The Civil War to 1863 A nation goes to war against itself
A Southern Plantation House
More Southern Plantations
A Large Northern Farm
More Northern Farms
Election of 1860 South was threatening to secede from the Union if the Republicans won they didn t trust Lincoln Republicans (met in Chicago) Seward or Lincoln? Democrats (met in Charleston, April 1860) Stephen Douglas?
Democrats divided Forced to hold a 2 nd convention (at Baltimore, June 1860) which also failed to get a candidate from a unified Democratic Party Divided party nominates 2 candidates Democratic Party Stephen Douglas (IL) and Herschel Johnson (GA) Southern Democrats John C. Breckinridge (KY) and Joseph Lane (OR) Constitutional Union Party (met in May, 1860) Nominated John Bell (TN) and Edward Everett (MA)
Douglas felt only he could keep the Union together in the upcoming election Election was completely on sectional lines Lincoln 180 all Northern states, CA, OR Breckinridge 72 all the deep South plus MD & DE Bell 39 the border states of TN, VA, KY Douglas 12 MO and part of NJ
Secession Begins Lincoln was elected in November 1860 but would not take office until March 1861. Immediately after the election, South Carolina called for a special convention and voted for secession on December 20, 1860. At his inauguration, Lincoln announced that states could not secede and that he intended to hold the two forts that remained in the South - Fort Pickens (FL) and Fort Sumter (SC)
States Secede By February 1861 six more states had followed (and Lincoln had not even been inaugurated yet) Mississippi January 9 Florida January 10 changed United States to Confederate States in their constitution Alabama January 11 Georgia January 19 Louisiana January 26 Texas February 23
Creation of the Confederacy Met in Montgomery in February 1861 Elected Jefferson Davis (MS) and Alexander Stephens (GA) Created a Constitution very similar to U.S. Slavery recognized and protected No protective tariffs Six year term for President & VP (no reelection)
President had power of Line Item Veto in appropriations bills State sovereignty is recognized Capital is Montgomery (later Richmond) Northern Reaction Mixed Let erring sisters go in peace Unconstitutional but No right to intervene Lincoln Inaugurated 3-4-1861 tried to reassure the South would keep federal forts and arsenals in the South
Fort Sumter Only 2 forts still controlled by Union forces in the South Fort Pickens (off Pensacola, FL) Fort Sumter (in Charleston Harbor) Sumter low on supplies Southerners demanded the fort On April 11, 1861, Confederate General P.G.T. Beauregard (on orders from President Davis) demanded the surrender of the fort
Major Robert Anderson - in charge of defending Fort Sumter
Pierre Gustave Toutant Beauregard demanded the surrender of Fort Sumter and opened fire when it did not.
Knowing supplies were on the way, at 4:30 AM on April 12, Beauregard opened fire on Fort Sumter Lacking sufficient supplies, Anderson surrendered on April 13 and evacuated the fort on the 14 th Lincoln and the States React The day following the surrender, Lincoln put out a call for troops 75,000 volunteers to serve for 3 months to put down the rebellion
In Response, more southern states vote for secession VA April 17 Lincoln could see Confederate flags from the White House AR May 6 NC May 20 TN June 8 DE, KY, MO and MD wavered to varying degrees but stayed with the Union DE had few slaves KY declared itself neutral then sided with the North when the South failed to respect the neutrality
The Middle Ground According to Lincoln, the coming war was NOT over slavery but was instead about the unconstitutionality of secession HOWEVER, slaveholders and slaves too didn t believe him many slave owners sent their slaves further south to protect them Lincoln was in a tough situation Washington, DC was surrounded by slave territory (MD and VA) and VA was increasingly looking like secession was inevitable
In April 1861, Lincoln declared martial law in MD and sent federal troops through MD to prevent them from voting for secession Slaves met along the way begged to be taken along To prevent problems with slavery supporters, soldiers were forbidden to harbor fugitives but many ignored the order Soldiers were also required to help recover any runaways but many refused
The first regiment called up by Lincoln was attacked by a prosouthern mob in Baltimore, MD on April 16, 1861. A dozen civilians and four soldiers were killed. This is one of the reasons why Lincoln declared martial law in MD and forced them to stay in the Union. Baltimore Riots
Comparisons The North versus The South
The North 23 states incl. CA, OR, MO, KY, MD & 7 territories Population 22 million (4 million men of combat age) Economy 100,000 factories 1.1 million workers 20,000 miles of RR (70% of US total; 96% of all RR equipment) $189 million in bank deposits (81% of total) $56 million in gold specie
The South 11 states (not all of the slave states in the Union) Population 9 million (3.8 million slaves; 1.2 million men of combat age) Economy 20,000 factories 101,000 workers 9,000 miles of RR (30% of US total; 4% of all RR equipment) $47 million in bank deposits (19% of total) $27 million in gold specie
The South
Agricultural Comparison North vastly out-produced the South in agricultural products The North had more livestock holdings (except donkeys and mules) The only commodity the South produced in greater quantity than the North was cotton which would have to be sold overseas.
Other Comparisons The North had the means to increase wartime supplies and ship them efficiently by rail. The South would have to purchase weapons, ships, & arms from foreign sources which meant it was vulnerable to a Union naval blockade Southern advantage was the US Army was comprised and led by mostly Southerners who immediately defected to the South s cause
Soldiers Southern soldiers were generally better riders, more at home with weaponry, many possessed their own rifles, and showed greater martial spirit than their Northern counterparts Northern armies were mostly made up of conscripts from urban areas, many of them immigrants who spoke little or no English, led by political appointees
Southern Advantage War was also to be fought primarily in the South giving the Southern troops the advantage of knowing the terrain, local support and supply, and the action of defending the homeland (think American Revolution) For a short war, the South had a tremendous advantage. For a long term war, the North would be able to gain the upper hand
The Military: Leaders and Men North and South
The Northern Commanders General Winfield Scott (seated) was the General- In-Charge of the Union Army when war broke out. He resigned in October 1861 when it became apparent that the vast age difference between him and his commanders interfered with operations.
Northern Commanders After Scott resigned, the Union Army was divided in two. The Army of the Potomac was commanded by Major General Irvin McDowell. But after his disastrous loss at the First Battle at Bull Run, the Army of the Potomac was turned over to General George B. McClellan (pictured).
The Northern Commanders Though he was not the overall Union commander until later in the war, Ulysses S. Grant did serve as Commander of the Army in the West early in the war.
The Southern Commanders General Joseph E. Johnston had been the Quartermaster of the U.S. Army but had defected to the Confederate Army when VA seceded. He was instrumental in the Southern victory at the first battle of Bull Run.
The Southern Commanders Thomas J. Jackson is credited with turning the tide of battle at the first battle of Bull Run, he and his men made a stand that allowed reinforcements to arrive in time. Supposedly other generals rallied their troops by saying, There stands Jackson like a stone wall. Regardless of how it started, Stonewall stuck and he became Lee s right hand man until his death at Chancellorsville, VA in 1863.
The Southern Commanders General Robert E. Lee had put down John Brown s revolt at Harper s Ferry but when his beloved Virginia seceded, he joined the Confederate Army as commander of the Army of Virginia and was named commander of the entire army late in the war.
Typical Northern Soldiers Despite their lack of effective command, Union soldiers had the vast resources of the U.S. Government and were very well equipped.
Typical Southern Soldiers Even though they tended to have more military experience, the Confederate Government had much more limited resources. This meant that troops often lacked proper equipment and uniforms.
The Battles Begin 1861
Bull Run The first major clash between armies came on July 21, 1861 just 20 miles outside of Washington, DC. Civilians turned out to watch with picnic baskets in hand. When Federal forces began to retreat, a Confederate shell hit a Union supply wagon as it was crossing a bridge. The orderly retreat turned into chaos but instead of pursuing the fleeing Union army, many Confederates began to rejoice on the battlefield. The Union had originally thought this would be a short, 90-day war but after the defeat at Bull Run (VA), they realized this was not the case.
A War over Slavery? At Wilson s Creek, Missouri, Union forces are defeated (August 10-30, 1861) and one of the Union s best commanders, John C. Fremont, is forced to surrender much of Missouri to the Confederates. To reverse his military losses, he declares martial law and announced that all slaves were free. Lincoln requested this order be withdrawn but Fremont refused and Lincoln removed him from command.
Incompetent Command? Lincoln continued to replace commanders at a rapid rate. General Winfield Scott, the Union Commander at the beginning of the war, was an entire generation older than his officers and men. He resigned after only a few months. But Lincoln s best officers had all been from the South and had resigned their commissions when the states succeeded. Eventually, he appointed George McClellan but he was too cautious for Lincoln (he actually refused to send men out to fight - a direct order) and was replaced. However, since McClellan was very competent, Lincoln reinstated (and removed) him from command several more times.
In April 6-7, 1862, Confederate forces surprised Union troops camped around Shiloh Church along the Tennessee River. A few of the Union troops managed to hold their ground but it wasn t until Union reinforcements arrived that the Confederate advance was stopped. Losses were staggering - 13,000 Union and 11,000 Confederate in 2 days of fighting. Shiloh That s more than the total American casualties in the Revolution, War of 1812 and Mexican War combined.
Second Battle of Bull Run August 30, 1862 Another Confederate victory Lee, Jackson and James Longstreet combine to defeat the Union under John Pope Union troops (2 armies, twice the size of the Confederate army) forced all the way back to Washington, DC in less than 1 month Pope is fired, McClellan is reinstated
September 17, 1862, Sharpsburg, Maryland. As Pope retreated, Lee took the offensive to capture Washington. McClellan discovered a copy of Lee s plan for invasion so he could easily anticipate Lee s strategy. He met Lee s advance and forced him to retreat but didn t pursue him. It was the single bloodiest day of the entire Civil War - 12,500 Union and 13,000 Confederate killed or wounded - 1 of 4 men Antietam
Emancipation Proclamation Announced on September 22, 1862 after the Union victory at Antietam Would go into effect on January 1, 1863 Would free slaves in the rebelling territory (South only - not the 4 slave states in the Union - areas Lincoln did not control) Led to a decrease in enlistment's so Lincoln had to resort to conscription England and France also decided not to ally with the Confederacy (couldn t endorse slavery)
Changes for the Union Army General Burnside is relieved of command and General Joseph Hooker is appointed to lead the Army of the Potomac (Jan 1863) Secretary of War authorizes the recruitment of African American troops for the U.S. Army - the 54th Massachusetts Volunteers Eventually 185,000 will fight in 166 regiments (70,000 from Southern states)
Chancellorsville May 2-4, 1863 in Chancellorsville, VA Supply crisis was finally starting to devastate the South Lee used unexpected tactics against Hooker (and Hooker could not divide the Confederate Army as planned) Lee s 60,000 held off Hooker s 130,000 A charge by Jackson stunned the Union and they retreated but it cost the South - Jackson was mortally wounded by his own men (he died May 10)
Gettysburg Lee took an opportunity to invade the North The Confederate Army met Union forces commanded by George G. Meade (another new commander) On July 1, 1863, Confederates ran into Union forces but were able to hold them off and take the high ground south of the town and claim victory. Overnight, Union forces streamed in and on the 2nd day, Lee could only pick away at Meade s lines They took the Peach Orchard and Wheat field but fell short at Devil s Den (leaving the Round Top s in Union hands)
Gettysburg
Day 3 - most of the day was spent assembling troops By 1:00pm, the firing of 330 cannon began By late afternoon, Confederate Gen. Pickett led a charge at Union lines (15,000 men) Only a few hundred broke through Union lines - less than 1/2 returned Hope was finished for the Confederacy Nearly 50,000 fell in Gettysburg - 25,000 Union and 21,000 Confederate
Gettysburg
A Change in Fortunes Until the Battle of Gettysburg, the South had dominated the battles Most of the battles had been fought in the South (except the disasters at Gettysburg and Antietam Creek) The fortunes of the South were forever changed after Gettysburg and the began to lose, the effects of the long war finally catching up to them