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Ch. 21
The Civil War
Bull Run
 Bull Run (Manassas
Junction), 30 miles south
of Washington
 Assumed a quick strike
would knock out South
 McDowell v Joe Johnston
July 21/1861
 Picnickers
 Use of Railroad
 “Stonewall” Jackson
 The Great Skedaddle
 Consequences
Mcclellan And The Peninsula
Campaign
 George McClellan—”Young
Napoleon”
 Strengths and Weaknesses
 McClellan’s slow creep down
the Chesapeake
 Jackson in the Shenandoah
 Seven Day’s Battle
 Robert E. Lee
 McClellan’s Retreat
Anaconda Plan
 Union plan has six components:
 Suffocate the south by blockading the
coast
 Liberate the slaves and thus undermine
southern economy
 Cut the South in half by seizing control of
the Mississippi
 Chop the confederacy into pieces by
sending troops through the Carolinas
and Georgia
 Decapitate it by seizing Richmond
 Wage war of attrition and attack the
southern main forces with Bigger Union
forces. South can’t afford to lose troops
at 1-1 ratio.
ART OF WAR
 By 1860 had been huge
technological leaps in
weaponry.
 Rifled barrels
 Minie ball
 Tactics had to change, but most
of the officers didn’t adjust early.
 entrenched defensive
fortifications were supreme.
 Change in how Calvary used.
 Artillery used defensively to
mow down attackers during a
charge and to soften up
defenders before attacking.
Second Bull Run—8/29/62
 Pope v. Lee and Jackson
 Day 1, Pope attempts a frontal assault and is
repulsed.
 Day 2, Longstreet has his troops laid out in an
open V. Pope attacks up the middle and is
mauled.
 16000, Fed. Cas. compared to 9000 Confed.
casualties.
 Pope is relieved of command and sent to Minn.
to fight the Indians. McClelland placed back into
command.
Antietam 9/17/1862
 Lee’s thrust into Maryland
 Purpose
 The cigar problem
 McClelland fails to act aggressively. Draw in
fact, win technically, but tactical defeat for Union.
 9/17/62 Bloodiest single day of the war.
Confed. 14,000 cas.; Union 12,500
 Consequences
 Prevents Southern recognition
 McClelland relieved of command
 Allows for Emancipation Proclamation 9/23/1862
Emancipation Proclamation
 What it said
 Thousands of slaves flocked to the invading
Union armies.
 Lincoln’s goal
 Eliminated any real possibility of a negotiated
peace.
 Abolitionists reaction.
 Rise of the Copperheads.
 Europe reaction
 Prevents negotiated peace.
Fredericksburg
 Gen. Burnside,
 Confed. have fortified positions at top of
ridge. Burnside orders repeated frontal
charges. Union troops are slaughtered. More
than 10,000 casualties.
 12,700 Union Cas. to 5,300 Confed. Casualties.
Biggest disparity of casualties of any Major
Civil War battle.
 Lincoln replaces Burnside with Hooker.
 Winter of 62-63 is low point for the Union.
Chancellorsville
 May 1963. “Fighting”
Joe Hooker takes over
from Burnside and is
beaten at
Chancelorsville.
 17000 Union Casualties.
13,000 Confed.
 Jackson’s night march
 The fall of Jackson
Gettysburg
 Lee’s Plan
 Mead
 Terrain
 Culp’s Hill, Little Round Top,
Big Round Top
 Day 1
 Day 2 confederate plan
 Joshua Lawrence
Chamberlain and 20th Maine
 Pickett’s Charge
 Lee forced to retreat back
across the Potomac.
 28,000 Confed. Casualties;
23,000 Union Cas.
War in the West
 Western Strategy
 Grant
 Shiloh
 Vicksburg
 Battle of
Chickamauga
Sherman’s March on Georgia
 Grant goes to the East
and Sherman takes over
in West
 Capture of Atlanta
 Slash and Burn
Campaign
 Total War
 Captures Savannah
Christmas 1864.
Destruction of the city is
vicious
Politics of War
 Election of 1864
 Split of Democrats
 Union Party
 Andrew Johnson
 Democrats—George
McClelland
 Soldier Vote
 Timely victories in Georgia
 Lincoln Wins 55-45
Grant Outlasts Lee
 Grant takes over in the east after
 Grant advantage and strategy
 5/64 Grant repeatedly tries to jump a march on
Lee and get around his right. Lee forced to
continually retreat to meet these threats.
 (5/64) Battle of the Wilderness –
U=18,000Cas.; Confed. 9000 Cas. Longstreet
severely wounded by friendly fire.
 (5/12) Spotslvania--Union suffers 12,000 Cas.;
Confed. 8,000
Cold Harbor
 Cold Harbor—6/64. Union attacks fortified
Confederate position. 7,000 Union Cas. in
about 7 min.
 In one month, Grant looses 50,000
(Wilderness to Cold Harbor; ½ as many as
lost by that army in the prior 3 years)
 Grant drives Lee back to Petersburg. Lee builds
trenches and fortifications. Grant has to lay in
siege. Grant is in miles of Richmond, but can’t
get at Lee. Seige lasts for 9 months.
The Martyrdom Of Lincoln
 Five days after Lee’s surrender, Lincoln shot by
John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theater in
Washington.
 Lincoln dies at the height of the Union Cause
 Ultimately, Lincoln’s death was bad for the
south.
 Lincoln’s Legacy.