A Nation Divided
-President Abraham Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers to serve as soldiers.
-They had 90 day enlistments believing the war would be over quickly.
-Southerners were just as convinced they would have a quick victory.
-In April 1861 eight slave states were still in the Union.
-These states contained more than half the South’s resources including crops and factories.
-Virginia, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas quickly sided with the South.
-The Border States of Kentucky, Missouri, Maryland, and Delaware stayed with the union.
Strengths and Weaknesses
The South
-Both sides in the conflict had strengths and weaknesses.
-The South had the strong advantage of fighting a defensive war.
-White Southerners believed they were fighting a war for independence.
-Confederate soldiers also enjoyed the benefit of knowing the country side.
-The South had serious economic weaknesses though.
-There were few railroads or factories to move troops and produce supplies.
-The Confederacy also had a weak national government making it hard to raise money and get
things done.
-Finally the South had less than half the population of the North.
-The South had 9 million people while the North had 22 million.
The North
-The North had almost four times as many free citizens as the South.
-This meant lots of volunteers for the army, people to grow food, and work in the factories.
-Northern factories produced 90 percent of the nations manufactured goods and had 70 percent
of the nation’s railroads.
-The North had a strong navy and a large fleet of trading ships while the south had a small one.
-Despite these advantages, the North faced a difficult military challenge.
-To Defeat the South northern soldiers had to conquer a huge area and invade rather than defend.
-The Union army would also have to deal with their long supply lines being vulnerable to attack.
The War’s Leaders
President Jefferson Davis
-Many people thought that Davis was a stronger leader than Lincoln.
-Davis’ experience prepared him for the position but he did not want it.
-Davis had gone to West Point, served as an officer during the Mexican War, and later as
Secretary of War.
-He was greatly respected for his honesty and courage.
President Abraham Lincoln
-At first people had doubts about Lincolns ability to lead and he lacked experience.
-However Lincoln proved to be a patient and strong leader.
-He would slowly gain the respect of those around him.
-Many liked his sense of humor and he even accepted criticism with a smile.
Military Leader
-As the war began army officers from the South had to decide whether to stay with the Union
and fight against their home or join the Confederacy.
-Robert E. Lee was faced with this dilemma when President Lincoln asked him to command the
Union army.
-Lee refused the commission when Virginia seceded.
-Lincoln had trouble finding good generals since the Unions best officers had gone to the
Confederacy.
Strategies for Victory
The Union Plan
-The Union planned to use its navy to blockade southern ports and cut of the South’s supplies.
-They planned to take the Confederate Capitol of Richmond, Virginia to bring a quick victory.
-In the West the Union planned to seize the Mississippi River to prevent the South from using
the river to supply its troops.
-This would also cut Arkansas, Louisiana, and Texas off from the rest of the Confederacy.
The Confederate Plans
-The Confederacy would fight a defensive war until northerners grew tired of fighting.
-The Confederacy was counting on European money and supplies to help fight the war.
-Southern cotton was important to European textile and because of this the Confederacy
expected European backing and support.
Early Encounters
-On July 21, 1861, Union troops were ordered out to capture Richmond about 100 miles away
from Washington, D.C.
-Hundreds of people followed the troops to see the show.
-It was not long until they met Confederate troops at the Battle of Bull Run.
-At first they were successful in breaking up the Confederate lines.
-General Thomas Jackson however was successful in rallying the Virginia troops.
-A soldier cried out “There is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians.”
-The battle was a Confederate Victory and showed both sides that their soldiers needed more
training and that the war was going to be long and bloody.
Caution, Delay, and Retreat
-After this disaster Lincoln appointed General George McClellan commander of the Union army
in the East.
-He was excellent at turning raw recruits into trained soldier.
-McClellan however was very cautious and delayed leading his troops into battle.
-Lincoln became extremely upset and finally McClellan was forced to move.
-In March 1862, McClellan took his troops down the Potomoc to attack Richmond.
-Learning about the approaching Union army, General Robert E. Lee launched a series of
counterattacks.
-While Lee had McClellan busy he sent Stonewall Jackson north to begin attacking Washington.
-Cautious as usual McClellan abandoned the attack and retreated.
Naval Action
-In the beginning of the war a few small, fast ships were able to slip through the Union
blockades.
-These “blockade runners” brought everything from matches to guns to the Confederacy.
-Eventually the blockades became more effective and trade to South dropped by 90 percent.
-The Confederacy then turned to ironclads to break through.
-The first was the USS Merrimack renamed the Virginia and on its first mission destroyed two
Union ships and ran three more aground.
-The Union countered with its own called the Monitor.
-When the two met they fought for hours without any damage to either ships.
-The Union built more than 50 ironclads.
Antietam
-In September 1862, General Lee took the offensive and marched his troops north into Maryland.
-He hoped a Southern victory on Northern soil would hurt Northern morale.
-One of General McClellan’s men however found a copy of Lee’s plan.
-McClellan was slow to act and waited several days before moving his troops.
-The two sides finally met at Antietam on September 17.
-In just one day of fighting 23,000 Confederate and Union soldiers would be killed or wounded.
-The next night Lee ordered his troops to slip through the darkness back into Virginia.
-Lee pulled his men back so the North claimed victory and it became a huge morale booster.
-McClelland had failed to pursue Lee though so Lincol had him replaced with General Burnside.
Confederate Victories in the East
-The first time Lee’s and Burnside’s forces met was at Fredericksburg, Virginia in late 1862.
-Lee’s forces dug into the crest of a hill giving them a strong defensive position.
-Confederate guns easily mowed down advancing Union forces.
-Fredericksburg was one of the Unions worst defeats.
-Half a year later, in May 1863, Lee, aided by Stonewall Jackson, again outmaneuvered Union
forces at the Battle of Chancellorsville.
-After three days of fighting the South won but at a heavy cost.
-Nervous Confederate sentries fired at what they thought was an approaching Union soldiers.
-The union soldier was Stonewall Jackson; he died several days later from his wounds.
Union Victories in the West
-In the West, Union forces met with better success.
-The main goal in the west was capturing the Mississippi River.
-Ulysses S. Grant took on that goal in February 1862 capturing two key forts in Tennessee.
-He then pushed south toward Shiloh.
-On April 6, he surprised Confederate troops but his forces were pushed back to the river.
-He refused to give up though, by the next day reinforcements had arrived and Grant pushed the
Confederates backs winning the Battle of Shiloh.
-In April while Grant was fighting at Shiloh the Union navy was heading up the Mississippi river
and captured New Orleans and later Memphis.
-This gave the North virtual control of the Mississippi River.