CIVIL WAR

A NATION DIVIDED

Fort Sumter- South Carolina Seceded from the Union followed by six other southern states directly after the election of 1860. Soon after Southerners fired on the Union fort in South Carolina and captured it.

Lincoln responded to Ft. Sumter by calling for 75,000 states militia into service for 90 days.

South Response: 4 upper South States Seceded when they here of the new Union Army (Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas).

Both Sides felt that the war would be over very quickly. Most people went with their state, but people in the boarder states had a tough decision.

Lee was the Colonel of the U.S. Army before the start of the war. Abraham Lincoln met with him to offer him the role of commander and chief, he thinks about it, but in the long run he decides to go with his home state of Virginia and the Confederacy.

This was a striking blow to the Union.

In terms of Resources the North had a distinct advantage over the South.

Population----North= 22 million

South= 9 million

Industrial Capacity----90% for the North

North had superior transportation, infrastructure, railroads, canals, wagon trails, and the nations financial market.

Springfield Rifled Musket- Loaded from the front, a good soldier could fire 2-3 shots per minute.

Rifled Musket and Mini-ball- Groves inside the barrel spin the mini-ball making it accurate over a much longer distance than a smoothbore musket.

Bayonet- Knives on the end of the musket for hand to hand combat.

Six Shot Colt Revolver- Used mainly by officers.

Confederates- App. 882,000 men served (80%), Union app. 2.1 million (50%).

Deaths- 620,000 overall: South 360,000: North 260,000.

Disease was the biggest killer in the war (2 men died of disease for every 1 killed in battle)

---Chicken pox, measles, typhus, TB, Gangrene.

South

--Wear out Northern resolve, seize Northern territory, if possible, as a bargaining chip.

--South had shorter lines of communication and supplies.

North--The North had the biggest problem strategically. (capture and pacify hundreds of square miles of territory).

--Anaconda Plan: Slowly strangle the South, Naval Blockade, Seize strategic rivers, basically squeeze the south.

1st Major battle of the War

Fought Near Washington D.C. (July 21 1861)

Confederate Capital of Richmond was only 100 Miles from Wash D.C.

People drove out in carriages to watch this battle from the North.

Union Goal: Defeat the gathering Southern troops and capture railroad in order to take Southern Capital.

--Northern Troops were “Green”, they were defeated and as they ran away they ran right through gathering crowds.

Battle showed 3 things:

1. South would not go down easy.

2. North needed better leadership.

3. George McClellan put in charge.

--McClellan was a master organizer and trained and built the army up greatly.

--Unfortunately, he was reluctant to fight, he felt you won a war by outmaneuvering the enemy not combat.

Appalachians to Mississippi River

Ulysses S. GrantHero of Mex-Am War

Hero----Alcoholic--High Commodity--General who would act.

April 1862, 1st Great battle of Western Campaign.

--The battle was huge, both sides pushed each other back and then retaliated throughout. Finally, the Union won by taking the fild and killing the Confederate General Johnston.

--Union lost more men in the battle, the total losses were 23,000 casualties. This was more than every previous American War combined (Revolution, War of 1812, and Mexican-American War).

--This outcome shocks people, Grant becomes known as the butcher.

--Shortly after Shiloh, New Orleans was taken, this is important because it is the South’s biggest Port.

--McClellan aimed to take Richmond form the South. Landed troops on the Peninsula between the James and York Rivers.

--McClellan’s advances were delayed by his own caution (Southern Trickery).

--The 7 Days: Lee forces McClellan to retreat, troops are taken back to Washington D.C.

--McClellan Replaced by John Polk.

Stonewall Jackson was able to win three battles in the Shenandoah Valley, preventing McClellan from being Reinforced.

--Civil war saw a revolution in Naval Warfare. Iron Clads made their appearance, these made wooden ships obsolete in coastal warfare.

--Duel between CSS Virginia and USS Monitor ended in a draw, showed that the Union could successfully uphold its Naval blockades.

From the Beginning both sides distance themselves from the idea of freeing the slaves.

Northern support for the war was evaporating in 1862, because of poor military performance and casualties.

Truthfully it was the slaves who saw an opportunity to push for emancipation. They were eagerly seeking refuge in the Northern lines, making Northerners realize that slaves were a military asset to the south.

Calls slaves Contraband of War, Says that because these slaves are being used against a legitimate government they can be seized.

This does not free the slaves

--Freedom of slaves of disloyal owners. Congress leading Lincoln on Emancipation

Lee invaded the North in Sept. 1862, Lee had hoped to Draw Maryland into the Confederacy, to capture NorthernTerritory, and win foreign Support.

Sept. 17, 1862: Deadliest Day of the War.

--3 part battle ---Cornfield ---Bloody Lane --Stone Bridge

--Union Army Technically Won. Lots of Death

--Emancipation Proclamation followed this battle.

Lincoln did not lead on Emancipation ---- he was a master of timing, saw it as the only way to save the Union. Needed a big Victory and that victory was Antietam.

-- Abrose Burnside was the new General of the Union Army. He was extremely Unlucky

-- Union platoons for forging the river did not arrive on time, this gave Lee time to fortify Marie’s Heights above the town.

--Resulted in Union disaster, Burnside ordered 13 frontal attacks up the hill, they are destroyed. Lowest Point of the war. (Burnside replace by Hooker).

Confederates won the battle. It was significant in that Stonewall Jackson was killed.

He was accidentally shot by his own men. This was a devastating blow to the Confederacy.

--Winning in the West meant capturing Mississippi, to do this Vicksburg had to be taken.

--They believed that with the fall of Vicksburg, Confederate defeat would be inevitable.

--This was one of the most impressive campaigns since Napoleon. Grant had to take big risks.

--The siege lasted from May 22-July 4 1863.

--It was a horrendous siege, The Confederates and Civilians were under Constant Shelling, They started to run out of food. They started eating horses and pets.

--Pemberton decides to surrender on July 4th.

Grant was a Hero Again.

--The most significant battle fought on Northern Land (Pennsylvania). It lasted 3-days

--After Chancellorsville Lee again invaded the North.

--Because Lee’s cavalry leader JEB Stewart did not stay in contact with Lee. They lost track of the Union forces and both armies ran into each other outside the small town of Gettysburg.

This battle secured the high ground for the North at Gettysburg, it was an amazing swinging gate tactical maneuver that is still taught at west point today.

Lee ordered General Pickett to try to take a straight frontal attack on the Union Army across a field more than a mile long. It was a disaster.

This turned the tide of the war, the Confederates retreated back south again.

Grant was now the undisputed General of the North.

--Grant would now try to win a war of attrition against the south, keep engaging the enemy in a cat and mouse game and grind it down. He knew Lee could no longer replace lost men.

--The war finally bogged down outside of Petersburg where they fight trench warfare for the next 9 months.

--Lee hoped that he could where down Northern support so Lincoln would loose the election of 1864.

--It does not work, Lincoln is re-elected destroying Southern Morale.

Sherman’s March to the SeaSherman’s March to the Sea--William Tecumseh Sherman: Made a very risky move in the west. He cut his army from its supply lines and went on a marching raid.

--The march was destruction aimed to terrorize and demoralize southerners.

--Wanted to prove that the Union Army could march through the heart of the South without being stopped.

Atlanta to Savannah: Mid-November to Christmas 1864.

Sherman’s X-Mas Present to Lincoln

Savannah to the Carolinas: Even Crueler to the Carolinas. Burns the Capital of Columbia to the ground.

“South Carolina was were secession began, and it is where it will end.” --William T. Sherman

--Grant finally breaks the siege of Petersburg.

--Richmond falls soon after.

--Lee retreats followed closely by Grant.

--Lee retreats followed Closely by Grant. He is stopped.

--Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865.

--The war officially ends with the capture of Confederate President Jefferson Davis on May 10th.

--John Wilkes Booth assassinated Lincoln 5-days after Appomattox courthouse, April 14th.

Both Upset about outcome of the war. (Fords Theatre)

Assassination led to many problems after the war in reconstruction

Clara Barton- Red Cross

African American Soldiers

Trent Affair Gettysburg Address

New York City Draft Riots Andersonville