the american civil war and it's impact on georgia

The Civil War in GA

SS8H6b: State the importance of key events of the Civil War; include Antietam, Emancipation Proclamation, Gettysburg, Chickamauga, the Union blockade of Georgia’s coast, Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign, Sherman’s March to the sea, and Andersonville.

Important Topics

• Antietam• Emancipation Proclamation• Gettysburg• Chickamauga• Union Blockade• Sherman’s Atlanta Campaign• Sherman’s March to the Sea• Andersonville

Early stages of the Civil War

• GA, FL, MS, AL, LA, SC, and TX seceded from the Union.

• The United States refused to turn over possession of the forts that they had in the Confederacy.

• On April 12, 1861, Confederate forces began to fire on Fort Sumter in South Carolina, two days later the Union soldiers forced to surrender.

• This was the first official fighting between Union and Confederate troops.

Fort SumterNotice howIt blocks theChannel leading Into Charleston.

Fort Sumter

View of Charleston at the beginning of theCivil War. Notice Fort Sumter in the harbor.

Early stages of the Civil War

• After the attack at Fort Sumter; VA, TN, NC, and AR decide to join the confederacy.

• Even though Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware were slave states they remained with the Union, because they did not believe it was right to secede. – They were known as the border states.– Some of VA’s western counties decided to stay with the

Union, creating West Virginia.

Map of The United States and Confederate States of America

• Dark Red:– Original states to

secede.

• Light Red:– States that seceded

after Fort Sumter

• Yellow:– Border States

• Blue:– Union

The Civil War

• After Fort Sumter was bombed, Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to enlist for three months to “put down the rebellion”

• Many thought that the war would be quick and relatively bloodless.

• It became the bloodiest war in US history, with the highest number of American casualties because both sides were considered to be Americans.– 600,000 killed– 400,000 wounded

Leaders

• General Robert E. Lee – Commander of the Confederate Army (The South)

• General Ulysses S. Grant – Commander of the Union Army. (The North)

• Both men were graduates of West Point. • Lee was considered to be one of the finest military men in the nation at

this point. He was asked to command the Union Army by President Abraham Lincoln. Lee refused Lincoln stating that he must decline because he felt an allegiance to his home and state of Virginia.

• Reflect – What if Lee had led the Union troops? How might have the war been different?

General Robert E. Lee

Commander of the Confederate Army

(The South)

Robert E. Lee

Commander Ulysses S. Grant

Leader of the Union forces (The North)

Grant

Grant

General Grant at camp

Union Blockade of Southern Ports

• Shortly after the bombing of Fort Sumter Lincoln declared a naval Blockade on southern ports.– Any ship coming or going would be stopped

and searched for contraband.• Some supplies did come through the blockade

on ships designed to elude the Union ships, called Blockade runners.– Very, fast ships

Union Blockade of Southern Ports

• This blockade not only limited the amount of goods coming into the Confederacy but it also limited the amount of cotton that was sent to other countries for sale. This limited the amount of money available for the Confederacy to fund its war efforts.

• The blockades hurt the Confederacy because they needed these supplies to continue fighting the war.

• The Union called this strategy the “Anaconda Plan.” – It would eventually squeeze the Confederacy to

death.

Anaconda Plan

Map of the Union Blockade

• The Nashville and the Colonel Lamb – Civil War Blockade running ships

Wartime resources• The North was more prepared to fight the civil war

than the south.– North – larger population, more factories, more railroads

(suitable to carry heavy loads)– South – agriculture based economy, 1/3 of total

population was slaves, railroad built to carry farm products ( light loads).

• King Cotton Diplomacy – The south felt that they could force France and Britain into the war due to their need of cotton. This didn’t work because the north convinced them to use cotton from another source.

King Cotton Diplomacy

• To try and overcome the odds stacked against them entering the war the south tried to use what is called King Cotton Diplomacy.

• King Cotton Diplomacy – The south felt that they could force France and Britain into the war to help them due to their need of cotton. This didn’t work because the north convinced them to use cotton from another source.

Early Fighting in the War

• Even though the South was outnumbered and had fewer resources they were winning most of the battles at the beginning of the war.

• With the victories, General Lee felt confident enough to bring the fight to the north, which led to the battle of Antietam.

The Civil War

• Antietam– September 17, 1862– General Lee attempts to invade the north.– Single “bloodiest” day of the Civil War– No clear winner– Lincoln used the aftermath of this battle to issue

the Emancipation Proclamation.

The New York GazetteSeptember 23, 1862

Battle of Antietam: Over 22,000 Casualties in Single Day

Fallen soldiers after Antietam

The Emancipation Proclamation

“And by virtue of the power, and for the purpose aforesaid, I do order and declare that all persons held as slaves within said designated States, and parts of States, are, and forever shall be free; and that the Executive government of the United States, including the military and naval authorities thereof, will recognize and maintain the freedom of said persons.”

The Emancipation Proclamation • Through the Emancipation Proclamation Lincoln

expressed his desire for all people to be free.• It did not create freedom for everyone, this did not

happen until the 13th Amendment, which was adopted after the end of the Civil War.

• Not everyone received their freedom, because the Emancipation Proclamation did not make slavery illegal in the slave states still loyal to the Union.

• There was still a long fight ahead ensure this freedom.

The Emancipation Proclamation

“And I further declare and make known, that such persons of suitable condition, will be received into the armed service of the United States to garrison forts, positions, stations, and other places, and to man vessels of all sorts in said service.”

The Emancipation Proclamation

• This statement welcomed former slaves into the armed services.– 186,000 African American enlisted.

• 133,000 came from slave states.

– Over 38,000 died during the Civil War.– Have you ever seen the movie “Glory.”

Glory

• Movie about the 54th Massachusetts.

Gettysburg

The turning point in the war.

51,000 died in 3 days• From July 1, 1863 – July 3, 1863.• General Lee attempts to invade the North for a second

time.• The two armies fought a battle in Pennsylvania that would

change the course of the war.– North - 97,000 troops in the battle.

• 23,000 -- killed, wounded, or captured.– South – 75,000 troops in the battle.

• 28,000 -- killed, wounded, or captured.

• This battle was known as Gettysburg. • The Union army won this battle. South forced to take a

defensive role for the rest of the war.

The War comes to Georgia

• For the first two years of the war very few battles were fought in GA.

• This changed during September 1863, Union forces had captured Chattanooga, and started to advance into GA.

• The Union forces met stiff resistance at the site of Chickamauga Creek.

The War comes to Georgia

Chickamauga is located in Northwestern GA just south of Chattanooga, TN.

The War comes to Georgia

• This was the first major advance of Union forces into GA.

• Two days of fierce fighting and the Confederate Army was able to defeat the Union Army at a terrible cost.

• 33,900 either wounded or killed.• This was to be last major victory of the Confederacy.• The following spring, William T. Sherman would

begin his Invasion of GA.

Battle of Chickamauga

Sherman Invades GA

• In the spring of 1864, Sherman begins his march from Chattanooga to Atlanta.– Atlanta was the munitions center of the Confederacy.

• This invasion of GA was designed to not only take Atlanta but to also break the will of the Confederacy.

• Throughout Sherman’s invasion of GA, he was met with resistance.

• He finally was able to take Atlanta after much fighting in the surrounding areas.

William Tecumsah Sherman

Sherman Takes Atlanta

• Sherman did not want Atlanta for military standpoint, he wanted to take Atlanta to stop the supplies that were supporting the Confederate Army.

Sherman Takes Atlanta• Before the Confederates left Atlanta They destroyed

anything that they could not carry with them. (ex. Locomotives and railroad cars)

• Sherman did not want the supplies, he wanted everything destroyed.– Within a week of taking Atlanta, he forced all Southern

citizens to leave.– He then had anything used in supplying the confederate

army destroyed and its building burned. • The fires spread quickly and burned down most of the city.

Atlanta, GA. View on Marietta Street before Sherman came to Atlanta.

Sherman Troops Burning Atlanta

Illustration from Harper's Weekly - Union troops burning Atlanta's public buildings, depots, and factories in 1864

Atlanta Depot before Sherman

Atlanta Depot before Sherman

Atlanta Depot After Sherman

Sherman’s March to the Sea

• After 2 ½ months Sherman burned Atlanta and set off for Savannah.

• This March was intended to speed up the end of the war and end civilian support for the war effort.

• His goal was to bring “the sad realities of war” to the heart of GA.

Sherman’s March to the Sea

• Sherman issued orders that explained how the march would be conducted.– 6. To corps commanders alone is entrusted the power to destroy

mills, houses, cotton-gins, etc.; and for them this general principle is laid down:

In districts and neighborhoods where the army is unmolested, no destruction of each property should be permitted; but should guerrillas or bushwhackers molest our march, or should the inhabitants burn bridges, obstruct roads, or otherwise manifest local hostility, then army commanders should order and enforce a devastation more or less relentless, according to the measure of such hostility.

Sherman’s March to the Sea

• After Sherman reached Savannah he estimated that his troops had destroyed over $100 million worth of food and other resources. – This does not count houses, personal property, or

government property (railroads, courthouses, etc..)

What do you see in this picture.

Area damaged by Sherman’s March.Notice that it did not stop in GA.

Sherman Reaches Savannah

• Sherman entered Savannah on December 21, 1864. 1 ½ months after leaving Atlanta.– He captured 150 guns, plenty of ammunition, and

25,000 bales of cotton.• Why was there so much cotton in Savannah?

– He sent a telegraph to Lincoln saying “I beg to present you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah.”

– Neither GA nor the Confederacy was able to recover from this march in time to change the outcome to the Civil War.

Savannah during the Civil War

Andersonville

• One of the most notorious Confederate prisons during the Civil War.

• Held so many Union prisoners that its population was greater than most confederate cities.

• Because of the overcrowding and unsanitary conditions nearly 13,000 prisoners died of disease and starvation.

Andersonville

• The South constructed a prisoner of war camp built to hold 15,000 prisoners.

• Instead it had 45,000 prisoners at one time.• Disease killed 13,000 Union soldiers.• Camp commander Henry Wirz was hung after

the war for war crimes.

The War Ends

Surrender

• April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered to Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia.

• Two weeks later, General Joseph Johnston surrendered to General William Sherman in North Carolina.