Military after Civil War
HIS 207
Civil War is Over
 Great
volunteer army was quickly
demobilized



May 1865—1 million volunteers in army
November—800,900 men released from
service
By 1866—only 11,000 volunteers remain
 By
1876-the authorized size was reduced
down to 27,500
Government Vision in post-war era
 White
House and Congress saw no need
for a large regular army
 Believed that nation was well served by
volunteer force in Civil War
 No “real” enemies on the horizon
 Prompts question—”Why do we need an
army?”
 Military spending channeled in other
directions.
What are roles of the post-war
army?
 Difficult
to accomplish any objectives with
very small force spread out over many
bases.

Reflected political realities—think of today
 Large

unit organization was non-existent
Nothing larger than a regiment
Uses of the Army in the post-war
period.
 Reconstruction/Occupation
 Indian
of the South
wars
 Civil Disturbances/Strikebreaking
Reconstruction (1865-1876)
 Greatly

disliked task
Wanted to avoid politics
• Voter registration drives, arranging elections,
installing officials

Too few troops to truly “occupy” the South.
• Little support in North for occupation


Successful in establishing the Civilian
government
Not so successful in protecting freed blacks
Indian Wars
 From
1865 to 1891, there were 13 different
campaigns and at least 1,000 separate
engagements with Native American
warriors.
 Another job the army accepted reluctantly


Likely to be criticized regardless of the
outcome.
Generally called in to resolve issues created
by settlers or Indian Bureau.
Army Tactics
 Developed
effective small units tactics to
deal with highly mobile tribes on the Great
Plains.



Vulnerable to attack by larger force—Custer
Frequently outgunned by the Indians
Eventually able to overcome these limitations
Frontier Life of army
Very different from the “Hollywood” image
 Life was lonely and remote



Few men brought their families
Most forts were really villages with a few simple
buildings-some walled, others not.
 Rarely provided with adequate food
 Frequently not paid for long stretches
 Conditions little better than those encountered
by Native Americans
George Crook
 Most
successful of the Army’s Indian
fighters.

Also most knowledgeable of the ways of the
Indians
 Men
traveled light-rode hard
 Organized Indians as combatants-one
tribe fighting another
End of Era
 By
late 1870’s, Indian power was broken
on the Plains
 With defeat of the Sioux, last of the major
tribes was defeated.
 Army proved generally effective in
establishing peace in the west with a
minimum of bloodshed

Civil Disturbances
 Industrial
growth prompt labor disputes
 National Guard was expected to deal with
local issues

Ill-prepared—under trained and sympathetic
with
 Some
army officers see industrial warfare
as new role for army

Way of gaining public support
Strike of 1877
 Railroad
strike
 National Guard fails to quell riots
 Federal troops called out

Confusing command structure
• Civilians giving orders

Able to intimidate strikers & restore order
 Good
for congressional support of army
National Guard






Despite failures in labor disputes, a strong push
for a citizen-soldier military force remains.
Organized militia under state control saw more
strike duty during 19th century.
Fear of revolt-need to improve and better arm
militias
1879-National Guard Association
Between 1881 and 1892 every state revised its
military code
Presented a challenge to the continued
existence of regular forces.
Navy Developments
 Physically


disintegrates after the war
Technological advances of the Civil War are
rejected
Return to wooden sailing ships
• Gave Navy maximum range with minimum support
 Navy


that Congress wanted low cost force
Anti-expansionistic
Simply interested in promoting American trade
Role of Navy
 Commerce
Protection
 Showing the flag
 Stopping foreigners from attacking
American interests
 Navy

was well suited to this role.
Don’t need steel and steam vessels
Changing World Situation in late
19th century
 Global
competition increases in the late
19th century
 European powers become increasingly
imperialistic.
 Risk emerges that markets previously
open to the U.S. will be closed.



China
Africa
Pacific
Movement for Change

Voices begin to call for a change in naval
strategy
 For markets to remain open, the navy needs a
force capable of competing with Major European
powers
 1883—ABCD ships



Steel ships with sails
Ship names selected for maximum political support
Small, poorly designed and under-armored—
important first step
Leaders for Naval Change
 Alfred
Thayer Mahan
 Benjamin Tracy—Secretary of Navy


Proposes a radical increase in the size of the
navy.
Needs to sell to Congress
• Ships that will protect America’s shores
• Coastal defense was politically marketable

Compromise
• Coastline sea-going battleships-5,000 mile range
• No sails
Samoa Incident(1889)
 Dispute
with Germany and Britain over
control of Samoa (SW Pacific)
 Naval forces from all three countries
squared off in Apia harbor War prevented by massive hurricane
 Settlement reached—US gains naval base
at Pagopago.
 US force, 3 wooden ships, ill-prepared to
fight ships from major European powers
True Blue Saloon Incident(1891)
 USS
Baltimore in Valparaiso, Chile
 Drunken brawl—2 deaths
 Appears that war may break out with Chile
 Congress and President realize that
victory is far from assured
 Chile has Navy almost equal to US Navy
 Forces government to serious consider
further expansion
Expansion in 1890’s

Naval Appropriations Act of 1890

Authorized the construction of three battleships—
Indiana, Massachusetts and Oregon
• 1st true capital ships of the American navy


Heavily armored
Powerfully gunned (13inch main batteries)
• World Class vessels

By time of Spanish American War, Navy was
well on its way to being a world power.
Navy 1865-1898
 Never
faced the same challenges as the
army
 Always had accepted mission.


Commerce protection
Showing the flag
changing world in late 19th century,
Naval leadership skillfully positioned itself
to evolve.
 Sp-Am war will push Navy to forefront
 With