“A Great Civil War”

1. “A Great Civil War” 1861-1865

2. Why did the North fight? • Secession did not necessarily entail Civil War; some advised “Let the wayward sisters depart in peace.” • Lincoln believed he had to “preserve the Union.” • Northerners believed it was their patriotic and moral [religious] duty.

3. Lincoln’s first days • Fort Sumter Crisis • Struggles with Seward • Fort Sumter shelled—April 12, 1861 • Lincoln’s call for 75,000 volunteers • Secession of the Upper South • L. holds the border • L. suspends writ of Habeas Corpus • Ex parte Merryman

4. Is God on the side of the strongest battalions? Vietnam experience Did the North win or the South loose? The Balance Sheet

5. North 3x military population Food Railroad mileage—over 3x the CSA Productive capacity Industrial capacity finance South Defensive war—a win or a tie Interior Lines Slavery Rifle Knowledge of landscape Advantages

6. Opening Salvo—Bull Run • Union Commander Irwin McDowell • Southern Commanders Joseph Johnston, P. G. T. Beauregard • “Stonewall” Jackson • Confederacy was disorganized by victory as much as the Union was disorganized by victory.

7. Battle at Bull Run

8. Naval Action--Blockade

9. War in the East

10. Lincoln Searches for a General

11. Peninsular Campaign • Closest to Richmond that A of P came until 1865 • Showed flaws in McClellan and in L.s relationship with his generals • Battle of Fair Oaks brought Lee to the fore

12. Robert Edward Lee

13. Road to Antietam • L. brings John Pope from west and Pope looses 2d Manassas • Lee Invades Maryland • L. relies on McClellan • Battle-9-17-62 is stalemate • L. issues preliminary EP on 9/22 and fires McClellan in November

14. McClellan had the slows and wouldn’t go where Lee seemed to go. L. tried McClellan, Pope, McClellan, Burnside, Hooker, Meade, Grant Burnside blundered at Fredericksburg Lincoln’s Search for a General

15. Fredericksburg

16. Hooker Failed at Chancellorsville • Lee and Jackson executed brilliant flanking maneuver • Hooker lost his nerve • L. backed Hooker until the end of June • Lee lost his best general—Jackson died on May 10: “Let us cross over the river and rest under the shade of the trees.”

17. Lee, Jackson, and Hooker

18. Gettysburg • Overdone in “memory”, but it really mattered • Pickett’s charge on July 3, 1863 was dramatic • Lincoln though was more concerned with the west and thought that Meade had not pursued Lee vigorously enough.

19. Pickett and Meade

20. Gettysburg

24. Lincoln’s Answers Lay in the West • Union was largely successful in opening up the western Rivers. • Tennessee was liberated by 1862 • Forts Henry and Donelson • Shiloh • Rise of Grant

25. U. S. Grant

26. Campaign for Vicksburg • Unconventional tactics • Vicksburg taken after a 47 day siege • “The father of waters now flows unvexed to the Sea.”

27. Vicksburg Siege

28. Vicksburg Battlefield and Pemberton

29. Grant oversaw the conquest of CSA rail center at Chattanooga—Arthur MacArthur, father of Doug, won Medal of Honor Sherman left in charge of Army of the Tennessee Grant made Lt. General and camped with Army of Potomac Grant to the East

30. War in West: Atlanta and march to the Sea

31. Why did this matter? • Weakened CSA morale in Ga. Homefront • Helped L. win 1864 election • Demonstrated power of total war.

32. Wilderness and Cold Harbor • Grant the Butcher • Lee the King of Spades • End Run to Petersburg

33. Siege of Petersburg

34. Appomattox • Grant was magnanimous • “Damn me if I ever love another country. • Lincoln knew “thing had been pressed.” • Lincoln toured burned out Richmond

35. Richmond, 1865