By: Jasmine BarboaPeriod: 1

Class: IB History of the AmericasSection: 7

The Western Theater 1861-1862

What is the “Western Theater”?Represents the area east

of the Mississippi River and west of the Appalachian Mountains

This includes:◦ Alabama ◦ Georgia◦ Florida ◦ Mississippi◦ North Carolina◦ Kentucky◦ South Carolina◦ Tennessee

Battle Lines for the War in the Western Theater

By November 1861, a bigger war was brewing between the major armies

The battlegrounds were:◦ Kentucky◦ Tennessee

Battle Lines for the War in the Western Theater

Most Battles were fought for Confederate-held rail-hub towns and forts

Usually on Mississippi, Cumberland, and Tennessee rivers

Served as avenues for invasion for Federal forces lead by a fleet of gunboats

Confederate Advantages in the WestThe South was fighting

a defensive warThe Confederates only

had to do enough damage to the invading army that its troops lost morale and politicians in Washington lost the popular support and political will to continue fighting

Confederate Advantages in the WestThey had shorter supply

lines that often ran along already-established and known railroads and better knowledge of the territory

Many mountains and rivers running east-west in the South allowed the rebels to set up in defensible positions

Confederate Advantages in the WestThe South was

defending its home against invaders

Strong devotion to preserving the Southern way of life caused for immense fighting spirits

Whites felt a greater sense of unity than the Northern population

Confederate Advantages in the WestThere were more military

leaders in general as well as a broader base of recruits with some military experience

Between fighting the Mexican-American War and knowing how to live off the land, many Southern soldiers were better equipped with the skills necessary to survive a war of attrition.

Confederate Disadvantages in the West

Hard for the Confederates to get foreign aid◦ Europe did not recognize

the ConfederacyThe Confederacy had a

good number of guns but not enough men

Confederate Disadvantages in the West

Relied heavily on trade with foreign countries to produce necessities

The Union blocked the Confederate’s ports for supplies

However they could continue to feed their troops based on their agricultural economy

Union Advantages in the WestThe North had the

numbersProvided more men for the

fight by allowing the slaves to participate

They had the edge of about two to one

Greater industrial capacityProvided more and better

weaponry such as cannons

Union Advantages in the WestLarge strength of river

forces and ground forces

Union had a stronger Navel presence ◦ Aided in blocking the

Confederates from their ports for trade

Union Disadvantages in the WestThe Union under President

Abraham Lincoln started the Civil War by calling for each loyal state to provide a volunteer army in the wake of the firing of Fort Sumter

His goal was to preserve the entirety of the United States, which could only be done by an all out defeat of and total surrender by the South

the Federals had to stage a successful invasion and occupation of the South

Union Disadvantages in the WestThey were divided on

issues of slavery, politics, and regional disagreement.

The North struggled to find a competent leader for most of the Civil War.

General George B. McClellan Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Ohio governor William

Dennison appointed McClellan major general of Ohio Volunteers on April 23, 1861

Lincoln then commissioned McClellan to be a major general in the Regular Army,◦ Made him one of the highest ranked individuals

The Rich Mountain campaign and defeat of General Irvin McDowell at the battle of First Bull Run, led McClellan to become commander of the Army of the Potomac

Later he became General-in-Chief of all Federal armies in 1861 His military command style put him at odds with President

Abraham Lincoln Many politicians and generals harbored resentment toward

McClellan However, he was largely revered by his men As he built his army McClellan became wary of Confederate forces,

fearing that he faced numbers many times his own– he was being tricked

His cautious battle tactics in fear of bigger Confederate numbers caused McClellan to be removed as General-in-Chief in 186, though he retained command of the Potomac Army

David Farragut David Farragut was an accomplished

U.S. naval officer Received great acclaim for his

service to the Union during the American Civil War

Farragut commanded the Union blockade of Southern ports

Helped capture the Confederate city of New Orleans

Provided support for General Ulysses S. Grant’s siege of Vicksburg

In December 1861 Farragut was assigned to command the Union blockading squadron in the western Gulf of Mexico with orders to enter the Mississippi River and capture New Orleans◦ a port through which the South was

receiving much of its war supplies from abroad.

(April 24, 1862) His naval force destroyed most of the Confederate river squadron that was stationed just upstream of the forts

Troops from Union transports were then allowed to land under Farragut’s protecting batteries

resulted in the surrender of both forts and city

What led to the Battle of Shiloh?During the six months before the Battle of

Shiloh, Yankee troops had been working their way up the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers

General Ulysses S. Grant had won victories in forts Henry and Donelson in February

This forced Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston (1803-62) to gather the scattered Rebel forces at Corinth in northern Mississippi

Fort Henry and Fort DonelsonWith Kentucky’s decision to not

join the Confederacy, southern military leaders were forced to create key defensive positions ◦ Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers,

south of the Kentucky borderForts Henry and Donelson were

devised to protect western Tennessee from Union forces ◦ Used the Tennessee and

Cumberland rivers as approach avenues

The Confederacy had a small amount of good locations to choose from along the two rivers

Fort Henry and Fort Donelson 1861, the Union began

speculating on the possibility of seizing Forts Henry and Donelson to open a water route into the Confederate heartland

On January 30, 1862, General Ulysses Grant received word that he and Flag Officer Andrew Foote would lead a joint expedition against the twin forts

The two divisions of infantry were under Grant accompanied by Foote’s flotilla of ironclad and timber clad gunboats◦ Grant had about 15,000 men

Fort Henry Spirits in the Union ranks, lead by

General Ulysses Grant, were high The Confederates on the other hand

were the opposite The 2,800 Confederates under

General Lloyd Tilghman were poorly armed

Winter rains had swollen the river, leaving the parade ground submerged beneath two feet of water and much of the powder in the magazines were damp◦ Left many ill

On February 4–5, Grant’s infantry disembarked, out of range of Fort Henry’s guns

Upon learning of the size of the Union force from scouts, Tilghman (Confederate) sent off most of the forces inside Fort Henry to Fort Donelson

Confederates were determined to make a stand against the coming gunboats rather than abandon Fort Henry

Fort Henry On February 6, 1862, Foote

began his assault wreaking havoc on Confederate defenses

Soon, all four of the defensive heavy guns had been lost, prompting Tilghman (Confederate) to ask Foote (Union) for terms.

The sailor’s response “Your surrender will be unconditional.”

12 officers and 82 men soon surrendered

With the Tennessee now open before him, Foote (Union) dispatched his three timber clads◦ destroyed supplies and

infrastructure◦ captured the uncompleted

Confederate ironclad Eastport

The raid’s critical flaw was sparing the railroad bridge at Florence, Alabama

This would play a critical role in the Battle of Shiloh two months later

Fort Donelson On February 16, 1862, after the failure

of their all-out attack aimed at breaking through Grant’s (Union) investment lines, the fort’s 12,000-man garrison surrendered unconditionally

This was a major victory for Brig. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant and a catastrophe for the South

It ensured that Kentucky would stay in the Union and opened up Tennessee for a Northern advance along the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers

Grant received a promotion to major general for his victory and attained stature in the Western Theater, earning the nom de guerre “Unconditional Surrender.”

“No terms except unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately upon your works.” – General Ulysses S. Grant

What led to the Battle of Shiloh?Grant brought his army,

42,000 strong, to meet with General Don Carlos Buell (1818-98) and his 20,000 troops

Grant’s main objective was Corinth which was an important rail center that would give the Union full control of the region

However, Johnston did not let the two groups of troops combine

But both Johnston and Buell were delayed by heavy rains that created muddy roads halting any surprise attacks

The Battle Begins (April 6-7 1862)Johnston pulls a

surprise attack on union troops, pushing them back near Shiloh church

Throughout the day the Confederates batter the Union army, driving them back towards Pittsburgh Landing and threatening to trap it against the Tennessee River

Troops on both sides had no experience in battle

When Buell’s troops started to arrive, the Confederates chance for victory vanished

General Albert Sidney Johnston (1803-62)

In the middle of the afternoon, Johnston rode forward to direct the Confederate attack and was struck in the leg by a bullet

This severed an artery and caused him to quickly bleed to death

He became the highest ranking general on either side killed during the war

General Pierre G. T. Beauregard (1818-93) assumed control, and he halted the advance at nightfall

Battle of Shiloh: Grant Counterattacks When Grant was joined by the

vanguard of the Buell’s army an advantage was created in terms of troop numbers

Grant counterattacked on April 7 The tired Confederates slowly

retreated, but they inflicted heavy casualties on the Union

By nightfall, the Union had driven the Confederates back to Shiloh Church, recapturing grisly reminders of the previous day’s battle such as the Hornet’s Nest, the Peach Orchard and Bloody Pond

This then gave the Union their victory

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/american-civil-war-history/videos/the-battle-of-shiloh

Battle of Shiloh: Union Summary (Victory)65,085 total1,754 killed8,408 wounded2,885 missing &

capturedUnion Commanders

◦ Don Carlos Buell◦ Ulysses S. Grant

Battle of Shiloh: Confederate Summary (Defeat)

44,968 total1,728 killed8,012 wounded959 missing & capturedConfederate

Commanders◦ Albert Sidney Johnston◦ P. G. T. Beauregard

Anaconda Plan The Anaconda Plan was the Union’s

strategic plan to defeat the Confederacy at the start of the American Civil War. The goal was to defeat the rebellion by blockading southern ports and controlling the Mississippi river. This would cut off and isolate the south from the outside world.

The plan was developed by General Winfield Scott at the beginning of the Civil War following the Confederate attack on Fort Sumter on April 12th 1861.

The strategic plan would have eventually ended the Civil War, ideally with minimal casualties on both sides.

Anaconda Plan It was a humanitarian way of

defeating the rebellion as opposed to invading the south with massive numbers of troops, killing, burning and capturing everything in sight

General Scott’s Anaconda Plan was a very passive way of defeating the Confederacy

The problem General Scott had was convincing fellow Union commanders that this was a good idea

Pretty much all of the Union commanders disliked this plan and referred to it as being too complacent

Anaconda Plan Complacent or not, the plan would have

saved many lives Theoretically if the plan was

implemented at the start of the war the giant battles fought later in the war may never have happened

The south would have been slowly deprived of food and supplies by the Union blockade

Union armies would have taken up defensive positions in the North repelling any Confederate attacks

The Union would have slowly and methodically cut the Confederacy in half by taking the Mississippi river and the rebellion would have suffered and died from a lack of food and supplies and be forced to surrender

Anaconda Plan The Anaconda Plan consisted of two main

objectives The first objective was to set up a naval

blockade of the Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico ports that were controlled by the Confederacy◦ This would cut off all trade to and from the

rebellious states The second objective of the plan was to

transport roughly 60,000 Union troops in 40 steam transports escorted by upwards of 20 steam gunboats down the Mississippi river◦ They would capture and hold forts and towns

along the way

They would secure the Mississippi river down to the Gulf of Mexico which would link up with and keep their lines of communication open with the naval blockade◦ Capturing the Mississippi river would

also cut the Confederacy in half It would not be a quick victory

but given enough time it had a chance of being successful

This was a good plan but it was never given the opportunity to be put into action.

General Winfield Scott Winfield Scott served as commanding

general of the Union army from 1841 to 1861

In 1861 he devised the Union strategy called the Anaconda Plan, which emphasized a coastal blockade and utilization of river systems

By maintaining constant pressure on the South, Scott intended to gradually squeeze the life out of the Confederacy

Although initially scoffed at, his method was eventually used to defeat the Confederacy

Because of old age and infirmities he retired from the army in 1861, and he died at his beloved West Point in 1866.

OPCVLDay broke with every promise of a fine day. Next to me, on my right, was a boy of seventeen, Henry Parker. I remember it because, while we stood-at-ease, he drew my attention to some violets at his feet, and said, "It would be a good idea to put a few in my cap. Perhaps the Yanks won't shoot me if they see me wearing such flowers, for they are a sign of peace." "Capital," said I, "I will do the same." We plucked a bunch, and arranged the violets in our caps. The men in the ranks laughed at our proceedings, and had not the enemy been so near, their merry mood might have been communicated to the army.We loaded our muskets, and arranged our cartridge-pouches ready for use. Our weapons were the obsolete flint-locks, and the ammunition was rolled in cartridge-paper, which contained powder, a round ball, and three buckshot. When we loaded we had to tear the paper with our teeth, empty a little powder into the pan, lock it, empty the rest of the powder into the barrel, press paper and ball into the muzzle, and ram home. Then the Orderly-sergeant called the roll, and we knew that the Dixie Greys were present to a man. Soon after, there was a commotion, and we dressed up smartly. A young Aide galloped along our front, gave some instructions to the Brigadier Hindman, who confided the same to his Colonels, and presently we swayed forward in line, with shouldered arms...The world seemed bursting into fragments. Cannon and musket, shell and bullet, lent their several intensities to the distracting uproar... I likened the cannon, with their deep bass, to the roaring of a great heard of lions; the ripping, cracking musketry, to the incessant yapping of terriers; the windy whisk of shells, and zipping minie bullets, to the swoop of eagles, and the buzz of angry wasps. All the opposing armies of Grey and Blue fiercely blazed at each other.

OPCVL

Behind this shelter a dozen of us flung ourselves. The security it appeared to offer restored me to my individuality. We could fight, and think, and observe, better than out in the open. But it was a terrible period! How the cannon bellowed, and their shells plunged and bounded, and flew with screeching hisses over us! Their sharp rending explosions and hurtling fragments made us shrink and cower, despite our utmost efforts to be cool and collected. I marvelled as I heard the unintermitting patter, snip, thud, and hum of the bullets, how anyone could live under this raining death. I could hear the balls beating a merciless tattoo on the outer surface of the log, pinging vivaciously as they flew off at a tangent from it, and thudding into something or other, at the rate of a hundred a second. One, here and there, found its way under the log, and buried itself in a comrade's body. One man raised his chest, as if to yawn, and jostled me. I turned to him, and saw that a bullet has gored his whole face, and penetrated into his chest. Another ball struck a man a deadly rap on the head, and he turned on his back and showed his ghastly white face to the sky...Dead bodies, wounded men writhing in agony, and assuming every distressful attitude, were frequent sights... As for myself, I had only one wish, and that was for repose. The long-continued excitement, the successive tautening and relaxing of the nerves, the quenchless thirst, made more intense by the fumes of sulphurous powder, and the caking grime on the lips, caused by tearing the paper cartridges, and a ravening hunger, all combined, had reduced me to a walking automaton, and I earnestly wished that night would come, and stop all further effort.

After being exposed for a few seconds to this dreadful downpour, we heard the order to "Lie down, men, and continue your firing!" Before me was a prostrate tree, about fifteen inches in diameter, with a narrow strip of light between it and the ground.

OPCVLORIGIN Henry Morton Stanley

◦A Confederate Soldier at Shiloh He had volunteered with the Sixth Arkansas

regiment ◦a group of Confederate soldiers who called themselves

the "Dixie Greys.“ He remembered the battle of Shiloh in his

autobiography

OPCVLPURPOSEThe intended audience was the nation’s public The purpose was to present the public with a first

hand encounter of what happened in certain events throughout the Civil War

OPCVLPURPOSE: CONTENT“Day broke with every promise of a fine day. Next to me, on

my right, was a boy of seventeen, Henry Parker. I remember it because, while we stood-at-ease, he drew my attention to some violets at his feet, and said, "It would be a good idea to put a few in my cap. Perhaps the Yanks won't shoot me if they see me wearing such flowers, for they are a sign of peace." "Capital," said I, "I will do the same." We plucked a bunch, and arranged the violets in our caps. The men in the ranks laughed at our proceedings, and had not the enemy been so near, their merry mood might have been communicated to the army.”

OPCVLVALUEThe document provides first hand experiences

from a soldier in the Confederate army. This point of view reveals smaller and more detailed actions within the battle of Shiloh giving historians more answers in their never ending quest of discovery.

Allowed the public to understand just how bloody and surprising the battle of Shiloh was

OPCVLVALUE: CONTENT“Our weapons were the obsolete flint-locks, and the ammunition was

rolled in cartridge-paper, which contained powder, a round ball, and three buckshot. When we loaded we had to tear the paper with our teeth, empty a little powder into the pan, lock it, empty the rest of the powder into the barrel, press paper and ball into the muzzle, and ram home.”

“But it was a terrible period! How the cannon bellowed, and their shells plunged and bounded, and flew with screeching hisses over us! Their sharp rending explosions and hurtling fragments made us shrink and cower, despite our utmost efforts to be cool and collected. I marvelled as I heard the unintermitting patter, snip, thud, and hum of the bullets, how anyone could live under this raining death”

OPCVLLIMITATIONHe was a Confederate soldier, which gives us a

biased point of view The autobiography only contains detailed

descriptions of the Confederate side Not a commanding general which provides Henry

Morton Stanley with only a broader idea of the actions taking place at Shiloh

OPCVLLIMITATION: CONTENT“Then the Orderly-sergeant called the roll, and we

knew that the Dixie Greys were present to a man. Soon after, there was a commotion, and we dressed up smartly. A young Aide galloped along our front, gave some instructions to the Brigadier Hindman, who confided the same to his Colonels, and presently we swayed forward in line, with shouldered arms...”

Bibliography Press Inquiries, Jim Campi. "Civil War Trust." Council on Foreign

Relations. Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. <http://www.civilwar.org/>.

WGBH. "American Experience." PBS. PBS, 1996. Web. 20 Sept. 2015. <http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pr imary-resources/grant-stanley/>.

Ben, and Adrian. "Civil War Begins: Northern and Southern Advantages Compared." Study.com. Study.com, 2003. Web. 19 Sept. 2015. <http://study.com/academy/lesson/civil-war-begins- northern-and-southern-advantages-compared.html>.

A&E Television Networks. "Battle of Shiloh." History.com. A&E Television Networks, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.

<http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of- shiloh>. Nevin, David. Alexandria: Time-Life, 1983. Print. The Civil War Era. McPherson, James. New York: Oxford UP, 1988. Print. The Civil War Era.