Chapter 20 Girding for War: The North and the South, 1861–1865

I. The Menace of Secession Lincoln’s inaugural address was firm but he also stated that there wouldn’t be a conflict unless the South provoked it. Lincoln also made the point that secession would be impractical; there was no geographical split. – What if the Appalachians or the Mississippi ran east and west??

II. South Carolina Assails Fort Sumter As the seceding states left they seized U.S. arsenals and federal buildings within their borders. By the time Lincoln took office there were only two significant forts in the South still under Northern control; the most important being Fort Sumter. Lincoln was faced with a decision…

– Fort Sumter only had enough provisions to last a few weeks, if they weren’t resupplied before then they would be forced to surrender. If Lincoln sent reinforcements to the Fort the South would take it as an act of aggression and begin fighting. If the North surrendered the Fort without a fight they would look weak by neglecting to protect federal property. – Lincoln chose a middle of the road approach. He notified South Carolina that an expedition would be sending provisions only to the fort. – On April 12, 1861, as the naval force was on its way the Carolinians opened fire on the fort. After a 34 hour bombardment the fort surrendered (w/no loss of life.)

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– Lincoln then called up 75,000 militiamen and placed a blockade on Southern seaports. – Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina and Tennessee all of which had voted down secession earlier, now reluctantly joined the Southern cause.

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III. Brothers’ Blood and Border Blood The only slave states left where the Border States – Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, Delaware and later West Virginia – It is hard to over estimate the importance the border states had on the success of the North The Border States contained more than half the Confederate population. They would have doubled the manufacturing capability. They would have increased the South’s supply of horses and mules by half. They would’ve had access to the Ohio River for transportation.

The Border States were so critical that when the North made public statements concerning any war aims, the statements were always with the Border States in mind. – Very early on, Lincoln was careful to declare his war ambitions in a way that wouldn’t upset the Border States.

“I would save the Union. I would save it the shortest way under the constitution… My paramount (main) objective in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that… I have here stated my purpose according to my view of official duty; and I intend no modification (change) of my often expressed personal wish that all men everywhere could be free.” Abraham Lincoln, 1862

IV. The Balance of Forces At the beginning of the war the South seemed to have huge advantages. – They didn’t have to win the war, they just had to not lose. (like the revolutionary war) – They had the most talented officers Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson, Longstreet, etc. – Southern soldiers were bred to fight. Experience with guns and horses from childhood

As the war dragged on, huge shortages of shoes, uniforms, blankets and food disabled the South. – Shortages came in large part because of the weak transportation system in the South. The Northern blockade started out pretty weak, but eventually put a choke hold on Southern supplies. – This destroyed the Southern economy and shattered morale.

The economy in the North was in a much better situation. – They held ¾ the nations wealth. – And because of its sea power, they were able to trade huge quantities of grain for supplies and weapons (which only added to the vast number being produced in the North.) The Northern population also outnumbered the South; 22 million in the North to 9 million (including 3.5 million slaves) in the South. – The North also benefitted from a continuous stream of immigrants. Between 1861 and 1865 the North welcomed 800,000 new immigrants.

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V. Dethroning King Cotton During the Revolutionary War a big reason we won was because of foreign intervention. Because cotton was King, the South counted on the same foreign intervention. Why did King Cotton fail them? – The South produced so much during the prewar time that British manufactures had huge stores of surplus cotton in their warehouses. – By the time their surplus had run out Lincoln had announced emancipation for slaves and Britain could fight to defend slave owners.

VI. The Decisiveness of Diplomacy The North’s first major crisis with Britain – The Trent affair (late 1861) – a union warship stopped the Trent north of Cuba and removed two Confederate diplomats on board bound for Europe. The second crisis was the Alabama. – Technically not a warship because it wasn’t equipped with weapons, Britain produced ships for the Confederacy to raid Northern merchant ships. In the end they destroyed more than 250.

VII. Foreign Flare-ups Final crisis came with the construction of the Laird rams. – Two Confederate warships constructed in Britain designed to destroy the Union’s wooden blockade ships; using their iron rams and huge guns. The North informed Britain that if the Laird rams were released it would mean war. – The British Royal Navy decided to purchase them instead of allowing them to get in the hands of the South. Everyone was happy again… except the South.

VIII. President Davis Versus President Lincoln Jefferson Davis – tense, humorless, legalistic, and stubborn. – Struggled to keep independent Confederate states heading in the same direction. Some states didn’t want to fight outside their own borders. Some states even talked about seceding from the Confederacy. Abraham Lincoln – tactful, quiet, patient, yet firm, genius for interpreting public opinion. – Enjoyed a long-standing government and financial stability.

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IX. Limitations on Wartime Liberties Old “Honest Abe” swore to uphold the Constitution, but then continually neglected it. – He independently proclaimed a blockade. – He increased the size of the Federal Army – something only Congress can do. – He directed $2 million without appropriation or security to three private citizens for military purposes.

―He suspended the Writ of habeas corpus. Requiring a person under arrest to be brought before a judge or released. Suspending these rights allowed the President to arrest and hold anyone he wanted for as long as he wanted. – He implemented “supervised” voting in the Border States. Voters would take their colored ballot indicating which party they were voting for and walk between two lines of armed troops to vote.

X. Volunteers and Draftees: North and South In the North, rich men could hire substitutes to go to war in their place for $300. – Those that couldn’t afford the cash would say that their government required them to pay “$300 or your life.” New York draft riots occurred for several days in – A mob pillaged the city and lynched many blacks.

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Southern men could also purchase an exemption. – Slaveowners with 20 or more slaves could also claim exemption. There were no riots in the South, but these special privileges led many to complain that it was “a rich man’s war but a poor man’s fight.”