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Learn about the events that led to the start of the Civil War, including the attack on Ft. Sumter and the First Battle of Bull Run. Explore the strategies, leaders, and experiences of soldiers, women, and free blacks during this pivotal time in American history.
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The North Aka The Union, The United States of America, USA Flag – The Stars & Stripes Soldiers – Yankees, Yanks, Blue Strategy – Anaconda Plan (naval blockade, smother the South’s economy and gain control of the Mississippi River) Leaders – Lincoln, Sherman, Grant The South Aka The Confederacy, The Confederate States of America, CSA Flag – The Stars & Bars Soldiers – Rebels, Rebs, Grey Strategy – Wear down the North, use cotton to win foreign support Leaders – Davis, Lee, Jackson Vital Info
Soldiers • 60% were under the age of 25 • 3/4ths of all Confederate men ages 18-45 served in the military – 1 in 3 would die • 2.15 million men would serve in the Union – 1 in 10 would die • Early on the soldiers were state militia volunteers who came with their own supplies, uniforms etc. • Militia organized themselves into fighting forces
Soldiers • Most soldiers only earned $13 a month • Soldiers were paid a bonus for enlistment and reenlistment • When the Union/Confederacy ran out of volunteers, they turned to the draft • $250 would get you out of the draft • A planter was exempt from the draft
Soldiers • Soldiers spanned every nationality • A soldiers life was very hard – you drilled, drilled and drilled some more • To fight off the monotony, soldiers would play games of baseball, gamble, read the Bible, sing songs, brawl, play practical jokes on one another, look for food, write letters home….. • Soldiers were not well clothed, often did not have shoes
Soldiers • Soldiers carried/packed: Rations tent, blanket, musket, ammo, shovel, canteen, mess kit and personal belongings • A humanizing factor of the war was soldiers would share supplies or pass on messages to loved ones • 3 times the number of soldiers died of disease than killed in battle • Northern diet: pickled beef, dehydrated veggie cakes and hard tack • Southern diet: pork and cornbread
Young Boys • Often enlisted prior to legal age of 18 • “Drummer boys” were 10 – 12 years old and responsible for the cadence • “Powder monkeys” were quick and agile boys in the navy • Boys 12 – 14 were given not special treatment for their age – they were treated like a regular soldier • Teen aged boys who enlisted early often rose to high ranking officers
Women • Women entered the work force taking over the jobs vacated by the men joining the war • Worked in munitions factories • Worked as cooks/laundresses for troops • 3,000 became nurses • United States Sanitary Commission – an organization that distributed medical supplies, ran special kitchens and inspected army camps to ensure standards of cleanliness were being met
Women • 400 women disguised themselves as men and served as soldiers • Women groups rolled bandages, sewed uniforms, served food to soldiers at station depots • Served as spies • Rose O’Neal Greenhow was a DC socialite who spied for the South • Elizabeth Van Lew spied for the North and “planted” a mole in the Southern White House
Free Blacks • Signed up with the army out of patriotic loyalty and a need for work • Fought on both sides • Underpaid compared to the whites – protested and eventually were paid equal • 186,000 in the army and 29,000 in the navy (156,000 were former slaves) • 16 would receive the Congressional Medal of Honor - the highest honor!
Free Blacks • Their enlistment was refused at first for fear of upsetting the stability in the border states • Formed military clubs and practiced drills • Served in every division of the army/navy – troop leaders, doctors, ministers, scouts and spies • Every battle after 1862 included black soldiers • 54th Massachusetts was the most famous troop – Glory is based on these men!
Explanation South Carolina seceded from the Union Wanting control of Ft Sumter as a key defense of Charleston, Confederate forces attacked it Lincoln sent in ships that carried badly needed supplies for the fort Major Robert Anderson was ordered to surrender the fort, but refused Leaders: Anderson (U) Beauregard (C) When April 12 – 14, 1861 Where Charleston Harbor, South Carolina Ft Sumter
Outcome April 12, 1861 with the dawns early light, the Confederate troops open fire on the fort After 34 hours the fort fell and the Civil War was at hand Ft Sumter
Leaders: McDowell (U) Beauregard (C) Jackson (C) When July 21, 1861 Where: Manassas Junction, VA near a creek called Bull Run First Battle of Bull Runaka First Battle of Manassas
Explanation: McDowell lead 35,000 men from DC towards Richmond hoping to seize Manassas Junction – a vital railroad junction The first day the troops only covered 5 miles After two days the forces collided The North surged forward and forced the Confederates back Jackson would not budge – “He stood there like a stonewall” Rebels regrouped and surged forward Yankee troops retreated back to DC First Battle of Bull Run
First Battle of Bull Run • Outcome • The Confederates won – but were disorganized and did not press their advantage • Proved that the South would not give up easily • McDowell was replaced by McClellan
Who: David Farragut (U) Where: Along the coast from VA to LA When: The entire war Naval Blockade
Explanation Known as the “Anaconda Plan” Surrounds the South to keep from trading – importing and exporting. By 4/25/62 Union had control of New Orleans. Reduced trade by 2/3. Outcome The South faced a loss of important supplies Naval Blockade
Leaders: When: March 9, 1862 Where: Off the coast of VA at Hampton Roads Merrimack vs. Monitor
Explanation The South took over the USS Merrimack (a captured Union ship) and renamed it the Virginia and put iron siding on. The North had the USS Monitor. An all day battle-could not be sunk Outcome Battle was a tie as neither ship sank the Monitor forced the Virginia to withdraw Ushered in a new age of war ships Monitor vs Merrimack
Ft. Henry & Ft. Donelson aka The Mississippi Campaign
Leaders: Grant (U) Tilhman (C) When: February 6-16, 1862 Where: Western Tennessee River, Cumberland gap and Northern Tennessee Ft. Henry & Ft. Donelson
Explanation: With the help of Union ships, Ft. Henry was captured and they forced the surrender of Ft. Donelson. Outcome: Drove the Confederates out of KY. KY stays with the Union. Control of Forts Henry and Donelson allowed the Union easier access to check on the northern Mississippi River (part of Union’s goal) and Tenn. Ft. Henry & Ft. Donelson
Leaders: Grant (U) Buell (U) Sherman (U) Johnston (C) Beauregard (C) Forrest (C) When: April 6-7, 1862 Where: Along the Tennessee River near a church called Shiloh (which means peace) outside Corinth, Mississippi Shiloh
Explanation: The Confederates were entrenched along the river bank. The South surprised the North and routed many. The North was pushed back to a sunken road called “Hornets Nest”. After repeated attacks the South failed to carry the Nest Shiloh
Buell attacks; Beauregard orders a counterattack. The South falls back to Corinth. 23,745 estimated casualties A massive artillery barrage allowed the Confederates to surround the Union troops. The morning of the 7th Buell’s army arrived Union = 40,000 Confederacy = 30,000 Shiloh
Shiloh • Outcome: The Union gains control of Memphis, TN and goes on to control the Mississippi River. • Grant beats the South once again. • The Rebels continue to fall back until launch their mid-August offensive.
Leaders: McClellan (U) Lee (C) JEB Stuart (C) When: April to June of 1862 Where: York & James Rivers to Richmond, VA Richmond
Explanation: McClellan builds forces but waits to attack. Slow shipment of troops allow Lee to prepare. 3 months of fighting and the Union is pushed back. Richmond
Seven Days Battle: with the help of JEB Stuart and his men, the Confederacy finds out the Union positions and aide in the attack. Richmond
Outcome: Union loss and Richmond saved for now. McClellan refused to go after Lee. Lincoln replaces McClellan with John Pope as leader of the Union army of the Potomac. Richmond
Leaders: Pope (U) Lee (C) Jackson (C) Longstreet (C) When: August 28-30, 1862 Where: Bull Run Creek near Manassas Junction, VA 2nd Bull Run
Explanation: Jackson orders an attack on a Federal column. Fighting lasts several hours and ends in a stalemate. Pope is convinced that Jackson is trapped and concentrates the bulk of his army against him. Aug. 29th Pope launches a series of assaults against Jackson’s position. Attacks were repulsed with heavy casualties on both sides. 2nd Bull Run
Explanation: On Aug. 30th Pope renews his assault, but unbeknownst to him Longstreet has arrived. Massed Confederate artillery devastated a Union assault. Longstreet and 28,000 men counterattacked in the largest simultaneous mass assault of the war. The Union flank was crushed and the army driven back to Bull Run. 2nd Bull Run
Outcome: The South is making the North weary of fighting and they are worn out. Decisive battle of the Northern Virginia Campaign. Lee with so many victories and only 20 miles from DC decided to invade the North for the first time. Both sides hoped that France and/or Spain would come to their aide. Pope is replaced with McClellen again. 22,180 estimated casualties 2nd Bull Run
Leaders: McClellan (U) Burnside (U) Hooker (U) Lee (C) Hood (C) Jackson (C) When: September 16 - 18, 1862 Where: Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, MD Antietam
Explanation: September 13th a cigar case was found that held Lee’s plans. McClellan has the advantage and can pick off Lee one division at a time, but waits four days. McClellan’s pause gives Lee time to recover. Lee and McClellan engage. On the 17th Hooker’s corps mounts a powerful assault on Lee’s left flank that began the single bloodiest day in American history. Union assaults against the Sunken Road eventually pierces the Confederate center, but the Union advantage is not followed up. Antietam
Explanation: Although outnumbered two-to-one, Lee committed his entire force, while McClellan sent in less than three-quarters of his army, enabling Lee to fight the Federals to a standstill. Lee continued to skirmish with McClellan throughout the 18th. McClellan did not renew the assaults. After dark, Lee ordered the battered Army of Northern Virginia to withdraw across the Potomac into the Shenandoah Valley. Antietam
Outcome: Bloodiest one day of battle – over 23,000 die. Lincoln tells McClellan to attack the Confederacy, but he “needs to rest his men” and do not go. McClellan blows it!! McClellan is replaced by Ambrose Burnside. Even though it ended in a stalemate, Lee withdraws from the battle field at night which gives the Union a psychological victory and a new found confidence. Lincoln now used slavery as a cause of war. 26,134 estimated casualties overall. Antietam
Over 620,000 Americans died Disease killed twice as many as those lost in battle 50,000 survivors returned home as amputees A time of transition for the military Weapons were more accurate and lethal Troops were still massed together in large formations Lack of knowledge about disease and medicine The First Modern War
The First Modern War • Military developments included: • Rifled musket • Repeating rifles • Ironclad ships • Balloons • Submarines