The North Takes Charge Chapter 11 Section 4 Page 357

Prelude to Gettysburg South defeated the North at Chancellorsville, VA Confederate troops mistaken Jackson for a Yankee & shot him. Jackson dies May 10th Lee decided to invade the North. South needed supplies & thought an invasion would pull Northern troops from Vicksburg. A major victory would have turned the tied for the South.

Gettysburg Most decisive battle of the war was fought neat Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Unlikely spot for a bloody battle No one planed to fight there Confederate soldiers heard there was a supply of footwear in Gettysburg & went to find it. Met up with Lee’s forces before meeting a Union Calvary. Buford ordered his men to take defensive positions on the hills & ridges surrounding the town.

Gettysburg The shooting attracted more troops & each side set reinforcements. Northern armies under the command of General George Mead began to fall back against assault. Confederates took control of the town.

The Second Day July 2, 90,000 Yankees & 75,000 Confederates stood ready to fight for Gettysburg. Yelling rebels overran Union troops who had mistakenly left their positions. As a brigade of Alabamians approached the hill, Union leaders noticed the undefended position. Exhausted by the uphill fighting, the Confederates were shocked by Union lines & artillery. Although the Union had given some territory, their lines still held at the close of the 2nd day.

The Third Day Lee was optimistic that be could break Union defenses. Ordered an artillery barrage on the middle of Union lines. For two hours fire raged that could be heard in Pittsburg. Confederates attacked the middle of Union lines. Confederates were forced back. General Mead never ordered a counter attack. After the battle, Lee gave up all hope of successfully attacking the North.

The Third Day The three day battle produced staggering losses. Total casualties were more than 30%. The Confederacy would never recover from the loss at Gettysburg.

Vicksburg Under Siege Vicksburg, MS was 1 of only 2 Confederate holdouts preventing the Union from taking control of the Mississippi River. Grant sent a cavalry brigade to destroy rail lines in central Mississippi & draw attention away from the port. While the Confederate troops were distracted, Grant was able to land infantry in Vicksburg. Union forces took Jackson, the capital of the state. Two frontal assaults on Vicksburg failed, so he set up a continual barrage of artillery from land and water. Food supplies were running low & people were eating dogs & mules. Confederates finally asked for the terms of surrender.

The Gettysburg Address Lincoln gave his famous Gettysburg Address after the Union defeat at the Battle of Gettysburg and Vicksburg.

Confederate Morale Morale on the Confederate home front deteriorated. Confederate Congress passed a resolution urging planters to grow fewer cash crops & more food. Planters refused sometime even selling to the North. Troops deserted after receiving letters from home about the lack of food & labor to work the fields. Every Southern state except South Carolina had soldiers who went to fight for the Union.

Confederate Morale Discord in the government made it impossible for Davis to govern effectively. Members of Congress fought amongst themselves. North Carolinians who wanted peace held peace meetings in towns. A similar movement took place in Georgia. By mid 1864 Assistant Secretary of War, John Campbell was forced to acknowledge the active opposition to the war in the South.

Grant Appoints Sherman March 1864, Lincoln appoints Ulysses Grant commander of Union forces. Grant appoints William Sherman commander of the Mississippi division. These 2 appointments ultimately changed the course of the war.

Grant Appoints Sherman Both men believed in total war. It was essential to fight not only the Southern armies & gov. but its civilian population to. Civilians produced food & weapons. The strength of the people’s will kept the army going. If the Union destroyed their will to fight, the Confederacy would collapse.

Grant & Lee in Virginia Grant’s overall strategy was to immobilize Lee’s army in Virginia while Sherman raided Georgia. May 1864, Grant throw his troops into battle after battle. Wilderness Spotsylvania Petersburg From May 4 – June 18, 1864, Grant lost 60,000 troops, but he could replace them. The South could not replace the 32,000 that they lost.

Sherman’s March Confederacy tried to cut Sherman’s rail supply line. Sherman decided to fight a different battle. He abandon his supply lines & determined to live off the land. Mid November he burned most of Atlanta & set out to the coast. After taking Savanna before Christmas, Sherman turned North to help Grant eliminate Lee. Army burned almost every house in its path.

Sherman’s March When Sherman’s forced reached North Carolina, they stopped destroying private homes. They were anticipating the end of the war, so they became companionate and gave out food to starving Southerners.

The Election of 1864 1864 election Lincoln faced heavy opposition. Democrats Upset by the long war, high death rates, & Union losses Joined pro-Southern party members to nominate George McClellan Radical Republicans Favored a harsher proposal for readmitting Confederate states to the Union. Nominated John C. Fremont National Union Party (Republican Party) Chose Andrew Johnson, pro-Union Southerner to run with Lincoln to gain support Recent victories for the Union w/absentee ballots cast by troops won Lincoln a 2nd term.

The Surrender at Appomattox March 1865, it was clear that the end was near Grant & Sheridan were approaching the Confederate capital from the west w/ Sherman coming from the South. President Davis abandoned the capital upon news that Grant defeated Lee at Petersburg. Lee & Grant met on April 9, 1865 at Appomattox Court House to set the terms of surrender. Terms were very generous

Answer the following questions Why did Lee invade Pennsylvania? How did the Battle of Gettysburg start? How did Joshua Chamberlain save the Union position on the second day at Gettysburg? What was Pickett’s Charge? How did Grant capture Vicksburg? Why was Vicksburg such an important victory for the Union? How did the Gettysburg Address change the way Americans thought of the U.S.?

Answer the following questions What reasons did Lincoln give in the Gettysburg Address for why the Union was fighting the Civil War? What happened to Confederate morale in the last years of the war? What roles did Grant and Sherman play in the last years of the war? What strategy did Grant use against Lee? What event helped ensure Lincoln’s reelection in 1864? How did the Civil War end?