The Civil War
Confederate States of America
Union Strategy 1. Suffocate S with blockade of coasts (Anaconda Plan) 2. Liberate slaves (undermine economic foundation) 3. Cut Confederacy in ½ by seizing Mississippi River 4. Chop territory to pieces (cut through GA and up thru Carolinas 5. Capture Richmond 6. Engage enemy s main strength and grind it into submission!
A cartoon put forth by those wanting vigorous prosecution of the war, lampoons General Winfield Scott s plan to strangle the Confederacy.
First Bull Run (Battle of Manassas) - VA Union army of 30,000 were drilling near Washington Summer 1861 Union not prepared for battle press and public want action! Lincoln concluded that an attack on a small Confederate force would show that secession was a mistake Lead to attack on Richmond Union restored Everyone excited Congressmen and spectators trailed w/ lunch baskets Confederate General Jackson s troops stood like a stone wall Stonewall Jackson Confederate reinforcements came Many Union soldiers fled, Confeds didn t pursue stayed and ate lunches
The Battle of First Bull Run, July 21, 1861
Union Withdrawal at Bull Run
Effects South is now VERY overconfident Southern soldiers deserted war surely over! Enlistment goes down, preparations slackened North realizes this isn t a 90 day war need to buckle down!
Ulysses S. Grant Mediocre student at W. Point Mexican-American War, stationed at isolated frontier posts = drunk Resigned from army to avoid court martial for drunkenness Volunteered for war was resourceful and tenacious One tactic frontal assault Saw big picture
Fort Henry and Fort Donelson 2 key Confederate forts on Tenn. River Taken by Ulysses Grant and brought him attention as a hero Guaranteed Union control of Kentucky, which was wavering
George McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign McClellan given command of the Army of the Potomac Union force in Washington D.C. 34 yr old West Pointer, Young Napoleon, Mexican War, observed Crimean War Organizer and drillmaster, increased morale, idolized by men, perfectionist Intelligence reports from Pinkerton s Detective Agency made him believe he was always outnumbered = overcautious Wouldn t move Lincoln had to issue orders to advance
General George B. McClellan and the Army of the Potomac
Peninsula Campaign
George McClellan and the Peninsula Campaign (Battle Chart) Decided on a water approach to Richmond Peninsula Campaign 100,000 men, took 1 month to capture Yorktown, Richmond in sight Lincoln diverted reinforcements to chase Stonewall Jackson near D.C. McClellan further frustrated by Jeb Stuart s Confeds surrounded him
War at Sea Blockade leaky at first 3,500 miles of coast, had to convert yachts and ferryboats Concentrated on key ports GB warned shippers to say away no war! Southern blockade-running profitable Runners built in Scotland Meet British at W. Indies, get arms in exchange for cotton, go to Canada This ended as blockade got tighter Northern navy would seize British ships if they had war supplies knew ultimate destination London gave in
Merrimack v. Monitor Major threat to blockade in 1862 Clash of ironclads Merrimack former wooden warship plated with old iron RR rails Renamed Virginia took down 2 Union ships in VA waters Monitor ironclad Union ship that intervened Fought for 4 hours Draw!! Confederates destroyed ship to keep it from Union grasp
Shiloh, Tenn Grant wanted to capture railroad junction in Mississippi foiled on the way Confederacy caught Grant by surprise almost destroyed army on 1 st day Grant was reinforced and forced the Confeds back to Mississippi Ended all hopes of the South regaining Tenn. Heavy casualties U 13,047 C 11,600 Many want to get rid of Grant Lincoln said NO!
Robert E. Lee 2 nd in W. Point class Great general Great tactics Knew commanders and his opponents Men loved him Not a great quartermaster Needed to keep casualties to a minimum
Seven Days Battle Lee launches counterattack in Peninsula near Richmond Drove McClellan to sea Union abandons Peninsula Campaign McClellan relieved of duty If McClellan won Union restored? Minimal disruption to South? Lee wins = long war, slavery uprooted, South destroyed Lincoln changes S can t secede, try to destroy govt, experiment, and come back unharmed Began to draft Emancipation Proclamation
Second Battle of Bull Run - (August 29-30, 1862) 1. Union General John Pope 2. Confederate victory 3. Casualties: Union 16,054; Confederates 9,197 4. McClellan replaced Pope
Antietam (Sept, 17, 1862) Lincoln restored McClellan at Antietam popular decision Found a copy of Lee s battle plans wrapped around a packet of cigars Bloodiest day of the war military draw Union 12,401, Confederacy 10,138 Lee retreats, McClellan relieved of duty again Lincoln s victory launched his proclamation Border states now secured Had to wait for victory otherwise it would look like the N needed slaves to murder masters to win war
Battle of Antietam Bloodiest Single Day of the War September 17, 1862 23,000 casualties
Emancipation Proclamation Issued Sept. 22, 1862, effective January 1, 1863 Civil War is now a moral crusade The South is to be destroyed and replaced by new propositions and ideas Where he could free slaves, he didn t; where he couldn t, he did Provisions: Slaves in rebellious states are forever free Border states and conquered states are not affected
First Reading of the Emancipation Proclamation
The Emancipation Proclamation
African-American Recruiting Poster
Effects Southern slaves flock to invading Northern armies 1 in 7 had already ran away to Union camps Black perseverance convinced Union soldiers of slavery s evils Foreshadowed doom of slavery (13 th amend) Changed nature of war no negotiated settlement possible now
Reactions Abolitionists said he didn t go far enough Old NW and Border states too far More opposition to war in North, more desertions Congressional elections voted Democratic European aristocrats sympathized with the South because Proclamation only applied to rebel slaveholders Workingclasses of Europe saw end of slaveryhappy North has moral upper hand!
Blacks Battle Bondage Army had no blacks at war s outset Free blacks in North not allowed, some in navy as cooks, stewards, etc. Changed as manpower ran low and emancipation was proclaimed War s end = 180,000 in Union Army 10% of total Union enlistments Massachusetts 54 th regiment under Colonel Shaw 1 st Union all-black unit Why fight? End slavery, prove manhood, strengthen claim to full citizenship Congressional Medals of Honor given If captured, most put to death as slaves in revolt (until 1864, then POW s) Fort Pillow, TN surrendered but were massacred
The Massacre at Fort Pillow, TN (April 12, 1864) -Blacks surrendered but were massacred
Nathan Bedford Forrest (Captured Fort Pillow) 262 African-Americans 295 white Union soldiers. Ordered black soldiers murdered after they surrendered! [many white soldiers killed as well] Became the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan after the war.
African-Americans in Civil War Battles
Blacks Battle Bondage Confederates didn t enlist blacks until 1 month before war s end Some kept farms going, built fortifications Young men were home guards in fear of slave insurrection kept them from the front Slave resistance slow downs, strikes, Union spies, guides, scouts 500,000 ran away from plantations Those who stayed negotiated new working conditions
Women s Roles Took over men s jobs while at war, worked in factories clothes, shoes 500 clerks in D.C. jobs 400+ posed as male soldiers, dangerous spy missions, camp followers Dr. Elizabeth Blackwell organized U.S. Sanitary Commission Trained nurses, collected medical supplies, equipped hospitals Clara Barton worked in field hospitals Dorothea Dix Superintendent of Union army nurses Sally Tompkins (S) ran Richmond Infirmary, awarded rank of captain by Davis Organized fairs to raise $ for widows, orphans, disabled soldiers Southern women not as ready to take on men s roles Slaves killed mistresses while male masters at war
Fredericksburg (Dec. 13, 1862) Gen. Ambrose Burnside is commander of Army of Potomac Rash frontal attack on Lee who was entrenched 10,000 killed
Chancellorsville (May 2-4, 1863) -Gen Joe Hooker is defeated George Meade replaces him after -Lee sent Jackson s forces Jackson shot by one of his own men -Lee planned to invade N this time through Pennsylvania -victory would add strength to those in the North who want peace and allow for possible foreign intervention
Confederate General Thomas Stonewall Jackson is mortally wounded
Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) Bloodiest battle of the war: 53,000 casualties
The Confederate and Union armies converge on the little village of Gettysburg
Day 1: Union troops are pushed out of the city but get the high ground
Day 2: Fighting along the Union flanks; Little Round Top
Day 3: Pickett s charge on the Union center frontal assault failed
Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863) During battle, a Confederate peace delegation moved toward Union Davis hoped it would meet up with Lee after a Gettysburg victory NOPE Union wins Lincoln won t allow peace delegation in Lincoln went to Gettysburg to dedicate the cemetery 2 minute speech, little attention at the time
Gettysburg Address (Nov, 1863) Equality became supreme commitment of gov t Established idea of nation over union -- The U.S. is free; instead of U.S. are free
The Road to Gettysburg: 1863
Gettysburg Casualties