Chapter  21  The  Furnace  of  the  Civil  War    

 Bull  Run  Ends  the  “Ninety-­‐Day  War”    

•  A7ack  on  Fort  Sumter-­‐  April  12,  1861  

•  Ba7le  of  Bull  Run-­‐  July  21,  1861  •  Union  Goal-­‐  Defeat  Confederate  

Army  and  march  toward  Richmond  ending  the  war  

•  Efforts  of  T.  Jackson  (Stonewall  nickname  earned  here)  

•  Confederate  reinforcements  arrive  and  overwhelm  Union  troops  

•  Union  soldiers  and  onlookers  retreat  back  to  Washington  DC  

•  Why  didn’t  the  Confederates  pursue?  

First  Ba7le  of  Bull  Run  

Bull  Run  

•  Importance  of  Bull  Run  –  Convinced  the  Lincoln  administraTon/North  the  Civil  War  would  be  a  

long  and  costly  affair.    

–  McDowell  was  relieved  of  command  of  the  Union  army  and  replaced  by  Maj.  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan,  who  set  about  reorganizing  and  training  the  troops.  

First  Ba7le  of  Bull  Run  

Stonewall  Jackson  

Irvin McDowell

“Tardy  George”  McClellan  and  the  Peninsula  Campaign    

•  Later  in  1861,  command  of  the  Army  of  the  Potomac  was  given  to  Gen.  George  B.  McClellan  –  Excellent  drillmaster  and  

organizer  of  troops  –  A  perfecTonist  –  Constantly  believed  that  he  was  

outnumbered,  never  took  risks  •  Would  hold  the  army  without  

moving  for  months  before  finally  ordered  by  Lincoln  to  advance.    

George  McClellan  

Peninsula  Campaign  

•  McClellan  finally  decided  upon  a  water-­‐borne  approach  to  Richmond  (The  Peninsula  Campaign)  

•  Lincoln  against  the  plan-­‐  would  leave  D.C.  open  for  a7ack  

Peninsula  Campaign  

7  Days  Ba7le  

•  General  Robert  E.  Lee’s  countera7ack—the  Seven  Days’  Ba7les—  June  26  to  July  2  of  1862.    

•  Confederates  suffered  20,000  casualTes  

•  All  but  1  of  the  ba7les  had  been  a  Union  victory,  but  Lee  had  successfully  pushed  McClellan  back  to  the    

 James  R.  

•  Lincoln  transfers  most  of  McClellan’s  army  to  General  Pope  in  N.  Virginia  

Planning  Total  War  •  6  Components  

1.  Suffocate  the  South  through  an  oceanic  blockade.  

2.  Free  the  slaves  to  undermine  the  South’s  very  economic  foundaTons.    

3.  Cut  the  Confederacy  in  half  by  seizing  control  of  the  Mississippi  River.    

4.  Chop  the  Confederacy  to  pieces  by  marching  through  Georgia  and  the  Carolinas.    

5.  Capture  its  capital,  Richmond,  Virginia.  

6.  Try  everywhere  to  engage  the  enemy’s  main  strength  and  grind  it  to  submission.    

Second  Ba7le  of  Bull  Run  

•  August  28–30,  1862  •  Union  Gen.  John  Pope  vs.  

Lee  •  Lee  defeated  Pope  and  

headed  into  Maryland  •  Why?  

–  Victory  on  Union  soil  would  encourage  foreign  intervenTon  

–  Border  states  would  leave  the  Union  

General John Pope

2nd  Ba7le  of  Bull  Run:  Effects  

•  Pope  removed  and  sent  to  Minnesota  to  fight  Sioux  Indians  

•  A  wave  of  despair  rolled  over  the  North  with  news  of  the  ba7le's  outcome,  and  morale  in  the  army  sank  to  new  depths.  

•  McClellan  back  in  power  – McClellan  had  the  unwavering  support  of  the  soldiers  

–  Lincoln  needed  a  speedy  reorganizaTon  of  Union  forces  

The  War  at  Sea  •  The  Union  blockade  started  with  many  leaks  at  first  

•  Britain  recognized  the  blockade  as  binding,  since  Britain  herself  ofen  used  blockades  in  her  wars.    

•  Blockade-­‐running  was  a  risky  but  profitable  business  

•  Union  navy  also  seized  BriTsh  freighters  on  the  high  seas,  ciTng  “ulTmate  desTnaTon”  (to  the  South)  as  their  reasons.  

•  Union  Navy  pinched  off  major  southern  seaports  from  N.O.  to  Charleston  

Monitor  vs.  Merrimack  •  The  biggest  Confederate  threat-­‐  

recondiToned  and  plated  with  iron  railroad  rails:  the  Merrimack  

•  Monitor-­‐  built  in  100  days  

•  The  Merrimack  destroyed  the  Cumberland,  the  Congress,  and  forced  the  Minnesota  aground  (250  sailors  dead  in  1  day)  

•  March  9-­‐  Monitor  came  to  support  the  Minnesota  and  fought  the  Merrimack  

•  Afer  4  ½  hours,  the  Merrimack  backed  off  

•  Confederates  blew  up  the  Merrimack  2  months  later  when  they  were  forced  out  of  Norfolk  

•  Effect-­‐  would  change  world  navies  forever-­‐  no  more  wooden  ships,  birth  of  the  ironclads  

Bloody  AnTetam  (Sharpsburg)  •  Lee  began  his  invasion  of  the  North  by  entering  Maryland  •  Met  by  McClellan,  AnTetam  begins  on  the  morning  of  Sept.  

17,  1862  •  Bloodiest  day  of  the  Civil  War  (22,700+  killed)  •  18  Generals  would  be  killed  in  ba7le  •  Considered  a  military  draw,  even  though  Lee  retreats  from  

Maryland  •  McClellan  again  slow  to  chase  Lee,  may  have  crushed  Lee’s  

enTre  army  •  Effects-­‐  

–  Confederacy  loses  Britain  and  France  –  Lincoln  considers  AnTetam  a  “victory”-­‐  would  launch  the  EmancipaTon  ProclamaTon  (Sept.  23)  

The  Ba7le  of  AnTetam  

AnTetam  

AnTetam  

AnTetam  Bridge  

A  ProclamaVon  Without  EmancipaVon    

•  The  EmancipaTon  ProclamaTon  freed  the  slaves  in  not-­‐yet-­‐conquered  Southern  territories  

•   Slaves  in  the  Border  States  and  the  conquered  territories  were  not  liberated  

•  13th  Amendment  would  be  raTfied  in  1865-­‐  8  mo.  afer  end  of  Civil  War  

ReacTons  to  the  ProclamaTon  

•  Northern  ReacTons-­‐  –  AboliTonists:  Lincoln  had  not  gone  far  enough  

–  Border  states  &  Bu7ernut  region-­‐  Lincoln  had  gone  too  far  

–  DeserTon  increased  in  the  border  states  

–  Congressional  elecTons  of  1862  went  against  Republicans  

•  Southern  ReacTons-­‐  –  Lincoln  trying  to  sTr  up  slave  rebellions  

•  European  ReacTons-­‐  –  Aristocrats  sympathized  w/slaveholders  

– Working  class  saw  an  end  to  slavery,  opposed  intervenTon  in  the  war  

Blacks  Ba7le  Bondage  

•  By  war’s  end-­‐  blacks  accounted  for  about  10%  of  the  Union  army  (180,000)  

•  500  engagements  •  22  Congressional  Medals  of  

Honor  •  38,000  killed  in  ba7le  •  Service  offered  them  a  

chance  to  strengthen  their  claim  to  full  ciTzenship  at  war’s  end  

54th  Massachuse7s  •  July  18-­‐  Sept.  7,  1863  •  The  assault  was  led  by  the  

54th  Massachuse7s  regiment;  Col.  Robert  Gould  Shaw.  

•  54th  Massachuse7s  lost  42%  of  its  ranks  in  the  a7ack  (272)  

•  Confederates  abandoned  Fort  Wagner  on  September  7,  1863  

•  Proved  to  skepTcs  that  they  would  fight  bravely  if  only  given  the  chance.  

•  William  Carney-­‐  1st  African  American  to  earn  the  Congressional  Medal  of  Honor  (at  Fort  Wagner)  

Massacre  at  Fort  Pillow  •  Confederate  General  Nathan  

Bedford  Forrest  surrounded  Fort  Pillow  

•  Fort  held  by  557  black  troops  and  a  unit  of  Tennessee  Unionists  

•  Confederate  Army  stormed  the  fort  and  butchered  300  disarmed  black  and  white  soldiers  begging  for  mercy  

•  Many  black  soldiers  captured:  –  Returned  to  their  former  

slaveholder  –  Sold  to  the  highest  bidder  –  murdered  

Ba7le  of  Fredericksburg  

•  Dec.  11-­‐15,  1862  •  Burnside  replaced  McClellan  as  

commander  •  Decided  to  launch  frontal  assault  

on  Lee  at  Fredericksburg  

•  14  waves  of  Union  soldiers  were  mowed  down  by  the  Confederates  

•  Many  more  would  freeze  to  death  that  night  

•  12,600  Union  soldiers  were  slaughtered  (Burnside’s  Slaughter  Pen)  

General Ambrose Burnside

Ba7le  of  Chancellorsville  •  April  30-­‐  May  6,  1863  •  Hooker  replaced  Burnside  •  Confident  that  he  could  defeat  

Lee,  marched  to  Chancellorsville  •  Confederates  outnumbered  2-­‐1  •  Lee  divided  his  army  and  ordered  

Jackson  to  flank  the  Union  soldiers  through  the  “Wilderness”  

•  Losses:  Union-­‐  17,000+  Confederate-­‐  13,000+  

•  Loss  of  Stonewall  Jackson-­‐  shot  by  his  own  men.    

Ba7le  of  Ge7ysburg  

•  Afer  his  victory  at  Chancellorsville,  Lee  decided  to  invade  the  North  for  the  second  (and  last)  Tme  

–  Hoping  to  encourage  foreign  intervenTon  

–  Collect  supplies  in  Pennsylvania  

–  Escape  war-­‐torn  Virginia  –  A  major  victory  on  northern  

soil  would  strengthen  the  peace  movement  in  the  North  

•  Lincoln  appoints  Meade  as  commander  just  3  days  before  the  ba7le  

•  Meade  made  sure  to  keep  between  Lee  and  D.C.  and  Lee  decided  to  concentrate  his  army  around  Ge7ysburg  

Ge7ysburg-­‐  Day  1  

•  July  1,  1863  •  Union    troops  fall  back  

through  Ge7ysburg  to  the  hills  south  of  town-­‐-­‐Cemetery  Hill  and  Culp's  Hill.  

Ge7ysburg-­‐  Day  2  

•  July  2,  1863  

•  Union  defended  a  range  of  hills  and  ridges  south  of  Ge7ysburg  with  90,000  soldiers.  

•  Although  the  Confederates  gained  ground,  Union  defenders  sTll  held  strong  posiTons  by  the  end  of  the  day.  

General George Meade

Ge7ysburg-­‐  Day  3  

•  July  3,  1863  

•  Main  event  was  a  dramaTc  infantry  assault  by  12,000  Confederates  against  the  center  of  the  Union  line  on  Cemetery  Ridge-­‐-­‐PickeZ's  Charge  (6,000)  

•  Lee  retreated  back  to  Virginia.    

•  As  many  as  51,000  soldiers  from  both  armies  were  killed,  wounded,  captured  or  missing  in  the  three-­‐day  ba7le.  

•  Broke  the  heart  of  the  Confederate  cause   Pickett’s Charge

Ge7ysburg  Address  •  Meaning  of  the  Address  

–  Put  the  Civil  War  in  perspecTve  as  a  test  of  the  success  of  the  American  RevoluTon.  

–  The  naTon  founded  on  equality  was  in  the  midst  of  a  war  to  determine  whether  such  a  naTon  could  conTnue  to  exist.  

–  His  speech  turned  the  event  into  a  rededicaTon  of  the  living  to  the  war  effort  to  preserve  a  naTon  of  freedom.  

•   Impact  •   Before  Lincoln  gave  the  Ge7ysburg  address,  Edward  Evere7  gave  a  long  speech-­‐  2  hours  • Lincoln's  speech  lasted  only  2  minutes.    • Because  it  was  very  short  compared  to  the  other  speaker,  there  was  silence  from  the  audience  aferward.  

The  Western  Theater  •  The  Rise  of  Grant  

–  West  Point  graduate  –  Veteran  of  the  Mexican  War  –  Drunkard  

•  Fort  Henry  and  Fort  Donelson  –  Located  on  the  Tennessee  and  

Cumberland  Rivers  (Feb.  1862)  –  Demanded  “uncondiTonal  

surrender”  –  Crucial  victories-­‐  secured  

Kentucky  and  opened  gateway  to  heart  of  Dixie  

BaZle  of  Shiloh  

•  April  6-­‐7,  1862  •  Shiloh,  Tennessee  

(border  w/  Mississippi)  •  The  two  day  ba7le  at  

Shiloh  produced  more  than  23,000  casualTes  

•  Importance  –  No  quick  end  to  the  war  

in  the  West  

Sunken  Road  Hornet’s  Nest  

Capturing  New  Orleans  

•  In  the  spring  of  1862,  a  floTlla  (fleet  of  ships)  commanded  by  David  G.  Farragut  joined  with  a  Northern  army  to  seize  New  Orleans.  

•  Importance-­‐  New  Orleans  was  lifeline  of  Miss.  River  

•  One  of  the  Confederacy’s  largest  ciTes    

Ba7le  of  Vicksburg  

•  May  18-­‐  July  4,  1863  

•  Grant  converged  on  Vicksburg,  sieged  the  city  and  entrapped  the  Confederate  army  

•  On  July  4,  Vicksburg  surrendered-­‐  soldiers  were  eaTng  rats/mules  

•  Effects-­‐  –  Confederacy  cut  in  half  –  Union  Army  gained  control  of  

Miss.  River  

–  July  4  –  One  day  afer  victory  at  

Ge7ysburg  

Sherman’s  March  to  Sea  •  Grant  cleared  Tennessee  of  all  

Confederate  soldiers  •  Ordered  Sherman  to  march  

into  Georgia  and  take  Atlanta  •  Sherman  captured  Atlanta  and  

burned  the  city  (Sept.  1864)  •  Sherman  conTnued  on  to  

Savannah  (Xmas  present  for  Lincoln)  and  worked  his  way  into  S.  Carolina  

•  Purpose  of  Sherman’s  March  to  the  Sea  –  Destroy  supply  lines  –  Weaken  the  morale  of  the  

Confederacy  

The  PoliTcs  of  War  

•  Lincoln  had  difficulty  within  his  own  cabinet  (Chase)  

•  Commi7ee  on  the  Conduct  of  War  resented  Lincoln’s  expanded  presidenTal  powers  

•  Democrats  were  split-­‐  “War  Democrats”  vs.  “Peace  Democrats”  

•  Copperheads  (extreme  Peace  Dems)-­‐  openly  obstructed  the  war-­‐  led  by  Clement  Vallandigham  

1864  PresidenTal  ElecTon  

•  In  1864,  the  Republicans  joined  the  War  Democrats  to  form  the  Union  Party  and  re-­‐nominated  Abe  Lincoln  

•  Copperheads  and  Peace  Democrats  nominated  George  McClellan.    

–  Victories  at  Mobile,  AL  and  Atlanta  helped  Lincoln  win  re-­‐elecTon,  212-­‐21.  

–  The  popular  vote  was  closer:  McClellan  won  45%    

ElecTon  of  1864  

Grant’s  Wilderness  Campaign  •  Grant’s  strategy-­‐  “When  it  

doubt,  fight”  –  In  a  series  of  wilderness  

encounters,  Grant  fought  Lee,  with  Grant  losing  about  50,000  men  

–  At  Cold  Harbor,  the  Union  sent  soldiers  to  ba7le  with  papers  pinned  on  their  backs  showing  their  names  and  addresses,  and  over  7,000  died  in  a  few  minutes  

–  The  public  was  outraged  and  shocked-­‐  strategy  was  necessary  to  defeat  the  Confederacy  

Southern  Surrender  

•  Finally,  Grant  and  his  men  captured  Richmond  and  cornered  Lee  at  Appoma7ox  Courthouse  in  Virginia  

•  April  9,  1865  •  Lee  formally  surrendered  

The  Death  of  a  President  

•  On  April  14,  1865,  Abraham  Lincoln  was  shot  in  the  head  by  John  Wilkes  Booth  and  died  shortly  afer.    

•  Before  his  death,  few  people  had  suspected  his  greatness,  but  his  sudden  and  dramaTc  death  erased  his  shortcomings  and  made  people  remember  him  for  his  good  things.    

“He  Now  Belongs  to  the  Ages”  

Booth  Conspirators  

The  Afermath  of  the  War  Between  the  States  

•  The  Civil  War  cost  600,000  men,  $15  billion,  and  wasted  a  enTre  generaTon  of  young  Americans  

•  However,  it  gave  America  a  supreme  test  of  its  existence,  and  the  U.S.  survived,  proving  its  strength  and  further  increasing  its  growing  power  and  reputaTon  

•  Slavery  was  also  eradicated  •  Secession  &  nullificaTon  gave  way  

to  supreme  federal  government.