THE UNITED STATES CIVIL WAR, 1861 - 1865

LINCOLN AND HIS CABINET

South Carolina was the fi rst state to secede from the Union, so it is appropriate enough that the fi ghti ng would begin there. When Lincoln and his cabinet arrived at the conclusion that Sumter must be resupplied, the die was cast. Pierre Beauregard ordered that the Fort be surrendered and began a bombardment which left Major Robert Anderson no opti on but to surrender. The only casualty that day was a Confederate horse, kil led in an accident during the shelling.

FORT SUMTER AND SECESSION

Lincoln’s momentous decision to cal l up 75,000 soldiers – rather than to al low the seven Confederate States which had already surrendered to have the fort – proved to be momentous. Four more states – including the criti cally populous and industrial ly developed Virginia – seceded now. Most of Virginia, anyhow! With Virginia went General Robert E. Lee – the man Lincoln had asked to command the United States Army during the Civi l War.

LINCOLN CALLS UP 75,000

When Virginia seceded from the Union, West Virginia seceded from the state. Lincoln was in the uncomfortable position of approving WV statehood – against his own claim that secession was not tenable in a democracy.

The goal of the war for the Confederacy had already been accomplished when the fi ghti ng started. They sought independence, and need only defend themselves from the onslaught of the Union military.

The Union’s goals were decidedly more diffi cult. They would need to invade the South, defeat her militarily, force the rebellious states back into the Union, and reconstruct her society in a more agreeable fashion

It is extremely important to note that the goal of the Union at the start of the Civil War WAS NOT to end slavery. Lincoln explicitly denounced ending slavery as a goal even in his inaugural address.

THE GOALS OF THE WAR

THE BORDER STATES

The populati on of the Northern states was over 22 Mill ion. Compared to the Confederacy ’s 5.5 Mill ion people, the Union had a huge populati on from which to draw soldiers.

The network of railroads, canals, and highways in the Union was far superior to that of the Confederacy. The Union had well over 20,000 miles of railroad tracks; the Confederacy had fewer than 10,000.

The agricultural economy of the North was diversifi ed enough to provide all of its soldiers with food and supplies.

The vast majority of the fi nancial resources of the nati on were in the North.

ADVANTAGES OF THE UNION

The Confederacy had a strong military traditi on, and many brill iant offi cers.

The goal of the South was much easier to achieve.

The Confederacy was self-suffi cient agriculturally.

Much of the fi ghti ng would take place in the South, and this gave the Confederacy a huge advantage when it came to knowledge of the terrain.

The Confederacy believed the since France and England depended upon Southern cott on, they may intervene in the war.

ADVANTAGES OF THE CONFEDERACY

THE ANACONDA PLAN – GEN. WINFIELD SCOTT

General Winfield Scott’s Anaconda Plan was designed to strangle the Confederacy into submission. Unable to trade their cotton for goods – military supplies, food, and finished goods, in particular – the South would be forced to capitulate. The plan was effective – over a long, long time.

The fi rst major encounter of the war too place in July of 1861 at Manassas Juncti on Virginia. High society from Washington, D.C. took carriages out to view the carnage from afar. They were horrifi ed when what appeared to be a decisive victory for the Union turned into a disorderly rout. The Confederate soldiers, fol lowing the example of Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson, held their ground, organized a counteratt ack, and sent the green Union troops running.

“THE GREAT SKEDADDLE”

George McClellan picked up the pieces of the Army of the Potomac and put them to work training and dril l ing unti l they were a well-disciplined army. McClellan had several small scale victories in West Virginia prior to being appointed the general of the army, and was well loved by his men. His real skil l , though was for training and not for combat. Skitti sh in batt le, he preferred not to att ack unless the odds were very much in his favor, and even then, he was deliberate and cauti ous.

ENTER GEORGE MCCLELLAN

Dur ing the Peninsu la campaign o f 1862, McCle l lan spent months prepar ing for an invas ion that was never executed. Fearfu l that he was outnumbered (he was not ) McCle l lan paused and hes i tated, started and stopped, and eventua l ly outmaneuvered by Genera l Robert E . Lee. When L inco ln refused to supply McCle l lan wi th additi onal t roops – Washington, D.C . was essenti al ly exposed to enemy att ack – McCle l lan su lked and insul ted the commander- in-ch ief. In lett ers , he routi nely insu l ted the Pres ident and h i s Cabinet .

THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN

Robert E. Lee and his partnership with Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson can hardly be underesti mated as a factor in prolonging the war. Indeed, had Jackson l ived, many historians believe that the war may have ended diff erently. When Lee realized the McClellan would not att ack even with an enormous advantage, he took the off ensive himself, punished the Union Army, and forced them to retreat. Richmond was saved.

THE SEVEN DAYS BATTLES

THE IRONCLADS MEET

The Confederacy seized and converted a Union vessel, the Merrimack into an ironclad ship, renamed her the Virginia, and did considerable damage before the Union’s own Monitor fought her to a draw. Modern Naval Warfare began here, when the two ships fought to a draw. Later, the Confederates were forced to scuttle the ship when Norfolk surrendered in 1862.

The bloodiest day in the history of the United States occurred in September of 1862 in Maryland. Over 12,000 casualti es occurred in few bloody hours. It was barely a victory at all, but the Union sold it as such. They had repulsed the Confederates thrust into Northern territory, and Lincoln would use the victory to redefi ne the goals of the war.

ANTIETAM

I t was Benjamin But ler that fi rst objected to the noti on of returning runaway slaves during the Civi l War. He argued that i f the CSA insisted she was a sovereign nati on, the Union should take her at her word and protect the refugees that ran away. Before But ler ’s analysis of the s ituati on, the Fugiti ve Slave Law had been upheld. Now, Butler c laimed that he would protect the runaway enslaved people as “contraband of war.” The enslaved were property – according to their Southern owners. Benjamin Butler c laimed that he would take them at their word.

FORTRESS MONROE’S “CONTRABAND”

Lincoln’ Emancipati on Proclamati on was issued in two parts – an initi al announcement in September of 1862 and the formal statement of the rule in January. It only freed slaves in parts of the South which were acti vely rebelling, but it sti ll had a huge impact on the conduct and the meaning of the war.

THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION

There were over 200,000 African-American soldiers who served the Union Army during the Civi l War. They served in supply roles and in combat, and every runaway slave was twice eff ecti ve. They had robbed the Confederacy of their labor, and now, they were serving in the Union Armed forces. Perhaps the most famous group of Afr ican American soldiers from the period was the 58 t h Massachusett s Colored Regiment.

AFRICAN AMERICAN SOLDIERS

One of the most horrifying batt les of the enti re war, the Union’s eff ort to control Fredericksburg by way of an assault on Marye’s Heights resulted in thousands of deaths. General Ambrose Burnside, who had ordered the assault, would resign his command post shortly. There were over 10,000 deaths and casualti es on the Union side, and the mission was a catastrophic failure.

FREDERICKSBURG

Chancel lorsvi l le was another classic victory for Robert E. Lee. Spl itti ng his already outnumbered army against a skitti sh Union adversary in General Thomas Hooker, Lee was able to convince Hooker that he was surrounded, and press him to retreat with enormous losses. The most horrifying loss of the day, however, was for Lee. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was mortal ly wounded at the batt le. He was shot by his own men aft er returning from a night recognizance raid. His arm was amputated; he died several days later.

CHANCELLORSVILLE

Aft er having won victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson in Tennessee, Ulysses S. Grant was gaining a reputati on as a leader on the batt lefi eld. When his forces met Confederate general Albert Sidney Johnson in the Southern part of Tennessee in April of 1862, over 20,000 casualti es resulted – but Grant ’s forces controlled the batt lefi eld and much of the Mississippi River Valley in the wake of the batt le.

“UNCONDITIONAL SURRENDER” GRANT

David Farragut made the famous statement at the Batt le of New Orleans in Apri l of 1862. New Orleans fe l l quickly, and Farragut would make his way north towards Natchez, MS. Eventual ly, he met the soldiers of Ulysses S. Grant , who’s goal was to capture and control the enti re Mississ ippi River. Only Vicksburg stood in the Union’s way, now, as they att empted to sever the Confederacy in half.

“DAMN THE TORPEDOES, FULL SPEED AHEAD!”

The siege of Vicksburg was a painstaking an brutal aff air, but on which resulted in a decisive Union victory and absolute control over the Mississippi River. Before the city surrendered, it had been bombed into submission. Everyone in the town was living in dugout shelters. On July 4 t h , the town surrendered to Grant. The holiday would not be celebrated in New Orleans again for a long, long, ti me.

VICKSBURG: PRAIRIE DOG TOWN

By the second year of the war, despite some signs of progress on the part of the Union, all of the bloodshed and violence was getti ng to be too much for some Americans. The 1862 Electi ons saw gains for so-called “Peace Democrats” – Copperheads – who sought to end the war by negoti ati on.

COPPERHEADS AND THE DRAFT

Lee invaded the North in the summer of 1863 bel ieving his men were invincible. He also was under the impression that a v ictory by his army in the North may bring diplomati c recogniti on from England or France – ti lti ng the balance of power to the Confederacy again. Although outnumbered – as usual – Lee would choose to take the off ensive in the cr iti cal stages of the batt le. Some historians contend that Lee l i teral ly suff ered a heart att ack during the batt le, c louding his judgment. I t i s certain that his decis ions were questi oned by Longstreet.

GETTYSBURG

George Meade was the general for the Union during the Batt le of Gett ysburg. In spite of his great victory, he would be removed from command fol lowing the batt le for fai l ing to pursue Lee’s broken Army of Northern Virginia. Meade was sent to Minnesota fol lowing the batt le, to lead anti -Indian movements. The best known hero of the Batt le of Gett ysburg may be Joshua Chamberlain, who saved the high ground at L itt le Round Top by executi ng a swinging gate maneuver – bayonets fi xed – to att ack a larger Confederate force. The Rebels surrendered.

GETTYSBURG

The fi nal day of the Batt le of Gett ysburg began with Pickett ’s Charge. The glorious but unsuccessful mission turned into a rout; the Confederacy retreated in an unorganized manner. Only Meade’s incompetence allowed the Army of Northern Virginia to escape. Even at that the Confederacy ’s greatest army would be crippled and outnumbered for the remainder of the war.

GETTYSBURG

THE GETTYSBURG ADDRESS

“A New Birth of Freedom”

COLD HARBOR

Once appointed to lead the Army of the Potomac and to serve as the General in Chief of the Union Army, Grant vowed to fight it out with Lee along the lines of this battle all summer. It would take all summer and then some. Soldiers at the Battle of Cold Harbor wrote letters home that began, “I died today.”

SIEGE OF PETERSBURG

SHERMAN’S MARCH TO THE SEA

Although nicknamed “unconditi onal surrender,” when Grant received General Lee in Appomatt ox Court House, he off ered quite generous terms. Lee’s men were fed, they were given permission to take their horses and their guns, and Lee himself was treated with dignity. For Grant, this was the beginning of the reconstructi on.

SURRENDER AT APPOMATTOX

Over 625,000 men died during the Civil War – more men died in this war than in any war the United States has ever parti cipated in, including World War II.

Slavery, as an insti tuti on, was ended. Over four million enslaved African-Americans had helped to secure their own freedom, and now, a complete Reconstructi on of Southern Society would begin.

The supremacy of the federal government had been established, and the usurpati on of the powers of the executi ve were almost too long to enumerate. Lincoln had established a draft , suspended the writ of habeas corpus, and expanded the powers of his offi ce on numerous occasions.

The power of corporati ons in the North expanded exponenti ally.

CONSEQUENCES OF THE WAR

LINCOLN’S MARTYRDOM