The Civil War Early Years of the War Chapter 15, Section 2

First Bull Run The first major battle of the Civil War was fought in northern Virginia about five miles from a town called Manassas Junction. This battle would be known as First Bull Run. 30,000 inexperienced Union troops commanded by General Irvin McDowell Vs. Confederate force of 28,000 led by General P.T. Beauregard.

Upper Photo: General Irvin McDowell (Union) Bottom: General P.T Beauregard (Confederacy)

First Bull Run Before the battle began, hundreds of cheerful residents (mostly from Washington D.C.) dressed in their finest clothing, packed picnic lunches and headed to Manassas to watch the battle. Most expected to see the Union crush the Rebels in a quick victory.

First Bull Run Confederate soldiers inspired by Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson forced the Union lines to break.

First Bull Run When the Union lines broke, Northern soldiers dropped their guns and began to flee back to Washington, D.C.. In the panic, many of the residents who came to enjoy the battle and a picnic lunch were stampeded. Several civilians died in the mass chaos.

First Bull Run Manassas (First Bull Run) was less than 50 miles from Washington, D.C.. So why did the Confederate Army not march on the Union capital?

First Bull Run Although victorious, the Confederates were too disorganized and weakened to pursue. Regardless, the South rejoiced. Many believed that the Southern victory meant an end to the war…

First Bull Run The outcome of First Bull Run shocked many people in the North. Northerners began to understand that the war may be a long difficult one. Lincoln immediately called for the formation of one million troops. Recruits quickly began to sign up. Lincoln also appointed a new general, George B. McClellan to head the Union army in the East.

Blockades Prior to First Bull Run, the Union came up with a strategy known as the “Anaconda Plan”. The plan was developed by General Winfield Scott The plan was to blockade major Southern ports and control major southern rivers. This would put a “strangle hold” on the South.

Blockades Blockades were implemented by the North and proved to be successful throughout the war. The blockades would reduce Southern trade by two-thirds. In addition, goods such as coffee, shoes, nails, salt, guns and ammunition would be in short supply throughout the war for the South.

Ironclads The South refused to let the blockades go unchallenged. Southerners salvaged an old wooden battleship, the Merrimack, and covered it with thick iron plates. They called this new weapon the CSS Virginia. This ship was also known by a more recognizable term; an ironclad battleship.

Ironclads On March 8, 1862, this ironclad warship attacked a group of Union ships off the coast of Virginia. The North’s wooden warships could not damage the South’s ironclad. Shells would simply bounce off. The North quickly responded with an ironclad of their own, the Monitor.

Ironclads On March 9 th the two ironclads exchanged fire. Although neither ship could sink the other, the Union Monitor managed to keep the Confederate Merrimack in the harbor at Norfolk, Virginia. This battle marked a new age in naval warfare.

Who Won? Both the Union and Confederacy claimed a victory in the “Battle of the Ironclads”. The Union had kept the blockade in tact. The southern ironclad (Merrimack/ CSS Virginia) dealt a crippling blow to the Union Navy.

Battles in the West Early battles were waged in the mid-west as well. An early war aim for the Union was to gain control of the Mississippi and Tennessee Rivers. The Union General in charge of these western campaigns was Ulysses S. Grant.

Battles in the West Grant’s victories in the mid-west helped secure the lower Tennessee River. These victories would also open a path for the Union army to eventually march into Tennessee, Mississippi and Alabama.

Battles in the West One of Grant’s greatest victories came at the Battle of Shiloh (April 6, 1862). The battle was one of the bloodiest of the war; 20,000 casualties combined. Ironically, Shiloh is a Hebrew word meaning “Place of Peace”. After Grant’s victory in Shiloh, Tennessee, Union forces were well on their way to controlling the Mississippi River.

Battles in the West Following Grant’s victory at Shiloh, the Union would have yet another victory. Union naval forces, under the command of David Farragut, captured New Orleans on April 25, This victory allowed Union forces to control almost all of the Mississippi River.

Union Trouble in the East While battle campaigns were going well in the west, the Union encountered problems in the East. In March, 1862 General George McClellan was given the order to take the Confederate capital of Richmond, Virginia. McClellan, however, was very slow to move and allowed Confederates to prepare their defense of Richmond.

What was McClellan’s Problem? McClellan was a general that faced several psychological problems. 1.McClellan believed (usually falsely) that he was outnumbered. 2.McClellan faced personal issues with the loss of life. 3.McClellan was a perfectionist. He wanted every battle plan to be administered perfectly. -

Union Trouble in the East While McClellan delayed in attacking the Confederate capital. Robert E. Lee took command of the Confederate army at Richmond. When fighting did begin, Lee boldly countered the Union advances and eventually drove the Union forces away from the southern capital.

Union Trouble in the East Following the Battle of Richmond, Confederate president Jefferson Davis ordered Robert E. Lee to go on the offensive and threaten Washington, D.C.. Davis ordered Lee to launch an offensive attack in Maryland. If successful, he hoped to win support from Britain. Jefferson Davis believed that an offensive approach to the war would allow Britain to view the Confederacy as a true independent and powerful nation. If respect could be gained from Britain, they could possibly become southern allies. As Lee’s army marched into Maryland in September 1862, McClellan and 80,000 Union troops tried to figure out a method to stop the advance.

Union Trouble in the East On September 13, 1862 the North received a gift of luck. In a field near Frederick, Maryland, two Union officers found a copy of Lee’s orders and battle plans wrapped around three cigars. The orders had probably been dropped accidentally by a Confederate officer. McClellan now knew exactly what Lee planned to do.

Battle of Antietam Once again McClellan was overly cautious! He waited four days before deciding to attack Lee’s army. This gave Lee time to gather his troops together at Antietam Creek in Maryland. The Union and Confederate armies clashed on September 17, 1862 at the Battle of Antietam.

The Battle of Antietam was the single bloodiest day of the war and American history. 23,000 lay dead or seriously wounded. Lee withdrew back to Virginia, thus, Union troops claimed victory.

Union Trouble in the East McClellan had been ordered by President Lincoln to follow Lee’s army and crush it once and for all. McClellan’s slow response time and failure to follow orders forced Lincoln to remove McClellan from his post. Lincoln placed Ambrose Burnside in command.