The American PageantThe Furnace of Civil War

1861-1865

July 21, 1861 Manassas, VA Irvin McDowell (Union) vs. Johnston and

Beauregard Union plan: attack, win, march to

Richmond Reality:

Both sides unprepared Confederates victorious when “Stonewall”

Jackson stands his ground, until reinforcements arrive

Given command of Union army after McDowell defeated

Meticulous in planning Bad in implementation Served only 4 months

Union launched in SE Virginia by McClellan

March – July 1862 Union goal: Avoid Confed. army in VA by

using waterways to sneak up and capture Richmond

Reality – McClellan held ground with Johnston, but then was easily defeated by Robert E. Lee (Confed. victory)

Union landed at Ft. Monroe but surprised to find Confed. defensive line

Battle of Yorktown (union victory) Started Confed. withdraw

Battle of Williamsburg (Union victory) 1st battle of campaign Continued Confed. withdraw

Battle of Drewry’s Bluff (Confed victory) Unsuccessful attempt of Navy to access Richmond

via James River Battle of Seven Pines (draw)

Johnston wounded Replaced by Robert E. Lee

June 25 – July 1, 1862 Six Major battles (10 total) Confed. General Lee vs. Union General

McClellan Confederates pushed McClellan’s army

back down the peninsula Lee then turned North to ready for future

campaigns 36,000 casualties

Northern blockades at principal ports Merrimack

Confed. steel plated wooden ship Effective at breaking through blockades Many weapons and large but very slow

Monitor Union’s ironclad ship Fast and small; few weapons

Merrimack vs. Monitor March 9th, 1862 (draw)

August 29 – 30th, 1862 General Lee vs. General Pope (Union) First major offensive battle by

Confederacy Confederate Victory Casualties

Union – 10,000 Confed. – 1,300

Union General John Pope

“Stonewall” Jackson captured union supplies at Manassas Severed link with Washington D.C.

Confed. and Union stalemate at Stony Ridge Gen. Longstreet (Confed.) met up with

Jackson after light resistance Pope unaware of Longstreet, continued to fight

Jackson Union easily defeated by largest

simultaneous mass assault of the war (25,000 confed. troops)

August 29th, 10am and 12pm

August 29th, 3pm and 5-7pm

August 30th, 3 and 4pm

August 30th, 4:30 – 5pmUnion retreat

• Why was Lee invading the North, and especially a border state at this time? What were his goals?• Why was it especially critical for the Union to have a victory at this time?

First major battle on Northern soil (MD) Bloodiest single day battle (23,000) Lee vs. McClellan Lee outnumbered 2 to 1, but McClellan

sent in less than ¾ of army Lee able to withdraw, when McClellan

failed to follow Tactical Draw; Stopped advance towards

D.C.

Called for the freeing of all slaves "the rebels could not experiment for 10 years

trying to destroy the government and if they fail still come back into the Union unhurt.“

Confiscation Act of 1862 punished "traitors" by declaring their slaves

property of war who shall be free. Not enforced in the border states Removed chances of negotiation between

north and south Made the Civil War also a moral war

McClellan replaced with General Burnside after Antietam

Battle of Fredericksburg, VA (12/13/1862) Union defeated Gen. Burnside replaced with General Hooker

Battle of Chancellorsville, VA (May 1863) Union defeated “Stonewall” Jackson mortally wounded General Hooker replaced by General Meade

July 1 -3. 1863

Largest # of casualties (approx 50,000) Major turning point of the war Lee vs. Meade Confed. Goal

Move north into PA, win, and truce Union victory Ended the war in the north Led turn to Confed. defensive war, rather

than offensive

Early Confed. gains Pushed Union back

to Cemetery Hill General Reynolds

killed; replaced by Doubleday

Pickett’s Charge Confed. attack on

Union middle Preceded by

artillery shooting Confed. – 50%

casualties Ended the Battle of

Gettysburg Union victory

Congressional Committee on the Conduct of War Abused powers during war Led by Salmon P. Chase (Sec of Treasury)

Democratic Split War Democrats: Pro-Lincoln Peace Democrats: – Anti-Lincoln

Copperheads Radical peace democrats Vallandigham – Banished to South

Started as Union volunteer Captured Ft. Henry and Ft. Donelson in

Feb 1862 Battle of Shiloh April 1862

Union Victory Given command at Vicksburg

Union victory July 4th, 1863 Control of Mississippi River for rest of war

Became Lieutenant General of U.S. Army after victory at Chattanooga

Captured and burned Atlanta in September 1864

Captured Savannah December 1864 Captured and burned Columbia February

1865 Purpose to destroy supplies and lower

morale

Union Party – War Democrats + Republicans Lincoln: President Johnson (War Democrat): Vice President

Democrats (including Copperheads) George McClellan

Lincoln overwhelmingly reelected Another defeat for the South

April 9th, 1865 Lee surrenders to Grant at Appomattox Court House in Richmond, VA following Wilderness Campaign

War Death Total – 600,000 Cost - $15 Billion

April 14th, 1865 Ford’s Theater (DC) John Wilkes Booth Andrew Johnson takes over as president