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Whilst the UNION waited for military supplies from Mexico during 1859, the government undertook many initiatives aimed at strengthening the UNION. These activities included the construction of a railway line from Tucson to Mexico City to enable transportation of the awaited supplies and construction of a substantial military base outside Richmond. In addition, the local arms manufacturers of Colt, Remington and Winchester and the wagon manufacturers of Abbot Downing, Murphy and Studebaker were given government contracts requiring substantial expansion of their factories and output. Manufacturers of clothing were given orders to produce uniforms and food canning factories were approached to create military grade rations and a government arsenal was established at Rock Island near Manhatton to develop the ability to design and construct heavy weapons and specialist military vehicles. A number of mainly British mercenaries had been recruited by Mexico and these ex officers were immediately put to work enhancing the training of the Militia.
Throughout this period patrols were regularly sent both north to watch for French/German encroachment and east to monitor Russian track laying progress. Although there was nothing reported in the north, in the east the Russians were progressing and towards the end of 1859 were only 250 miles from Richmond. It was with great relief that Mexico announced to the UNION in January 1860 that the military supplies had arrived and the UNION took delivery of a substantial number of both German and French artillery weapons with huge quantities of ammunition and a large shipment of British made rifles again with vast amounts of ammunition. These weapons were quickly issued to the Militia and training began. Planning also started on how and where the Militia, now renamed the UNION army should be deployed.
A few words seem appropriate now on the structure of the UNION army. The army was organised at this time on a regimental basis. Each regiment had a number of battalions. There were a total of five Infantry and two Artillery regiments together with a Support regiment containing veterinary, workshop and signals units and a Service regiment with several supply columns. The whole force was commanded by a Headquarters unit. The army was clearly designed to operate as a single entity. ( Just for reference, this structure is the organisation I followed for my original woodscrew army. ) Following equipment of the army with the new weapons there had remained more than sufficient material to equip another army of similar size so training was started with that new equipment by the second tranche of fresh recruits to create that second army.
In April 1860 the first army was considered ready to commence operations and it was decided to send it to attack the Russians, destroy their railroad and throw them back with the objective that the Russians would realise that the UNION was not available for their domination thereby causing them to retreat back to the Volga. The army concentrated at the new base of Fort Leavenworth outside Richmond and commenced the march east towards the Russians. The army, using a newly built railway line from Fort Leavenworth that had been laid east for just under a hundred miles, advanced on the Russian railhead and arrived at the Russian positions on April 29. The UNION commander kept his forces behind a hill just west of the Russian camp and sought a meeting with the Russian commander. An ultimatum was issued at that meeting and the Russians given 12 hours to retreat. The Russian commander telegraphed for instructions and was told the UNION was bluffing and he should dig in and defeat the untrained civilian mob that he was probably facing.
Next morning saw the Russians, numbering about 500 soldiers and the same of construction workers, dug in and ready for a fight. At dawn the UNION artillery opened a heavy bombardment on the Russians which took them by great surprise and caused many of the construction workers to flee towards the trains then standing at the railhead. UNION infantry attacked and after a short but intense battle captured the Russian camp taking many prisoners. Casualties on both sides were moderate. The Russian trains which had attempted to escape were also captured. During the battle the Russian commander telegraphed to his superiors that he was under artillery bombardment and clearly facing a well equipped and trained army. Immediately the Russian high command despatched two train loads of reinforcements west which were followed 48 hours later by two more train loads of troops. None of these trains carried supplies, vehicles or heavy equipment.
Unfortunately the Russian railroad had been constructed mainly with a view to supporting trading activities and was only single tracked with very few passing loops. In fact only two trains per week had been arriving at the railhead, one with supplies for the troops and construction workers and the other with construction materials. Even with double crews and 20 hours a day running, stops for fuel and water meant that it took the Russian troop trains seven days to approach the railhead. By this time the UNION army had advanced to the east almost a hundred miles supported by UNION trains operating on the Russian tracks that had by then been connected to the UNION line from Fort Leavenworth. In addition the UNION had started the construction of a second line alongside the original to enhance the capacity of the railway.
The first Russian train was ambushed many miles before they had expected to meet UNION forces and ten of the 30 carriages were quickly destroyed by UNION artillery fire causing the train to come to a sudden halt. Russian soldiers leapt from the remaining carriages only to be met with very heavy rifle fire. The second train, which was following only a minute behind the first, was also taken under artillery fire and, unable to stop in time, plowed into the rear carriages of the first train destroying the rear three carriages. Again Russian soldiers leapt from the train to be met with heavy rifle fire and canister shots from artillery. The Russian troops were exhausted by their long journey, shocked by the artillery bombardment and the heavy casualties around them and quickly surrendered in large groups. The casualties amongst the Russians were huge and UNION medical staff were swamped with tending to hundreds of wounded Russians. Only two days later and another 50 miles further east the second pair of Russian troop trains met the same fate. Both trains were hit by UNION artillery fire from concealed batteries and again came to a sudden stop . The exhausted detraining troops again came under very heavy fire and resistance collapsed within minutes after severe casualties.
Word of the disasters soon reached the Russian command and they realised that they were facing a substantial enemy and only an organised build up of troops and heavy equipment would give any chance of victory. They immediately started to build from the Volga crossing a second line to their railway. The upshot was that both sides commenced a race towards each other as they each constructed a double track railway across the vastness of Ukraine. Over the next few months hostilities were restricted to a few skirmishes between opposing scouts monitoring the others sides progress.
Throughout this period patrols were regularly sent both north to watch for French/German encroachment and east to monitor Russian track laying progress. Although there was nothing reported in the north, in the east the Russians were progressing and towards the end of 1859 were only 250 miles from Richmond. It was with great relief that Mexico announced to the UNION in January 1860 that the military supplies had arrived and the UNION took delivery of a substantial number of both German and French artillery weapons with huge quantities of ammunition and a large shipment of British made rifles again with vast amounts of ammunition. These weapons were quickly issued to the Militia and training began. Planning also started on how and where the Militia, now renamed the UNION army should be deployed.
A few words seem appropriate now on the structure of the UNION army. The army was organised at this time on a regimental basis. Each regiment had a number of battalions. There were a total of five Infantry and two Artillery regiments together with a Support regiment containing veterinary, workshop and signals units and a Service regiment with several supply columns. The whole force was commanded by a Headquarters unit. The army was clearly designed to operate as a single entity. ( Just for reference, this structure is the organisation I followed for my original woodscrew army. ) Following equipment of the army with the new weapons there had remained more than sufficient material to equip another army of similar size so training was started with that new equipment by the second tranche of fresh recruits to create that second army.
In April 1860 the first army was considered ready to commence operations and it was decided to send it to attack the Russians, destroy their railroad and throw them back with the objective that the Russians would realise that the UNION was not available for their domination thereby causing them to retreat back to the Volga. The army concentrated at the new base of Fort Leavenworth outside Richmond and commenced the march east towards the Russians. The army, using a newly built railway line from Fort Leavenworth that had been laid east for just under a hundred miles, advanced on the Russian railhead and arrived at the Russian positions on April 29. The UNION commander kept his forces behind a hill just west of the Russian camp and sought a meeting with the Russian commander. An ultimatum was issued at that meeting and the Russians given 12 hours to retreat. The Russian commander telegraphed for instructions and was told the UNION was bluffing and he should dig in and defeat the untrained civilian mob that he was probably facing.
Next morning saw the Russians, numbering about 500 soldiers and the same of construction workers, dug in and ready for a fight. At dawn the UNION artillery opened a heavy bombardment on the Russians which took them by great surprise and caused many of the construction workers to flee towards the trains then standing at the railhead. UNION infantry attacked and after a short but intense battle captured the Russian camp taking many prisoners. Casualties on both sides were moderate. The Russian trains which had attempted to escape were also captured. During the battle the Russian commander telegraphed to his superiors that he was under artillery bombardment and clearly facing a well equipped and trained army. Immediately the Russian high command despatched two train loads of reinforcements west which were followed 48 hours later by two more train loads of troops. None of these trains carried supplies, vehicles or heavy equipment.
Unfortunately the Russian railroad had been constructed mainly with a view to supporting trading activities and was only single tracked with very few passing loops. In fact only two trains per week had been arriving at the railhead, one with supplies for the troops and construction workers and the other with construction materials. Even with double crews and 20 hours a day running, stops for fuel and water meant that it took the Russian troop trains seven days to approach the railhead. By this time the UNION army had advanced to the east almost a hundred miles supported by UNION trains operating on the Russian tracks that had by then been connected to the UNION line from Fort Leavenworth. In addition the UNION had started the construction of a second line alongside the original to enhance the capacity of the railway.
The first Russian train was ambushed many miles before they had expected to meet UNION forces and ten of the 30 carriages were quickly destroyed by UNION artillery fire causing the train to come to a sudden halt. Russian soldiers leapt from the remaining carriages only to be met with very heavy rifle fire. The second train, which was following only a minute behind the first, was also taken under artillery fire and, unable to stop in time, plowed into the rear carriages of the first train destroying the rear three carriages. Again Russian soldiers leapt from the train to be met with heavy rifle fire and canister shots from artillery. The Russian troops were exhausted by their long journey, shocked by the artillery bombardment and the heavy casualties around them and quickly surrendered in large groups. The casualties amongst the Russians were huge and UNION medical staff were swamped with tending to hundreds of wounded Russians. Only two days later and another 50 miles further east the second pair of Russian troop trains met the same fate. Both trains were hit by UNION artillery fire from concealed batteries and again came to a sudden stop . The exhausted detraining troops again came under very heavy fire and resistance collapsed within minutes after severe casualties.
Word of the disasters soon reached the Russian command and they realised that they were facing a substantial enemy and only an organised build up of troops and heavy equipment would give any chance of victory. They immediately started to build from the Volga crossing a second line to their railway. The upshot was that both sides commenced a race towards each other as they each constructed a double track railway across the vastness of Ukraine. Over the next few months hostilities were restricted to a few skirmishes between opposing scouts monitoring the others sides progress.
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