* Your assessment is very important for improving the workof artificial intelligence, which forms the content of this project
Download UNIT 111 THE CIVIL WAR
Battle of Fort Donelson wikipedia , lookup
First Battle of Lexington wikipedia , lookup
Opposition to the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Wilson's Creek wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Appomattox Station wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Sailor's Creek wikipedia , lookup
Alabama in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
United Kingdom and the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Port Royal wikipedia , lookup
South Carolina in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Fort Pillow wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Perryville wikipedia , lookup
Border states (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
Anaconda Plan wikipedia , lookup
Virginia in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Ulysses S. Grant and the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Island Number Ten wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Stones River wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Roanoke Island wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Chancellorsville wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Malvern Hill wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Lewis's Farm wikipedia , lookup
Battle of New Bern wikipedia , lookup
Military history of African Americans in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Second Battle of Corinth wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Harpers Ferry wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Shiloh wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Fredericksburg wikipedia , lookup
Union (American Civil War) wikipedia , lookup
Georgia in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
First Battle of Bull Run wikipedia , lookup
Eastern Theater of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Antietam wikipedia , lookup
Conclusion of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Western Theater of the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Mississippi in the American Civil War wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Cedar Creek wikipedia , lookup
Northern Virginia Campaign wikipedia , lookup
Battle of Namozine Church wikipedia , lookup
Battle of the Wilderness wikipedia , lookup
UNIT 111 THE CIVIL WAR I. The War Begins A. Between Peace and War 1. Lincoln would not take office until March 4, 1861. 2. James Buchanan would have to deal with the secession crisis. a. All efforts at compromise were done at the Congressional level. All failed. b. Buchanan did not try to hold any Federal property in the Confederate states. 1) A confederacy is a group of independent states where the central government has only limited power. This arrangement would hurt the South’s war efforts. 3. Fort Sumter is located in Charleston Harbor, South Carolina and it did not fall into Confederate hands. a. National attention was focused on Ft. Sumter. b. The fort is commanded by Major Robert Anderson with 100 men. 1) On Christmas eve, a friend of Anderson’s allowed he and his men to take a boat to the fort from Charleston to escape capture. c. Buchanan tried to supply the fort with an unarmed merchant ship The Star of the West,but it was driven off by cannon fire by cadets from The Citadel. 1) Today, the outstanding cadet in his class receives the “Star of the West” award. B. The Confederate States of America 1. Montgomery, Alabama is chosen as the capital of the Confederate States of America. CSA. a. It is made up of the Deep South or The Cotton States. 2. The CSA constitution is almost a copy of the Federal Constitution except in two major ways. a. The new country was a confederacy not a union. b. The constitution mentioned slavery and guaranteed the rights of the citizens to own slaves and the Confederate congress was forbidden to pass any laws denying the right to own slaves. c. The Confederate constitution was to be the “Supreme law of the land.” 1) The CSA president would serve a one six year term. 2) Two-thirds of Congress must approve any spending bill. 3) The constitution could be amended with 2/3’s of the states approval instead of the ¾’s required in the Federal constitution. C. Jefferson Davis 1. The delegates at the Montgomery elected Jefferson Davis of Mississippi president of the CSA. Alexander Stephens of Georgia is elected Vice President of the CSA. a. Davis is a graduate of West Point. b. Brierfield is his plantation in Mississippi c. Varina Davis his wife-“The Forgotten First Lady.” d. 1845 Davis is elected to the House of Representatives. e. He serves with distinction in the Mexican War. f. In 1847 he is elected to the U.S. Senate. g. In 1853 he is named Secretary of War under President Franklin Pierce. h. He is a hard worker, but does not get along with people. His feelings are hurt easily by criticism. D. Lincoln Becomes President 1. Lincoln puts many of his opponents from the 1860 election into his cabinet including William Seward as Secretary of State. 2. Lincoln’s first inaugural address tries to address the raw tension between North and South. 3. Lincoln points out that secession is illegal but he still won’t send troops south to bring them back into the Union. 4. Lincoln wants to negotiate with the South as friends. E. The Firing on Ft. Sumter 1. Lincoln asks Governor Pickens of South Carolina for permission to send food to Ft. Sumter. 2. Lincoln knows Pickens will refer the question to Jefferson Davis and Lincoln wants Davis to fire the first shot of the war. 3. This puts Davis into a corner just as Lincoln hoped. If Davis allows Lincoln if he lets Lincoln send food to Ft. Sumter it will make Davis look weak. If he stops the re-supply Davis will have started the Civil War. 4. The CSA forces in Charleston are commanded by Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard. Davis orders him to fire on Ft. Sumter at 4:30 am on April 12th if Anderson doesn’t surrender the fort. 5. Major Robert Anderson, commander of Ft. Sumter was in South Carolina to help build Ft. Sumter. He was a student of Beauregard’s at West Point and he was an expert at placing of artillery. 6. When Anderson’s ammunition was low, he surrendered the fort. a. The die-hard secessionist Edmund Ruffian of Virginia is said to have fired the first cannon. II. Raising the Armies A. More States Secede 1. After the attack on Ft. Sumter, four more states secede from the Union. a. Virginia b. North Carolina c. Tennessee d. Arkansas 2. The CSA capital moves to Richmond, Virginia. 3. These four states seceded because Lincoln had called for 75,000 three-month volunteers to put down the rebellion. 4. The first unit to arrive is from Schuylkill County and they are known as The First Defenders. a. While the First Defenders were marching through Baltimore, Nicholas Biddle of Pottsville, a black orderly, was hit on the head with a brick. He is the first man to shed blood in the Civil War. b. In Baltimore, the owner of a hotel took down the U.S. flag and Col. Stephen Ellsworth of New York, is killed trying to retrieve the flag. He is the first man to die in the Civil War. B. Robert E. Lee 1. Robert Edward Lee was Lincoln’s first choice to lead the Union Army. 2. Lee’s Qualifications a. He captured John Brown at Harpers Ferry b. Lee owned no slaves and did not believe in secession. c. He is married to George Washington’s step-great granddaughter. d. He graduate at the top of his class at West Point e. Lee performed brilliantly in the Mexican War. He would use many of the tactics in the Civil War that he learned during the Mexican War. f. Lee turns down Lincoln 1) “How can I raise my sword against Virginia.” C. North Versus South 1. The South a. There are 9 million people in the South, almost 4 million are slaves. 1) The South could only draw upon 1,280,000 men between the age of 15 and 50 to fill its ranks. 2) “The twenty nigger rule.”-a man could not join the army if he owned 20 or more slaves. 3) Many southern soldiers complained, “ a rich man’s war, a poor man’s fight.” b. The South had lest than 10% of the nation’s factories. 1) The Tredegar Iron Works in Richmond was the only factory able to produce rolling stock. a) locomotives b) cannons c) shells and bullets-“minie balls” c. The South had no major railroad lines 1) Different railroad gauges in each state. d. The South had to raise money, an army, and navy. e. The Southern Advantages 1) They were defending their homeland. This gave them the advantage of interior lines. 2) At the start of the war, the South had better generals. 2. The North a. The north had 23 million people with thousands arriving from Germany and Ireland every month. This will prove to be a great advantage as the war dragged on. b. Over 90% of the nation’s factories were in the north and also, valuable mines and other mineral deposits. 1) The Dupont family will make a fortune making reliable gunpowder for the north. a) The south will have to dry urine in order to obtain a vital component of gunpowder-niter. c. The north had a large and organized railway system with the potential for building more. Harrisburg becomes the most important railway hub in the north. d. The North had a government and military in place. D. The First Modern War 1. Both sides learned the art of war at West Point-the U.S. Military Academy. 2. Both sides used the tactics of Napoleon. a. A massive artillery bombardment followed by a frontal attack. 3. By the time of the Civil War, the weapons had advanced far beyond the tactics. a. The minie ball and a rifled barrel caused great bodily damage and were accurate up to a half mile. b. The artillery was more accurate and deadly. 1) Canister shell most deadly weapon during the war. 4. Each army was organized into three separate units. a. Cavalry b. Artillery c. Infantry 1) company-100 men 2) regiment-ten companies or 1,000 men 3) brigade-3 to 4 regiments or 4,000 men 4) division-3 to 5 brigades or 12,000 to 20,000 men. 5) corps-2 to 3 divisions or 20,000 to 40,000 men 5. Army Life a. Billy Yank b. Johnny Reb c. Most common food was called hardtack. It was about three times thicker than a present day cracker and hard as a rock. During the war the South craved coffee which the north had in great supply, and the North craved southern tobacco which the South had in great supply. d. Both sides loved music. Robert E. Lee said he could not imagine an army without music. Only exception was U.S. Grant. “I know two tunes, one is Yankee Doodle, and the other ain’t.” 1) Favorite songs a) Dixie-unofficial national anthem of the South. b) Bonnie Blue Flag-in honor of South Carolina c) Battle Cry of Freedom-both sides although with slightly different lyrics. d) Battle Hymn of the Republic written by Julia Ward Howe, favorite of the North. e) Marching Through Georgia-the North f) Home Sweet Home-favorite of both sides. One side or the other would play it before bedtime on the battlefield. e. It was the most literate army in U.S. history. f. More men would die of camp diseases than wounds. g. Brother against brother. h. Sutlers-merchants that traveled with the army to sell them items the army did not supply. These items were sold at a very inflated price. A private in the army was paid 13.00 a month. i. Total War 1) War would be made on a country’s infrastructure and the civilians themselves. 2) The most successful generals in the war would be the ones to abandon the Napoleonic tactics. a) U.S. Grant-the North b) William Tecumseh Sherman-the North c) James Longstreet-the South d) Nathan Bedford Forrest-the South 3) By 1863, both sides saw the advantages of building earthworks or occupying the high ground. You needed a 4 to 1 advantage in numbers to drive a force off of a high position. 4) A good Civil War soldier could get off three rounds, or shots, every minute. E. From Bull Run to Richmond 1. The Anaconda Plan a. The plan is drawn up by an 84 year old General Winfield Scott. b. The plan consists of 1) A naval blockade of the South 2) Control the Mississippi River 3) Capture Richmond c. This plan would eventually win the war for the Union. d. The only change would be by 1864, Lee’s army, not Richmond would be the objective. 2. The First Battle of Bull Run a. The Northern newspapers are screaming “on to Richmond.” b. By July 1861, the 90 day enlistments are about to run out for the North. c. General Irwin McDowell is command of the Union forces. d. Neither army is prepared for war. 1) The Confederate army grew out of the states’ militia system-especially after John Brown’s Raid. 2) McDowell tells Lincoln that his men are too green. Lincoln replies, “You are both equally green.” e. Lincoln orders McDowell to attack Richmond. 1) The Union army’s movement is picked up by a Confederate spy in Washington and is relayed to CSA commanders in Richmond. 2) McDowell moves south towards Richmond with 30,000 men. 3) The Union commanders have a good battle plan, but it is too complicated for young and inexperienced troops f. The southern troops were commanded by Gen. PGT Beauregard. Beauregard knows of the Union plans to attack. g. The Union appears to be winning and the Confederates retreat up Henry Hill. 1) On the crest of Henry Hill CSA Gen. Thomas J. Jackson, a former instructor at VMI, holds his brigade and meets the Union attack. 2) Gen. Jackson’s men hold and General Bee of Georgia yells to his men, “Look at Jackson’s Virginians standing like a stonewall, rally behind the Virginians.” 3) Gen. Bee was killed a few moments later. But a legend had been born here. The South’s first great hero-“Stonewall” Jackson. g. Southern reinforcements arrive by train led by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston and drive the Union back. 1) As the Union forces are retreating, an ammunition wagon explodes on a bridge sending the Union army into a panic. They retreat to Washington and begin building forts around the city. h. Odd Facts about the battle 1) Both sides wore blue uniforms 2) First time a railroad used in a battle and it was the difference in the CSA victory. 3) The USA flag and the CSA national flag in the smoke and haze of battle looked similar and it made it hard to identify units. The CSA would change from a “national flag” to a “battle flag.” 4) Wig-wag signaling, a early form of semaphore was used for the first time. 5) This battle put an end to the illusion of a “90 day war.” 6) The defeat demoralizes the North. 7) The CSA victory causes the South to underestimate the North. 1. The First Battle of Bull Run is called the First Battle of Manassas by the South. a. The North tended to name battles for the nearest river or body of water. b. The South named battles for the nearest town. c. Exceptions 1) The Battle of Shiloh-both sides named it for a small church on the battle field not the nearby Tennessee River. The South choose not to name the battle Pittsburg Landing after the nearby town. 2) The Battle of Stones River was referred to by both sides as the Battle of Murfreesboro the nearby town. 3) Civil War battles names were the ones the North selected because they were the winners and wrote the first histories of the war. d. After Bull Run 1) Gen. George McClellan is put in command of the Union Army. 2) He names it the Army of the Potomac 3) McClellan is a great organizer and is loved by his men. He does not want to make this war a slaughter. 4) His only problem is that he is slow and cautious. 5) He employed Allen Pinkerton as an intelligence agent. F. War in the West 1. Divide the Confederacy, cut off Arkansas, Texas and Louisiana. 2. The two most unlikeliest leaders emerge in the Union Army in the West. a. Ulysses S. Grant and William Tecumseh Sherman. 1) Grant is called a “drunk” 2) Sherman considered “insane” Sherman’s brother is an influential senator. 3. Grant captures Ft. Henry on the Tennessee River and Ft. Donelson on the Cumberland River. Both of these rivers flow into the Mississippi River and will enable Grant to penetrate deep into the South and open up the Mississippi. 4. The Battle of Shiloh April 6, 1862 a. Grant’s objective is the rail center at Cornith, Mississippi. He camps his army along the Tennessee River near Pittsburg Landing, Tennessee. b. The commander of the CSA is Gen. Albert Sydney Johnston one of the South’s best generals. He was selected to lead the expedition that ended the Mormon War. c. Johnston’s army is made up mostly of new recruits who are also using brand new muskets that they are not used to. d. Grant’s army is surprised early in the morning due to Gen. Sherman not believing the reports by his pickets that the enemy is close. e. The Union army is routed and form a defensive area called by the CSA as the “Hornets Nest.” Union Gen. Prentiss is able to hold off many CSA attacks and buy time for Union reinforcements. f. The Death of Gen. Johnston-while leading a final charge against the “Hornets Nest,” Johnston is wounded and bleeds to death. His command is turned over to Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard who does not press the attack against the Union trapped along the Tennessee River. He telegraphs Richmond he has won a great victory when in fact, Grant is being reinforced all during the night and will counterattack next morning. g. Grant drives the CSA back and the CSA retreats deep into Mississippi. h. Grant is accused of being drunk, but he was not. Lincoln told to fire Grant. He replies, “I can’t. This man fights.” i. How Shiloh Changed the War. a) Both sides had over 10,000 casualties. b) CSA battle flag used for the first time. c) Rebel Yell heard for the first time. d) A young writer, Samuel Clemens deserts the CSA army. e) A Union general, Lew Wallace will go on to write one of the most famous novels of all time Ben Hur. f. Bloody Pond-where both sides wounded went for a drink of water. g. Shiloh will be the model for the rest of the Civil War’s battles-larger armies with many casualties. G. War in the East 1862 1. The Battle of Seven Pines or Fair Oaks a. Gen. McClellan moves his massive army by ship to the bottle of the James Peninsula and slowly moves up the peninsula. b. He is opposed by CSA Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. c. Johnston slows the Union advance by: 1) “Quaker guns”-painted telegraph poles made to look like cannons. 2) “Fake Marching Formations”-the same men kept marching through a clearing in the trees and Allen Pinkerton keeps counting them and tells McClellan he is greatly outnumber. McClellan asks Washington for more men. Lincoln remarks, “McClellan has a bad case of the slows.” d. As McClellan gets closer to Richmond, Johnston attacks him and there is great loss of life on both sides both the battle ends in a draw. e. Gen. Johnston is badly wounded and will be out of action for months. f. Johnston is replaced by Robert E. Lee 2. The Seven Days Before Richmond a. Lee renames the CSA army in the east the Army of Northern Virginia. b. Lee builds fortifications around Richmond and attacks McClellan’s divided army. c. Gen. Lee drives the Union Army back down the James Peninsula to Harrison Landing where his ships will withdraw his army. This is accomplished by Lee through 4 different battles. d. McClellan leaves a force at Malvern Hill to protect his retreat and Lee attacks it and is stopped with a great loss of men and the Army of the Potomac is allowed to escape. e. Even though Lee drives back a much larger army than his, The Seven Days Before Richmond costs Lee a terrible price in men killed, wounded and captured. 3. The Battle of Hampton Roads a. The CSA builds an ironclad ship from the old Merrimac that was scuttled at Norfolk and renames it the CSS Virginia. b. The CSS Virginia attacks and sinks one Union ship and disables two others. 1) Through the work of spies, the North knows the South was building an ironclad and rushed to build its’ own. c. The next day, the USS Monitor arrives. 1) Gideon Welles the US Secretary of the Navy had her built. 2) John Ericsson designed it and supervised its’ building. Story of its construction. d. The battle between the Virginia and the Monitor is a draw with the Virginia withdrawing because of damage to her structure when she is caught on a sand bar. The Virginia is later scuttled. e. The Battle of Hampton Roads ends the era of the wooden ship. 1) A foreign observer stated, “ In one day, all the navies of the world are made obsolete.” IV. The Civil War and the Economy A. Behind the Union Lines 1. The invention of the mechanical reaper by Cyrus McCormick frees up many men for the Union Army. 2. Wartime inflation causes prices to rise. a. inflation-a rise in price levels resulting from an increase in the amount of money in circulation or a decrease in the amount of goods available for sale. b. Greenbacks-paper money issued by the U.S. Treasury to help finance the war when the supply of gold and silver decreased. 3. Northern opponents of the war were called Copperheads. a. Most Copperheads were democratic b. The names of some Copperhead organization. 1) The Knights of the Golden Circle 2) Sons of Liberty a) There was suspected Copperhead activity in the Coal Regions of Northeast Pennsylvania. c. Their leader was a congressman from Ohio named Clement L. Vallandigham. 1) Lincoln had him deported to the South, but returned to the U. S. through Canada. 4. Lincoln suspended the right of habeas corpus in some areas especially in Maryland. a. Habeas Corpus-you must be informed of the crimes you have been arrested for in a timely manner. b. Chief Justice Roger Taney of Maryland complained to Lincoln about this suspension of civil rights and Lincoln asked him if he would like to spend the rest of the war in prison. B. The Blockade-by 1862 the Federal blockade extended from Virginia to Texas. The supplies coming from Europe were vital to the South. 1. Blockade runners-the South purchased fast ships from the Jonathan B. Laird Shipyard in Liverpool, England. These were the: a. CSS Florida b. CSS Shenandoah c. CSS Alabama 2. These ships were manned by English crews until they reached the island of Bermuda. Here, they were turned over to the CSA and were mounted with guns Bermuda became the favorite destination of the Confederate blockade runners. a. The Laird Rams were a weapon that might have won the war for the South. It was an ironclad ship that had mounted guns with the range of over seven miles. It has had an iron prow for ramming ships. This ship also looked like a conventional ship. The Laird Company built two rams and they could anchor off the coast of any Northern city and fire on it and still be out of range of the shore batteries. It could also destroy any wooden ship used in the blockade. 1) The US ambassador to The Court of St. James, was Charles Francis Adams. He became good friends with Prince Albert the husband of Queen Victoria. Prince Albert persuaded the Laird Company to sell the rams to the Dutch navy. 3. The CSS Hunley was the first successful submarine. It sank the USS Housitanic outside Charleston Harbor. It disappeared after the sinking and was found about ten years ago with the remains of the crew still inside. 4. The Trent Incident a. A Union warship stopped the British steamer RMS Trent bound for London. b. Two Confederate diplomats, James Mason and John Slidell who boared the ship in Cuba were seized. c. U.S. naval captain Wilkes was hailed as a hero at home but the British were outraged over the incident and were calling for war. d. Secretary of State William Seward wanted to invade Canada but President Lincoln said,”One war at a time Mr. Seward, one war at a time.” e. Lincoln apologized to the British and the issue was dropped. Britain and France were not ready to commit to the Confederacy because of the sticky issue of slavery. C. The Draft a. In the South it was being called “Rich man’s war, but a poor man’s fight.” b. Draft Riots erupted in the North. Irish immigrants in New York City killed over 500 freed blacks on a three day rampage that had to be put down by Union troops. c. In the coalfields of Schuylkill County around Minersville the Irish would not report when drafted. Lincoln wanting to avoid another New York, told draft officials to make it look like Schuylkill County fulfilled its draft quota. d. Bread Riots 1. Because of wartime inflation, the ordinary citizen in the South could not afford the necessities of life. Flour was 75 times more expensive in the beginning of 1863 as it was when the war started. 2. The worst riot was in Richmond, Virginia, but also spread to other cities. It would be a problem in the South for the rest of the war. D. Slaves 1. The Union considered slaves captured as contrabands and could be used in the Northern war effort. a. The 54th Massachusetts was the first all black regiment. b. It was caommanded by Col. Robert Gould Shaw and fought bravely in the assault at Battery Wagner in South Carolina. c. The movie Glory is about their brave exploits. 2. Runaway slaves were called “John Henry’s and often tagged along with the Union Army. E. Prisoner of War Camps 1. Early in the war, they was a prisoner of war exchange system in place. 2. Two events made this process break down. a. Confederate rarely would take black Union soldiers prisoner. Ft. Pillow Massacre committed by CSA Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest. b. By 1864, Gen. Grant did not want to exchange prisoners because Grant could knew he could get more soldiers but the South could not. 1. Southern Prisons a. Libby Prison in Richmond for Union officers. b. Andersonville in Georgia. This was considered the worst POW camp. Thousands of Union prisoners died there of disease and starvation but, the Confederates couln’t feed themselves. It was built to hold 10,000 but had 0ver 40,000 prisoners. c. The newspaper expression deadline came from Andersonville. d. The camp’s commander Major Wirz was the only Confederate hanged for a war crime after the war. 4. Northern Prisons a. Elmira, New York-as bad as Andersonville but the misery was caused intentionally. b. Camp Douglas in Chicago was the same. The Union guards inflicted as much misery as they could. c. Sandusky, Ohio Johnson’s Island in Lake Erie was a prison for Confederate officers. V. The War in the East 1862-1864 A. The Second Battle of Bull Run 1. Union Gen. John Pope-came from the West. Told the Army of the Potomac that they were used to see the backs of their enemy. 2. Told his men “My headquarters are in my saddle.” His men quickly learned that is where his brains are. 3. Stonewall Jackson attacks him, and just before Jackson is overcome, Longstreet arrives with the rest of the Army of Northern Virginia and Pope flees. 4. It is a great victory for Lee and the South. B. The Battle of Antietam Sept. 17th, 1862. 1. Pope is relieved of command and George B. McClellan is put back into command of the Army of the Potomac. 2. Lee only has about half his army. He wants to get the war out of Virginia for the harvest. a. Longstreet is sent to North Carolina to get fodder and fresh horses. 3. Lee believes a victory in the North will bring England and France into the war on the side of the South. Lee also divides his army which is a very risky move. He sends Stonewall Jackson to Harpers Ferry to capture the Union army there as well as supplies. He sends another part of his army to try and recruit soldiers for his army. 4. Lee believes that by entering Maryland that many will flock to join his army. The bands play “Maryland, My Maryland” as they enter towns, but when the people see his dirty and barefoot army, the people close their shutters and lock their doors. 5. The Legend of Barbara Fritchie a. Frederick, Maryland-as the Confederates are marching through Frederick they notice the Stars and Strips flying from a second story window. b. Stonewall orders that the women remove the flag. She refuses, and Jackson orders a cannon ready to fire on the women’s house. c. She replies, “Shoot if you must this old grey head, but spare your country’s flag she said.” Jackson orders his men to move on. 6. Lost Order #191-Lee wrote out his orders for his division commanders. One was left behind and discovered by Union soldiers. When McClellan received these he said, “If I can’t whip Bobby Lee now, I never will.” When Lee’s scouts noticed McClellan moving faster than usual, Lee knew something was up, and told his army to unite along the Antietam Creek at Sharpsburg, Maryland. 7. With Lee’s army still missing Jackson’s Corps, McClellan delays attacking for a day. This will prove costly. 8. The Union, with superior forces begin the attack. Instead of the whole army attacking at once, They go in division at a time. This allows Lee to keep shifting soldiers to critical parts of the battlefield. 9. The CSA center near the Dunker Church almost falls. Thousands of both sides are killed in the Sunken Road. The fighting now shifts to the left. 10. Burnsides Bridge-The Union kept trying to cross this bridge that got its’ name from the Union general who kept attacking it. Finally, Gen. Ambrose Burnside gets across and is about to flank Lee’s army and destroy it. Lee has no more soldiers to deal with this newest threat. 11. At the last minute, CSA Gen. A.P. Hill arrives with 4,500 men and saves the CSA. 12. This battle was described by one soldier the day the sun moved backwards. It still is the bloodiest and most costly in human lives. More men died at Antietam than at Pearl Harbor, D-Day, and 9/11. 13. Matthew Brady the Civil War photographer took pictures here and displayed them in his New York office to show the real horrors of war. 14. Thomas Nast, famous cartoonist for Harper’s Weekly drew pictures of the battle. In Dec. 1862, on the cover of Harper’s Weekly he will draw Santa Claus as we know him today. 15. The North considers Antietam a victory but McClellan does not pursue Lee and Lincoln fires him for good. C. The Emancipation Proclamation 1. Lincoln wanted to issue this earlier, but Secretary of State William Seward said he should wait for a Union victory. 2. After Antietam, Lincoln issues the Emancipation Proclamation. 3. After January 1, 1863, all slaves living in the states that seceded are now free. 4. This did not apply to the border states. 5. Lincoln freed the slaves where he couldn’t, and didn’t free the slaves where he could. 6. This declaration made a great impression in Europe. They now viewed the war as one to free the slaves. No European country would ally itself with a Confederacy with the institution of slavery. 7. Lincoln has now changed the aim of the war from preserving the Union to freeing the slaves. D. The Battle of Fredericksburg 1. Gen. Ambrose Burnside replaces McClellan as commandeered of the Army of the Potomac. 2. He wants to capture Richmond by way of Fredericksburg on the Rappahannock River. 3. Burnside beat Lee to Fredericksburg but couldn’t cross the river because the few soldiers there destroyed all the bridges. 4. The pontoon bridges Burnside was promised didn’t arrive for ten days. This gave Lee plenty of time to set up great defensive positions, especially on the high ground behind the town on Marye’s Heights. 5. When Burnside attacked it was a slaughter. Thousands of men attacked up the hill and were driven back. A great CSA victory. 6. Professor Loew’s balloon used for observation here. 7. Burnside tried to attack Lee again down river but the roads were terrible. This is known as his “Mud March.” 8. Burnside-“sideburns.” E. Chancellorsville, May 1863 1. Gen. Ambrose Burnside is replaced by Gen. “Fignting Joe” Hooker. a. Most likely the term for prostitute, a “hooker” had its origins here. 2. Gen. Lee once again is without Longstreet’s corps which is down south gathering supplies. Lee has barely 40,000 men. Hooker has over 120,000 men 3. Hooker places his army across the Rappahannock near the Chancellor House along a seven mile front and prepares to attack Lee. 4. Stonewall Jackson proposes to take his corps and march 26 miles around Hookers line and attack him on his extreme right which is “in the air.” This means there is no natural barrier next to the end of the line like a river or another geographic feature. a. This is a great risk. Jackson could be detected along his march and be attacked. Lee was barely a mile from the Chancellor House with less than 15,000 men and an attack by Hooker could destroy him. Lee took the chance. b. The most famous painting in the South is that of Lee and Jackson sitting on a cracker barrel discussing this plan. It is entitled “The Last Meeting.” 5. Jackson completes his move around the Union lines and attacks Hooker on the flank and drives the Union lines back towards the Chancellor House in a panic. a. Gen. Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson is shot and wounded by his own men by mistake. b. Jackson loses his left arm and dies a week later. “Let us cross over the river, and sit under the shade of the tree.” c. Lee says, Jackson has lost his left arm, but I have lost my right hand of the army. 6. The battle of Chancellorsville showed Lee’s great skill at maneuvering troops. F. Gettysburg 1. Once again Lee wanted to take the army into northern territory. He feels if he can capture Philadelphia, Harrisburg, or Baltimore it will bring England into the war on the side of the South. 2. Lee starts to move north but his cavalry commander J.E.B. Stuart loses contact with Lee and the Army of the Potomac. 3. When Lee crosses into Pennsylvania his army is scattered into three corps. Lee learns from a man by the name of Harrison who was hired by Longstreet that the Union army was less than 2 hours away from Lee’s army. Lee orders his army to consolidate near Gettysburg because so many roads came into that town 4. First Day a. The Confederates are delayed west of town by Federal cavalry under Gen. Jonathan Buford. b. As the Union army arrives on the field Gen. John Reynolds is killed. c. By nightfall, the CSA occupies Gettysburg. 5. Second Day a. The Confederates line extends along Seminary Ridge named for the Lutheran Theological Seminary located there. b. The Union line goes from Culps and Cemetery Ridge ending at The Round Tops. c. The fighting goes from Devil’s Den, up Little Round Top, through the Wheatfield and along Cemetery Ridge. Lee cannot break the Union line. At sunset the CSA attacks Cemetery and Culps Hill with little success. 6. The Third Day a. Lee attacks the center of the Union line. This is known as Pickett’s Charge. It fails and Lee retreats back to Virginia. b. Virginia Wade was killed on the third day of the battle, the only civilian killed. 7. On November 19th, 1863 President Lincoln was there to help dedicate the new Soldiers Cemetery. a. The main speaker, Edward Evretts spoke for 2 and ½ hours. b. Lincoln spoke for 2 and ½ minutes but it became the greatest speech in American history-The Gettysburg Address. c. The Gettysburg Address changed the war aim of the Union for a third time. Lincoln said we were fighting the war to preserve democracy. VI. The War in the West A. Battle of Pea Ridge or Elkhorn Tavern 1. It was fought in Northern Arkansas and it kept the Confederate forces out of Missouri. a. St. Louis was very pro-Union but the countryside was pro-Confederate. B. The Battle of Perryville—CSA General Braxton Bragg invaded Kentucky, which ended her neutrality, was stopped by the Union at the Battle of Perryville. 1. April 1862, Union Admiral David Faragut ran past the fortifications in the lower Mississippi and captured the city of New Orleans the South’s largest and most important city. C. The Battle of Murfreesboro 1. Union called it the Battle of Stones River. 2. Union forces at Murfreesboro were commanded on the field by General George Thomas, a native of Virginia. 3. The battle, which was fought on Dec. 31, 1862, was a draw, but CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg gave up on trying to hold on to Murfreesboro and retreated into Northern Alabama. 4. The oldest Civil War monument on any field is the Hazen Memorial, is found on the Murfreesboro Battlefield. D. The Seige of Vicksburg 1863 1. Grant moves on Vicksburg-a stronghold on the Mississippi River. 2. Grant keeps recrossing the river until he gets the CSA out in the open and drives them back into the city of Vicksburg. 3. The CSA commander Gen. John C. Pemberton, a Pennsylvania native, is surrounded in the city. 4. Vicksburg is the subject of constant and the city is running out of supplies. 5. To save his army and the civilians, Pemberton surrenders to Grant on July 4th, 1863. Mississippi will not celebrate Independence Day until World War II. 6. The CSA is now divided in two. Grant wires Lincoln, “ The Father of Waters now flows unvexed to the Sea.” 7. A few days later, Port Hudson, Louisiana, falls to the Union. It is the last CSA fort on the Mississippi. E. Chattanooga 1. The Battle of Chickamauqua a. The CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg, reinforced with Gen. James Longstreet’s Corps from the Army of Northern Virginia, attacks the Union army outside of Chattanooga, Tennessee along the Chickamaqua River. b. Chickamaqua is a Cherokee word that means “River of blood.” c. In Grant’s absence, the Union army is surprised and is saved from destruction by Gen. George Thomas who makes a gallant stand while the rest of the army retreats into Chattanooga. For this action, Thomas is known as “The Rock of Chickamaqua.” d. The Union army is now besieged in Chattanooga like the CSA was in Vicksburg. Rations in the Union army are cut to one quarter. Chattanooga is surrounded by high mountains. e. Grant returns and establishes “The Cracker Line” through a small mountain pass and supplies the Union army. 2. The Battle of the Clouds a. Grant decides to break out of Chattanooga by attacking the Confederates on Missionary Ridge and Lookout Mountain. b. The CSA is badly beaten and retreat into northern Georgia. c. CSA Gen. Braxton Bragg is replaced by Gen. Joseph E. Johnston. 3. Grant is promoted to Lt. General of the entire Union army and heads east to travel with the Army of the Potomac. 4. Sherman replaces Grant as the Union commander in the West. 5. The Union Army in the West is known as the Army of the Cumberland. VII. War in the East 1864-1865 1. The Battle of the Wilderness May 1864 a. Grant quickly realizes that Lee’s army and not Richmond is the main objective in order to win the war. b. Grant wants to fight Lee’s army in an open battlefield but Lee won’t fall for it. c. Lee goes into The Wilderness and Grant attacks him there in a tangle of thick forests and thick undergrowth. d. Grant losses 18,000 men and wept in his tent. e. CSA Gen. Longstreet is wounded in the neck. f. Hundreds of the wounded on the battle field burn to death as sparks from the guns ignite the dry underbrush. 2. The Battle of Spotsylvania Court House a. Lee anticipates Grant’s next move and beats him to the junction of roads at Spotsylvania. b. The battle is fought during a terrible thunderstorm. At the center of the CSA line, known as The Mule Shoe,” the dead are piled eight feet high. c. Grant losses another 12,000 men. 3. The Battle of Cold Harbor a. Lee guesses again where Grant is headed and digs his army in with great protection. Rifle pits, albatis, and dirt make any attack impossible. b. Grant attacks and losses 7,000 men in 45 minutes. He orders a second attack and it is driven back with great loss of life. 1) Grant is now being called a “butcher” in the Northern papers. c. In one month of fighting, Grant has lost 55,000 men to Lee’s 31,000. Grant can replace his losses, but Lee cannot. After the Battle of Cold Harbor, with replacements arriving, he has more men than he when he started the campaign. 4. The Battle and Siege of Petersburg. a. Grant surprises Lee and moves South again. He tells Lincoln he will fight it out along this line all summer. Petersburg is ten miles south of the James River and Richmond. b. Lee correctly concludes that if Grant gets south of the James, it will be only a matter of time before his army will be beaten and Richmond will fall. c. Grant’s army beats Lee to Petersburg but Grants generals wait for a day before they attack. When the Union army arrived, Petersburg was held by about 4,000 invalids, old men, and kids. Lost chance for Grant to end the war. d. Lee’ army arrives and Petersburg turn into a siege with both sides digging elaborate trenches. Grant will stretch Lee’s lines for 23 miles around Petersburg. 1) The Battle of the Crater a) Col. Henry Pleasants of the 48th PA, a regiment from Schuylkill County goes to Gen. Burnside with a plan to dig a mine tunnel under the Confederate lines. The 48th PA is compromised mostly of coal miners and Pleasants is a mining engineer. b) Burnside informs Grant of the plan and he approves it. He says,”It sounds insane, but it will give the men something to do.” c) The plan is to place explosives at the end of the tunnel and blow a hole in the enemy line and put three divisions in the opening of the ine. d) When the tunnel is finished, the explosion occurs but the hole is too deep. Instead of running around the hole, the Union troops go into it. After the Confederates recovered from the shock of the explosion, the Union troops were slaughtered in the crater. 5. The End in the East a. Lee can no longer stay in Petersburg because his last railroad line is cut and he has no more food. Men are deserting by the hundreds daily. b. He informs President Davis that is going to break out of Petersburg and try to link up with Gen. Joseph E. Johnston in North Carolina. He will need food to make the trip. At Danville, VA. A train with supplies is waiting for him but it is ammunition, not food. Gen. J.E.B. Stuart is killed at Yellow Tavern and A.P. Hill is killed at Five Forks. c. Gen. Phil Sheridan is right on Lee’s rear and his front is now blocked as well. With his men surrounded, and starving he agrees to meet with Gen. Grant. Lee said, “I would rather die a thousand deaths than do this.” They agree to meet at Appomattox Court House at the home of Wilmer McClean. d. Grant gives Lee very generous terms and Lee accepts them. The war is over in the East. It can be said the war started in the front yard of Wilmer McClean and ended in his parlor. VIII The War in the West A. Atlanta 1. Sherman invades Georgia and CSA Gen. Joseph E. Johnston is slowly retreating southward to try and get Gen. Sherman to attack him in a good defensive position. a. The Battle of Kennesaw MountainSherman attacks Johnston and is beaten back, Sherman will not do this again and countinues his flanking move southward. 2. As the CSA gets closer to Atlanta, Richmond feels Johnston is not doing enough and they replace him with Gen. John Bell Hood. Hood is aggressive and will attack the Union Army. This was the break that Sherman was hoping for. With Grant stuck outside Petersburg and Sherman stalled outside of Atlanta, it does not look like Lincoln will win the Election of 1864 against George B. McClellan. a. The Battles of Peachtree Creek, Ezra’s Church, Hood attacks the Union Army and is defeated. After one more battle at Dalton, Georgia, Hood abandons Atlanta. With the fall of Atlanta, Lincoln is elected president again. 3. After burning Atlanta, Sherman begins his “March to the Sea.” He cuts a 40 mile wide path of destruction from Atlanta to Savannah. a. “War is Hell.”-Gen. Sherman. b. Atlanta is ours, and fairly won.” c. “I beg to offer Savannah as a Christmas gift.” d. “I will make Georgia Howl.” 4. Sherman spares Savannah and marches north to South Carolina. He is especially harsh in South Carolina because the seeds of secession were planted there. He spares Charleston but burns every other major city and town. 5. Hood marches north to try and get Sherman to follow him. Sherman doesn’t. a. The Battle of Franklin, Tennessee 1) Hood tries a “Pickett’s Charge” at Franklin and nine Confederate generals are killed. Hood’s army is destroyed and Gen. Joseph E. Johnston is put back into command of the CSA in the West. 6. Nathan Bedford Forrest a. He was a genius Confederate calvary commander in the west. He attracts large numbers of Union men because he is destroying supply lines, and threatening key supply depots and cutting telegraph lines. Forrest arose from poverty to a millionaire and raised and out fitted his own calvary unit of 1,000-1,500 men. He was called by the Union “The Devil Himself.” 7. North Carolina a. Gen. Joseph E. Johnston has an army of 50,000 men and Sherman pursues him through North Carolina. b. The last large battle of the war is fought at Bentonville, North Carolina with great loss on both sides. c. The day after Lincoln’s assassination, Johnston surrenders to Sherman. Sherman receives the same terms Grant gave Lee at Appomattox Court House. 8. The Sultana Disaster-an overloaded steamship mostly with Union prisoners from Andersonville, explodes in the Mississippi. More people were killed in the Sultana Disaster than on the RMS Titanic.