Download Nuts and Bolts of the Civil War Relations with Foreign Nations

Nuts and Bolts of the Civil War
Relations with Foreign Nations
England
1) May 13, 1861
a. One month after Ft. Sumter Queen Victoria recognized the belligerency of the Confederacy
b. Recognition didn’t = acknowledgement of the independence of the South
c. It was common knowledge that official England favored the Confederacy
d. Lincoln continued to insist that the South couldn’t legally secede
e. The South was rebelling and Lincoln was going to use the power of the federal govt. to control the
rebellion
f. Queen Victoria’s recognition didn’t sit well with Lincoln
2) Trent Affair
a. Capt. Wilkes of the USS San Jacinto stopped the British mail steamer – the Trent
b. He seized 2 Confederate Agents – Slidell and Mason
c. The US people and press cheered, but England was angry – they wanted an apology and reparations
d. The agents had been on their way to England and France
e. The broke through the blockade and boarded the Trent in Havana
f. When the Union sailors took the agents – it was very similar to impressments
g. Seward advised Lincoln to give Slidell and Mason back as well as apologize
Significance : the affair nearly gave England a reason to back the Confederacy. The quick action of
Lincoln and Seward prevented that from happening
3) Lincoln’s Announcement of the Emancipation Proclamation – Sept. 1862
a. Horace Greeley’s Tribune was pushing for a proclamation. He wrote “The Prayer of 20 Million”
b. Lincoln responded to Greeley in Aug 1862
“ I would save the Union … if there be those who would not save the Union unless they could at the
same time destroy slavery, I do not agree with them. My paramount objective … is not either to save
or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave, I would do it; and if I could
save it by freeing all the slaves, I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others
alone, I would also do that …. I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty;
and I intend no modification of my oft expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free.”
c. one month later – Lincoln announced the Emancipation Proclamation
d. the Emancipation wasn’t a sign of a change in Lincoln’s attitude – he believed it would help save the
Union
e. as long as the battle was over the legality of secession, European nations tended to favor the South
f. Carl Schurz – US minister to Spain – advised Lincoln that Europe would be sympathetic to the Union
only if they realized that a Union victory would lead to the end of slavery
g. With the Proclamation – the English people demanded the government stop making ships for the
Confederacy
h. The Russian Czar sent ships to Union waters in case the Union needed help
4) 1862-63
a. it was illegal – against international law – for a neutral nation to build and arm a ship for a belligerent
b. the Confederacy convinced the British that if they started building the ships and then let France finish
them – it would be OK
c. England and France together built 3 commerce raiders – Alabama, Florida and the Shenandoah
d. These ships will destroy 250 Union ships
e. The building of these ships will be a US/GB issue later on
France
1) French government loaned the Confederacy $
2) Emperor Napoleon III allowed the completion of the commerce raiders
3) July 1862 – it looked like a good idea for France to back the Confederacy
a. France and England needed cotton
b. McClellan had failed to take Richmond
c. Slidell was in France to make a deal
4) change will come in Sept. 1862
a. McClellan will stop Lee at Antietam
b. Lincoln will announce the Proclamation
5) Napoleon III will challenge the Monroe Doctrine in 1861
a. England, Spain and France had sent ships to Mexico to collect debts owed
b.
c.
d.
e.
f.
g.
h.
i.
Mexico negotiated a settlement with England and Spain
France used the events as a reason for colonization
Napoleon III sent troops and took Mexico City
Maximillian – Archduke of Austria – was placed in control of Mexico with the support of French
troops
They maintained control throughout the Civil War
Shortly after the War – Lincoln sent 50,000 Union soldiers to Mexico
The French troops withdrew
Maximillian was captured by the Mexican forces and executed
Civil War Battles
1) April 14, 1861 – Fort Sumter - Pg. 451
a. Union under Major Anderson and Confederacy under General Beauregard
b. More a political maneuver than an armed conflict
c. South thought federal forts belonged to the states if the state seceded
d. Lincoln didn’t agree, but he was in a bad spot
e. Virginia had not left the Union yet, and Lincoln knew that a military act would send Virginia and other
states into the Confederacy
f. But the fort was running low on supplies
g. Lincoln was advised by Seward and other members of his cabinet to not send supplies to the fort
h. April 6, 1861 – Lincoln let South Carolina know that an expedition with “supplies only” was on its
way to the fort
i. April 11, 1861 – South Carolina ordered major Anderson to surrender
j. Anderson felt that he could surrender in two days when his supplies ran out – that would still be
honorable
k. Anderson let South Carolina know that he would surrender in 2 days but…
l. April 12, 1861 – Gen Beauregard opened fire on Ft. Sumter – a decision that was made by
Beauregard’s staff – they felt that if Jefferson Davis was consulted – the war might not happen
m. For 34 hours the fort was bombed and Anderson finally surrendered
n. There were no causalities
2) First Battle of Bull Run – July 21, 1861 – Pg. 460
a. Union under Gen. McDowell
b. Confederacy under
i. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson
ii. PGT Beauregard
iii. Joseph E Johnston
c. Union marching South to Richmond. 30,000 soldiers with very little training
d. Union had figured on a quick, easy victory – didn’t happen
e. Change in attitude
i. Not going to be quick
ii. Not going to be easy
f. Lincoln unhappy with McDowell and will replace him with McClellan
3) Peninsular Campaign – March to July 1862 – Pg. 463
a. McClellan had 110,000 soldiers
b. They were well trained and equipped
c. By mid May the Army of the Potomac was within 20 miles of Richmond
d. McClellan waited for re-enforcements he really didn’t need
e. He won battles but he never pressed his advantage – never went after the Confederacy when it was
weak
f. June 26, 1862 – McClellan found himself in a trap set by Lee
g. 7 Days Battle raged and McClellan got himself out of the trap
h. Good Escape – but not what Lincoln was looking for – he wanted Richmond
i. Conflict between Lincoln and McClellan leads to McClellan being replaced by General John Pope
4) Second Battle of Bull Run - Aug. 29-30, 1862 – Pg. 463
a. Major Union setback
b. Gen. Pope is defeated by Lee and Jackson
c. South regains the upper hand
d. Lincoln replaces Pope with McClellan
i. “at least he wins battles”
5) Antietam – Sept. 17, 1862 – Pg. 463
a. Union under McClellan and Confederacy under Lee
b. First major turning point
i. If the Confederates had won
1. Lee would have been in position to go after DC and Philly
2. Napoleon III was talking to England about helping the Confederacy
3. help would have come from France and England
c. Antietam will be the bloodiest day of the War
i. 4808 dead – both sides
ii. 18500 wounded – 3000 of which will die in 48 hours
iii. 3000 missing
iv. for comparison – D-Day saw a total of 6000 dead in a day
d. more of a draw than a Union victory
e. McClellan had the opportunity to advance on the retreating Lee, but the # of dead had made him
cautious and he decided to see the dead buried and the wounded taken care of
f. But the Union needed a victory and Lincoln declared Antietam as one
g. Then Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation
6) Vicksburg – July 4, 1863 – Pg. 462 (map) and 467
a. Union under Grant and Confederates under Pemberton
b. Generals Foote and Grant started by taking Fort Henry on the Tenn. River and Fort Donelson on the
Cumberland River
c. The Union then occupied Cairo – at the junction of the Mississippi and Ohio Rivers
d. From there Pope and Foote went down the Mississippi and captured Island #10
e. Grant went south from Ft. Donelson to Shiloh
f. READ PAGE 462!!!!!
g. April 6-7, 1863 – 2 day battle of Shiloh
h. Grant went to Memphis and marched south along the west bank of the Mississippi
i. He crossed the river and came back to Vicksburg – came in behind the Confederates
j. Grant and his force of 20,000 fought to control over 200 miles of land
k. May 22, 1863 – the siege of Vicksburg began
l. Pemberton and company held on until July 4 when he had to surrender
m. His troops were close to mutiny due to lack of food and supplies
n. While Grant, Foote and Pope were securing the upper Mississippi, Admiral Farragut was securing
ports on the lower portion of the river
o. July 9, 1863 – the Union controlled the whole river
7) Gettysburg – July 1-4, 1863 – Pg. 467-469
a. Union under Meade and the Confederates under Lee
b. Lee’s advance into Penn. Was a stab into a northern state to break the morale of the Union
c. A victory in the North could increase the influence of the Copperheads and increase the dissension that
had begun with the draft riots
d. With a victory in the North – a possibility of European support
e. A Confederate victory could lead the Union to believe the war was no longer worth it
f. But it was not to be
g. Meade took the most favorable positions and awaited Lee’s attack
h. The South pushed the Union back to Cemetery Ridge
i. But Pickett’s charge on July 3rd was held off
j. On July 4th , after Pickett’s defeat, Lee withdrew and the Union declared a victory
8) From Chattanooga to Savannah – May 7- Dec. 22 1864 – Pg. 477
a. General Sherman took Atlanta and cut a 60 mile wide swath to Savannah
b. Chattanooga to Atlanta – Sherman and about 60,000 troops marched and fought in some skirmishes
and a couple of real battles
c. But it was evident the Union was in control
d. July 17 – Sherman was within 8 miles of Atlanta
e. In 6 weeks – the city was taken – Sept. 2
f. After destroying anything that might have been of use to the enemy, Sherman left Atlanta and began
the 300 mile march to the sea
g.
h.
i.
For 300 miles Sherman and his troops cut a path 60 miles wide – all the way to Savannah
Railroads, bridges, warehouses, homes, factories, crops and livestock and useful property was
confiscated or destroyed
On Dec. 10 Sherman reached Savannah and took the city by Dec. 22
9) Wilderness Campaign and the Drive to Richmond – May – June 1864 – pgs. 473-74
a. The campaign began at Culpepper – 70 miles southwest of DC and 80 miles Northwest of Richmond
b. Grant and the Army of the Potomac started their march to Richmond
c. The Union had the manpower and the general to get the job done
d. Lee picked the battle sites as Grant pushed the Confederates back toward Richmond
e. Each battle saw Grant and the Union take heavy losses – but the Union had the numbers and supplies
to sustain the losses
f. Major Battles
i. Wilderness (May 4-6)
ii. Spotsylvania (May 8-12)
iii. Cold Harbor (June 1-3)
iv. Unsuccessful assault on Petersburg (June 15-18)
g. Union losses = twice that of the Confederates
h. For nine months the Unions and the Confederates battled over Petersburg
i. April 2, 1865 – Lee evacuated Petersburg in an attempt to go to Lynchburg
j. April 9, 1865 – Grant forced Lee to surrender at Appomattox
k. The war was over