This month in 1778, the new United States signed a military alliance with France against Britain. The French pledged economic and military aid, while the U.S. pledged to make no peace terms with Britain without French intervention.

France was more interested in hurting Britain than in helping the U.S., and this forced the British to fight a two-front war against both France in Europe and the U.S. in North America. This greatly helped the U.S. gain independence from Britain. This was the first and only formal military alliance made by the U.S. until the formation of NATO in 1949.

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The Federal command approved plans to attack Confederate fortifications along the Kentucky-Tennessee border. The attacking force was the 15,000-man Army of the Tennessee commanded by Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, which teamed with Admiral Andrew Foote in a joint army-navy expedition on the Tennessee River. Their first target was Fort Henry.

The fort was commanded by little more than 100 Confederates when it came under Federal Navy bombardment. As Foote's gunboats pummeled the fort, Grant's infantry moved up to block the escape routes. The Confederate commander surrendered Fort Henry on February 6. The capture of Fort Henry opened the Tennessee River for a southward Federal advance. It also boosted northern morale, which had been waning due to a lack of military success.

As most other Federal armies remained inactive, Grant immediately planned an attack on a stronger fort 10 miles away on the Cumberland River. Grant wired his superior, General Henry W. Halleck: "Fort Henry is ours. I shall take and destroy Fort Donelson on the 8th." Grant soon learned that such a task would not be so easy.  

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Frustrated by the lack of U.S. military activity thus far, President Abraham Lincoln issued General War Order No. 1. This designated February 22 as "the day for a general movement of the Land and Naval forces of the United States against the insurgent forces."

Criticism of General-in-Chief George McClellan intensified in Washington because he had achieved little military success since taking command of the Army of the Potomac the previous July. In addition, Generals Henry Halleck and Don Carlos Buell had refused to cooperate with each other in the Western Theater, and McClellan had failed to order them to work together. All of this had caused politicians to pressure Lincoln to do something. 

In Lincoln's order was a directive for Buell to advance his forces into eastern Tennessee and for Halleck to advance along the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers. McClellan was directed to invade Virginia and seize Manassas Junction, then move south and capture Richmond. McClellan objected to this order, instead proposing that he take his army by water to the Virginia peninsula between the York and James Rivers, and then advance northwest on Richmond. Differences between the general and his commander-in-chief continued. 

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Under the Railways and Telegraph Act, President Lincoln was empowered to seize control of all railroad and telegraph lines in Federal jurisdiction. Although this was an unconstitutional seizure of private property, this was intended to facilitate better transportation and communication within the military.

Railroad lines assisting the Federal effort were organized into the U.S. Military Railroad. Most railroad executives voluntarily cooperated with the government to avoid seizure by force. Federal control of the railroad and telegraph lines was vital in transporting troops and relaying messages. This also set the precedent for future presidents to seize control of private companies and property in the interest of "national security."

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President Lincoln accepted Secretary of War Simon Cameron's resignation. Cameron was a notoriously corrupt political boss, about whom Lincoln said that the only thing "he wouldn't steal was a red-hot stove." While Cameron was not personally charged with any crimes, a report revealed vast corruption within his War Department that squandered taxpayer money and jeopardized soldiers' lives through waste and inefficiency. Lincoln defended Cameron by saying that he and his administration "were at least equally responsible... for whatever error, wrong, or fault was committed."

Replacing Cameron was former Democrat Edwin M. Stanton, a personal friend of General-in-Chief George B. McClellan who was known to dislike Lincoln. Nevertheless, Stanton worked to end War Department corruption through ethically questionable means. Some supported his effectiveness, while others accused him of exceeding his constitutional powers. Stanton soon became one of the war’s most controversial figures.

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President Abraham Lincoln continued having problems with his general-in-chief, George B. McClellan. Lincoln was growing increasingly impatient with McClellan, who had been in command of the U.S. Army of the Potomac for over four months and had not yet invaded Virginia as Lincoln had urged.

Lincoln proposed an attack on Confederates near Centreville and Manassas in northern Virginia. But McClellan rejected it, instead formulating a secret plan to move his army by sea to the mouth of the Rappahannock River. From there, he planned to invade Virginia from Urbanna. Lincoln continued prodding McClellan to move faster, but the general-in-chief contracted typhoid and laid serious ill for the rest of the year.

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The National Right-to-Carry Reciprocity Act of 2011 (H.R. 822) could enable the federal government to seize control of all concealed firearm carry permits. This could potentially lead to federal authorities depriving individuals of their right to bear arms.   

The bill, which passed the House of Representatives in November, would require states that allow people to carry concealed firearms to accept concealed carry permits from other states. The Republican-led House celebrated this as a move to protect gunowners’ rights, but it could actually lead us down the slippery slope to banning guns.  

The measure has moved to the Democrat-controlled Senate, which could easily add anti-gun amendments before sending it back to the House for reconciliation. These amendments could include steps toward ultimately allowing the federal government to intervene and regulate the permit process.   

Most states already have reciprocity agreements for concealed carry permits with other states. So why does the federal government need to intervene if not to eventually take control of the permit process on a national level?   

If federal bureaucrats are empowered to control the permit process, it would be very easy for an anti-gun administration (like the Obama administration perhaps?) to place impossible requirements or fees on permits to ensure that individuals are barred from carrying or bearing arms.   

On the surface, this bill could be a positive move to affirm our Second Amendment rights. However, any measure giving the federal government authority over something that could be regulated just as well by the states is a move toward centralizing power in Washington, which inherently poses a threat to our individual freedom.

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In response to the Federal military fiascoes at Bull Run in July and Ball's Bluff in October, the U.S. Congress created what became known as the Joint Committee on the Conduct of the War. The seven-member committee was dominated by Radical Republicans who sought punitive measures against the South and the immediate abolition of slavery. They distrusted Democrats such as General-in-Chief George McClellan, and they criticized conservative Republicans such as President Lincoln for a perceived lack of resolve in prosecuting the war.

Committee hearings were held in secret, with committee members often giving their spin on the facts to the press. Many witnesses testifying before the committee were deprived of their basic rights. Lincoln himself was required to testify that First Lady Mary Lincoln was not "two thirds slavery and one third secesh" because she had several relatives serving the Confederacy. During its existence, the committee interrogated several high-ranking officials and tarnished many reputations amidst complaints of unethical behavior and political bias.

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Nearly 6,000 northern businesses failed in 1861, primarily due to the loss of southern markets. In addition, the specie (i.e., gold and silver) reserves in the U.S. Treasury were being depleted due to large new payments being made to war contractors. Citizens feared a financial panic and began hoarding their precious metals, making the economy worse.

To lessen the specie drainage, leading bankers stopped redeeming paper money with gold or silver. However, that hurt government bond sales because bonds were required to be bought with gold. This in turn hurt the war effort because bond sales helped finance the war.

Congress responded by increasing taxes on various items such as coffee, tea, molasses, and sugar. In addition, Treasury secretary Salmon P. Chase requested the creation of a national banking system in which banks would become members by purchasing government bonds. Chase also requested that the Treasury follow the bankers' lead and stop backing paper money with specie. This would allow the government to simply print the money it needed to pay for the war, but it would also devalue the currency and potentially destroy the most stable financial system in U.S. history. These measures were bitterly debated in Congress.

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Northerners celebrated the capture of two Confederate envoys aboard a British ship on the high seas. However, when news of the incident crossed the Atlantic, British officials were furious that a U.S. ship would board a neutral foreign vessel in violation of international law. The British press threatened war, and the Royal Navy transported over 10,000 troops to Canada to prepare for war if the envoys were not returned with an apology.

A war between the U.S. and Britain would greatly enhance southern chances for independence. However, British officials resisted conflict because they had more pressing issues in Europe and could not afford a far-off war. So Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, mediated a deal in which the British would modify their demands if the U.S. surrendered the envoys with the acknowledgement that they should not have been seized in the first place.

President Abraham Lincoln was advised against accepting the British offer, but he cited "one war at a time," and surrendered the envoys. This surrender actually harmed the Confederacy more than the U.S. because it assured that Britian would not intervene militarily in the conflict.

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In a recent speech, President Obama compared his ideology Teddy Roosevelt's Progressive "New Nationalism." This is NOT a good thing, and any American who values their personal liberty should be very afraid of this man and the hell he is about to unleash in the 2012 presidential campaign. Read more HERE.

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Want a sneak preview of what our new national health care system will cost us when it's implemented? Well, just look at Canada, where the average family of 4 pays over $10,000 per year for public health insurance. If you think health care is expensive now, just wait until it's "FREE." Read more HERE. 

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U.S.S. San Jacinto intercepted the British ship Trent on the Atlantic and seized passengers James Mason and John Slidell, two Confederate envoys heading for Europe to seek foreign aid for the Confederacy. Although this was a clear violation of international maritime law, Trent was escorted to Boston where Mason and Slidell were imprisoned.

Northerners initially celebrated the capture, but when the news crossed the Atlantic, the British were outraged. Prime Minister Lord Palmerston demanded a formal apology and the return of Mason and Slidell, otherwise the U.S. would face war with Britain. As the British deployed 8,000 troops to Canada, President Lincoln and his cabinet discussed what became known as the "Trent affair." 

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In Kentucky, General Leonidas Polk’s Confederates held a thin defensive line from the Cumberland Gap to Columbus on the Mississippi River. Federal Major General John C. Fremont ordered Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant to occupy Belmont, Missouri across the river from Columbus. This was intended to be a diversion to hide Federal operations in Missouri.

Grant transported 3,000 men in steamers and entered Belmont unopposed. However, he was surprised by Confederates already in the town, and a sharp fight ensued in which the Federals were ultimately pushed back to their riverboats. Grant maintained that his objective was accomplished, but nothing was gained or lost in his first skirmish.

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The General-in-Chief of the U.S. Army, the 75-year old Winfield Scott, resigned due to an inability to handle his position at such an advanced age. Scott was pressured to resign by his young subordinate, General George McClellan, who clashed with him on military policy. McClellan had also publicly stated that he believed Scott was unfit for command.

This ended one of the most decorated military careers in American history. Scott had been involved in every U.S. conflict since the War of 1812, including the overall commander of forces in the Mexican War of 1847-1848. With this, George McClellan became the new general-in-chief, and his difficulties with President Abraham Lincoln increased.

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