17.1 Two Sides

Division in the Border States Delaware, Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri  Border states that were divided, all four states had slaves, all four states had ties to North and South North needed these border states: MO – Union could control parts of Mississippi River and major routes to the West KY – Controlled Ohio River DE – close to Philadelphia, an important Union city MD – close to Richmond, the Confederate Capital, and if Maryland seceded the North would lose its capital Washington D.C.

Strengths and Weaknesses South (The Confederacy/The Rebels) North (The Union) Larger population More resources Did not know the land Wanted to fight to protect the Union Smaller population Less resources Knew the land very well Excellent military leaders Strong fighting spirit- had a will to fight and wanted to preserve their way of life

North South Goals of War Wanted to be an independent nation Wanted to restore the Nation Invade the South and force the seceded states to give up their fight for independence Lincoln wanted to save the Union, at first his aim was not to defeat slavery Wanted to be an independent nation Fight long enough to prove to the North that the war was not worth the cost

North Battle Plans Major plan came from General Winfield Scott Anaconda Plan - Union would blockade Southern ports Stop supplies from reaching Confederate troops Prevent South from exporting cotton Gain control of Mississippi River Cut Southern supply lines Capture Richmond, VA (Confederate Capital)

South Battle Plans Defensive war If they held their ground, Northerners would give up Looked to Britain and France for support and to pressure the North Two countries relied on Southern cotton

Americans against Americans Families were divided Senator Crittenden- two sons, one a General for the Union and the other a general for the Confederacy Men of all ages rushed to enlist (formally join a military force) Some for patriotism Some out of fear of being called a coward Some for excitement

Soldiers Mostly in their mid-20s Tens of thousands were under 18, some even younger than 14 Union- refused to let free African Americans fight at first, later changed that policy Confederacy- refused to let African Americans fight until the final days…they did not want to give enslaved people weapons

Soldiers continued… Came from all over the states Majority came from farms Summer 1861- Confederates had about 112,000 Rebels Summer 1861- Union had about 187,000 Yankees By the end of the war: Confederates had a total of about 900,000 men fighting and the Union had about 2.1 million Union army included about 200,000 African Americans Roughly 10,000 Mexican Americans served in this war

Soldier’s Life and Horrors of War Most of the time soldiers lived in camps Mainly a routine of drills, bad food, marches, and rain Thousands of casualties overwhelmed medical facilities After Battle of Shiloh – wounded lay in the rain for 24 hours Faced with these realities, many men deserted. About one out of every eleven Union soldiers deserted About one out of every eight Confederate soldiers deserted