LESSON 2 The Battlefield

What was significant about this first battle of the Civil War? Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (aka Battle of Manassas) What was significant about this first battle of the Civil War?

War Comes to the Palmetto State Charleston, the second largest city in the Confederacy and “the cradle of secession” was a major target. The Union captured Port Royal and set up a naval blockade of Charleston Harbor. The blockade hampered trade & prevented the Confederacy from getting much-needed military supplies. Confederate blockade-runners, however, managed to slip through the blockade and kept trade going. Good map showing Civil War battlefields, including location of Port Royal: http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/art-54555/In-the-climactic-year-of-1863-Union-armies-knifed-deep … Gibbs Smith Education cannot include maps like these in our materials unless we have permission and pay licensing fees (same with images not found in our books), but teachers may add such resources to our PowerPoints for their own purposes.

War Comes to the Palmetto State Union ships attack and capture the Confederacy’s Port Royal.

War Comes to the Palmetto State Blockade-Runners Why was blockade- running dangerous? How did blockade- running help the southern economy & the Confederacy? What was the British connection to blockade-running?

War Comes to the Palmetto State The Executive Council Why did state leaders create the Executive Council following the capture of Port Royal? What was its main purpose? What kinds of policies did it pass? Why were people so unhappy with the Executive Council? Do you think the council or something similar to it was necessary? How could it have been more effective?

Robert Smalls’ Gift to the Union War Comes to the Palmetto State Robert Smalls’ Gift to the Union Smalls’ mother was a slave; his father was likely his mother’s master. At age 12, Smalls was hired out by his master to work in Charleston doing various odd jobs, including working on ships. He used his knowledge of the port and navigation to steal The Planter, a Confederate ship and deliver it to the Union. How was The Planter a gift to the Union? How did this gift hurt the Confederacy?

The Campaign for Charleston War Comes to the Palmetto State The Campaign for Charleston The Union’s multi-year effort to capture Charleston was unsuccessful until 1865. Outnumbered Confederates turned back Union troops and saved Charleston at the Battle of Secessionville. The Union’s all-black 54th Massachusetts volunteer infantry regiment attacked Battery Wagner on Morris island, but was repelled by Confederates. Confederate troops later abandoned Wagner, but dug in at Ft. Sumter & defended Charleston for nearly two years as the city was all but destroyed by Union bombardment. Resource/Timeline for Siege of Charleston: http://www.thestate.com/2013/07/09/2854029/from-the-archives-150-years-ago.html

The 54th Massachusetts volunteer infantry storms Fort Wagner.

War Comes to the Palmetto State The Hunley A secret project to build a submarine that could break through the Union blockade of Charleston Harbor. Called the Hunley, after one of the men who funded the project, it became the first submarine to sink an enemy ship—a Union ironclad battleship. Despite this success, the submarine never returned to port. The Hunley and its crew were discovered by divers more than 130 years after the Civil War. Resources: http://www.hunley.org/ http://www.clemson.edu/glimpse/?p=1151 http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/14/travel/civil-war-submarine-hunley/ What happened to the Hunley and its crew?

The Shifting Tide of the War At what point did the war shift in the Union’s favor?

Turning Point Battles First Battle of Bull Run July 21st, 1861 Manassas VA Outcome: Union forces retreat in panic Significance: Both sides realize war will not be quck

Turning Point Battles New Orleans April 25th,1862 New Orleans, LA Outcome: Union troops seize control of the port at New Orleans Significance: Confederacy loses access to port at New Orleans, severely hampering its ability to move troops, supplies, and trade goods on the Mississippi River

Turning Point Battles Antietam September 17th, 1862 Outcome: Confederate forces retreat to Virginia Significance: Bloodiest single day of the war – 23,000 casualties President Lincoln fires General George McClellan as commander of the Union army. Lincoln also decides to issue Emancipation Proclamation.

The Emancipation Proclamation The Shifting Tide of the War The Emancipation Proclamation President Lincoln issued the Emancipation Proclamation in response to pressure from white abolitionists and black leaders, as well as a need for more soldiers. The proclamation was a first step toward forever abolishing slavery. It only freed slaves in Confederate states that were not under Union control. A constitutional amendment was needed to end slavery forever.

Turning Point Battles Chancellorsville May 1st – 5th, 1863 Outcome: Confederate troops force a Union retreat. Significance: Union morale dampened. Confederate General Stonewall Jackson dies from pneumonia eight days after being accidentally shot by a Confederate soldier.

Turning Point Battles Gettysburg July 1st – 3rd, 1863 Outcome: General Lee orders retreat of Confederate troops after suffering catastrophic losses. Significance: Bloodiest battle of the war with more than 50,000 causalities General Lee abandons plans to invade the North.

Turning Point Battles Vicksburg May 18th – July 4th, 1863 Vicksburg, MS Outcome: Union gains complete control of Mississippi River, splitting the Confederacy in two Significance: Union achieves major goal of the Anaconda Plan.

Sherman’s Path of Destruction The Final Days of the War Sherman’s Path of Destruction Union General William T. Sherman’s total war strategy to bring the Confederacy to its knees. Sherman sought to completely destroy Confederate supplies and morale. Sherman’s troops fought their way through Tennessee and into Georgia, where they began a “March to the Sea.” Sherman’s army entered South Carolina in February 1865, where the destruction became even more brutal.

The Final Days of the War The burning of Columbia Why were Union soldiers more brutal in South Carolina than elsewhere? How did they show their anger?

The Final Days Both sides engaged in a war of attrition, where there would be no clear winner, but much bloodshed. The fall of Richmond left General Robert E. Lee with few options. He surrendered to General Ulysses S. Grant at Appomattox Courthouse on April 9, 1865. General Joseph Johnston, the last standing Confederate general, surrendered to General Sherman in North Carolina on April 26, 1865.

General Lee surrenders to General Grant at Appomattox Court House. Image Source: Library of Congress http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/2003671638/ General Lee surrenders to General Grant at Appomattox Court House.