The American Civil War By: Tim Callery

Secession of States From the Union “A house divided cannot stand”- This quote was said by Abraham Lincoln during his time working in the state government of Illinois. This was a phrase that Lincoln said about the fierce divide in between the North and the South in the country at the time. The southern states had not seceded yet, but once Lincoln was elected president after the election of 1860, the match was lit. Lincoln was not an abolitionist though. One abolitionist actually said the Lincoln was; “…a first rate, second rate man.” because he did not completely support the abolition movement [abolishing slavery]. He only wanted to stop the expansion of slavery into the western territories that would soon become states. The boiling pot of secession was the southern state of South Carolina. South Carolina’s cities had many revolts and anti-Lincoln protests in between the time that Lincoln was elected, and when South Carolina seceded. South Carolina finally seceded on Dec. 20th, 1860. Six more southern states seceded after South Carolina in this order; Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and then after being pressured by the other southern states, Texas. After the attack on Fort Sumter four more states seceded in this order; Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and then Tennessee. These eleven states formed the Provisional Confederate States of America. They drafted a constitution that was the same as the U.S. Constitution except; it gave more power to the states, outlawed foreign slave trade, and gave the president a six year term. The people elected Mississippian from Vicksburg, named; Jefferson Davis, as the president of the Provisional Confederate States of America [The C.S.A.]. The new capital of the C.S.A. was put in Richmond, Virginia. The C.S.A. formed a small army to defend the incoming, behemoth U.S.A. army that is defending and supporting the 23 states that stayed in the Union, including 5 border states……..

Map of the Union and the Confederacy

The First Battle of Bull Run The First Battle of Bull Run [Manassas] was fought on July 21, 1861. It was the first major conflict of the Civil War. Manassas Junction is located southwest of Harper’s Ferry. Around the junction, where the battle was fought, it is mostly farmland with some spread out houses. The battlefield has a few low hills on it, including; Henry Hill, Matthews Hill, Bald Hill, Dogan Ridge, and Chinn Ridge. At the beginning of the battle the Union troops surrounded Henry Hill and trapped the Confederates, but once General Johnson’s reinforcements came from the Shenandoah Valley, the Confederates attacked the Union troops on Matthew’s Hill and pushed them north. It was a stunning, and unexpected Confederate victory. Many Northerners were shocked at the defeat of their superior army. The Union retreat from Manassas was called “The Great Skedaddle”. It was called so because many civilians and politicians came to the battle- field to watch an expected grand Union victory. These civilians Were entangled with the retreating Union troops, and that caused trouble because the roads got clogged up, and were full. The casualties at Bull Run may not have been that high compared to future battles to come, but the population was definitely not used to 3,500 casualties in one battle!! After the battle of Manassas, there was more bloodshed to come………

Opening Major Battles of the Western Front Forts Henry and Donelson- These were two strategic forts on the western front at the openings of the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers. Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant, in charge of the district of Cairo part of the Union Army of Tennessee, captured both forts in February, 1862. He gained lots of fame from these strategic victories. The Battle of Shiloh- The Battle of Shiloh was an important battle that took place in southwest Tennessee, near Shiloh Chapel, April 6-7 1862. Ulysses S. Grant, in charge of the Army of Tennessee, fought the Confederate Army of Mississippi under General Albert S. Johnson. Grant had available reinforcements up the Tennessee River from the Army of the Ohio under General Don Carlos Buell. At first, the Union troops were suffering incredible losses at the hands of the Confederate Army. On the second day of the Battle General Buell and reinforcements came ashore at Pittsburg Landing. With the new reinforcements, the Union Army pushed back the Confederates into northeast Mississippi/further southwest Tennessee, and in the process the Confederate Commander, General Johnson was killed. It was a victory, but a very costly one indeed…. General Grant was put out of command and stationed at desk work in Washington D.C. Capture of New Orleans- The Capture of New Orleans, Louisiana took place in late April/early May 1862 after Shiloh. New Orleans was captured by Naval Admiral David G. Farragut. It was the first major city of the Confederacy captured by Union troops. With this city captured, the Union troops were capturing the Mississippi River from New Orleans in the south, and Memphis in the north. This was an advantage because it allowed the Union troops to cut off the Mississippi from the north and south, cutting the Confederacy in two! The occupation of New Orleans was operated by General Benjamin Butler, who enforced some pretty strict and powerful laws, to quell the harsh criticism from the citizens of New Orleans.

The Peninsula Campaign