The Civil War
A union in peril
The Fall of Fort Sumter
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Crisis at Fort Sumter
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Commander Robert Anderson sent the message to Lincoln that
Confederate leaders were demanding surrender or would attack.
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Low on supplies, Fort Sumter remained in Union hands. The fort was
very symbolic to both sides.
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Lincoln would not surrender the fort, but would send food and other
nonmilitary supplies.
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Jefferson Davis would decide whether to attack and go to war or
allow the symbol of federal authority to remain.
The attack on the fort

Davis ordered a surprise attack before the supplies could arrive.

On April 12, 1891, the Confederate artillery opened fire on the
fort, and an outgunned Fort Sumter surrendered the next day.
The Rush to War
Reaction in the South
Response in the North
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Lincoln calls for 7500
volunteers
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90 days’ service to put down
the rebellion
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Lincoln’s political enemy
Stephen Douglas supports the
action, “There can be no
neutrals in this war, only
patriots—or traitors”
Northerners rush to enlist
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With call for volunteers, the
eight remaining Union slave
states now forced to choose a
side
Union slave states refused to
provide troops to fight against
fellow southerners
Confederate states ready to
call up men
First Virginia, then Arkansas,
Tennessee, and North Carolina
secede
The Border States
Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, & Missouri
Maryland critical—Washington, D.C., at risk surrounded by
Confederate territory. Martial law declared and new
elections held to ensure pro-Union state legislature
Missouri important—strategic access to the lower
Mississippi River. Divided loyalties but never enough
secessionist support to withdraw from the Union
Kentucky necessary—the Ohio River border left the Union
open to the threat of invasion. The governor refused to take
sides, but the state sided with the Union after Confederate
troops invaded in September 1861.
These divided loyalties meant citizens fought on both sides.
Goals and Strategies
Union Goals
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Needed to be carefully
defined
War could not center
around the dispute over
slavery—border states
pushed to secede
Fight for patriotic
reasons—to save the
Union
Confederate Goals
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South wanted to be left
alone with slavery
unchanged
Prepared to defend
themselves against
invasion
Felt northerners would
soon tire of war and
withdraw
Goals and Strategies
• Larger population = more available soldiers
The
North’s
Strategy
• With more factories, could produce war supplies
• General Winfield Scott’s plan—slowly seal the South
off from the rest of the world—Anaconda plan
• Newspapers pushed “On to Richmond,” an attack on
the Confederacy for a quick end to the war.
The
South’s
Strategy
• Ardent support for the cause made up for lack of
resources
• Fighting for freedom and their homeland—¾ of the
population did not hold slaves
• They were convinced of their military superiority—
many army officers were southerners.
Goals and Strategies
Southerners were convinced that France and Great Britain
wanted a guaranteed supply of cotton and counted on this
cotton diplomacy as a foreign-policy tool.
The Confederacy embargoed cotton to force the issue of
recognition as an independent nation when the English and
French hesitated.
Cotton diplomacy failed for many reasons:
- The British resented the attempt at blackmail.
- Southern cotton was stockpiled from the year before.
- Higher prices encouraged other countries to grow the crop.
Both sides continued to try to gain/block foreign involvement
throughout the conflict.
The Major Battles Begin

Union army not ready to fight

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With 90-day volunteer enlistment nearly over, the decision was made to
send troops to Manassas Junction to attack.
First Battle of Bull Run

The chaotic battle ended hope for a short war.

Stonewall Jackson earned his nickname and Confederate infantry charge
caused Union troops to stampede.

There were 2,000 Confederate and 2,900 Union casualties.
Results

Lincoln called for a million more volunteers to serve for three years.

Replaced McDowell with General George McClellan, who set about
creating a real army out of the volunteer force
The Major Battles Begin
• Top generals on each side trained at West Point.
Tactics and
Technology
• Old instructional methods based on infantry and
cavalry charges, but with new weaponry these
tactics led to huge casualties
• Increased range and accuracy with bullet-shaped
ammunition and rifling
• Shrapnel replaced cannonballs, and fragments
mowed down troops.
New
Devices of
War
• Observation balloons were used to direct artillery
fire, and camouflage was used to disguise tents
and guns from view.
• The telegraph allowed for quick communication.
• Railroads were used to move large numbers of
troops.
The Fight for the Mississippi Valley
Ironclads were used by the Union to take the Mississippi
Valley.
Ulysses S. Grant captured Forts Henry and Donelson,
opening the western Confederacy and leaving the
Mississippi River vulnerable to attack. Grant continued south
to the railroad center of Corinth, Mississippi.
The bloody Battle of Shiloh was a Confederate loss, but
there were over 23,000 total casualties. Grant realized the
Union would be saved only by complete conquest.
New Orleans fell to Admiral Farragut, and he continued up
the Mississippi River to capture Baton Rouge and Natchez.
Only Vicksburg remained in Confederate hands.
The War in the East
2nd Battle of Bull Run
General McClellan
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Hesitant commander with 100,00man Union army designated to
attack Richmond
Fought a series of battles on the
peninsula but always delayed
action
Lincoln held troops back to defend
Washington
Confederates attacked in a series
of clashes, and McClellan
retreated after four victories in
five battles.

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Overly cautious McClellan waited
outside Richmond.
Lincoln turned to John Pope with his
50,000 troops in northern Virginia.
Robert E. Lee lured Pope into battle
and defeated him.
Lincoln put McClellan back in
command, telling his cabinet members,
“We must use the tools we have.”
Smaller Confederate forces more
effective and led by better
commanders
The Union Is Invaded
Union morale was low after defeats in Virginia and the
Confederates determined to attack on Union soil, hoping to
gain an early peace.
Battle of Antietam
– McClellan caught up with Lee’s troops at Sharpsburg, Md.
– A savage single day of fighting left 23,000 dead.
– Lincoln’s order to “destroy the rebel army” was ignored.
– McClellan allowed the rebels to retreat into Virginia.
– He was relieved of command.
The Battle of Fredericksburg
– Ambrose Burnside named new Union commander
– Marched massive army toward Richmond
– Attacking Confederates head-on left 13,000 Union dead.
– The battle was a disaster for the Union.
The Emancipation Proclamation
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Attitudes about the war changed with increased casualties

No longer about just saving the Union, the South needed to be punished
for the bloodshed of the war.

Lincoln convinced to use constitutional power to end slavery, denying the
South the labor needed to continue the war
Emancipation Proclamation issued on January 1, 1863

It freed the slaves in all areas in rebellion against the U.S.

Abolitionists were upset slavery continued in the Union.

Riots broke out with increased competition for jobs in the North.

Supporters felt it would shorten the war.
Overseas reaction

The British felt Lincoln should have freed all of the slaves.

With war now about ending slavery, Britain would side with the Union.
African Americans and the War
In the South, African American farm and plantation labor
released white males for the war effort. Slaves performed
many non-combat jobs in the Confederate army.
Escaped slaves worked for the Union army in various jobs.
They formed Union army regiments in Louisiana, South
Carolina, and Kansas, serving in segregated units.
Initially used for labor and guard duty, when allowed into
battle they fought heroically.
The 54th Massachusetts Infantry was the most famous unit.
180,000 African Americans served in Union armies, taking
part in 200 battles. More than 38,00 died serving the Union.
Life in the Military
Wartime
medicine
Camp
life
Prison
camps
• Disease was responsible for most deaths, and
various epidemics swept through the camps.
• Sanitary Commission worked to improve conditions.
• Conditions were poor, tents were crowded, and the
ground muddy or dusty depending on the weather.
• Camp rations were good, but while on the march
soldiers relied on hardtack and coffee.
• Prisoner exchanges ended in 1863, and both sides
were guilty of inhumane treatment of prisoners.
• Most notorious camps—Andersonville and Elmira
Life on the Home Front
Southern Home Front
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Shortages made life difficult.
There were few factories, and
food production dropped because
of war.
War was fought on credit, and
inflation resulted.
High prices and shortages led to
food riots.
Confederate Draft

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Soldiers deserted to take care of
their families.

Poor men were patriotic, but their
families came first.

Needed to maintain the army
Confederate Congress enacted
1st military draft in American
history—April 1862
Unpopular conscription
contradicted states’ rights
Governors of Georgia and
North Carolina tried to block
the draft.
Slaveholders were exempted
from the draft.
Some areas were placed under
martial law.
Copperheads and the Union Draft
No shortages, but the Union needed to draft more soldiers
Union draft law allowed the wealthy to hire substitutes or
pay a $300 fee—making the war a poor man’s fight.
Antidraft riots fueled an existing antiwar movement, called
Peace Democrats by supporters, Copperheads by critics.
Vocal critics who opposed the war, the draft, or
emancipation were arrested and jailed without trials.
This was possible because Lincoln suspended habeas
corpus across the entire country, saying he was willing to
violate the constitution in order to save the nation.
Women in the Civil War
Southern Women
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Northern Women
Spied for the Confederacy
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Took over farms, stores, and
plantations
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Worked in the few factories
and made ammunition for the
troops
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Formed societies to make
bandages, shirts and
bedclothes

Acted as volunteer nurses
before Confederate Congress
passed law allowing them to
be hired as army nurses

Stepped into jobs so men
could go fight
Produced huge amounts of
food with the aid of new
farm equipment
Female teachers went south
to educate former slaves
after the war
Became the first women to
hold federal clerical jobs
Served in the Union army as
nurses and volunteered to
work in hospitals
The Civil War at Sea
Blockade
Runners
The Monitor
and the
Merrimac
Confederate
Raiders
• Boats built for speed that brought cotton out and
silk, soap, pepper, and other goods into the
Confederacy
• Confederates hoped to destroy the Union
blockade with a captured Union ironclad ship, the
Merrimack, rebuilt and renamed the Virginia.
• Union attacked with new vessel, the Monitor. The
first battle between ironclads had no winner, but
it changed naval warfare.
• Confederates used unconventional tactics to
combat stronger Union navy.
• Had 29 commerce raider ships roaming the
oceans, successfully attacking Union merchant
ships and disrupting the North’s foreign trade
Three Major Battles
Battle of Chancellorsville
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General Joseph Hooker was in command
of Union army.
Lee sent Stonewall Jackson in a surprise
attack, nearly destroying the Union army
on the first day.
Battle was General Lee’s greatest
victory, defeating a force twice its size.
Lee determined to invade the North
again, hoping a victory there would end
the war.
Lee marched north, and Lincoln replaced
Hooker with General George Meade.
Confederates on the lookout for a
rumored shoe supply skirmished with
Union cavalry.
Both sides rushed troops to Gettysburg,
Pennsylvania.
The Battle of Gettysburg
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Overconfident after his great victory, Lee
pushed his troops into battle here against
the advice of James Longstreet.
Half the men in Pickett’s Charge perished,
and Lee finally gave up the fight and
retreated back to Virginia.
The Siege of Vicksburg
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General Grant began the Union siege of
Vicksburg in May 1863.
With constant shelling of the city, citizens
were forced to dig into hillsides to try to
escape the barrage.
After forty-eight days, the city
surrendered. Four days later the last
Confederate fort on the Mississippi
surrendered as well.
The Chattanooga Campaign
The string of Confederate losses ended with Braxton Bragg’s
victory at the Battle of Chickamauga. But the retreating
Union army discovered the road to Chattanooga had been
left unprotected, and they fled to the city.
Bragg pursued, but the Union soldiers were ready to defend
the city. Confederate troops prepared to starve them out.
Grant arrived and opened a supply line to feed the trapped
Union troops. The siege ended, and the Union won the two
battles that followed. This gave the Union control of the
railroad center at Chattanooga and would allow Grant
access to Georgia, the heart of the Lower South.
Grant versus Lee
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General Ulysses S. Grant
 Lincoln gave him command of Union armies in March 1864, and
Grant made William Tecumseh Sherman commander on the
western front of the war.
 Grant wanted to take advantage of the Confederate shortages
of men and supplies to end the war before the November
election.
 Ordered Sherman to “get into the interior of the enemy’s country
as far as you can and inflict all the damage you can against their
war resources”
General Robert E. Lee
 South could not win the war, but a new president might accept
southern independence in return for peace.
 Lee planned to make the cost of fighting so high for the North
that Lincoln would lose the upcoming election.
Fierce Fighting
Wilderness
and
Spotsylvania
Cold Harbor
and
Petersburg
Sherman on
the move
Grant kept his troops on the attack, winning the
Battle of the Wilderness and pushing south. The
Battle of Spotsylvania cost many casualties on
both sides, but Grant continued toward Richmond.
Meanwhile, Sherman won the Battle of Atlanta
and laid siege to Atlanta’s defenses. He took the
city after closing down the last railroad line, one
month before the Union presidential elections.
During the Battle of Cold Harbor men pinned
their names and addresses on uniforms for
identification. With this loss and after failing to
capture the rail center at Petersburg, Grant began
a siege of that city to put pressure on Richmond.
Confederate Hopes Fade
Democrats nominated George McClellan and adopted a
party platform calling for an immediate end to the war.
Southerners found new hope, but the Republicans tried to
broaden Lincoln’s appeal by picking Tennessee’s Andrew
Johnson for the ticket. Lincoln expected to lose the election.
Sherman’s capture of Atlanta allowed Lincoln to easily
defeat McClellan. Congress passed the 13th Amendment
ending slavery, and the war seemed nearly over to all but
die-hard secessionists. Lincoln announced his intention to
be forgiving, but the bloody war continued.
The War Comes to an End
Sherman’s March
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After the election, Sherman
marched across Georgia in what
came to be known as the March to
the Sea.
Sherman cut a swath of
destruction 300 miles long and
50–60 miles wide.
After taking Savannah, Sherman
turned north through South
Carolina, destroying civilian
property all along the way.
The fall of Richmond
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Lee only had 35,000 defenders
at Petersburg, and they were low
on supplies.
Grant decided not to wait for
Sherman’s troops.
Instead, he broke through Lee’s
defenses at Petersburg and went
on to take Richmond.
Lee tried to escape with his few
remaining troops, but Grant
blocked their way.
Surrender at Appomattox
Lee and Grant
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With Union forces surrounding
them, Lee decided to surrender.
Grant presented the terms of the
surrender to Lee. Extremely
generous for such a bloody
conflict, Lee’s troops merely had
to turn over their weapons and
leave.
Grant announced, “The war is
over. The rebels are our countrymen
again.”
The war is over
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News of Lee’s surrender brought
joyful celebrations in the north.
Lincoln requested “Dixie” be
played at the White House.
The last of the Confederate forces
surrendered on May 26, 1865.
Sadly, President Lincoln would not
live to see the official end of the
war.
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