AMERICAN HISTORY
Generals warned Lincoln that people were still green (not ready to fight). Lincoln said the South was green also and that army must attack July 16, 1861—General McDowell’s 35,000 man Union army marches into VA 22,000 Confederates waited for them at Manassas Junction, VA by a stream called Bull Run It took the Union 2.5 days to march 25 miles from Washington, DC to VA This allowed 11,000 more Confederates to join in ***Bull Run Battlefield is now a national park. There are 384 battlefields designated as national historic sites***
FIRST BATTLE OF BULL RUN Both sides has careful plans for battle but inexperienced troops couldn’t care out the plans It became a chaotic free-for-all By late afternoon, the Union troops began to fall back Confederate INFANTRY (foot soldiers) forced the Union troops to drop everything and retreat.
Casualties (killed, wounded, MIA)—South— 2,000; North—2,900 If the south had pursued the north, they might have destroyed the Union army. Instead they stayed on the battlefield not sure what to do. Hopes for a short war faded Lincoln replaced General McDowell with General George McClellan His first task was to get 100,000 individuals to function as a real army
TACTICS AND TECHNOLOGY Instruction was based on wars conducted by Napoleon Muskets—1840s-range of 250 yds and accurate to about 80 yds; projectile was a ball; 25 seconds to load 1850s-accurate to 500 yds; projectile was a bullet; fire about 10 times per minute Artillery-cannon balls were replaced by shells that exploded upon impact or above the target spreading shrapnel Some historian call the Civil War the last old-time war and the first modern war
NEW DEVICES OF WAR Balloons were used to direct artillery fire Camouflage used to disguise tents and guns Limited use of machine guns, wire entanglements, flame throwers, stink bombs Telegraphs allowed generals to communicate quickly with government leaders Railroads were used to move large numbers of troops
One of the most successful new weapons was the Union’s IRONCLADS (armored gunboats) 3 inch metal plate made ship almost immune to Confederate cannon fire GRANT MOVES SOUTH February 1862—Gen. Grant led 7 gunboats and 15,000 troops up the Tennessee River The captured Fort Henry, KY and Fort Donelson Grant demanded unconditional surrender This made him famous and a Union hero
THE BATTLE OF SHILOH April 6, 1862—Confederate soldiers surprise Union soldiers at Shiloh Church outside Pittsburg Landing, TN Union soldiers wanted to retreat but instead Grant attacked at daybreak By 2:30 pm Confederate army was in retreat Casualties—Union 13,000; Confederacy 10,000 Grant: “The only way to save the Union is complete conquest”
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER CAMPAIGN April 24, Union forces under Admiral David Farragut attacked forts surrounding New Orleans They slipped past the forts under cover of darkness Lead ship sustained heavy damage April 25 th —City of New Orleans surrenders General Grant would be needed to take other towns upriver
General McClellan has a plan to move down the Potomac River and attack Richmond from the east because the defenses were weaker However, McClellan seemed reluctant to move, Lincoln lost patience THE PENINSULA CAMPAIGN McClellan encountered confederates outside Yorktown, VA (near Richmond) He waited a month before attacking Confederate troops retreated to Richmond and didn’t offer resistance
McClellan’s delay allowed Confederates to get more troops May 31—Confederates attack—heavy casualties on both sides by no real victor Robert E. Lee takes over Army of Northern Virginia Lee and Stonewall Jackson’s Confederates joined forces and attacked McClellan in late June 1862 in 5 separate battles. McClellan won 4 of 5 but retreated
THE SECOND BATTLE OF BULL RUN General John Pope started a new union army near Washington Lincoln ordered McClellan to renew his attack on Lee to trap him between the two union armies. McClellan did nothing. Lincoln ordered McClellan to withdraw and join Pope’s troops August 29 th —Lee lures Pope’s troops into battle at Manassas and defeated Pope Lincoln put McClellan back in command despite protests from his cabinet
Union morale low after several defeats Lee suggested to Pres. Jefferson Davis that this would be a good time to enter Maryland Davis agreed Sept. 1862—Lee’s army crossed the Potomac into western MD with McClellan’s army in pursuit A union soldier found a copy of Lee’s marching order lost by a careless soldier McClellan informed Lincoln Lincoln responded “Destroy the rebel army, if possible”
THE BATTLE OF ANTIETAM McClellan caught Lee near Sharpsburg, MD Union outnumbered Lee’s army 70,000-40,000 McClellan waited 16 hours before attacking Sept. 17, 1862—battle waged The bloodiest single-day battle in Civil War and US History Combined casualties numbered 23,000 Lee lost 1/3 of his army McClellan had 25,000 troops in reserve but did not use them
McClellan had a chance to follow Lincoln’s order to “destroy the rebel army” but did not. Lincoln relieved McClellan of his command for good. THE BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG McClellan was replaced by Ambrose Burnside Dec. 13, 1862—Burnside ordered his troops to charge Lee’s army 14 times Only darkness and pleas to stop ended the slaughter. Union army lost nearly 13,000 men—more than twice the confederate losses
UUpon learning of the results, Lincoln said, “If there is a worse place then Hell, I am in it.” TTHE END