The American Civil

War

1861-1865

Shortcut to 01 Drums of War.lnk

Wilbur McLean: “The war started in his front yard and ended in his parlor.”

Karen H. Reeves

Essential Question: How did the two sides differ in their

preparation for war?

Motivation North

Preservation of the

Union

South

States’ Rights

Casualties • Over 3 million soldiers served

• 600,000+ died

• Union: 360,000

• Confederacy: 260,000

• The overall number of dead that resulted from the

Civil War nearly equals the number of American

soldiers killed in every other military action up to the

present.

The “Boys’ War” • More than 2,000,000 Federal soldiers were twenty-one or under (of a

total of some 2,700,000)

• More than 1,000,000 were eighteen or under.

• About 800,000 were seventeen or under.

• About 200,000 were sixteen or under.

• About 100,000 were fifteen or under.

• Three hundred were thirteen or under-most

of these fifers or drummers, but regularly

enrolled, and sometimes fighters.

• Twenty-five were ten or under.

Progress of Secession

Sullivan Ballou

Advantages North • Population (22 million):

Recruits, Civilian manpower

• Industrial might: 80% of factories

• Superior transportation

• Organized army & navy

• Recognized government = loans, trade deals

South

• Could fight a defensive war (750,000 sq. mi.)

• Knew the terrain

• Longstanding military tradition

• Leadership of Lee, Johnston, Jackson

• Defending home

Disadvantages North

• Had to win; could not be a draw

• Fought most of war in “enemy’s” land

• Poor leadership in beginning

South

• Little industry

• Had to worry about slave population

• Fewer recruits (9 million)

• Miss. R. cut off 3 of 8 Confederate states

Comparisons

Rail L

ines 1

850

Jefferson Davis

(1809-1889)

Abraham Lincoln

(1809-1865)

Robert Edward Lee (1807-1870) • Born in Virginia, son of “Light

Horse” Harry Lee (Rev. War)

• Graduated from West Point

2/46 in class = no demerits

• Resigned commission in U.S.

Army when Va. Seceded

• Known for his bold military

maneuvers (“Hannibal”)

• “It is well that war is so

terrible -- lest we should grow

too fond of it.”

• Became President of

Washington and Lee University

Ulysses Simpson Grant (1822-1885)

• Born Hiram Ulysses Grant in Ohio

• Graduated from West Point 21/39

• Did not receive command until

after victory at Vicksburg

• Known for drinking, depression

• “Find out what brand he drinks

and send a barrel to all our other

generals.” (Lincoln)

• Became President of the U.S.

Strategy Based on Napoleonic Warfare: Clausewitz, Jomini

Destroy enemy in one decisive battle: force enemy’s retreat

Seize enemy’s strategic sites (rail lines, supply depots, communication centers, industry)

Capture enemy’s capital

Disrupt economy

Demoralize his will to continue

Strategy

Rapid movement of interior forces (railroads)

Maintenance of “tight” front line

Massing of men and materiel vs. enemy’s weak

point

Maintenance of supply line

Cavalry became “mobile foot soldier”

(Massed frontal assaults deadly = advent of new

Springfield & Enfield rifled musket increased

“killing distance” to one mile)

Strategy Key Components

• Mississippi River

• International traders & smugglers

• Confederate offensive movements

into Northern territory

• Southern goods and war material

• War in East: take capitals, cut

supplies, demoralize homeland

• War in West: control Mississippi, split Confederacy in half

Strate

gy

South “Army of Northern Virginia”

• War of attrition (wearing down enemy)

• Problems:

1. Davis plagued by requests to defend every town

2. Southerners refused to sit and wage defensive war

• Created “offensive-defensive” strategy

• Created “blockade runner”

North “Army of the Potomac”

• Anaconda Plan = control seaports

at Roanoke, Charleston, New

Orleans

• Surround, “wait and see”

• Aggressive offense into the South

Overview

• Both sides expected brief war

• North blockaded coast, but fail to take Richmond

• North captured New Orleans, but failed to split South in two

• South failed to take Washington, D.C.

• Stalemate of 1862 turns into a total war + full mobilization (draft, issuing of bonds & paper money, new taxes, centralized banking system)

Overview

• Lincoln imposed martial law + suspended

Habeas Corpus (held 10,000)

• Emancipation Proclamation (1/1/1863) =

freed slaves in Confederate states only (not

border states for fear of losing support)

• Black troops: 186,000 soldiers + 29,000

sailors = 10% of Union forces

68,0000 killed

Overview

• Gettysburg (Southern attempt to demoralize

the North)

• Vicksburg fell (North wins war in West,

divided the South)

• July, 1863: Draft riots in the North

• Inflation, corruption rock Northern economy

• Food shortages in the South

Overview

• South still did not quit

• Lincoln authorized taking “war to the

people” = hopes to demoralize

• Sherman’s March

• Lee runs out of supplies, reinforcements

• Surrender at Appomattox Courthouse,

April 9, 1865

• Lincoln assassinated April 14, 1865

Military Firsts

• Pontoon bridges (Alex’s inflated hides)

First Bull Run

Military Firsts

• Corps of Engineers

• Modern military barracks

• Industrial supply

• “Public will”

• Trenches, earthenworks

Hig

h C

asu

alt

ies

Frontal Assaults

(old tactics)

vs.

Modern

firepower

(rifles, artillery)