Transcript The Civil War - Arizona NROTC

Slide 1
The Civil War – Part 2
Major Carlos Rascon
Slide 2
References
Fuller, The Conduct of War, 1789-1961, pp.
92-152
 Dupuy and Dupuy, The Encyclopedia of
Military History, pp. 868-905
 Weigley, The American Way of War, pp. 5976, 92-152

Slide 3
Learning Objectives
Comprehend and compare the battles at
Antietam, Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, and
the Wilderness Campaign
 Know and understand the significance of
said battles and how they affected the
outcome of the war
 Comprehend the impact that the Civil War
had on future conflicts

Slide 4
Slide 5
Antietam
17 Sep 1862
VA cleared of Union troops after win at
Second Bull Run
 Lee attacks North with objectives:

– Convince Maryland to secede
– Capitalize on Union’s weariness
– Indirectly threaten Washington
– Gain international support
Slide 6
Antietam


Lee crosses Potomac
McClellan (back in command) marches NW with
95,000
 Union lucks upon Lee’s battle plan
– Still, McClellan moves too slowly
– Gives Lee time to fall back to Sharpsburg
Intercept Lee near Potomac with 70,000 vs. Lee’s
39,000
 Lee outnumbered but holds of charge

– Shorter interior lines of communication
– By late afternoon in danger of collapse
– Timely arrival of Hill with reinforcements ends battle
Slide 7
Slide 8
Analysis

McClellan again removed from command

Antietam had two far-reaching effects
– Waited too long to attack
– Hesitated before committing troops when Lee
was pressed
– Allowed Confederates to escape back to VA
– Caused international support to be postponed
– Emancipation Proclamation
Slide 9
Preparation at Chancellorsville
May 1863



Hooker – commander of Union forces
134,000 Union vs. 60,000 Confederates
Hooker’s plan

Lee’s plan
– Three corps move up river
– Two corps hold Lee’s attention
– Cavalry corps maneuver to rear and destroy comm
and supply
– Double envelopment
– Keep Hooker under surveillance
– Use offensive, maneuver, economy of force to make
up for inferior numbers
Slide 10
Slide 11
Battle of Chancellorsville
1 May: Hooker falls back to Chancellorsville
after skirmish
 Lee informed of Hooker’s exposed flank
 Lee “envelop the envelopers”

– 17,000 hold Union attention
– Jackson’s 26,000 make 15 mile-wide swing

2 May, 1700: Jackson charges Union’s flank
– Confederates weary after movement
– Jackson wounded and Confederates pushed
back
– Hooker withdraws whole line next morning
Slide 12
Battle of Chancellorsville

3 May: Sedgewick (Union) assaults Marye’s
Heights
– Lee leaves Stuart (Jackson’s successor) with
25,000 to guard Hooker
– Lee moves with 21,000 to meet Sedgewick &
repels

6 May: Lee prepares to repel Hooker
– Hooker surprises him by withdrawing
Slide 13
Slide 14
Analysis

Use of cavalry

Lee uses principle of movement well
– Stuart’s recon contributes to Lee’s plans
– Hooker’s use as rear assault ineffective
– Didn’t violate mass due to common mission
– Hooker yielded the initiative when his stronger
force could have divided Lee’s forces
Slide 15
Analysis

Union loses 17,000 vs. CSA 13,000
– Remember … initially, 134,000 vs 60,000
Lee loses critical general: Jackson
 Chancellorsville shows peak of Lee’s
brilliance

– Lee’s moral superiority over Hooker
– Napoleon: “The General is the head, the whole
of the army.”
Slide 16
Preparation for Gettysburg

Lee wants to use his initiative

Lee’s favored defensive tactics would not
work
– Morale high after Chancellorsville
– Attack on North would remove Feds from VA
– Limited ammunition supply
– Confederates unfamiliar with territory
– Lee’s confidence in troops
– Stuart’s lack of proper intelligence

Lincoln vetoes Hooker’s plan to counter in
Richmond; replaced by Gen Meade
Slide 17
Battle of Gettysburg
1 July 1863
Confederates outflank at Cemetery Hill and
hold Gettysburg
 Pickett to arrive with 15,000 fresh CSA
 Lee has no luck assaulting flanks

– 3 July: Decides to try final, frontal assault
– Union troops expertly entrenched
– “Pickett’s charge” fails to break Union lines



Both sides lose 20,000+
Lee withdraws across Potomac
Meade misses opportunity to overwhelm Lee
Slide 18
Slide 19
Analysis
Shows importance of communication
 Lee relied too heavily on frontal assault

– After breaking lines, numbers to small to assault
Stuart’s cavalry neutralized by Custer
 Lee still weakened by loss of Jackson

– New leadership lacked proper comm
– Also lacked experience
Lee overestimates his troops
 Union victory which begins decline of CSA

Slide 20
U. S. Grant

Feb 1864: Grant promoted to Lt. Gen.

Begins the Wilderness Campaign
– Considers big picture
– Meade to contain Lee while Sherman strikes from
south
– Intensely bloody battles as Grant fights to Richmond
– 50,000 Union vs 25,000 CSA losses
Slide 21
Wilderness Campaign


Grant smashes into Lee’s lines
–
–
–
–
Grant repelled
Grant would “slide down”
Lee would follow
Grant would hit Lee’s line, repelled, etc.
Both sides win
– Lee keeps Grant from reaching Richmond
– Grant weakened Confederate army
– Grant’s army – troops replenished; Lee’s – no
replacements
Slide 22
Petersburg

Grant attempts to flank Lee

Apr 1865: Lee withdraws to west to resupply
– Lee unaware
– Union commanders too cautious
– Stalemate
– Find supply lines cut
– Retreat route blocked
– 9 Apr 1865: Appomattox Court House
Slide 23
Impact of Future Conflicts
Expanding battlefield due to new technology
 Land and water mines see first use
 Trench warfare begins
 Breech-loading rifle appears
 Trend toward dispersal and increased
“individual” combat

Slide 24
Summary

Chancellorsville

Gettysburg
– Lee’s pinnacle
– Turning point of Civil War
Wilderness Campaign
 Future of warfare

Slide 25
Questions?