1864
As the war in the west was proving to be on the Union's side, Ulysses S. Grant was given command of all the Union forces, and ordered to lead 122,000 troops down to Richmond. Lee met Grant's forces near the scene of the now one year old battle of Chancellorsville. Both armies fought "at the battles of the Wilderness (May 5-6), Spostlyvania Court House (May 8-12), and the North Anna River (May 16-23)." The Confederate forces kept pushing the Union forces back, but Grant refused to retreat and kept on the pursuit.
The Battle of Cold Harbor
Date: June 1-3, 1864
Commanders:
- Union: U.S. Grant
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Grant continued to chase down Lee until he caught up with him at a dusty crossroads called Cold Harbor. There, Grant ordered his troops on the entrenched Confederate positions which was a near suicidal tactic. By the end of the day, 7,000 Union soldiers were dead, and the rest of the Union army refused to reattempt the assault the next morning, which Grant ordered them to do.
Consequences: Lee's army continued to fight despite having few supplies and being outnumbered. The war in the North dragged on.
War in Georgia
Atlanta Campaign
When Grant was promoted to command all of the Union forces, his most trusted officer, General William Tecumseh Sherman was promoted to take command all of Union forces in the West. Sherman's main goal in the Western campaign was to take the capital of Atlanta.
In a series of battles General Sherman fought against the Confederate forces of General Johnston. Johnston carefully set up defensive positions "using fortifications of earth, timber, and stone." Sherman carefully flanked these positions nearly every battle and slowly pushed Johnson back towards Atlanta.
Jefferson Davis, who feared Johnston's tactics were giving away the ground to Atlanta, replaced the general with a more aggresive one, John B. Hood.
Hood went on the assault and surprise-attacked the Union forces in the Battle of Atlanta. Despite the surpise-attack, Union forces beat Hood's forces and entered Atlanta.
March to the Sea
After Atlanta was in Northern hands, Sherman proposed that he should march his force across Georgia to the seaport of Savannah. This plan would do two things:
1) It would destroy many Confederate supplies.
2) It would demoralize the South and show that "the Confederacy was rapidly losing its ability to resist."
Before the march, Sherman gave some of his forces to General George Thomas to hold the state of Tennessee, because Confederate General Hood was still in the area.
Sherman began the march and Hood launched an invasion of Tennessee. But thanks to General Thomas's forces, the Union forces repelled the attacks. The fighting completely ended at the Battle of Nashville where Union forces totally destroyed Hood's.
Sherman continued his march destroying crops, livestock, valuables, and other items. Some men went out of control and others who were not even part of the army started to pillage, loot, and perform serious crimes against the Southerners.
When Sherman reached Savannah in December, he estimated that his army had done over $100,000,000 of damage.
Confederate Collapse
Back at home, Lincoln was reelected in the election of 1864. Sherman continued his march north from Savannah, and General Grant continued to move southward, both generals closing in on General Lee.
Grant crossed the James river and "laid a twenty-five-mile-long siege line against Petersburg, Virginia." Petersburg was a major Confederate railroad junction, and if captured, it would cut off Richmond from the rest of the South. For nine whole months from July 1864 to March 1865, Grant laid his siege on the city. Both sides lost men to disease, but Grant could replace his as the Confederate lines were getting thin.
As Sherman got closer and closer to Lee from the south and Grant's siege was taking it's toll, Lee moved out of the siege and linked up with Confederate General Johnston in North Carolina. They hoped to reach the rail lines at Danville and Lynchburg, but were cut off by Grant's army at every turn. Some Confederates tried to persuade Lee to scatter his units to conduct guerilla warfare, but Lee refused, seeing that any more bloodshed was not necessary.
Surrender at Appomattox (April 1865)
"Lee met Grant at Appomattox Court House, Virginia, where they agreed on the terms of surrender..." Grant's terms basically told the Confederates to lay down their arms, and go home, and no one would be harmed. Lee graciously accepted his offer and the Civil War was over.
Tuesday, February 13, 2007
Thursday, February 8, 2007
Civil War - On the Home Front
Life Behind the Lines
In the south, the Confederacy had to build a government from scratch which resulted in some problems. One of which was the problem of currency. The South had very little gold or silver, so when paper money was printed, it was virtually worthless. Prices sky-rocketed to ridiculous heights and "by the end of 1864, Confederate money was worth one-fortieth of it face value."
With Union ships in a blockade off the coast, the South was reluctant to trade goods to other nations. The South even thought that as time went by, Britain would realize how much they needed Southern Cotton for their textile mills. It turns out though, the plan backfired and the South lost money which could have been made by attempting a trade.
Britain chose to honor the blockade, which meant averting war with either side of the Civil War. Some blockade runners on the other hand, chose to risk their lives by slipping through the Union blockade and making large profits by selling items to the needy South.
Government in Time of War
When the Civil War started, both sides needed soldiers to fill up the ranks. At first, there were many volunteers who supplied an adequate number for both sides. But as time went on, men became less willing to serve, so both the Confederate government and the Union government issued a draft.
Resistance to the draft was strong in some places, although moreso in the North. The most prime example of this resistance was in the New York draft riot in July 1863. During this riot, a mob attacked government officials and even attacked the city's black population. "By the time it was over, 199 people had died and 306 had been injured."
Another important factor in the war was the border states. Four states (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware) did not secede from the Union when the war broke out. Missouri and Delaware remained in the Union, and Kentucky, after being neutral, eventually joined the Union cause.
Maryland however "was a special case." The state was evenly divided between a seccesionist and pro-Union population. Since Whasington D.C. was in Maryland, Lincoln orderd the military to occupy the state and maintain control.
Another interesting case is the formation of West Virginia. When Virginia seceded from the Union, a large group of citizens in the western portion of the state refused to follow. With the federal government's consent, a new state was formed, named West Virginia.
During the time of war, Lincoln chose to suspend the "writs of habeas corpus, meaning that the government could arrest a person without charging him with a crime or bringing him to trial." Some critics opposed Lincoln's move, but he maintained the power.
There were also some people called Copperheads, who were "Southern sympathizers in the North."
Diplomatic Maneuvers
"The main goal of Southern diplomacy was to persuade a European power-preferably Great Britain-to recognize the independence of the Confederacy." Great Britain prefered to stay out of what they considered a purely internal American matter, but one event almost sparked them to join the Confederate cause.
In Novemeber 1861 "the confederate government had commisioned two agents, John Slidell and James Mason, to go to Europe to negotiate for aid. They were sailing on a British mail ship, the Trent, when Captain Charles Wilkes of the United States Navy forced the British ship to surrender the agents."
The Trent affair outraged British officials, and they demanded an apology from the US government and the release of Mason and Slidell. Britain got what they wanted, and as a result, peace was maintained on both sides.
In September 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that "all slaves in rebel-controlled territory would be freed, but this excluded slaves in the Union's border states and in Confederate territories already under Union control."
Lincoln wanted to achieve 3 things with the Emancipation Proclamation:
1) "To keep Britain from recognizing the South by appealing to the strong british antislavery feeling."
2) "To encourage blacks to join the war effort and fight for the Union"
3) "To revive flagging sprits in the North by giving Northerners another reason for fighting the war in addition to preserving the Union."
In the south, the Confederacy had to build a government from scratch which resulted in some problems. One of which was the problem of currency. The South had very little gold or silver, so when paper money was printed, it was virtually worthless. Prices sky-rocketed to ridiculous heights and "by the end of 1864, Confederate money was worth one-fortieth of it face value."
With Union ships in a blockade off the coast, the South was reluctant to trade goods to other nations. The South even thought that as time went by, Britain would realize how much they needed Southern Cotton for their textile mills. It turns out though, the plan backfired and the South lost money which could have been made by attempting a trade.
Britain chose to honor the blockade, which meant averting war with either side of the Civil War. Some blockade runners on the other hand, chose to risk their lives by slipping through the Union blockade and making large profits by selling items to the needy South.
Government in Time of War
When the Civil War started, both sides needed soldiers to fill up the ranks. At first, there were many volunteers who supplied an adequate number for both sides. But as time went on, men became less willing to serve, so both the Confederate government and the Union government issued a draft.
Resistance to the draft was strong in some places, although moreso in the North. The most prime example of this resistance was in the New York draft riot in July 1863. During this riot, a mob attacked government officials and even attacked the city's black population. "By the time it was over, 199 people had died and 306 had been injured."
Another important factor in the war was the border states. Four states (Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware) did not secede from the Union when the war broke out. Missouri and Delaware remained in the Union, and Kentucky, after being neutral, eventually joined the Union cause.
Maryland however "was a special case." The state was evenly divided between a seccesionist and pro-Union population. Since Whasington D.C. was in Maryland, Lincoln orderd the military to occupy the state and maintain control.
Another interesting case is the formation of West Virginia. When Virginia seceded from the Union, a large group of citizens in the western portion of the state refused to follow. With the federal government's consent, a new state was formed, named West Virginia.
During the time of war, Lincoln chose to suspend the "writs of habeas corpus, meaning that the government could arrest a person without charging him with a crime or bringing him to trial." Some critics opposed Lincoln's move, but he maintained the power.
There were also some people called Copperheads, who were "Southern sympathizers in the North."
Diplomatic Maneuvers
"The main goal of Southern diplomacy was to persuade a European power-preferably Great Britain-to recognize the independence of the Confederacy." Great Britain prefered to stay out of what they considered a purely internal American matter, but one event almost sparked them to join the Confederate cause.
In Novemeber 1861 "the confederate government had commisioned two agents, John Slidell and James Mason, to go to Europe to negotiate for aid. They were sailing on a British mail ship, the Trent, when Captain Charles Wilkes of the United States Navy forced the British ship to surrender the agents."
The Trent affair outraged British officials, and they demanded an apology from the US government and the release of Mason and Slidell. Britain got what they wanted, and as a result, peace was maintained on both sides.
In September 1862, Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation, which declared that "all slaves in rebel-controlled territory would be freed, but this excluded slaves in the Union's border states and in Confederate territories already under Union control."
Lincoln wanted to achieve 3 things with the Emancipation Proclamation:
1) "To keep Britain from recognizing the South by appealing to the strong british antislavery feeling."
2) "To encourage blacks to join the war effort and fight for the Union"
3) "To revive flagging sprits in the North by giving Northerners another reason for fighting the war in addition to preserving the Union."
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Civil War - War in the West
Mississippi River Campaign
Fort Henry and Donelson
Date: February 1862
Commanders:
- Union: Ulysses S. Grant (U.S. Grant)
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: The Union needed to take control of the Mississippi river if it was to fully apply the Anaconda plan* to win the war. To do this, a number of Confederate strongholds that lay on the river must be removed. U.S. Grant could not attack the main Confederate fort of Columbus, Kentucky, since it was too powerful. Instead he was ordered to take his troops and capture two other forts behind Columbus in northern Tennessee: Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.
Fort Henry fell quickly and Fort Donelson required harder fighting in the winter frost. Needless to say, Grant captured both forts.
Consequences: After the fall of both Fort Henry and Fort Donelson (both in Northern Tennessee), the Confederates abandoned the heavily fortified stronghold of Columbus and fell back. This opened up all of Tennessee to Union forces.
*"The Anaconda plan proposed a blockade of Souther ports to compound the Cofnederacy's supply problem. The plan also included the capture of the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy and hamper its ability to move men and supplies from east to west."
Shiloh
Date: April 1862
Commanders:
- Union: U.S. Grant
- Confederate: General Albert Sidney Johnston
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: After the victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Grant moved his forces south thinking that the Confederates were retreating. In reality, the Confederate general Johnston was preparing for an attack. Both armies met at an abandoned church called "Shiloh" where a fierce battle broke out. During the night, Northern reinforcements arrived and at dawn Grant drove the enemy back. General Johnston was mortally wounded in the battle, and each side lost over 10,000 men.
Consequences: "Some angry politicians and newspapers called for Grant's dismissal after the costly victory, but Lincoln refused, saying, "I can't spare this man. He fights." "
Island No. 10 and New Orleans
Date: April 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General John Pope, David G. Farragut
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: Island No. 10, another fortification on the Mississippi river, fell to the Union general John Pope the day after the battle of Shiloh. Meanwhile, a Union fleet under the command of David G. Farragut went up the Mississippi river from the Gulf of Mexico and captured New Orleans.
Consequences: The only other obstacle preventing total Union control of the Mississippi river was now Vicksburg.
Vicksburg
Date: July 1863
Commanders:
- Union: U.S. Grant
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: The capture of Vicksburg was not an easy one for General Grant. The city lay atop high bluffs and was surrounded by swampy lands. Grant tried numerous different strategies to float his gunboats close enough to the city until one finally worked. One night he floated his fleet of gunboats past the bluffs under the cover of the night. Once the troops were in position, they lay siege to the city which was too heavily fortified to assault. Finally, after July 4, 1863, the same day Lee began his retreat from Gettysburg--Vicksburg surrendered.
Consequences: Now the entire Mississippi river was under Union control.
Kentucky-Tennessee Campaign
Kentucky - Battle of Mill Springs
Date: January 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General George Thomas
- Confederate: Felix Zollicoffer, General George Crittenden
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: Confederate forces held the state of Kentucky in two main places. The first was the general west, and the second was the Cumberland Gap in the east. "In January 1862 the Confederate commander at Cumberland Gap foolishly pushed north across the Cumberland River." Union General George Thomas met the confederate army with his own force at the Battle of Mill Springs. Thomas defeated the Confederate forces there.
Consequences: Combined with the victory at Forts Henry and Donelosn, this victory gave the entire state of Kentucky to Union forces.
Perryville
Date: October 1862
Commanders:
- Union: Don Carlos Buell
- Confederate: Braxton Bragg
Winning Side: Confederate
Strategy: Confederate General Bragg came up with a plan to invade Kentucky hoping to acheive 3 things: To raise new troops from pro-Confederate citizens in the area, to bring the state of Kentucky into the Confederacy, and to delay the Mississippi river campaign of the Union.
The plan did not work as well as Bragg liked, and Union forces under General Buell met Bragg's forces at the Battle of Perryville. Bragg realized that Buell's force greatly outnumbered the confederate troops, so Bragg ordered a retreat.
Consequences: No other Confederate attempts were made to regain Kentucky.
Stones River
Date: December 1862-January 1863
Commanders:
- Union: General William Rosecrans (replacing General Buell)
- Confederate: General Bragg
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: General Rosecrans moved down his forces to prepare to attack Bragg's forces at Murfreesboro. The two armies met on the cold December night at Stones River. The night before the battle, each side actually sang songs to each other. The next two days contained bloody fighting, where Bragg succeeded in pushing back the Federals. But the arrival of more Union reinforcements forced Bragg to retreat.
Consequences: Rosecrans needed several months to rebuild his forces before attacking again.
Chickamauga
Date: September 1863
Commanders:
- Union: General Rosecrans
- Confederate: General Bragg
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: General Rosecrans moved his forces deeper south into Northern Georgia to prepare for a final attack against General Bragg. However, Bragg's forces contained an extra 12,000 veteran troops from Virginia. "Bragg took his stand near the banks of a creek named Chickamauga, Cherokee for 'river of death.'" In a two day battle, the Union forces were crushed and General Rosecrans retreated in a devastating loss.
Consequences: General Bragg trapped the retreating Union army in Chattanooga and attempted to starve them to death.
Chattanooga
Date: November 1863
Commanders:
- Union: General George Thomas (replacing Rosecrans), Ulysses S. Grant
- Confederate: General Bragg
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: U.S. Grant left the Mississippi region and broke the siege on Chattanooga, giving supplies to the starving army in the city. Then, Grant got in position to attack the Confederates who were south of the city on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.
Lookout Mountain fell quickly, but the Confederates seemed securely in position on top of Missionary Ridge. After a series of Union flanks failed, Grant ordered his troops "to create a diversion by capturing enemy rifle pits at the base of Missionary Ridge." Going further from there, against superior orders, the troops began to charge up the ridge toward the Confederate positions. The risky move paid off and the ridge was soon in command of the Northern forces.
Consequences: Southern General Bragg resigned and was replaced by Joseph Johnston. U.S. Grant was promoted to command of all Union forces.
"The tide in the West was definitely flowing in the Union's favor."
Fort Henry and Donelson
Date: February 1862
Commanders:
- Union: Ulysses S. Grant (U.S. Grant)
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: The Union needed to take control of the Mississippi river if it was to fully apply the Anaconda plan* to win the war. To do this, a number of Confederate strongholds that lay on the river must be removed. U.S. Grant could not attack the main Confederate fort of Columbus, Kentucky, since it was too powerful. Instead he was ordered to take his troops and capture two other forts behind Columbus in northern Tennessee: Fort Henry and Fort Donelson.
Fort Henry fell quickly and Fort Donelson required harder fighting in the winter frost. Needless to say, Grant captured both forts.
Consequences: After the fall of both Fort Henry and Fort Donelson (both in Northern Tennessee), the Confederates abandoned the heavily fortified stronghold of Columbus and fell back. This opened up all of Tennessee to Union forces.
*"The Anaconda plan proposed a blockade of Souther ports to compound the Cofnederacy's supply problem. The plan also included the capture of the Mississippi River to split the Confederacy and hamper its ability to move men and supplies from east to west."
Shiloh
Date: April 1862
Commanders:
- Union: U.S. Grant
- Confederate: General Albert Sidney Johnston
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: After the victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson, Grant moved his forces south thinking that the Confederates were retreating. In reality, the Confederate general Johnston was preparing for an attack. Both armies met at an abandoned church called "Shiloh" where a fierce battle broke out. During the night, Northern reinforcements arrived and at dawn Grant drove the enemy back. General Johnston was mortally wounded in the battle, and each side lost over 10,000 men.
Consequences: "Some angry politicians and newspapers called for Grant's dismissal after the costly victory, but Lincoln refused, saying, "I can't spare this man. He fights." "
Island No. 10 and New Orleans
Date: April 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General John Pope, David G. Farragut
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: Island No. 10, another fortification on the Mississippi river, fell to the Union general John Pope the day after the battle of Shiloh. Meanwhile, a Union fleet under the command of David G. Farragut went up the Mississippi river from the Gulf of Mexico and captured New Orleans.
Consequences: The only other obstacle preventing total Union control of the Mississippi river was now Vicksburg.
Vicksburg
Date: July 1863
Commanders:
- Union: U.S. Grant
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: The capture of Vicksburg was not an easy one for General Grant. The city lay atop high bluffs and was surrounded by swampy lands. Grant tried numerous different strategies to float his gunboats close enough to the city until one finally worked. One night he floated his fleet of gunboats past the bluffs under the cover of the night. Once the troops were in position, they lay siege to the city which was too heavily fortified to assault. Finally, after July 4, 1863, the same day Lee began his retreat from Gettysburg--Vicksburg surrendered.
Consequences: Now the entire Mississippi river was under Union control.
Kentucky-Tennessee Campaign
Kentucky - Battle of Mill Springs
Date: January 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General George Thomas
- Confederate: Felix Zollicoffer, General George Crittenden
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: Confederate forces held the state of Kentucky in two main places. The first was the general west, and the second was the Cumberland Gap in the east. "In January 1862 the Confederate commander at Cumberland Gap foolishly pushed north across the Cumberland River." Union General George Thomas met the confederate army with his own force at the Battle of Mill Springs. Thomas defeated the Confederate forces there.
Consequences: Combined with the victory at Forts Henry and Donelosn, this victory gave the entire state of Kentucky to Union forces.
Perryville
Date: October 1862
Commanders:
- Union: Don Carlos Buell
- Confederate: Braxton Bragg
Winning Side: Confederate
Strategy: Confederate General Bragg came up with a plan to invade Kentucky hoping to acheive 3 things: To raise new troops from pro-Confederate citizens in the area, to bring the state of Kentucky into the Confederacy, and to delay the Mississippi river campaign of the Union.
The plan did not work as well as Bragg liked, and Union forces under General Buell met Bragg's forces at the Battle of Perryville. Bragg realized that Buell's force greatly outnumbered the confederate troops, so Bragg ordered a retreat.
Consequences: No other Confederate attempts were made to regain Kentucky.
Stones River
Date: December 1862-January 1863
Commanders:
- Union: General William Rosecrans (replacing General Buell)
- Confederate: General Bragg
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: General Rosecrans moved down his forces to prepare to attack Bragg's forces at Murfreesboro. The two armies met on the cold December night at Stones River. The night before the battle, each side actually sang songs to each other. The next two days contained bloody fighting, where Bragg succeeded in pushing back the Federals. But the arrival of more Union reinforcements forced Bragg to retreat.
Consequences: Rosecrans needed several months to rebuild his forces before attacking again.
Chickamauga
Date: September 1863
Commanders:
- Union: General Rosecrans
- Confederate: General Bragg
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: General Rosecrans moved his forces deeper south into Northern Georgia to prepare for a final attack against General Bragg. However, Bragg's forces contained an extra 12,000 veteran troops from Virginia. "Bragg took his stand near the banks of a creek named Chickamauga, Cherokee for 'river of death.'" In a two day battle, the Union forces were crushed and General Rosecrans retreated in a devastating loss.
Consequences: General Bragg trapped the retreating Union army in Chattanooga and attempted to starve them to death.
Chattanooga
Date: November 1863
Commanders:
- Union: General George Thomas (replacing Rosecrans), Ulysses S. Grant
- Confederate: General Bragg
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: U.S. Grant left the Mississippi region and broke the siege on Chattanooga, giving supplies to the starving army in the city. Then, Grant got in position to attack the Confederates who were south of the city on Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge.
Lookout Mountain fell quickly, but the Confederates seemed securely in position on top of Missionary Ridge. After a series of Union flanks failed, Grant ordered his troops "to create a diversion by capturing enemy rifle pits at the base of Missionary Ridge." Going further from there, against superior orders, the troops began to charge up the ridge toward the Confederate positions. The risky move paid off and the ridge was soon in command of the Northern forces.
Consequences: Southern General Bragg resigned and was replaced by Joseph Johnston. U.S. Grant was promoted to command of all Union forces.
"The tide in the West was definitely flowing in the Union's favor."
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Civil War - War in the East
First Northern impressions was that the war would be over within less than a year. The initial goal was to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond, but this proved to be more difficult than it sounded.
First Manassas (a.k.a. First Bull Run) -
Date: July 1861
Commanders:
- Union: General Irvin McDowell
- Confederate: General Beauregard, Barnard Bee, Thomas J. Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Heading South for Richmond, Union General Irvin McDowell encountered the Confederate troops at a little stream called Manassas. At first, Irvin McDowell (Union) squared off against General Beauregard's troops (Confederate), and the Union troops fought them off quite well. However, more Confederate troops arrived under Barnard Bee and Thomas J. Jackson, which pushed the Union lines back. The Union troops retreated, yet the Confederates were too disorganized to make the most out of the victory.
Consequences: The idea of a quick and swift victory over the Southern forces was now a thing of the past after the battle of First Manassas. The South gained confidence and moral while the North demoralized. Union General Irvin McDowell was replaced by George B. McClellan.
Peninsular Campaign:
Monitor and the Merrimac:
Date: March 1862
Winning Side: Draw
Strategy: This was the first showdown between the two iron-clad ships of the North and the South. The Union was terrorized by the iron-clad Confederate ship The Merrimac until the North could finally build their own. The Merrimac (Confederate) and the Monitor (Union) squared off without seriously damaging each other.
Consequences: The age of iron-ships had begun, and the age of wooden ships had ended.
Valley Campaign
Date: March-July 1862
Commanders
- Union: n/a
- Confederate: "Stonewall" Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: General Stonewall Jackson used his force of 15,000 Confederates in a series of attacks in the Shenandoah valley, defeating two separate Union armies and effectively pinning down 50,000 Federal troops.
Consequences: Stonewall defeated a large army of Union troops before moving out of the valley to help Richmond from McClellan's attack.
Richmond Campaign
Date: April 1862
Commanders
- Union: George B. McClellan
- Confederate: "Stonewall" Jackson, Joseph E. Johnston, Robert E. Lee
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: After the initial attack on Richmond failed, Union leaders devised a new plan to take the Confederate capital. McClellan originally planned to surround Richmond from the north and the east. He would send his forces from the peninsula between the James and York rivers, attacking from the east. Then he could send a separate force from the north to crush the capital with two different armies.
McClellan's forces moved up the peninsula while attacking General Johnston's army. As McClellan approached the city, Confederate command was given over to Robert E. Lee because Johnston was wounded in battle.
Robert E. Lee launched on the offensive in the Seven Days' Battles where he routed McClellan's troops and forced McClellan's army back, away from Richmond.
Consequences:
The Union had once again failed to capture the Confederate capital.
Second Manassas (a.k.a. Second Bull Run)
Date: August 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General John Pope
- Confederate: J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Before the Union had another chance to attack Richmond, General Robert E. Lee ordered an attack to raid the Union General Pope from the rear. J.E.B. Stuart attack Pope's headquarters and raided the camp while General Pope was away. General Stonewall Jackson moved up to attack Pope's army and Lee's army came in to help. Pope's army was sent back retreating towards Washington.
Consequences: General Robert E. Lee had cleared practically all of Virginia from Federal forces.
Antietam
Date: September 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General George B. McClellan
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee
Winning Side: Union / Draw
Strategy: Robert E. Lee decided to push on the offensive after the win at Second Manassas. Unfortunately for him, his battle plans were intercepted by the Union which resulted in a change of plan. But thanks to J.E.B. Stuart's scouts, Lee knew that his plans were compromised. Instead of ordering an assault, Lee drew up a defensive line at Antietam and awaited McClellan's "ambush." The resulting battle was a bloody fight amidst a corn field where 24,000 men would die. Night fell and the next morning Lee prepared for another battle which did not come. Instead of waiting any longer, Lee retreated resulting in the Union "victory." Both sides had lost many men and had heavy casualties after the battle.
Consequences: Lincoln used this victory to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.
Fredericksburg
Date: December 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General Ambrose Burnside (replacing McClellan)
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Burnside launched a series of attacks on Confederate positions on the outskirts of Fredericksburg. After the battle, 12,000 Union soldiers lay dead trying to get past the Confederate lines.
Consequences: After replacing McClellan with Burnside, Burnside did not prove to be much better. After the battle of Fredericksburg, Lincoln then replaced Burnside with "Fighting Joe" Hooker.
Chancellorsville
Date: May 1863
Commanders:
- Union: "Fighting Joe" Hooker
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Fighting Joe took his force of 130,000 men back to Fredericksburg to crush the Southern army. Lee only had half that amount of men, yet made up in wits what he lacked in man power. Lee sent Stonewall Jackson in a flanking position to surprise-attack the Union line. Hooker's force never recovered from the battle and retreated back north-east.
Consequences: Stonewall Jackson was tragically wounded in this battle by friendly fire.
After all these Confederate victories, Southern morale was high, and the Union was still unable to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond. Also, the longer the South held out, the more chance it had to get international aid in their cause.
Gettysburg
Date: July 1863
Commanders:
- Union: George Meade (replacing "Fighting Joe" Hooker)
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee, General George Pickett
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: Lee was convinced that a victory on Northern soil was needed to turn the tide. He ordered his troops through Maryland into Pennsylvania, continuing north. On June 30, Lee's army clashed with a Union unit controlled by George Meade. The Federals retreated to the high ground where they entrenched themselves for the ensuing battle. On July 3, Lee sent his troops in a line, nearly a mile long, and marched up the hill to attack the Federals at the top. The Confederate troops were greeted by artillery barrage until they finally reached the top where hand-to-hand fighting broke out. Despite the courageous push, the Confederate troops were surrounded at the top and eventually retreated with what men they had left.
Consequences: The two sides had suffered a combined 50,000 casualties after the battle was over. This battle was the turning point of the war (?).
First Manassas (a.k.a. First Bull Run) -
Date: July 1861
Commanders:
- Union: General Irvin McDowell
- Confederate: General Beauregard, Barnard Bee, Thomas J. Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Heading South for Richmond, Union General Irvin McDowell encountered the Confederate troops at a little stream called Manassas. At first, Irvin McDowell (Union) squared off against General Beauregard's troops (Confederate), and the Union troops fought them off quite well. However, more Confederate troops arrived under Barnard Bee and Thomas J. Jackson, which pushed the Union lines back. The Union troops retreated, yet the Confederates were too disorganized to make the most out of the victory.
Consequences: The idea of a quick and swift victory over the Southern forces was now a thing of the past after the battle of First Manassas. The South gained confidence and moral while the North demoralized. Union General Irvin McDowell was replaced by George B. McClellan.
Peninsular Campaign:
Monitor and the Merrimac:
Date: March 1862
Winning Side: Draw
Strategy: This was the first showdown between the two iron-clad ships of the North and the South. The Union was terrorized by the iron-clad Confederate ship The Merrimac until the North could finally build their own. The Merrimac (Confederate) and the Monitor (Union) squared off without seriously damaging each other.
Consequences: The age of iron-ships had begun, and the age of wooden ships had ended.
Valley Campaign
Date: March-July 1862
Commanders
- Union: n/a
- Confederate: "Stonewall" Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: General Stonewall Jackson used his force of 15,000 Confederates in a series of attacks in the Shenandoah valley, defeating two separate Union armies and effectively pinning down 50,000 Federal troops.
Consequences: Stonewall defeated a large army of Union troops before moving out of the valley to help Richmond from McClellan's attack.
Richmond Campaign
Date: April 1862
Commanders
- Union: George B. McClellan
- Confederate: "Stonewall" Jackson, Joseph E. Johnston, Robert E. Lee
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: After the initial attack on Richmond failed, Union leaders devised a new plan to take the Confederate capital. McClellan originally planned to surround Richmond from the north and the east. He would send his forces from the peninsula between the James and York rivers, attacking from the east. Then he could send a separate force from the north to crush the capital with two different armies.
McClellan's forces moved up the peninsula while attacking General Johnston's army. As McClellan approached the city, Confederate command was given over to Robert E. Lee because Johnston was wounded in battle.
Robert E. Lee launched on the offensive in the Seven Days' Battles where he routed McClellan's troops and forced McClellan's army back, away from Richmond.
Consequences:
The Union had once again failed to capture the Confederate capital.
Second Manassas (a.k.a. Second Bull Run)
Date: August 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General John Pope
- Confederate: J.E.B. Stuart, Stonewall Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Before the Union had another chance to attack Richmond, General Robert E. Lee ordered an attack to raid the Union General Pope from the rear. J.E.B. Stuart attack Pope's headquarters and raided the camp while General Pope was away. General Stonewall Jackson moved up to attack Pope's army and Lee's army came in to help. Pope's army was sent back retreating towards Washington.
Consequences: General Robert E. Lee had cleared practically all of Virginia from Federal forces.
Antietam
Date: September 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General George B. McClellan
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee
Winning Side: Union / Draw
Strategy: Robert E. Lee decided to push on the offensive after the win at Second Manassas. Unfortunately for him, his battle plans were intercepted by the Union which resulted in a change of plan. But thanks to J.E.B. Stuart's scouts, Lee knew that his plans were compromised. Instead of ordering an assault, Lee drew up a defensive line at Antietam and awaited McClellan's "ambush." The resulting battle was a bloody fight amidst a corn field where 24,000 men would die. Night fell and the next morning Lee prepared for another battle which did not come. Instead of waiting any longer, Lee retreated resulting in the Union "victory." Both sides had lost many men and had heavy casualties after the battle.
Consequences: Lincoln used this victory to announce the Emancipation Proclamation.
Fredericksburg
Date: December 1862
Commanders:
- Union: General Ambrose Burnside (replacing McClellan)
- Confederate: n/a
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Burnside launched a series of attacks on Confederate positions on the outskirts of Fredericksburg. After the battle, 12,000 Union soldiers lay dead trying to get past the Confederate lines.
Consequences: After replacing McClellan with Burnside, Burnside did not prove to be much better. After the battle of Fredericksburg, Lincoln then replaced Burnside with "Fighting Joe" Hooker.
Chancellorsville
Date: May 1863
Commanders:
- Union: "Fighting Joe" Hooker
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson
Winning Side: Confederates
Strategy: Fighting Joe took his force of 130,000 men back to Fredericksburg to crush the Southern army. Lee only had half that amount of men, yet made up in wits what he lacked in man power. Lee sent Stonewall Jackson in a flanking position to surprise-attack the Union line. Hooker's force never recovered from the battle and retreated back north-east.
Consequences: Stonewall Jackson was tragically wounded in this battle by friendly fire.
After all these Confederate victories, Southern morale was high, and the Union was still unable to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond. Also, the longer the South held out, the more chance it had to get international aid in their cause.
Gettysburg
Date: July 1863
Commanders:
- Union: George Meade (replacing "Fighting Joe" Hooker)
- Confederate: Robert E. Lee, General George Pickett
Winning Side: Union
Strategy: Lee was convinced that a victory on Northern soil was needed to turn the tide. He ordered his troops through Maryland into Pennsylvania, continuing north. On June 30, Lee's army clashed with a Union unit controlled by George Meade. The Federals retreated to the high ground where they entrenched themselves for the ensuing battle. On July 3, Lee sent his troops in a line, nearly a mile long, and marched up the hill to attack the Federals at the top. The Confederate troops were greeted by artillery barrage until they finally reached the top where hand-to-hand fighting broke out. Despite the courageous push, the Confederate troops were surrounded at the top and eventually retreated with what men they had left.
Consequences: The two sides had suffered a combined 50,000 casualties after the battle was over. This battle was the turning point of the war (?).
Monday, February 5, 2007
Civil War - Beginnings
Civil War
April, 1861 - April, 1865
SIDES: North (UNION) vs. South (CONFEDERACY)
LEADERS: Abraham Lincoln (NORTH), Jefferson Davis (SOUTH)
Pre-war Causes
1) In the Presidential Election of 1860, four main candidates ran as the result of a split Democrat party and two other factions. Northern Democrats ran with Stephen Douglas, who called for congressional non-interference with the slave question in the territories. Southern Democrats, who wanted federal protection of slavery in the territories ran with President Buchanan's vice president, John C. Breckingridge. A third party entered the ring as the Constitutional Union party, a coalition of conservative Southerners and Northerners. This party, who was not strictly Republican or Democrat, nominated John Bell. Lastly, the new Republican party nominated Abraham Lincoln for the ballot. The Republicans opposed any spreading of slavery to the territories.
The election ended divisively as Lincoln won with 40% of the popular vote. The northern democrat Stephen Douglas came in second with 29% of the vote. Breckingridge, the other democrat, and Bell, the nominee of the Constitutional Union party, both came in with less than 20% of the vote.
Some leaders in the South promised to secede from the Union of Lincoln was elected President. South Carolina was the first to secede on December 20th, 1860. By February 1, 1861, Georgia and all of the Gulf states from Florida to Texas had joined South Carolina in seceding. These new states drew up a constituion and elected Jefferson Davis, a former senator, as their president.
2) The South considered itself as having the right to secede, in the view that the states had their own independence and sovereignty.
The election of Lincoln, the political tension on slavery, and the long-time cultural and economical differences between the North and the South combined together to cause a spark that would ignite an entire war.
First Firing - Fort Sumter - April 1861
In March of 1860, the newly formed Confederacy sent three peace commisioners to Washington to resolve the problem of federal forts. The main fort in question was Fort Sumter, which was located in the mouth of Charleston Harbor. All of the forts were in fact, Union property, and were still being controlled by the Union. The Confederates wanted the forts evacuated since they were on Confederate ground ( I think). Secretary of State Seward sent word that Fort Sumter would be evacuated (all Union troops would leave). However, on April 9, a squadron of Union ships was sent to bring supplies to the Union fort. Confederate troops opened fire on the still Union-controlled fort and after two days, the fort surrendered to the Confederate troops. Amazingly, no one was killed in the fight.
Consequences
Lincoln called up 75,000 troops to supress the secessionist states. When Lincoln called up his army to invade the South, the rest of the middle states then seceded to the Confederacy.
The Civil War had ultimately begun.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)