The Military Stalemate: 1864

Mr. ContipoderoAmerican Civil War

“Whatever happens, there will be no turning back.”

Ulysses S. Grant to Abraham Lincoln, April 1864

The Direction

Morale during the Summer of 1864

Confederacy Union

No more reserves Supplies running low Southern leaders

quarreling over 1863 defeats

Morale remained high on front lines

3-year infantry enlistments expire

New recruits = decline in fighting quality

More than half of vets reenlisted

1862 – Lincoln appointed Halleck general in chief of all armies◦ Wanted a general to

coordinate Grant

◦ Didn’t want to be a desk general

◦ Headquarters with Army of the Potomac

Desk General?

Armies of the past 1861-1863◦ Acted independently◦ Not a team…not pulling together for the cause◦ Allowed Confederates to shift troops to meet

pressing danger

Grant’s Belief

Armies work simultaneously on multiple fronts

Issued orders to five Union armies across 1,000 miles of front◦ Campaigns ready for

the spring of 1864

Grant’s Way

Army of the Potomac◦ Suffered more

casualties than any other period of the war

Grant forced Lee’s troops out of trenches◦ Lee hit the Union in the

Wilderness◦ Numerical and artillery

superiority meant nothing in the Wilderness

The Wilderness

Wilderness

Soldiers seldom saw their enemies

Whole brigades got lost in forest

Underbrush fires: many wounded burned to death

The Wilderness

Confederates pushing Federals back◦ General Longstreet corps surprised attacked

General Hancock exposed flank◦ Longstreet shot accidently by his own men

Confederates still pushing forward on multiple flanks

More Confusion

Grant was no Joe Hooker◦ Grant stabilized the Union right ◦ Both armies exhausted ◦ 2 days = 17,000 casualties Union / 11,000 CSA

When most Union soldiers thought retreat…◦ They marched southward the next day◦ Morale was high!

Similar to Chancellorsville

Grant’s troops lost the race to Spotsylvania Why is this significant?

◦ Spotsylvania provides safe grounds for communications

◦ Union Army would’ve been between Lee and Richmond Force Lee to fight on open ground

Battles of Spotsylvania

24-year old Colonel Achieved temporary break-through of

Confederate center line Organized 12 regiments into 4 compact

lines under cover of woods ◦ Ran across “No Man’s Land”◦ Temporary success

Emory Upton

Grant used Upton’s strategy “Bloody Angle”

◦ Some of the most savage fighting in the war◦ Hours of fighting in the rain◦ Trenches lie men 3 deep◦ 7,000 casualties per side

More in Spotsylvania

How could Grant keep fighting with high casualty rates?◦ Generals Butler and Sigel disrupt Lee’s supply

lines◦ Rebels would have to come out of trenches and

fight or retreat◦ Sheridan and Union cavalry destroy supply depots

Tore up miles of track, kill CSA generals, broke through Richmond defenses

Strategy

Butler and Sigel did not accomplish goals Lee moved troops behind North Anna River Grant moved west to turn Lee’s flank

◦ Ordered an all out attack on Lee but troops were not ready

◦ Postponed for 24 hours – gave CSA time to prepare

From Spotsylvania to Cold Harbor

Cold Harbor

Name tags on soldiers – death looming June 3rd attack

◦ One of the most costly failures of the war “I regret this assault more than any one I

have ever ordered.” – Grant CSA = 1500 casualties / 7,000 Union

Cold Harbor Defeat

http://www.history.com/videos/grant-and-sherman-unlikely-leaders

Grant and Sherman