The Strain of War

Southern Victories Between 1862 and 1864, the Confederate Army under Gen. Lee’s leadership seemed to be dominating the battlefield and the Union generals.

Battle of Fredericksburg In December of 1862, the Confederate Army decimated the Union Army under Gen. Burnside in the Battle of Fredericksburg killing thousands of Union soldiers.

Battle of chancellorsville In May of 1863, the Confederate Army again destroyed the Union Army (now under General Joseph Hooker) in the Battle of Chancellorsville. The Confederacy lost General Stonewall Jackson during this battle.

Death of Gen. Stonewall Jackson Stonewall Jackson died on May 10, 1863 after the Battle of Chancellorsville when he was accidentally shot by a Confederate soldier. Jackson had to have his arm amputated at which time he caught pneumonia and died a few days later.

New Leadership for the union General Burnside out, General Joseph Hooker in!

African Americans Join the Union With the Emancipation Proclamation, African Americans were allowed to join the Union Army. (They had been denied this opportunity at the beginning of the war.)

Slaves in the south When the war started, there were 3.5 million slaves in the South. Sixteen percent of them (1/6) escaped during the war. Out of fear of rebellion, the South did NOT allow slaves to join the Confederate Army. They did not want to give slaves weapons.

Gen. Lee’s Request General Lee believed that slaves should be allowed to join the Confederate Army and then earn their freedom after the war. The Confederate Congress passed a law finally allowing slaves to join the army in 1865.

African American Confederates

African Americans in War Many runaway slaves (like Harriet Tubman) worked as spies for the Union Army during the war. By the end of the war, over 200,000 African Americans had joined the Union Army and 37,000 had died in battle.

African Americans in War The 54th Massachusetts was the most famous African American regiment in the Union Army. They fought in South Carolina and Florida.

African Americans in War In the South, many Confederate officers threatened to execute any African American Union soldiers they captured in battle, but it rarely happened.