Transcript The Western Theater 1861

The Western Theater 1861-1862
By: Jasmine Barboa
Period: 1
Class: IB History of the Americas
Section: 7
What is the “Western Theater”?
Represents the area east
of the Mississippi River
and west of the
Appalachian Mountains
 This includes:

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Alabama
Georgia
Florida
Mississippi
North Carolina
Kentucky
South Carolina
Tennessee
Battle Lines for the War in the Western
Theater
By November 1861, a
bigger war was brewing
between the major
armies
 The battlegrounds were:

◦ Kentucky
◦ Tennessee
Battle Lines for the War in the Western
Theater
Most Battles were fought
for Confederate-held
rail-hub towns and forts
 Usually on Mississippi,
Cumberland, and
Tennessee rivers
 Served as avenues for
invasion for Federal
forces lead by a fleet of
gunboats

Confederate Advantages in the West
The South was fighting a
defensive war
 The Confederates only
had to do enough
damage to the invading
army that its troops lost
morale and politicians in
Washington lost the
popular support and
political will to continue
fighting

Confederate Advantages in the West
They had shorter supply
lines that often ran along
already-established and
known railroads and
better knowledge of the
territory
 Many mountains and
rivers running east-west
in the South allowed the
rebels to set up in
defensible positions

Confederate Advantages in the West
The South was
defending its home
against invaders
 Strong devotion to
preserving the Southern
way of life caused for
immense fighting spirits
 Whites felt a greater
sense of unity than the
Northern population

Confederate Advantages in the West


There were more military
leaders in general as well
as a broader base of
recruits with some military
experience
Between fighting the
Mexican-American War
and knowing how to live
off the land, many
Southern soldiers were
better equipped with the
skills necessary to survive a
war of attrition.
Confederate Disadvantages in the West

Hard for the
Confederates to get
foreign aid
◦ Europe did not recognize
the Confederacy

The Confederacy had a
good number of guns
but not enough men
Confederate Disadvantages in the West
Relied heavily on trade
with foreign countries to
produce necessities
 The Union blocked the
Confederate’s ports for
supplies
 However they could
continue to feed their
troops based on their
agricultural economy

Union Advantages in the West
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The North had the
numbers
Provided more men for the
fight by allowing the slaves
to participate
They had the edge of
about two to one
Greater industrial capacity
Provided more and better
weaponry such as
cannons
Union Advantages in the West
Large strength of river
forces and ground
forces
 Union had a stronger
Navel presence

◦ Aided in blocking the
Confederates from their
ports for trade
Union Disadvantages in the West

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The Union under President
Abraham Lincoln started the
Civil War by calling for each
loyal state to provide a
volunteer army in the wake
of the firing of Fort Sumter
His goal was to preserve the
entirety of the United States,
which could only be done
by an all out defeat of and
total surrender by the South
the Federals had to stage a
successful invasion and
occupation of the South
Union Disadvantages in the West
They were divided on
issues of slavery, politics,
and regional
disagreement.
 The North struggled to
find a competent leader
for most of the Civil War.

General George B. McClellan
Upon the outbreak of the Civil War, Ohio governor William
Dennison appointed McClellan major general of Ohio Volunteers
on April 23, 1861
 Lincoln then commissioned McClellan to be a major general in the
Regular Army,

◦ Made him one of the highest ranked individuals
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The Rich Mountain campaign and defeat of General Irvin
McDowell at the battle of First Bull Run, led McClellan to become
commander of the Army of the Potomac
Later he became General-in-Chief of all Federal armies in 1861
His military command style put him at odds with President
Abraham Lincoln
Many politicians and generals harbored resentment toward
McClellan
However, he was largely revered by his men
As he built his army McClellan became wary of Confederate
forces, fearing that he faced numbers many times his own– he was
being tricked
His cautious battle tactics in fear of bigger Confederate numbers
caused McClellan to be removed as General-in-Chief in 186,
though he retained command of the Potomac Army
David Farragut

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David Farragut was an accomplished
U.S. naval officer
Received great acclaim for his service
to the Union during the American Civil
War
Farragut commanded the Union
blockade of Southern ports
Helped capture the Confederate city
of New Orleans
Provided support for General Ulysses S.
Grant’s siege of Vicksburg

In December 1861 Farragut was
assigned to command the Union
blockading squadron in the western
Gulf of Mexico with orders to enter
the Mississippi River and capture New
Orleans
◦ a port through which the South was
receiving much of its war supplies from
abroad.
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(April 24, 1862) His naval force
destroyed most of the Confederate
river squadron that was stationed just
upstream of the forts
Troops from Union transports were
then allowed to land under
Farragut’s protecting batteries
resulted in the surrender of both forts
and city
What led to the Battle of Shiloh?
During the six months before the Battle of Shiloh,
Yankee troops had been working their way up
the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers
 General Ulysses S. Grant had won victories in
forts Henry and Donelson in February
 This forced Confederate General Albert Sidney
Johnston (1803-62) to gather the scattered
Rebel forces at Corinth in northern Mississippi

Fort Henry and Fort Donelson

With Kentucky’s decision to not
join the Confederacy, southern
military leaders were forced to
create key defensive positions
◦ Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers,
south of the Kentucky border

Forts Henry and Donelson were
devised to protect western
Tennessee from Union forces
◦ Used the Tennessee and
Cumberland rivers as approach
avenues

The Confederacy had a small
amount of good locations to
choose from along the two
rivers
Fort Henry and Fort Donelson
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1861, the Union began
speculating on the possibility of
seizing Forts Henry and Donelson
to open a water route into the
Confederate heartland
On January 30, 1862, General
Ulysses Grant received word that
he and Flag Officer Andrew
Foote would lead a joint
expedition against the twin forts
The two divisions of infantry
were under Grant
accompanied by Foote’s flotilla
of ironclad and timber clad
gunboats
◦ Grant had about 15,000 men
Fort Henry
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Spirits in the Union ranks, lead by
General Ulysses Grant, were high
The Confederates on the other hand
were the opposite
The 2,800 Confederates under
General Lloyd Tilghman were poorly
armed
Winter rains had swollen the river,
leaving the parade ground
submerged beneath two feet of
water and much of the powder in the
magazines were damp
◦ Left many ill
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On February 4–5, Grant’s
infantry disembarked, out of
range of Fort Henry’s guns
Upon learning of the size of
the Union force from scouts,
Tilghman (Confederate) sent
off most of the forces inside
Fort Henry to Fort Donelson
Confederates were
determined to make a stand
against the coming
gunboats rather than
abandon Fort Henry
Fort Henry
On February 6, 1862, Foote began
his assault wreaking havoc on
Confederate defenses
 Soon, all four of the defensive
heavy guns had been lost,
prompting Tilghman
(Confederate) to ask Foote
(Union) for terms.
 The sailor’s response “Your
surrender will be unconditional.”
 12 officers and 82 men soon
surrendered
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With the Tennessee now
open before him, Foote
(Union) dispatched his
three timber clads
◦ destroyed supplies and
infrastructure
◦ captured the uncompleted
Confederate ironclad
Eastport
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The raid’s critical flaw was
sparing the railroad bridge
at Florence, Alabama
This would play a critical
role in the Battle of Shiloh
two months later
Fort Donelson
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On February 16, 1862, after the failure of
their all-out attack aimed at breaking
through Grant’s (Union) investment
lines, the fort’s 12,000-man garrison
surrendered unconditionally
This was a major victory for Brig. Gen.
Ulysses S. Grant and a catastrophe for
the South
It ensured that Kentucky would stay in
the Union and opened up Tennessee for
a Northern advance along the
Tennessee and Cumberland rivers
Grant received a promotion to major
general for his victory and attained
stature in the Western Theater, earning
the nom de guerre “Unconditional
Surrender.”
“No terms except
unconditional and
immediate surrender can
be accepted. I propose
to move immediately
upon your works.” –
General Ulysses S. Grant
What led to the Battle of Shiloh?
Grant brought his army,
42,000 strong, to meet
with General Don Carlos
Buell (1818-98) and his
20,000 troops
 Grant’s main objective
was Corinth which was
an important rail center
that would give the
Union full control of the
region

However, Johnston did
not let the two groups of
troops combine
 But both Johnston and
Buell were delayed by
heavy rains that created
muddy roads halting any
surprise attacks

The Battle Begins (April 6-7 1862)
Johnston pulls a surprise
attack on union troops,
pushing them back near
Shiloh church
 Throughout the day the
Confederates batter the
Union army, driving them
back towards Pittsburgh
Landing and threatening
to trap it against the
Tennessee River

Troops on both sides had
no experience in battle
 When Buell’s troops
started to arrive, the
Confederates chance
for victory vanished

General Albert Sidney Johnston (1803-62)
In the middle of the afternoon,
Johnston rode forward to direct
the Confederate attack and
was struck in the leg by a bullet
 This severed an artery and
caused him to quickly bleed to
death
 He became the highest ranking
general on either side killed
during the war
 General Pierre G. T.
Beauregard (1818-93) assumed
control, and he halted the
advance at nightfall

Battle of Shiloh: Grant Counterattacks
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When Grant was joined by the
vanguard of the Buell’s army
an advantage was created in
terms of troop numbers
Grant counterattacked on
April 7
The tired Confederates slowly
retreated, but they inflicted
heavy casualties on the Union
By nightfall, the Union had
driven the Confederates back
to Shiloh Church, recapturing
grisly reminders of the previous
day’s battle such as the
Hornet’s Nest, the Peach
Orchard and Bloody Pond
This then gave the Union their
victory
http://www.history.com/topics/a
merican-civil-war/american-civilwar-history/videos/the-battle-ofshiloh
Battle of Shiloh: Union Summary (Victory)
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65,085 total
1,754 killed
8,408 wounded
2,885 missing & captured
Union Commanders
◦ Don Carlos Buell
◦ Ulysses S. Grant
Battle of Shiloh: Confederate Summary
(Defeat)
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44,968 total
1,728 killed
8,012 wounded
959 missing & captured
Confederate
Commanders
◦ Albert Sidney Johnston
◦ P. G. T. Beauregard
Anaconda Plan

The Anaconda Plan was the Union’s
strategic plan to defeat the
Confederacy at the start of the
American Civil War. The goal was to
defeat the rebellion by blockading
southern ports and controlling the
Mississippi river. This would cut off and
isolate the south from the outside
world.

The plan was developed by General
Winfield Scott at the beginning of the
Civil War following the Confederate
attack on Fort Sumter on April 12th
1861.

The strategic plan would have
eventually ended the Civil War, ideally
with minimal casualties on both sides.
Anaconda Plan
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It was a humanitarian way of
defeating the rebellion as
opposed to invading the south
with massive numbers of troops,
killing, burning and capturing
everything in sight
General Scott’s Anaconda Plan
was a very passive way of
defeating the Confederacy
The problem General Scott had
was convincing fellow Union
commanders that this was a
good idea
Pretty much all of the Union
commanders disliked this plan
and referred to it as being too
complacent
Anaconda Plan
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Complacent or not, the plan would
have saved many lives
Theoretically if the plan was
implemented at the start of the war the
giant battles fought later in the war
may never have happened
The south would have been slowly
deprived of food and supplies by the
Union blockade
Union armies would have taken up
defensive positions in the North repelling
any Confederate attacks
The Union would have slowly and
methodically cut the Confederacy in
half by taking the Mississippi river and
the rebellion would have suffered and
died from a lack of food and supplies
and be forced to surrender
Anaconda Plan
The Anaconda Plan consisted of
two main objectives
 The first objective was to set up a
naval blockade of the Atlantic and
Gulf of Mexico ports that were
controlled by the Confederacy


◦ Capturing the Mississippi river
would also cut the Confederacy
in half
◦ This would cut off all trade to and from
the rebellious states

The second objective of the plan
was to transport roughly 60,000
Union troops in 40 steam transports
escorted by upwards of 20 steam
gunboats down the Mississippi river
◦ They would capture and hold forts and
towns along the way
They would secure the
Mississippi river down to the Gulf
of Mexico which would link up
with and keep their lines of
communication open with the
naval blockade
It would not be a quick victory
but given enough time it had a
chance of being successful
 This was a good plan but it was
never given the opportunity to
be put into action.

General Winfield Scott
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Winfield Scott served as commanding
general of the Union army from 1841
to 1861
In 1861 he devised the Union strategy
called the Anaconda Plan, which
emphasized a coastal blockade and
utilization of river systems
By maintaining constant pressure on
the South, Scott intended to gradually
squeeze the life out of the
Confederacy
Although initially scoffed at, his
method was eventually used to
defeat the Confederacy
Because of old age and infirmities he
retired from the army in 1861, and he
died at his beloved West Point in 1866.
OPCVL
Day broke with every promise of a fine day. Next to me, on my right, was a boy of seventeen,
Henry Parker. I remember it because, while we stood-at-ease, he drew my attention to some
violets at his feet, and said, "It would be a good idea to put a few in my cap. Perhaps the
Yanks won't shoot me if they see me wearing such flowers, for they are a sign of peace."
"Capital," said I, "I will do the same." We plucked a bunch, and arranged the violets in our
caps. The men in the ranks laughed at our proceedings, and had not the enemy been so
near, their merry mood might have been communicated to the army.
We loaded our muskets, and arranged our cartridge-pouches ready for use. Our weapons
were the obsolete flint-locks, and the ammunition was rolled in cartridge-paper, which
contained powder, a round ball, and three buckshot. When we loaded we had to tear the
paper with our teeth, empty a little powder into the pan, lock it, empty the rest of the powder
into the barrel, press paper and ball into the muzzle, and ram home. Then the Orderlysergeant called the roll, and we knew that the Dixie Greys were present to a man. Soon after,
there was a commotion, and we dressed up smartly. A young Aide galloped along our front,
gave some instructions to the Brigadier Hindman, who confided the same to his Colonels,
and presently we swayed forward in line, with shouldered arms...
The world seemed bursting into fragments. Cannon and musket, shell and bullet, lent their
several intensities to the distracting uproar... I likened the cannon, with their deep bass, to the
roaring of a great heard of lions; the ripping, cracking musketry, to the incessant yapping of
terriers; the windy whisk of shells, and zipping minie bullets, to the swoop of eagles, and the
buzz of angry wasps. All the opposing armies of Grey and Blue fiercely blazed at each other.
OPCVL
After being exposed for a few seconds to this
dreadful downpour, we heard the order to "Lie
down, men, and continue your firing!" Before me
was a prostrate tree, about fifteen inches in
diameter, with a narrow strip of light between it and
the ground.
Behind this shelter a dozen of us flung ourselves. The security it appeared to offer restored me
to my individuality. We could fight, and think, and observe, better than out in the open. But it
was a terrible period! How the cannon bellowed, and their shells plunged and bounded, and
flew with screeching hisses over us! Their sharp rending explosions and hurtling fragments
made us shrink and cower, despite our utmost efforts to be cool and collected. I marvelled as
I heard the unintermitting patter, snip, thud, and hum of the bullets, how anyone could live
under this raining death. I could hear the balls beating a merciless tattoo on the outer surface
of the log, pinging vivaciously as they flew off at a tangent from it, and thudding into
something or other, at the rate of a hundred a second. One, here and there, found its way
under the log, and buried itself in a comrade's body. One man raised his chest, as if to yawn,
and jostled me. I turned to him, and saw that a bullet has gored his whole face, and
penetrated into his chest. Another ball struck a man a deadly rap on the head, and he
turned on his back and showed his ghastly white face to the sky...
Dead bodies, wounded men writhing in agony, and assuming every distressful attitude, were
frequent sights... As for myself, I had only one wish, and that was for repose. The longcontinued excitement, the successive tautening and relaxing of the nerves, the quenchless
thirst, made more intense by the fumes of sulphurous powder, and the caking grime on the
lips, caused by tearing the paper cartridges, and a ravening hunger, all combined, had
reduced me to a walking automaton, and I earnestly wished that night would come, and
stop all further effort.
OPCVL
ORIGIN

Henry Morton Stanley
◦ A Confederate Soldier at Shiloh

He had volunteered with the Sixth Arkansas
regiment
◦ a group of Confederate soldiers who called themselves
the "Dixie Greys.“

He remembered the battle of Shiloh in his
autobiography
OPCVL
PURPOSE
The intended audience was the nation’s public
 The purpose was to present the public with a first
hand encounter of what happened in certain
events throughout the Civil War

OPCVL
PURPOSE: CONTENT

“Day broke with every promise of a fine day. Next to me, on
my right, was a boy of seventeen, Henry Parker. I remember it
because, while we stood-at-ease, he drew my attention to
some violets at his feet, and said, "It would be a good idea to
put a few in my cap. Perhaps the Yanks won't shoot me if they
see me wearing such flowers, for they are a sign of peace."
"Capital," said I, "I will do the same." We plucked a bunch,
and arranged the violets in our caps. The men in the ranks
laughed at our proceedings, and had not the enemy been so
near, their merry mood might have been communicated to
the army.”
OPCVL
VALUE
The document provides first hand experiences from
a soldier in the Confederate army. This point of view
reveals smaller and more detailed actions within the
battle of Shiloh giving historians more answers in
their never ending quest of discovery.
 Allowed the public to understand just how bloody
and surprising the battle of Shiloh was

OPCVL
VALUE: CONTENT

“Our weapons were the obsolete flint-locks, and the ammunition
was rolled in cartridge-paper, which contained powder, a round
ball, and three buckshot. When we loaded we had to tear the
paper with our teeth, empty a little powder into the pan, lock it,
empty the rest of the powder into the barrel, press paper and ball
into the muzzle, and ram home.”

“But it was a terrible period! How the cannon bellowed, and their
shells plunged and bounded, and flew with screeching hisses over
us! Their sharp rending explosions and hurtling fragments made us
shrink and cower, despite our utmost efforts to be cool and
collected. I marvelled as I heard the unintermitting patter, snip,
thud, and hum of the bullets, how anyone could live under this
raining death”
OPCVL
LIMITATION
He was a Confederate soldier, which gives us a
biased point of view
 The autobiography only contains detailed
descriptions of the Confederate side
 Not a commanding general which provides Henry
Morton Stanley with only a broader idea of the
actions taking place at Shiloh

OPCVL
LIMITATION: CONTENT

“Then the Orderly-sergeant called the roll, and we
knew that the Dixie Greys were present to a man.
Soon after, there was a commotion, and we
dressed up smartly. A young Aide galloped along
our front, gave some instructions to the Brigadier
Hindman, who confided the same to his Colonels,
and presently we swayed forward in line, with
shouldered arms...”
Bibliography
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Press Inquiries, Jim Campi. "Civil War Trust." Council on Foreign Relations.
Council on Foreign Relations, n.d. Web. 20 Sept.
2015.
<http://www.civilwar.org/>.
WGBH. "American Experience." PBS. PBS, 1996. Web. 20 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/pr
imary-resources/grant-stanley/>.
Ben, and Adrian. "Civil War Begins: Northern and Southern Advantages
Compared." Study.com. Study.com,
2003. Web. 19 Sept. 2015.
<http://study.com/academy/lesson/civil-war-begins- northern-andsouthern-advantages-compared.html>.
A&E Television Networks. "Battle of Shiloh." History.com. A&E Television
Networks, n.d. Web. 15 Sept. 2015.
<http://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-ofshiloh>.
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