the american pageant the furnace of civil war 1861-1865
TRANSCRIPT
The American PageantThe Furnace of Civil War
1861-1865
July 21, 1861 Manassas, VA Irvin McDowell (Union) vs. Johnston and
Beauregard Union plan: attack, win, march to
Richmond Reality:
Both sides unprepared Confederates victorious when “Stonewall”
Jackson stands his ground, until reinforcements arrive
Given command of Union army after McDowell defeated
Meticulous in planning Bad in implementation Served only 4 months
Union launched in SE Virginia by McClellan
March – July 1862 Union goal: Avoid Confed. army in VA by
using waterways to sneak up and capture Richmond
Reality – McClellan held ground with Johnston, but then was easily defeated by Robert E. Lee (Confed. victory)
Union landed at Ft. Monroe but surprised to find Confed. defensive line
Battle of Yorktown (union victory) Started Confed. withdraw
Battle of Williamsburg (Union victory) 1st battle of campaign Continued Confed. withdraw
Battle of Drewry’s Bluff (Confed victory) Unsuccessful attempt of Navy to access Richmond
via James River Battle of Seven Pines (draw)
Johnston wounded Replaced by Robert E. Lee
June 25 – July 1, 1862 Six Major battles (10 total) Confed. General Lee vs. Union General
McClellan Confederates pushed McClellan’s army
back down the peninsula Lee then turned North to ready for future
campaigns 36,000 casualties
Northern blockades at principal ports Merrimack
Confed. steel plated wooden ship Effective at breaking through blockades Many weapons and large but very slow
Monitor Union’s ironclad ship Fast and small; few weapons
Merrimack vs. Monitor March 9th, 1862 (draw)
August 29 – 30th, 1862 General Lee vs. General Pope (Union) First major offensive battle by
Confederacy Confederate Victory Casualties
Union – 10,000 Confed. – 1,300
Union General John Pope
“Stonewall” Jackson captured union supplies at Manassas Severed link with Washington D.C.
Confed. and Union stalemate at Stony Ridge Gen. Longstreet (Confed.) met up with
Jackson after light resistance Pope unaware of Longstreet, continued to fight
Jackson Union easily defeated by largest
simultaneous mass assault of the war (25,000 confed. troops)
August 29th, 10am and 12pm
August 29th, 3pm and 5-7pm
August 30th, 3 and 4pm
August 30th, 4:30 – 5pmUnion retreat
• Why was Lee invading the North, and especially a border state at this time? What were his goals?• Why was it especially critical for the Union to have a victory at this time?
First major battle on Northern soil (MD) Bloodiest single day battle (23,000) Lee vs. McClellan Lee outnumbered 2 to 1, but McClellan
sent in less than ¾ of army Lee able to withdraw, when McClellan
failed to follow Tactical Draw; Stopped advance towards
D.C.
Called for the freeing of all slaves "the rebels could not experiment for 10 years
trying to destroy the government and if they fail still come back into the Union unhurt.“
Confiscation Act of 1862 punished "traitors" by declaring their slaves
property of war who shall be free. Not enforced in the border states Removed chances of negotiation between
north and south Made the Civil War also a moral war
McClellan replaced with General Burnside after Antietam
Battle of Fredericksburg, VA (12/13/1862) Union defeated Gen. Burnside replaced with General Hooker
Battle of Chancellorsville, VA (May 1863) Union defeated “Stonewall” Jackson mortally wounded General Hooker replaced by General Meade
July 1 -3. 1863
Largest # of casualties (approx 50,000) Major turning point of the war Lee vs. Meade Confed. Goal
Move north into PA, win, and truce Union victory Ended the war in the north Led turn to Confed. defensive war, rather
than offensive
Early Confed. gains Pushed Union back
to Cemetery Hill General Reynolds
killed; replaced by Doubleday
Pickett’s Charge Confed. attack on
Union middle Preceded by
artillery shooting Confed. – 50%
casualties Ended the Battle of
Gettysburg Union victory
Congressional Committee on the Conduct of War Abused powers during war Led by Salmon P. Chase (Sec of Treasury)
Democratic Split War Democrats: Pro-Lincoln Peace Democrats: – Anti-Lincoln
Copperheads Radical peace democrats Vallandigham – Banished to South
Started as Union volunteer Captured Ft. Henry and Ft. Donelson in
Feb 1862 Battle of Shiloh April 1862
Union Victory Given command at Vicksburg
Union victory July 4th, 1863 Control of Mississippi River for rest of war
Became Lieutenant General of U.S. Army after victory at Chattanooga
Captured and burned Atlanta in September 1864
Captured Savannah December 1864 Captured and burned Columbia February
1865 Purpose to destroy supplies and lower
morale
Union Party – War Democrats + Republicans Lincoln: President Johnson (War Democrat): Vice President
Democrats (including Copperheads) George McClellan
Lincoln overwhelmingly reelected Another defeat for the South
April 9th, 1865 Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Richmond, VA following Wilderness Campaign
War Death Total – 600,000 Cost - $15 Billion
April 14th, 1865 Ford’s Theater (DC) John Wilkes Booth Andrew Johnson takes over as president