The Military Stalemate: 1864
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Transcript of The Military Stalemate: 1864
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