V. Preparing for War
A. Basics of War
• Offensive- army chooses to advance on the
enemy
• Defensive- army protects itself from the
enemy
• Campaign- series of battles &
engagements intended to accomplish
assigned strategic objectives
• Strategy- the science of designing
campaigns to achieve objective of war
• Tactics- art of employing armed men in
combat
B. Three Questions to Creating
a Strategy
• 1) What are you trying to do?
– Connection between political objectives &
conduct of war
– North: Squash rebellion/restore the Union
– South: gain & maintain independence
• 2) What do you have?
– Resources
– Manpower, Food, Industry, Material, Finances
– Morale (Nation’s will)
• 3) How are you going to use what you
have?
C. Nine Principles of War
Objective
Simplicity
Unity of
Command
Offensive
Maneuver
Mass
Economy of
Force
Surprise
Security
D. Developing Campaigns
What type of campaign will you conduct?
• Offensive
– Break the will of
the enemy
– Battlefield
Dominance
– Destroy political &
military structure
– Make quick,
decisive 1st move
– Prevent escape
• Defensive
– Wear down the
enemy
– Break the will to
fight
– Protect vital areas
– Do not allow
attacker to use
superior force
– ESCAPE ROUTES
E. Communication & Supplies
• Supply
– Stockpiled close to
the lines
– Boats & trains were
used to carry
supplies (1 week)
– Wagon trains 5-20
miles long carried
immediate supplies
(food &
ammunition)
– Should never be cut
– Live off land
• Information
(intelligence)
–
–
–
–
Telegraph
Couriers
Scouts
Supply train &
boats
– Cavalry
– Never leave the
army blind
– orders
Rear Attack: unsuspected attack from behindinflicts the most damage (usually to supply lines)
Flank attack: strike the enemy from the sides
collapsing their line
Frontal Assault: head on attack, least desired
and uses the highest combat force
Main attack: bulk of combat force to win quickly &
decisively
Reinforcements:
additional combat
power
Supporting Attack:
small group that
creates a diversion
Feint: deceiving an army
to think the main attack is
coming from another
direction
Critical Terrain:
Fence rows
Stone walls
Trenches
Ridges
Hills
G. Civil War Army Organization
• Cavalry
–
–
–
–
Eyes & Ears of the army
Lightly armed
Vast moving capabilities
Perform screens & raids/ Reconnaissance
• Artillery
– Long-reaching fire power
– Usually set up behind infantry for support
• Infantry
– Foot soldiers/ Bulk of combat force
– Occupy terrain/ attack & defend
Other Branches
• Quartermaster
– Oversees supplies
– Provides rations for food & ammo
– Supervised supply trains (25 wagons/1000
men)
• Medical Corps
– Treated casualties
– Buried dead
– Evacuated wounded
• Signal Corps
– Lines of
Communication
– Signal Flags
– Mirrors
– Torches
– Balloons
– Couriers
– telegraphs
• Army Corps of
Engineers
–
–
–
–
Built roads
Fortifications
Bridges
Created terrain
maps
A. Northern & Southern Strategy
• North: Anaconda Plan
– Winfield Scott
– Strangle south into
submission
– 3 objectives
• 1) Capture Richmond
• 2) Blockade Ports
• Control MS River &
cut CSA in half
• South: Survival
– Hold Critical territories
– Control the MS River
– Fight a defensive
campaign on familiar
ground
B. Geography of War: Theatres
1
Eastern Theatre:
Triangle Territory
2
3
4
1) Washington DC - Union Capitol
2) Richmond, VA - Tredegar Iron Works
3) Lynchburg, VA - Shenandoah Valley
4) Norfolk, VA - Chesapeake Bay
• Shenandoah Valley was very important
because of its food supply
• It was also the gateway to the west from
Virginia to Tennessee
• Western Theatre
– Appalachian
Mountains to the
Mississippi River
– New Orleans to
Vicksburg
– 2 vital RR to the
survival of the west
• Chattanooga
• Atlanta
• Tran-Mississippi
Theatre
– West of the Mississippi
River to New Mexico
– No real fighting, but
critical for food
– Mexico was main
trading partner
Things that go BOOM
1853 Enfield Rifled Musket
.577 caliber
1861 Sharps Carbine
.52 caliber
8 inch Colombiad
24 lb Howitzer
1,800 yds @ 5°
1,322 yds @ 5°
10 lb Napoleon
1860 Army Colt
.44 caliber
1860 Navy Colt
.38 caliber
Cannon Projectiles
• Solid Shot
– Large Round ball used for demolition
– Long-range ordinance
• Case Shot
– Invented by Henry Shrapnel as long-range ordinance
– Filled with little round iron pellets
– Used charge to burst open and spray shrapnel
• Grape Shot
– Short-range ordinance
– Filled with 9 iron ball shrapnel pieces
• Cannister
– Short-range “shotgun” blast of shrapnel
– Most devastating of the projectiles
Innovators of Firearms
• Horace Smith & D.B. Wessen
– Created the rim-fire cartridge
– Established the Smith & Wessen Company
• Samual Colt
– Innovator of the Colt Revolver
– Most widely used handgun in the Civil War
• Oliver Winchester
– Sold the Henry repeating rifle
• Remington Arms Co.
– produced the percussion musket
What is the difference between Breech & Muzzle
loading rifles?