.  If successful in thus liberating and arming our imprisoned soldiers, Washington will be assaulted and no doubt carried.  This I regard as decidedly the most brilliant idea of the war."

Big Plans, Longshot for Success Though.  --Old B-Runner

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