Download 20150429132871

Chapter 15: Civil War Section 2: Early Years of the War
Objectives:
1. Explain how new weapons made fighting the war more dangerous.
2. Describe the course of the war in the East in 1862.
3. Describe the early days of the war in the West and at sea.
New Technology in the War

New weapons made the Civil War more deadly than any previous American war.

Old strategic military plans included all out attack on the opponent.

New rifles and cannons were more accurate and had a longer range than the old
muskets and artillery.

Most generals in the Civil War were slow and reluctant to recognize the impact
these new weapons created.

Thousands of soldiers were killed following orders to charge into enemy territory
only to be killed by the new weapons.
Iron Clad Ships

These are warships that were covered in iron plates.

Cannons would harmlessly bounce off of these ships causing little to no damage.
Monitor vs. Merrimack

Battle on the sea in the vicinity of Hampton Roads, Virginia

Battle ended in a draw (March of 1862)

This battle ended the use of wooden ships that had been used for thousands of
years.
The war in the East

Following the defeat at Bull Run, President Abraham Lincoln will order the removal
of the Union General Irvin McDowell. He will promote George McClellan as the new
general of the Union troops in the East.
 Lincoln was hoping that McClellan would be more active in pursuing the southern
Confederate soldiers.


o For 7 months, General McClellan frustrated President Lincoln.
o McClellan spent those 7 months training his army and being very
cautious.
Eventually McClellan was ready to attack
o Sent 100,000 soldiers towards Richmond, VA. There he advanced towards
the Confederates. (His army was far superior in size, but he still wanted
more men)
o McClellan stopped the advancement and waited for more soldiers.
o 1 month goes by and this allowed the Confederates to strengthen and
reinforce their small army.
o This delay allowed the Confederates to stop the McClellan threat in
Richmond.
The delay and unsuccessful attack on Richmond convinced Confederate General
Robert E. Lee to invade the North (Remember the South did not have to win the
war just outlast the North—no need to invade the North)
o Lee believed a successful attack in the North would convince the Union
support to turn away and that Europe would come the to South’s aid.
Chapter 15: Civil War Section 2: Early Years of the War
o Before General Robert E. Lee could attack, one of McClellan’s officers
intercepted Lee’s plan.
 McClellan took advantage of the knowledge that the Confederate
army had been divided into two parts.
o McClellan and his men attacked the larger of the two armies at Antietam
Creek (Maryland).
 September 17, 1862, both sides suffered lots of casualties.
 12,000 Union soldiers were lost
 14,000 Confederate soldiers were lost
 These losses forced Lee and his men to retreat back to the South
(Virginia)
o Lincoln hoped that McClellan would pursue Lee and his men but he held
back.
War in the West
 With McClellan in the East moving very cautiously, there was another Union
army moving in attack mode.
 General Ulysses. S. Grant was the leader of the Union army in the west. He was a
very ambitious leader that was the complete opposite of General McClellan.
o General Grant was known for his risk taking advances.
 From the beginning of the war, the Union was focused on taking control of the
Mississippi River.
o In February of 1862, General Grant and his men moved south from
Kentucky into Tennessee where they would capture Fort Henry on the
Tennessee River then he gained control of Fort Donelson on the
Cumberland River.
 Grant would proceed to follow the Tennessee River south toward Corinth,
Mississippi.
o Corinth was the next site in General Grant’s eyes due to its Confederate
railroad center.
o Before reaching Corinth, Grant and his men would come under attack at
the Battle of Shiloh.
 Battle of Shiloh
o April 6, 1862 Confederates led by General Albert Sidney Johnston
attacked
 Two Union armies were attempting to join each other when
Johnston and his men attacked.
 The Union soldiers were initially caught off guard and were forced
retreat until they could find a defensive position to fight back.
 They held their defensive position behind a road back and
proceeded to fight off the Confederate attack.
 The Confederates would continue their attack by marching toward
the Union soldiers. This was a mistake because they were not
protected by anything and became subject to a counterattack.
Chapter 15: Civil War Section 2: Early Years of the War
As the battle wore on the counterattack from the Union was given
the nickname “the Hornet’s Nest” due to the intense fire the
Confederates endured.
o The Battle of Shiloh was very costly for both sides. Nearly 11,000
casualties were suffered in the South and more than 13,000 Northern
soldiers.
o Even with more casualties than the South, the Union was able to force the
Confederates to withdraw from the railroad center of Corinth.
o The loss of the railroad center gave the Union control of Western
Tennessee and part of the Mississippi River.
The complete capture of the Mississippi River by the Union was accomplished 2
weeks later following the successful victory led by Admiral David Farragut on
April 26, 1862.
o His men captured New Orleans by attacking from the Gulf of Mexico.

