Chapter 11Section 5: The War Ends

Grant vs. Lee It’s now spring of 1864 Grant puts Gen. William

T. Sherman in charge of the Union in the West and then takes his troops east and south.

Tells Lincoln “Whatever happens, there will be no turning back”

Intends to march through the South and attack until the South surrenders.

Battle of the Wilderness & Battle at Cold Harbor

Grant’s first battle comes in the Wilderness, near Fredericksburg, VA.

Fighting is so heavy that the woods catch fire

Grant moves on to Spotsylvania Courthouse and fights for 11 days

Shift in tactics…keep fighting with no breaks between battles. • No more waiting for supplies

or reinforcements• Use of trench warfare

Cold Harbor Was a crossroads north of Richmond

important as defensive position to keep the Confederate capital secure

Grant moves his troops there after he is unable to break Lee’s lines at Spotsylvania

Grant launches an all-out assault on Lee’s forces at Cold Harbor

Cost his army 7,000 troops vs. on 1,500 for the South

Grant regrets it: “I regret this assault more than any one I have ever ordered”

Siege of Petersburg Grant switches tactics and tries

what worked at Vicksburg Orders Gen. Philip Sheridan to

stage a cavalry raid north and west of Richmond to create a distraction for Lee

Grant then attacks with the goal of capturing the rail line at Petersburg

The city had been heavily defended by the Confederates• Trenches 15 feet across• Barricades 20 feet thick

• Grant realizes that he will need to put Petersburg under siege

• Lasts for 10 months (!) killing 42,000 Union troops

Meanwhile, further South… Farragut attacks Mobile

• Had become a hero for capturing New Orleans

• Was the admiral of the Union Navy• Didn’t gain control of the city, but was able

to seal off access to the bay• This cut off access for blockade runners to

any of the ports they had been using along the Gulf of Mexico

The Fall of Atlanta Sherman was still

marching across the South, attacking whatever lay in his path

Sent troops to cut off the railroad lines and major roads leading to Atlanta

Destroyed the railroad tracks by making “Sherman Neckties”

Fall of Atlanta continued Confederate General in charge of the city was

John B. Hood who ordered the city to evacuate on September 1st, 1864

Sherman and his troops occupy the city Orders all civilians to leave the city

• “not only fighting hostime armies, but a hostile people”

• Will “make old and young, rich and poor feel the hard hand of war.”

• Orders his troops to destroy anything of military value• Fires are set but then spread and burn 1/3 of the city

Sherman’s March to the Sea

Wants to “make Georgia howl”, so Gen. Sherman decides to cut the state in half by “cut(ting) a swath to the sea”

Begins his march on Novemer 15, 1864 Cut a path of destruction that was 60

miles wide in some places Destroyed everything—killed cattle, ruined

crops, etc. Reaches Savannah and then turns north to

South Caronlia

Sherman continued Sherman’s army wants to punish

South Carolina for starting the war Destroy 12 cities along the way,

including the capital of Columbia “Here is where treason began and

here is where it shall end.”

Election of 1864 Lincoln knows he has

to have military success to win re-election

Democrats had chosen Gen. McClellan to be their candidate (Lincoln had fired him)

McClellan says he will end the war by negotiating peace with the South

Lincoln Wins! The timing of the capture of Atlanta

couldn’t have been better for Lincoln. Wins with 55% of the vote Claims he has a mandate from the

people Congress passes, with the President’s

support, the 13th Amendment on January 31, 1865

The South Surrenders Final battle comes at Appomattox

Courthouse in Virginia. Lee had moved west to escape Grant’s

army, but got surrounded. Lee realizes that he will have to surrender:

• “There is nothing left for me to do but go and see General Grant, and I would rather die a thousand deaths”

• Lee surrendered to Grant on April 9, 1865• Terms of surrender specify that Confederate

soldiers won’t be prosecuted for treason

Lincoln’s assasination Lincoln develops a plan to reunify the

country and starts giving speeches to promote it

One of the people in the audience is John Wilkes Booth, who plots to kill the president:• “That’s the last speech he will ever make”• Lincoln had been warned not to go out without

guards• Decides to attend a play at Ford’s Theater • Booth sneaks in and shoots Lincoln in the back of the

head