THE CIVIL WAR

The Plans For Victory Plans for victory differed significantly The Union

Use the Navy to blockade southern ports Effectively cut the south off from manufactured goods

from Europe Wanted to capture Richmond (southern capital)

Hoped to end the war quickly by capturing the Confederate Government

Wanted to capture the Mississippi River This would hinder the south's ability to supply its troops Would also split the states of Arkansas, Texas and

Louisiana off from the rest of the Confederacy

Plans For Victory The Confederacy

The south would fight a defensive war until the north got tired of fighting

If it became unpopular in the north, Lincoln would have to stop the war and recognize the south’s independence

The south would use its economic ties to Europe for support Cotton was important to European textile mills

Would use money to buy war supplies Southerners were confidant that they would be recognized

by Europe and that Europe would continue to buy southern goods

Bull Run July 21st 1861

Union troops headed for Richmond Hundreds of civilians followed to watch the fight Met Confederate forces near the town of Bull

Run Union had early success and felt that would be

the end of the war General Jackson held the line and earned the

name “Stonewall” for his fortitude This act rallied the Confederate forces

Bull Run The Union ended up scattering and fled due to

the Confederate rally They ran all the way back to Washington D.C. This was a major embarrassment for the Union Army

Highlighted the need for more training for troops from both armies

After the defeat, Lincoln appointed George McClellen as commander of the Union army in the East Trained troops and prepared them for battle

McClellan McClellan was very cautious and hesitated to

lead his army into battle Lincoln stated “If McClellan does not want to use the

army, can I borrow it?” In March 1862, McClellan took his army towards

Richmond Robert E. Lee counterattacked and Stonewall Jackson

approached Washington D.C. This prevented Lincoln from sending the rest of the Union

Army to help McClellan McClellan being cautious, he abandons his attack on

Richmond

Naval Blockade Union Navy blockaded southern ports

Small, fast boats known as “Blockade Runners” slipped through carrying guns to the south

Blockade got better Southern trade dropped by 90%

South turned an abandoned Union ship called the Merrimack into an Ironclad ship named the Virginia

The Union made their own ironclad known as the Monitor The two clashed but did no damage to the other Confederates had to sink the Virginia when the Union captured

Norfolk The Union built more than 50 ironclads

The ironclads changed naval warfare The South never again mounted an attack on the Union Navy and

the blockade continued for the rest of the war

Antietam Robert E. Lee wanted a Confederate victory

on Union soil In September, 1862 he led his troops north to

Maryland His battle plans were found by a Union soldier at an

abandoned Confederate camp site and were given to McClellan

Again, McClellan was slow to act He attacked Lee on September 17th at Antietam More than 23,000 soldiers were killed or wounded

in the one day long battle

Antietam Lee retreated that night

He was relieved that McClellan did not pursue There was no clear winner in this battle

The North claimed victory because Lee withdrew Northern morale increased

Lincoln was upset that McClellan did not pursue Lee McClellan was replaced with General Ambrose

Burnside in November

Confederate Victories in the East Lee met Burnside in 1862 in the Battle of

Fredericksburg The Union attack was repelled by the Confederate

guns dug in on the crest of a hill This was one of the Unions greatest defeats

Jackson and Lee defeated the Union again at the Battle of Chancellorsville in three days A Confederate sentry fired on what he thought

was a Union soldier General Stonewall Jackson died several days later

Union Victories in the West General Ulysses S. Grant moved towards

controlling the Mississippi River Captured Fort Henry and Fort Donelson

On April 6th , 1862 he was surprised by Confederate forces at Shiloh Union forces were pushed back at first but won on the

second day There were about 24,000 casualties at Shiloh

While Grant was fighting at Shiloh, Union troops and ships moved to take the Mississippi New Orleans and Memphis fell to the North