The Civil War Begins. The Americans, Chapter 11.1, Pages

Transcription

1 The Civil War Begins The Americans, Chapter 11.1, Pages

2 Confederates Fire on Fort Sumter The seven southernmost states that had already seceded formed the Confederate States of America on February 4, Confederate soldiers immediately began taking over federal installations in their states courthouses, post offices, and especially forts. By the time of Abraham Lincoln s inauguration on March 4, only two Southern forts remained in Union hands. The more important was South Carolina s Fort Sumter, on an island in Charleston harbor. ~The Americans, pages 338.

3 Lincoln s Dilemma Dispatch from Fort Sumter March 5 th 1861 Confederacy demands the surrender of the fort Forts supplies will last only six weeks Lincoln s Options Reinforce with U.S. Navy North is starting hostilities Other slave states (8) may secede Evacuate Fort Sumter Treats the Confederacy as a legitimate nation Weakens his administration Threatens the Union Anger Republican Party

4 First Shots Lincoln s Decision Sent in food for hungry men Forces Confederacy to make the first move Jefferson Davis Options Do nothing & damage the image of the Confederacy Attack and become the aggressor nation Attack on Fort Sumter April 12 th 1861 Confederates bombard with 4,000+ shells before fort surrenders

5 Virginia Secedes Lincoln s Call for Troops Calls for 75,000 volunteers to serve for 3 months Response is overwhelming Reactions in the South Virginia Secedes on April 17 th Unwilling to fight against other Southern States Most industrialized & populous state in the South Had an ironworks & navy yard West Virginia Secedes from Virginia Arkansas, Tennessee & North Carolina Secede in May Maryland, Missouri, Delaware & Kentucky remain in the Union

6 Americans Expect a Short War Northerners and Confederates alike expected a short, glorious war. Soldiers left for the front with bands playing and crowds cheering. Both sides felt that right was on their side. ~The Americans, page 340.

7 Union and Confederate Strategies Union Strategy Union Advantages More fighting power More factories Greater food production Extensive railroad system Union Strategy Anaconda Plan Blockade Southern Ports Move down Mississippi & split the Confederacy in two Capture the Confederate capital in Richmond, Virginia Confederate Strategy Southern Advantages Profits from Cotton Strong military tradition Excellent generals High moral Southern Disadvantages Tradition of local, limited government Made it difficult for states to coordinate Strategy (defensive) Destroy Northern armies and convince North to Give up

8 Bull Run (July 21 st 1861) Both Armies Inexperienced Lincoln Orders attack Morning action Battle indecisive Could go either way Stonewall Jackson Rallies Confederate troops with acts of personal courage Confederate reinforcements arrive and turn the tide of battle Union army Routed Southern moral soars Many believe the war is over

9 Union Armies in the West Lincoln responded to the defeat at Bull Run by calling for the enlistment of 500,000 men to serve for three years instead of three months. Three days later, he called for an additional 500,000 men. He also appointed general George McClellan to lead this new Union army, encamped near Washington. While McClellan drilled his men soon to be known as the Army of the Potomac the Union forces in the West began to fight for control of the Mississippi. ~The Americans, page 342.

10 Forts Henry and Donelson Ulysses S. Grant Unsuccessful in civilian life Brave, tough & decisive Invades Western Tennessee in February 1862 Captures two forts holding strategic positions in 11 days Grants terms unconditional and immediate surrender Earns him the nickname Unconditional Surrender Grant

11 Shiloh (April 6 th 1862) Location Tennessee, close to Mississippi border Battle Bloody (25,000 casualties) Confederates make a surprise attack (early success) Grant manages to rally troops & counterattack Lessons from Shiloh Necessity of using scouts, digging trenches & building field fortifications Union drive to take Mississippi could succeed

12 Farragut on the Lower Mississippi David G. Farragut Commander of Union Fleet of 40 ships Ordered to capture New Orleans Largest Confederate Port Capture of New Orleans Sails the Fleet past two Confederate ports Damn the torpedoes, full speed ahead Captures New Orleans on April 29 th 1862 By July 1862, all cities on Lower Mississippi captured except for Vicksburg, Mississippi

13 A Revolution in Warfare Instrumental in the successes of Grant and Farragut in the West was a new type of war machine: the ironclad ship. This and other advances in technology changed military strategy and contributed to the war s high casualty rate. ~The Americans, page 343.

14 Ironclads Advantages of ironclads Withstand cannon fire Resist burning Merrimack (Confederate) Recover a Union Steam ship and cover it with plates of iron Defeats 3 Union wooden ships with no damage to itself Monitor (Union) Designed by Naval Engineer John Ericsson Fires guns from a rotating iron turret

15 New Weapons Rifles More accurate than muskets Faster to reload Minie Ball Soft lead bullet More destructive Other New Weapons Land mines Primitive Hand Grenades Confederate submarine

16 The War for the Capitals Success of union Anaconda Strategy Blockade effective Capture of Mississippi River successful Capturing Richmond unsuccessful General McClellan Good organizer Spends five months training army But extremely cautious Insists that he can not march on Richmond until he has 270,000 men trained I will not move my army until I am absolutely ready. `George B. McClellan

17 On to Richmond McClellan Marches on Richmond in Spring of 1862 Robert E. Lee Tactics went beyond military handbooks Had opposed succession but fought in defense of Virginia Has a smaller army than the Union Forces McClellan back in the Seven Days Battles (June 25-July )

18 Antietam (September 17 th 1862) Lee Wins the battle of 2 nd Bull Run (Aug ) McClellan learns that Lee & Jackson are separated McClellan attack at Antietam creek Bloodiest single day of battle 26,000 casualties As many as War of 1812 & Mexican War combined Battle is a draw Robert E. Lee retreat across Potomac McClellan does not pursue Lincoln fires McClellan