THE CIVIL WAR 1861-1864
THE UNION IS DISSOLVED Seven states have seceded South Carolina Mississippi Florida Alabama Georgia Louisiana Texas
THE FIRST SHOTS FIRED- FORT SUMTER Fort Sumter, South Carolina Union General- Anderson Confederate General- Beauregard Union troops at Fort Sumter completely surrounded by Confederate forces, Union troops running out of food and water Confederate army wants them to leave- warns they will begin to fire if no surrender in one hour After hours of attack on the Fort, Anderson realizes they have zero possibility of surviving this, he surrenders No deaths thanks to Anderson s efforts to keep his men safe Fort Sumter
CIVIL WAR HAS BEGUN Some states had not chosen a side: Virginia Arkansas Tennessee North Carolina All secede from the Union, total states in Confederacy is now up to 11 West Virginia created, remained with the Union
AMERICA AT THE BEGINNING OF THE WAR Purple States: Free- The Union Green States: Popular Sovereignty, territories Red: Newly formed West Virginia Gray: Slave states- The Confederacy
SOUTHERN LEADERS President- Jefferson Davis Cabinet- each state represented however the representatives were not competent Confederate Capital- Richmond, VA Confederate States of America have their own money
NORTH V SOUTH STRENGTHS NORTH Population: 22 Million Leadership: Abraham Lincoln Military Supplies Resources SOUTH Resources- cotton, donkeys Defensive fighting- closer to home, better soldiers, knowledge of the land Population- 9.5 million, however 3.5 were slaves Most important: better generals
SOUTHERN STRATEGY- FIGHT DEFENSIVELY
NORTHERN STRATEGY- 3 PRONG- ANACONDA PLAN strangling the South Army of the Potomac Not successful until Grant takes command Western Front Successful under Sherman & Grant divide the south Naval Blockade Choke off the South and prevent France and England from Joining the South
BATTLES OF THE CIVIL WAR
WEAPONS Breech-Loaded Riffle Gatling Gun- 350 rounds a minute Telegraph Ironclad ships
WEAPONS Submarines Grenades Hot air balloons Rapid movement of troops via R.R.
MEDICINE- NURSE TOOLKIT
BULL RUN Union- McDowell and Patterson Confederacy- Johnston and Beauregard South thought another Southern win would force the Union to surrender North thought if they took the capital the South would surrender Unexperienced army under McDowell pressured to fight Beauregard at Bull Run Patterson to attack Johnston so Beauregard would have a difficult time getting reinforcements
BULL RUN Both sides faced difficulties Union- too detailed of plan for young, inexperienced army to play out Confederates- difficult time communicating with one another General Thomas Jackson earns the nickname Stonewall for the famous battle at Henry House Hill, holding back the Union army Johnston was able to avoid Patterson and came to the aid of Jackson Patterson made little difference and the Union army retreated Major win for the South- confidence. Causalities Union- 2896 with 460 killed Confederates- 1982 with 387 killed Shortly after, Lincoln authorizes enlistment of 500,000 more troops
BULL RUN
BATTLE OF IRONCLADS- MONITOR AND MERRIMACK Ironclad- war ship made of iron. Previous warships made of wood Merrimack- Union ship captured and rebuilt by Confederates, renamed the Virginia Monitor- Union ironclad Initially the Merrimack (Virginia) fought Union wooden ships. All cannon balls shot at the ship bounced off The next day the Monitor arrived Battle ended in stalemate because neither ship could sink the other Significance- naval warfare changed
THE GENERALS Ulysses S. Grant Graduated West Point 1843 Rank 21 in class of 39 Fought in Mexican American War General of the Union Army Later goes on to become 18 th President No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender Robert E. Lee Graduated West Point 1829 Rank 2 in class of 46 Fought in Civil War Returned as superintendent of West Point Refused to command Union forces because it would be against his home state, Virginia
BATTLE OF SHILOH April 1862 Tennessee Western Theater Kentucky was secured Confederates in western Tennessee retreated Union army sets up camp & waits for reinforcements Confederates surprise attack the Union before extra help arrives Initially successful
BATTLE OF SHILOH Hornet s Nest Union army holds strong to the Confederates and is able to comeback Confederates lose General Johnson Union aid arrives Confederates forced to retreat being completely outnumbered Both sides suffered casualties (wounded, dead, or missing) Union 13,000 Confederates 10,000 Bloodiest battle of the war
CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS To block off the South the Union planned to take the Mississippi River Came up through the mouth of the River- through the Gulf- to take New Orleans Taking hold of the river would split the South and stop supplies from coming in through Mexico as well A Naval blockade around the South was stopping trade with Europecrippling the South Easily able to take the city, getting through a small resistance
SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN South got a chance to fight in the North. North escaped in the night after a bombardment from Southern forces- losing too many men
BATTLE OF ANTIETAM The Confederacy was on the offense. After winning at Second Battle of Bull Run, they continued to fight in the North- Maryland Politically, if they ran through Maryland all the way to Pennsylvania, it would convince Britain and France to recognize them as their own country and take their side McClellan did not use his entire force, Lee did in an attempt to defeat the Union force. Union = 70,000 Confederacy = 40,000 When night fell on September 17, 1862 20,000+ men lay dead and wounded The following day, Lee continued to fight, however he ultimately had to retreat back into Virginia.
BATTLE OF ANTIETAM Not exactly a win for either side considering how many men were lost, the Union claims a win since the South was forced to retreat The North could have ended the war there if McClellan used the rest of his men GB and France still refused to recognize the South as an independent country Politically Lincoln knew he had to do something to turn the tide of the war The Bloodiest Day of the War one body had 57 bullets Victory Needed to allow for the Emancipation Proclamation
LINCOLN VISITS ANTIETAM
EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION All persons held as slaves within rebellious states are, and henceforth shall be free Announced in September 1862- active January 1863 Southern States only- does NOT affect border states Would be meaningless without a Union win Allowed for free African American men to fight with the North Stopped the slave aid in the South- slaves were used to build forts and produced food Definitely made the war about slavery, ensuring that France and GB would NOT support the South
CONSCRIPTION Number of volunteers lowers, both sides issue a DRAFT North- all males 20-45 Could be exempted by paying $300 or finding a replacement Poor Northerners exploded with outrage that basically rich people got out of serving South- had fewer inhabitants than the North, also needed to enable the draft
BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE 1- Battle of Fredericksburg 2- Lee divides his forces into 3 3- Outflank the Union forces The Union put up more of a fight than anticipated South had to keep regrouping Eventually the Union was forced to retreat Casualties Union 13,000 Confederates 10,000 & Stonewall Jackson shot
BATTLE OF FREDRICKSBURG Disaster for the Union South was able to stand strong even though they were outnumbered Union- 106,000 Confederate- 72,500 Union had more casualties than the Confederate forces Union- 12,700 Confederate- 5,300 Low point for the Union
SIEGE OF VICKSBURG Union wanted to take Vicksburg to cut off the South from receiving supplies from the West Union brought 35,000 men compared the to Confederates 18,000 men Siege took roughly a month. The Confederates were locked in to the city and would be difficult to defeat. Union continuously bombed the city, knowing eventually the opposing army would run out of food and other supplies The city being cut off from supplies, began eating whatever was available- horses, dogs, cats, rats, and tree bark. Malnutrition= diseases Win to the Union gives more control over the Mississippi
GETTYSBURG Confederates lead by Robert E Lee and General Longstreet Union lead by General Meade July 1-3 1863 July 1- armies are gathering. Confederates force a Union retreat- could have finished them but took too long to gather together and the Union fortified July 2- Both sides heavily armed Union 94,000 and Confederates 72,000. Union won the day despite both sides taking heavy losses- Little Round Top July 3- Lee went full force- Pickett s charge- 12,500 men. Half the men were injured or killed, Lee forced to retreat. Gen Meade and his men were too exhausted to finish the war
GETTYSBURG Union forces- 82,289 Casualties: 23,049 Confederate forces- 75,000 Casualties: 28,063 569 tons of ammunition discharged during the three day battle One civilian killed during the battle- went through a horse Civilians were left to clean up the dead bodies and care for the wounded= diseases, infection, unsanitary conditions
GETTYSBURG
GETTYSBURG ADDRESS Nov 1963 Only a page and a half, roughly two minutes long Initially went unnoticed Known today as one of the most moving pieces in oratory history
Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation, so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate, we can not consecrate, we can not hallow this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth
SHERMAN S MARCH TO THE SEA One of the Union s best generals during the American Civil War (1861-1865), William T. Sherman marched an army (100,000 strong) through the South, destroying the last of its economic resources through GA Waged an economic war against civilians Lived off the land they marched through Were instructed to destroy everything in their path- huge blow to the South s economy Estimated $100 million worth of damages in 1864 dollars!
SHERMAN S MARCH TO THE SEA
APPOMATTOX COURTHOUSE On April 9, 1865 Confederate general Robert E. Lee surrendered to Union general Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Court House in Virginia. Lee: Merciful at the courthouse. Arrives late, worn, dusty, and ragged. Felt sad and depressed about the Confederate surrender Grant: Professional: on time, freshly shaved, courtly, and clean Terms of the surrender: Men allowed to return home with their horse or mule, turn over their rifles. Men also given food- many were very hungry. More than the Confederate army could ask for even though surrendering was very difficult
ANDERSONVILLE 1864-1865 in Georgia Confederate Prison Supposed to have wooden barracks however lumber was expensive= makeshift beds out of wood and blankets under open skies No trees, one little stream, urine- 26 thousand gallons a day. Built to hold 10,000- became quickly overpopulated by three times that amount. Held roughly 45,000 with 13,000 dead Never enough food, virtually half the population almost always ill, violence between the guards and prisoners Wirz commandant-only man hung for his crimes-not even J.Davis
ELMIRA CAMP Union POW Camp Made to house 5,000- ended up with 12,000 Lack of food, medicine, many got various illnesses ¼ inmates died
LINCOLN S ASSASSINATION On April 14, 1865 Ford's Theater in Washington, D.C. Actor John Wilkes Booth shot President Abraham Lincoln in the head The President dies the next day, April 15, at 7:20 AM.
JOHN WILKES BOOTH Confederate sympathizer Initially planned to kidnap Lincoln, but that plan failed so he resorted to killing him Ran out of the theater, escaped on horseback Caught in a barn and shot when he refused to surrender Conspirators were later caught and hung