Chapter 15.1 The Call to Arms

I. Taking Sides in the War 2 days after Fort Sumter surrendered Pres. Lincoln proposed a rebellion broke out in the south. To stop this he asked for 75,000 troops to volunteer as the north began to prepare for war.

A. More States Secede Many states refused to participate in Lincoln’s demands for more support This then caused more southern states to secede from the union The rest of the southern states refused to secede but also refused to send troops so no help at all from the south

B. Border states Loyalty was divided in the states that didn’t secede, many states wanted to stay neutral However sometimes the President pressured states into making a decision of who to support and help President also declared martial law, which meant the military would move in and take over certain areas and citizens rights were suspended at this time in order to get control of certain areas

II. North Against the South As armies prepared to fight both sides appeared confident Many people were happy to offer their lives for the cause they believed in The south began calling themselves the Confederates and rebels to the U.S.

A. Southern Advantages Even though the north had more soldiers the south had its advantages The north would have to invade the south since the south wouldn’t stop slavery unless forced too Also the south had the most experienced generals many who quit the U.S. army to take over the southern armies

B. Northern Advantages The north had 90% of all factories so their ability to build and make weapons kept them ahead of the south with regards to weapons North also had more railroads so movement was easier, and again its population advantage, where as 1/3 of the south was made up of slaves

III. The two sides plan strategies The north hoped for a fast victory, and to do this Lincoln sent his navy to block all trade coming into the south Adding to this Lincoln also wanted to control the Mississippi which would allow for more transportation but control of all water routes

The south had a much simpler strategy, they didn’t have to invade, rather just defend so they would sit back and wait for the north to arrive and they hoped the British may want to help them, in exchange for cotton and maybe a little revenge with the north

IV. Americans Against Americans Many rushed to participate in war, however with families spread all over the nation the war brought families together but by war. Fathers could be fighting sons, or brothers against brothers etc… it was a mess and scary to believe such a war could happen

V. First battle of Bull Run As 30,000 northern troops marched south the confederates awaited their arrival 25 miles away Many even cam out to see the two forces meet each other like it was a party They met at Bull Run, at first the north pushed south back but the south rallied and fought back

The Virginians were heard saying they were like a stone wall, so tough and since they were led by General Thomas Jackson he earns the nickname “stonewall Jackson” Soon the south gained control under Jackson and as the north retreated the south rested since they were too tired to chase after them

VI. A Soldiers Life Most soldiers spent ¾ of their time in camp picking up firewood or preparing for battle Also played baseball (originated here) Northern soldiers also had a part in creating the term “Cracker” However camp was also bad, filled with disease, sickness, and death

A. Prisoners of War Both sides built prison camps for captured soldiers, which were often over crowded and even called death camps Nearly 10% of soldiers put here died Small camps held 15,000 while larger camps could hold nearly 35,000 people A food ration might be one piece of bread a day or a cracker, sometimes nearly 100 died each day