Transcript Major Battles Begin - CEC American History

Major Battles Begin
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Lincoln’s volunteer are at
the near end of the 90
days.
General McDowell – the
army is not ready or
prepared.
Lincoln chose to attack
Richmond.
July 16, 1861 – McDowell
marched 35,000 troops to
Richmond, VA.
There was 22,000
Confederate troops near
the town of Manassas at a
stream called Bull Run.
First Battle of Bull Run
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inexperienced army could
not carry out the plans.
Gen. Jackson (Stonewall)
– halted the Union
advancement.
The causalities were high
Confederate win: ended
thought of a short war,
people knew it was going
to be a bloody battle.
Lincoln calls for 1 million
volunteers for three
years.
Replaced McDowell with
George McClellan –
wanted a real army.
Tactics and Technology
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Most battle plans were to send a cavalry charging at a
weak point in the army lines.
This worked well in the Mexican War, but in the Civil War
the weapons were better.
Guns were better, reloading was quicker, distance and
accuracy was better.
Iron cannon balls were replaced by shrapnel shells.
With new technology – more deaths
This would be the 1st modern war.
Observation balloons – 1st use of camouflage
Machine guns, flamethrowers, gas shells.
Railroads and telegraph.
The Fight for Mississippi Valley
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Most successful new weapon
– Union’s Ironclads – armed
gunboats that were covered
with iron.
Union surprised the south
and attacked along the
Tennessee River instead.
Feb. 1862 – General Grant
(Union) moved up the Tenn.
R. with gunboats and 15,000
troops.
Captured Fort Henry (Confed.
– KY) quickly, then captured
Fort Donelson (Confed. –
TN).
Outcome: Two Major Rivers
were wide open for the Union
and Confed defense along
Miss. R. were open for
attack.
Grant would continue south
to Cornith, Mississippi – r.r.
center.
The Battle of Shiloh
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March 1862 – 40,000 Confed.
Troops had gathered at Cornith to
block Union attack.
Grant stops at Pittsburg Landing,
TN and wait for 25,000 more
troops.
April, 1862 – Confed attack Grant
– pushed Grant back to the TN
River – confed stop at night.
Grant received his support troops
late that night – and attacked the
next morning.
Union Victory: 13,000 deaths,
and 10,000 Confed deaths
Outcome – North realizes that the
south was not going to join back
with the Union.
Miss. R. Campaign
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Battle of Shiloh open the way for the Union to split
the Confed and gain control of all Miss. R.
100,000 troops massed at Pittsburg Landing, 24
ships came through the Gulf of MX to capture New
Orleans – south largest city..
Arrived in New Orleans in April 25 – undefended city
quickly surrendered
Union Victory – worried south that they are losing
war.
Another fleet arrived from the Missouri River and
seized Memphis.
Next task was to capture Vicksburg, Miss. – major
river stronghold.
The War in the East
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McClellan army is finally ready for war – move army by boat
down the Potomac River and attack Richmond from the east.
McClellan however, would not move his troops – saying they were
not ready.
Lincoln lost patience with McClellan – In March 1862 – 100,000
Union troops came upon 15,000 Confed troops.
Yorktown – 60 miles from Richmond.
McClellan delayed attack – wanted more troops – Lincoln denied,
Stonewall Jackson was giving Union troops a fit in other parts of
VA.
Would not send troops because they would need to protect D.C.
Lincoln told McCellan to attack – but he ignored the advice.
Waited a month and attacked – Confed retreated to Richmond.
McCellan’s delay – Confed had time to gain more troops.
The war in the East
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McCellan again delayed –
wanting more troops
Confed – Lee sent some
troops to help Jackson in
western VA.
Jackson now has a huge
army and pretended he was
going to attack D.C. – Lincoln
tells McCellan’s
reinforcements to stay.
Lee and Jackson meet up –
combined armies attacked
McCellan – Seven Days’
Battles.
McCellan won four of the 5
battles but had to retreat.
Confed. Victory
The Second Battle of Bull Run
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As McCellan waited to attack
Richmond – Lincoln turned
Gen. Pope, who was forming
a new Union army near D.C.
July – Pope moved into
northern VA with 50,000
troops.
Lincoln ordered McCellan to
attack to trap Lee’s forces
between the two Union
armies.
McCellan once again, waited
– Lincoln then orded him to
withdraw his army from VA
and join Pope’s troops.
Lee acted before the Union
armies could reunite.
Aug. 29 – Lee lured Pope into
battle near Manasses – and
Pope lost
Confed Victory –Lincoln puts
McCellan back in command.
The Union is Invaded
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The series of defeats in VA –
moral in North is low.
Gen. Lee knew this and wanted
to attack D.C.
A victory on Union soil – spark a
peace treaty?
Maybe convince Britain and
France to help the south – if they
saw the south could win the war.
Moving the war out of VA would
give farmers a chance to harvest
crops, which was needed to feed
the army and people
Sept. 1862 – Lee’s army crossed
the Potomac into MD.
McCellan’s army was in pursuit –
a soldier found Lee’s marching
orders that had been lost by a
Confed soldier
McCellan now knows Lee’s plans.
The Battle of Antietam
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McCellan caught up with
Lee near Sharpsburg, MD.
70,000 Union troops vs.
40,000 Confed troops.
McCellan waits again to
attack – allowed Confed
to setup defense.
Antietam was the
bloodiest single day battle
in U.S. history.
Together 23,000 +
casualties – Lee lost a
third of his army –
McCellan had 25,000
troops waiting in reserve,
but didn’t use them.
Lincoln gives orders to
McCellan to cross the
Potamac and fight –
McCellan does nothing.
Union Victory – Nov. 1862
– Lincoln fires McCellan
The Battle of Fredericksburg
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Lincoln replaced McCellan
with General Burnside.
Soon he was marching
110,000 men toward
Richmond.
Lee had 75,000 men in
Fredericksburg – Lee
expected the Union army
to cross a river below or
above the town.
Burnside charged 14
times at Lee – Union lost
13,000 men, more than
twice the number of
Confed loses.
Confed victory – North
plunges into
hopelessness.