Download Civil War Begins - Mr. Hughes' Classes

Civil War Begins
“A Divisive Symbol”
• Southern Mobilization
• After lower south seceded they mobilized
as if at war
– Seized forts, Arsenals, customs houses, &
federal buildings
– Buchanan never blinked an eye to the
seizure of federal possessions except » Refused to give up Fort Sumter
• Lincoln’s “Conundrum” Fort Sumter 1861
– Fort needed supplies – S. Carolina had
called for forfeiture of all forts in the state
– Inauguration stated to maintain & “posses
the property” of federal gov.
» Northerners in general opposed more
concessions
– Southerners wanted the fort (for their own)
& to avoid further tension/conflicts
• Fort Sumter - battle of wills
– Lincoln - chose to relieve the forth with
supplies; despite only two opposing his
decision
– Force was to re-supply not re-enforce
“A Divisive Symbol”
• The Challenge
• Re-supply was a challenge to Southerners
authority
– Considered the re-supply a ruse – to place a
garrison
• Others – a welding link of Confederacy
– “Sir, unless you sprinkle blood in the face of the
people of Alabama they will be back in the union in
less than 10 days”
• South raises the ante
– C.S.A. gov. demanded the surrender of the fort –
having learned of Lincoln's expedition
– “If Major Anderson will state time at which…he will
evacuate, you are authorized to avoid blood shed.
If this, or its equivalent, be refused, reduce the
fort..”
• Series of conferences occur between Anderson &
C.S.A. commanders –
– Anderson refuses to evacuate
– Sumter attacked April 12,1861
Advantages vs Disadvantages
• Fort Sumter
• Came under fire from the harbor cannon
– 40 hours of bombardment
– No one was killed
» Relief crew could do nothing but carry off the
dejected soldiers
• Southern Border states united with C.S.A. quickly there
after
• Lincoln calls for a draft of 75,000 troops two days later
• South mobilizes for war as well
• North 22 million
• 4:1 pop. Advantage - 3 ½ times the man power of the
South
– 3,500,000 men
• All South’s industry & Banking were in the North
– 7-1 or 9-1 advantage in terms of materials produced (pigiron, firearms, rail road tracks)
• Large infrastructure
– Largest arms manufacturing in the U.S.
• South 9 million
•
•
•
•
Half pop. is slaves
1:4 pop. Advantage
1,000,000 men
Limited infrastructure
Advantages vs Disadvantages
• Physical advantage
• Defensive Position
– North has to expend man power on the South –
invasion
» Holding occupied territory
– North has to invade South to “restored” the Union
» North expend resources maintain presence
– South – long coastline – possibility of trade with foreign
nations
» South has interior lines – rapid mobilization
• Psychological;
– Greater cause for fighting
» North – unification of the union – noble &
emotional
» South – fighting for independence
– Patriotism - sentiments
» Believing in what your fighting in – Southern
sentiments ran high
» Northern sentiments – inarticulate and disjointed
– Better leadership
» South has better generals than the North – most if
not all top West point grads.
• Each saw the war as being small and short
North & South Strategies
• North: Winfield Scott (Anaconda
Plan)
• Capture and hold Missouri, Kentucky,
Tennessee
– Control Mississippi River – Detaching
Southern-Western states of the south
• Implement a blockade of south
– Protect Wash. D.C.
– Fresh & new equip.
– Minimize southern destruction of
resources –
» Creating voluntary re-union of the
South
• South: Passive role
• Defend Richmond
• Interior lines – deny Northern
“Conquerability”
• Provide surprise attacks
– Mystify and mislead the Union Forces.
First Campaigns
•
Bull Run – July 1861
– McDowell urged to defend D.C.
• Offensive – thrust (Mannasas)
– Push against South; at railroad junction
• Operated off the premise that CSA P.G.T. Beauregard not be reinforced
– Attempted to Isolate Joseph E. Johnston; CSA troops
– Union sends 69 yr old General Patterson to isolate Johnston
• Johnston Slipped away from Patterson; reinforced Beauregard's troops
• Beauregard expected attack from right (along railroad)
• North advanced to the left of CSA – caught them be surprise (temporary victory)
– South only had to defend their position – not make long advances
– Reinforcements arrived from behind the CSA Lines
• Union pushed back South to Henry House Hill
• Thomas Jonathan “Stonewall” Jackson
– Stonewall and his brigade maintained their position and he rallied the left
flank; Rebel Yell
• McDowell failed to deploy to Union reserve brigades to help; South pushed back
the Union and caused them to retreat
– Orderly retreat becomes disorderly; turns into a mob
– “There was never anything like it for causeless, sheer, absolute, absurd cowardice, or
rather panic, on this miserable earth before. Off they went, one and all; down the
highway, over across the fields, towards the woods, anywhere, everywhere to escape”
Battle of Bull Run
McDowell & McClellan
• McDowell Failure
• Bull Run a non-decisive battle
• Promoted Southern Pride – Union humiliation
(demoralized)
• McClellan advances
• Winfield Scott retired Nov. 1 1861
• McDowell (Irvine) discredited
• Defenses of D.C “full of drunken men in uniform”
• Two Tasks
– Defense of D.C.
– Drilling & Discipline
• Brilliant Organizer
– Absorbed in preparation
• South not any better
• Disorganized by victory (Bull Run)
• President Davis – grandeur of leading troops into
battle
– Mucked up communication – opposed a coordinated
attack on McDowell before Bull Run
Lincoln vs. McClellan
• Lincoln & pressure
• 7 months McClellan assumed all military
command
– Devoted to communication & military
signals
– Building up his staff; writing up plans to
be used
• Lincoln was under pressure to have
something done
• McClellan’s disdain
• Lincoln though not militarily trained
poured over books and strategies
– McClellan hated listening to Pres. Advice
– Believed the safety of nation rested with
him (McClellan)
• He snubbed the president; wrote
complaining letters; disregarded
Commander & Chiefs requests
• Pres. General War Order No. 1 – call of
union forces to advance Feb. 22 (Push
McClellan)
• McClellan chose (obviously) a differing
approach on Johnston’s (ignored War
Order)
Peninsular Campaign - 1862
• Peninsular Campaign - Union
• Attempts to attack Richmond from the south; Cut
off the South from their capital
• Attacks from Fort Monroe/ Norfolk to York Town to
outskirts of Richmond.
• McClellan advanced with 120,000 men towards
Richmond: insisted on more
• South halts union advance at Williamsburg
• South
• General Jackson – tactics – mystify and mislead
the Union forces (diversionary tactic) 16,000 vs.
45,000
• He made a series of attacks 5 attacks towards D.C.
• This halted the advance of McClellan from South –
Lincoln dispatched troops to capture Jackson
(concern over D.C. assault)
• This left McClellan with limited troops; (still had
140,000 to South’s 85,000
• Union Forces attempt weak assault
• Union forces become attacked; when crossing a
river
• 40% of troops across river – South attacks – North
routed
• Seven days war in which Union forces driven back
and out of Richmond
• McClellan order back to Fredericksburg (Pope
replaces McClellan) 1862
Antietam
• Union is in a bad case of affairs:
• Lost Peninsular Campaign; Lost Seven
Days Campaign, Lost Second Bull Run
• Pope is replaced by McClellan (again)
• Sept. 1862
– Lee’s assault; live off land; destroy critical
industries of the North
• Draw out union forces; Threaten vital
union lines; Attack railroad
• Allow Confederacy to be recognized by
foreign Empires
• South cross’s Potomac river; Northerners
concerned capital will be captured
– Order No. 191 – private found Lee’s orders
dispatching Jackson to Harper’s Ferry
– Military No-No; Never divide your troops
• Jackson & Harper’s Ferry
• Jackson’s U turn to come back and
assist Lee who is able to fend off the
Union advance
– Jackson arrives on the battle field: this give
Lee backbone to stay and fight
Antietam
•
•
•
•
Confederate army has choice of ground since
they arrived first
Union attacks along Antietam Creek; along a
ridge: flanking attacks on the South (vice)
• Union fighting disjointed from the right
and left under Hooker & Burnside
• Allows Lee to send troops back and forth
where ever needed
• Confederate center broken; McClellan
refuses to send in reserve troops (Union
can’t hold it)
Burnside & Bridge fighting on the left is fierce
• Burnside takes the bridge on the
Southern right; could allow a sweep of
Southern flank
– A.P. Hill to rescue arrives in time to push
back the Union forces and save the Southern
flank
Antietam claimed more soldiers in a single battle
than any other
• 12 – hours 12,401 (north)
• South – 10,318 (31% of their army)
Results of Antietam
• McClellan claimed victory but failed to
capture the CSA army; who waited a
day before retreating!
– McClellan’s Failure
• Failed to gather intelligence w/
cavalry
• Sent driblets of reinforcements in
the heat of the battle
• Failed to stop Lee’s retreat
– He waited 5 weeks before moving
– North Stops South on their first
major assault
• McClellan asks for more men and
supplies to venture after Lee
• Lincoln could stand no more;
replaces McClellan with Burnside
• Lee’s failures
– Accomplished none his goals:
• Failed to influence foreign
powers
• Failed to get Lincoln out of office
Fredericksburg
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•
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Burnsides colossal blunder
• (Nov - Dec 1862)
• North has an opportunity to take the
south – take Jackson & Longstreet
division – days previous
• Attacks at Fredericksburg – waits for
pontoons to cross river
North 110,000 vs. South 75,000
• Burnsides cross’s river – takes
Fredericksburg
• March’s against CSA – Marye’s heights
(high hill position)
• CSA entrenched behind the sunken wall
(Cobb, Cooke’s, Kershaw’s)
• 13 separate charges; made by Union army
– across open field (nightfall stopped the
slaughter)
North’s loss 12,600 (1,284 killed 9,600 wounded)
vs. South’s 5,300 (600 actually killed for CSA)