Emancipation Proclamation, “Sherman’s March to the Sea” & The end of the war

Emancipation Proclamation Issued by President Lincoln, emancipating all slaves in states still engaged in rebellion against the Union. “…all persons held as slaves … are, and henceforward shall be free” — Abraham Lincoln

Emancipation Proclamation The five-page document declared that slaves in the rebel states were free and provided them with the support of the U.S. government—including the Army and Navy. The Emancipation Proclamation only applied to the states in rebellion. Lincoln’s advisors did not initially support the Emancipation Proclamation.

First came the… First Confiscation Act: Congress authorized the confiscation of any property—including slaves—used in the rebellion against the U.S. government (August 1861.) Second Confiscation Act: declared that slaves held by supporters of the Confederacy who crossed over Union lines were "forever free." (July 1862) A week later the first daft of the Emancipation Proclamation was read by Lincoln to his Cabinet.

The first reading of the Emancipation Proclamation Why did Lincoln wait so long into the war to issue this proclamation? The Union needed a decisive victory to lend credence to the proclamation and got one at the Battle of Antietam (September 17th 1862.) September 22nd 1862: Lincoln Signed the preliminary Emancipation Proclamation. It became law January 1, 1963.

Battle of Antietam

Impact of Emancipation Proclamation Served as a firm demonstration of the President’s executive war powers. Changed the focus of the war: pushed slavery to the forefront. Helped prevent the involvement of foreign nations in the war. Paved the way for African-Americans to fight for their freedom. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-eEMit4pljs Led the way to eventual total abolition of slavery in the U.S.

“The Great Emancipator” Lincoln considered the Emancipation Proclamation the crowning achievement of his presidency.

Battle of Gettysburg, July 1-July 3, 1863 (PA) Union Confederate 23,049 Casualties George G. Meade Victory 28,063 Casualties Robert E Lee

Gettysburg Cont. Lee lost more than 1/3 of his army Decisive battle of Eastern front and turning point of CW Lee would be on the defensive for the remainder of the war Bloodiest Battle of the Civil War (51,000) 9 of the 120 generals were killed 1/3 of all civil war dead photos were taken here

Pickett’s Charge Mile-wide line that saw 7000 casualties in less than ½ hour https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsszvmuZBR4

Gettysburg Address (Nov. 1863) Lincoln’s 3-minute dedication of the Soldiers’ National Cemetery in Gettysburg is considered one of the most important speeches in American History. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qCXUbQ4JjXI The Gettysburg Address recast the Civil War in a new light, and Americans came away with a new understanding of the nation’s purpose—preserving a union based on the ideal that “all men are created equal.”

“Sherman’s March to the Sea” Sherman's famed march to the sea, known as the Savannah Campaign, started after the encirclement of Atlanta in August, 1864. On November 15th, 62,000 men began the march across Georgia, leaving a 60-mile-wide path of destruction to the port city of Savannah. The purpose of the march was to make Southern civilians understand the harshness of war and weaken their support for continuing the struggle.

“Scorched Earth” strategy: all of the assets that can be used by the enemy are targeted, such as food sources, transportation, communications, industrial resources, and even the people in an area.

“Sherman’s March to the Sea” This was the third part of the newly revised Anaconda Plan: 1. Blockade southern ports 2. Station Union vessels on the Mississippi River 3. Destroy southern military targets, industry, infrastructure, and civilian property—disrupting the Confederacy's economy and transportation networks “Total War” - warfare that includes civilian-associated resources and infrastructure as legitimate military targets, mobilizes all of the resources of society to fight the war, and gives priority to warfare over non-combatant needs

http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/shermans-march

Sherman’s Christmas Present to Lincoln Sherman's bold move of operating deep within enemy territory without supply lines is considered to be revolutionary in the annals of war. Sherman reached Savannah, GA on December 21, sparing the beautiful, historic port city, then turned his destructive forces toward South Carolina. “I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.” 
 - William Tecumseh Sherman

Lincoln’s Second Inauguration By the summer of 1864, the war stretched into its 4th year, and Union and Confederate troops seemed mired in a bloody stalemate. Lincoln’s prospects for re-election looked dim. When Sherman’s troops captured Atlanta on September 2nd, it proved to be a crucial turning point in the war, and in the election. In November, Lincoln won re-election, capturing 55% of the popular vote to George McClellan’s 45%, along with a landslide victory in the Electoral College. “With malice toward none; with charity for all; with firmness in the right, as God gives us to see the right, let us strive on to finish the work we are in; to bind up the nation’s wounds; to care for him who shall have borne the battle, and for his widow, and his orphan—to do all which may achieve and cherish a just, and a lasting peace, among ourselves, and with all nations.” A.Lincoln, Second Inaugural Address http://www.history.com/news/remembering-lincolns-second-inauguration-150-years-later

The Grand Finale While Sherman rampaged through GA & SC, General Ulysses S. Grant was focused on capturing Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital. Grant had tried, unsuccessfully, for ten months to infiltrate the city. He was finally successful after his victory at Petersburg, VA in early April, 1865. (50 miles from Richmond) The Confederates knew that if Richmond fell the war would surely be over.

The Grand Finale Robert E. Lee sent a letter to Jefferson Davis after the Siege of Petersburg, saying that they would be better off abandoning the capital because it could no longer be defended. Taking immediate action Davis burned all Confederate documents about the war and went on the run. Confederates set Richmond on fire to leave nothing for the Union to use against the remaining Confederates. The Confederates were running out of food and supplies, and were surrounded by Union forces, cut off from escape to the South.

The remains of Richmond,VA

Surrender April 9th 1865: Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Grant at Appomattox Station a few days after Richmond had fallen to Union troops. Through lenient terms, Confederate troops were paroled and allowed to return to their homes. Union soldiers were ordered to refrain from overt celebration or taunting.  Although not the end of the war, the surrender of Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia set the stage for its conclusion.

McClean House Parlor, Appomattox, Va