“Early Years of the War”
* * * * * * * * * * * *
Focus Question: How did each side in the war try
to gain an advantage over the other/
*After the defeat at Bull Run, northerners
realized a long and difficult struggle was ahead.
New Technology in the War
*New weapons made the Civil War more deadly.
Then: Generals charge enemy to overwhelm them.
Now (Civil War): New rifles and cannons were far
more accurate and had a greater range than the
old muskets and artillery. They could be loaded
faster. Charging the enemy was no longer
necessary.
*Civil War generals were slow to recognize how
the changes in technology should change their
tactics. Thousands of soldiers died by following
orders to cross open fields against the new
deadlier weapons.
*Both sides used ironclads. These were warships
covered with protective iron plates. Cannon fire
bounced harmlessly off this armor.
*Most famous ironclad battle: Union’s Monitor vs.
Confederate’s Merrimack. They fought to a draw
in March 1862. Maneuverability was a problem.
*The Confederates used ironclads against the
Union’s naval blockade. Ironclad Union gunboats
played an important role in the North’s efforts to
gain control of the Mississippi River.
The War in the East
*After the loss at the Battle of Bull Run, Lincoln
replaced General McDowell with General George
McClellan. McClellan was a good organizer, but
was cautious. For seven months, he trained his
army but did not attack. This angered Lincoln.
*March 1862 – McClellan moved 100,000 soldiers
by boat along Chesapeake Bay to a peninsula near
Richmond (Confederate capital). Although
Lincoln had 37,000 of McClellan’s troops
guarding DC, McClellan’s remaining troops
greatly outnumbered the 15,000 Confederate
troops blocking the way. McClellan stopped his
advance and asked for more troops.
*While McClellan waited for nearly a month, the
Confederates had time to reinforce their small
army. The Confederates stopped McClellan’s
advance near Richmond. McClellan retreated.
*Since Richmond was no longer threatened, Lee
decided to invade the North. He hoped a victory
on Union soil would help win support for the
South in Europe and turn northern public opinion
against the war.
*Sept. 1862 – a Union officer found a paper
showing Lee’s battle plan. McClellan learned that
the Confederate army had divided into two parts.
*Sept. 17, 1862 - McClellan’s troops attacked the
larger part of Lee’s army at Antietam Creek
(Union name), near Sharpsburg (Confederate
name), MD. THIS WAS THE BLOODIEST DAY
OF THE CIVIL WAR. The Union suffered 12,000
casualties (military term for people killed,
wounded, or missing in action). Lee lost 14,000
men (almost 1/3 of his army). Although Lee
retreated, McClellan did not take advantage by
pursuing Lee. Neither side won a clear victory,
although the Union claimed victory because Lee
retreated.
The War in the West
*McClellan moved cautiously in the East, but
Union armies in the West were on the attack.
Union General Ulysses S. Grant led the most
successful of these armies.
*McClellan vs Grant:
~McClellan – carefully fitted uniforms,
cautious
~Grant – (once poor store clerk) wore
rumpled clothes, took chances
*1862 – Union seized control of most of
Mississippi River.
*Feb. 1862 – Grant moved army south from KY.
He captured Fort Henry on the Tennessee River
and then Fort Donelson on the Cumberland River.
*Two water routes into the western Confederacy
were now wide open. Grant’s army continued
south along the Tennessee River toward Corinth,
Mississippi, an important railroad center.
*Before Grant could advance on Corinth, MS,
Confederate General Albert Johnston attacked.
On April 6, 1862, he surprised Grant’s troops at
the Battle of Shiloh. (see p. 522-523).
*The Battle of Shiloh was costly yet important for
both sides. The South suffered nearly 11,000
casualties and the North more than 13,000. The
Union forced the Confederate army to withdraw
from the railroad center. Union forces also gained
control of western Tennessee and part of the
Mississippi River.
*Two weeks after Shiloh, a Union fleet
commanded by David Farragut entered the
Mississippi River from the Gulf of Mexico. On
April 26, Farragut captured New Orleans, LA. By
summer, the entire Mississippi River was
controlled by the Union.
Review Questions
*What new techniques were used in the Civil
War?
New rifles and cannons that were more accurate
and had greater range than earlier ones; ironclad
ships
*How did McClellan’s caution hurt the Union?
It gave the Confederates time to reinforce their
troops at Richmond and force the Union army to
retreat. It prevented the Union army from further
hurting Lee’s troops at Sharpsburg.
*What was the result of the Battle of Shiloh?
The South lost control of western Tennessee, a
railroad junction, and part of the Mississippi
River.