Download Chapter 15 Section 1

“The Call to Arms”
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Focus Question: Why did each side in the Civil
War think the war would be won easily?
Taking Sides in the War
*After Ft. Sumter’s surrender, Lincoln declared
that rebellion existed in the South. To stop it, he
asked the nation’s governors to raise 75,000
troops.
*In the North, men eagerly volunteered.
Governors of OH, IN, and other states asked to
send more troops than requested because the
response was so positive.
More States Secede
*States, like TN, KY, and MO, told Lincoln they
were not happy to fight their “southern brothers.”
MD and DE did not respond.
*Lincoln’s request for troops led more southern
states to secede. VA, AR, TN, and NC joined the
Confederacy.
*The western counties of VA, where there was
little support for slavery, refused to secede. In
1863, these 50 counties were admitted to the Union
as the state of WV.
The Border States
*Border states are slave states that did not secede.
~DE had few slaves and supported the North
~Most in KY, MO, MD supported the South
*KY and MO were important states, needed to
control the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers. If the
Union could not control MD, Washington, D.C.
would be surrounded by the Confederacy.
*At first, KY was neutral. Union generals wanted
to occupy KY but Lincoln refused because he did
not want the state to secede. When Confederates
invaded KY, it decided to support the North.
*Lincoln acted more aggressively to keep control
of MO and MD. When MO’s gov’t sided with the
South, Union supporters set up their own state
gov’t. When fighting broke out, Lincoln sent
troops and MO stayed in the Union throughout
the war.
*In MD, people supporting the South destroyed
railroads and telegraph lines. Lincoln put eastern
MD under martial law (military is in charge and
citizens’ rights are suspended). Disloyal MD
officials and others were jailed without trials.
North Against South
*As war began, both sides were confident. Some
Southerners compared themselves to Americans
of 1776.
Southern Advantages
*Knowledge of the land and support of local
people (North would have to invade South to win)
*Better military generals (Albert Johnston,
Joseph Johnston, and Robert E. Lee) – all
resigned from US Army to fight for the South.
Northern Advantages
*Factories (1861 – 110,000 of the 130,000 factories
in the US were in the North)
*Railroads (twice as much in North)
*Farmland (twice as much in North)
*Population (2/3 of US population in Union states;
>1/3 of Southerners were slaves)
*Result of advantages: North was able to field,
feed, and equip larger armies.
The Two Sides Plan Strategies
*(Northern strategy) - To isolate the Confederacy,
Lincoln had the navy blockade southern seaports.
A blockade is a military action to prevent traffic
from coming into an area or leaving it. Lincoln
hoped to cut off the South’s supply of
manufactured goods and block overseas sales of
cotton.
*(Northern strategy) – Gain control of the
Mississippi River, the South’s major
transportation link. This would split the South in
two.
*(Northern strategy) – Invade VA and seize
Richmond, the Confederate capital (100 miles
from DC)
*(Southern strategy) – Defend their land until
northerners got tired of fighting.
*(Southern strategy) – Seek support from Britain
and other European countries. They hoped the
need for cotton would force the British to support
the South.
Americans Against Americans
*On both sides, men rushed to enlist for the
excitement of the war. They feared the war would
be over too soon for them to enjoy it.
*War broke families apart (brother vs. brother,
father vs. son). Brothers of Lincoln’s wife fought
for the South.
*Soldiers were varied. Almost half of Northern
troops were farmers. One fourth were
immigrants.
*3/4 of the South’s 1 million white males (age 18 to
45) served in army. 2/3 of 3.5 million northern
males served in army. Some were as young as 14.
First Battle of Bull Run(N)/First Manassas (S)
NOTE: Civil War battles may have been named
differently by the North and South. The North
often used a nearby creek or natural landform.
The South often used a nearby city or structure.
*Union General Irvin McDowell wanted time to
train his soldiers but northern newspapers were
demanding the capture of Richmond and a quick
end to the war.
*McDowell’s 30,000 men left DC and marched 25
miles into VA. The same number of Confederates
waited at Manassas, a railroad center. Spectators
watched (expecting Union victory).
*The armies clashed along Bull Run, a river north
of Manassas. Union army pushed forward, but
South held firm. Confederate commander, “Look,
there is Jackson … standing like a stone wall,”
so General Thomas Jackson was known as
“Stonewall” Jackson.
*The battle turned in favor of South. Poorly
trained Northern troops panicked. Northern
soldiers and sightseers fled to DC, but South was
too exhausted to pursue them.
A Soldier’s Life
*3/4 of soldier’s life was spent in camp, not
fighting. They trained 10 hrs/day.
*When not training, soldiers stood guard, wrote
home, and gathered firewood. A meal might be a
dry, cracker-like item called hardtack.
Harsh Conditions
*Lack of clean water was a major health threat.
Outbreaks of smallpox, typhoid fever, and other
diseases swept through the camps. Often half of
men would be too sick to fight.
Prisoners of War
*Overcrowded prison camps caused many deaths.
Almost 10% of deaths during Civil War were in
prison camps.
*Elmira, NY, and Andersonville, GA, were the
worst camps.
*Elmira was built for 5,000 but held 10,000.
Soldiers ate bread and water (and rats?).
Thousands died.
*Andersonville was built for 10,000 but held
35,000 in a fenced, open field. Up to 100 soldiers
died every day from starvation or exposure.
Review Questions
*How did the border states line up in the war?
They were all on the Union side.
*What were each side’s advantages?
South – more experienced military officers and
would be fighting on their own land and among
their own people.
North – more factories, farmland, railroad tracks,
and a larger population, so it could better feed
and equip its army.
*How did strategies on the two sides differ?
The North hoped to blockade southern seaports,
to gain control of the Mississippi River to control
transportation and cut the South in two, and to
capture Richmond.
The South’s plan was simpler – they planned to
defend their territory until the northerners tired
of fighting.
*Who were the soldiers in this war?
They were ordinary men from many
backgrounds; many were farmers and
immigrants.
*What was the result of the First Battle of Bull
Run?
The battle was inconclusive and the war
continued.
*What conditions did soldiers have to endure?
Camps lacked clean water, and disease was
widespread. Prisons were overcrowded, and there
was not enough food for prisoners.