War in the East and the West

Lee decided it was time to take the war to the North! War in Virginia June, 1861 - Lincoln ordered General Irvin McDowell to capture the Confederate capital, Richmond In order to get to the capital easiest, McDowell wanted to capture Manassas, a critical railroad junction. Looking for an easy win to the war, he rushed in untrained under-supplied troops. First Battle of Bull Run ended with a Confederate victory due to the massive amounts of reinforcements they received. The Union would not win as quickly as hoped. Lincoln was shocked. George. B. McClellan was put in charge of training high-quality troops. However, he was a cautious man and took his time to attack the Confederacy. McClellan attacked southward in the Spring of 1862. Hoped to capture Richmond this time around. He was stopped by General Robert. E. Lee during the Seven Days’ Battle. Another Confederate victory that turned away Union forces The Second Battle of Bull Run involved General John Pope vs. General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson. Union troops marched directly to Richmond this time, but were stopped yet again. A third Confederate victory in a row. Lee decided it was time to take the war to the North!

Battle of Antietam September, 1862 – 40,000 Confederate soldiers crossed into Maryland led by Lee. The army was then split between Harper’s Ferry and Frederick. Harper’s Ferry was captured by Jackson and Lee urged Maryland to join the Confederacy but failed to convince them. He accidently left his plans at a camp. These plans were known to the Union, but cautious McClellan chose not to attack still. As a result, the Confederate troops reunited successfully. Battle of Antietam - The two forces met at Antietam Creek on September 17, 1862. Union lost 12,000 and the Confederates lost 13,000. It was the bloodiest day in the war. More killed/wounded than Revolutionary War, War of 1812, and US-Mexico War combined. McClellan has reserves to attack and finish Lee’s troops, but held them back yet again. This blunder cost them dearly, but nonetheless, the Southern advance northward was halted. Union victory.

Breaking the Union’s Blockade The North controlled the sea during the war. They had more ships and better trained sailors. The Confederates relied on British companies for ships. The North set up a blockade on southern ports to cripple the economy. However, this blockade was difficult to maintain as it was so large. Results of the Blockade: 1. Small ship warfare: South used small ships to get around larger, slower ships of Union 2. Other areas for trade: South ran supplies from the Caribbean, but wasn’t enough 3. Greatly reduced trade overall: 6000 ships to 800 ships per year in Southern ports Confederates turned to ironclads (ships heavily armored with iron) to help their war effort. They created the Virginia, which sailed Hampton Roads, Virginia to attack Union ships Union responded with their own ironclad, the Monitor. The two ironclads drew in battle, but had forever changed warfare. No more effective wooden ships.

Union Strategy in the West Lincoln, upset with McClellan, had Ulysses S. Grant take over the western campaign. His goal was to capture the Mississippi to split the south. April, 1862 – Battle of Shiloh – Rebel troops sneak attacked Union forces near the Tennessee-Mississippi border Both sides gained and lost ground over two days. However, the Confederate general was killed on the first day. 10,000 casualties for both. Both sides claimed victory, but the Union really won. Northern army continued South, capturing New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and all of Louisiana. Admiral David Farragut set his eyes on Vicksburg. May, 1863 Siege of Vicksburg - Difficult terrain made it hard to take the city. Grant and Farragut decided to starve the city. They surrendered in July. Union victory. This victory sealed the fate for the Confederacy. Union Strategy in the West

Struggle for the Far West Southern armies tried to make advances past the Mississippi River early on in the war. The union sent an army from Colorado to stop them Confederate troops attacked Missouri and Arkansas but were stopped by the Union. The Confederates attempted to gain Native American support. They hoped for more freedoms with a southern win. Even outnumbered, the North still won these battles The South remained small, yet significant enough for Northern Troops to focus efforts in Missouri and Kanas. This kept valuable troops in the area that could’ve been fighting elsewhere