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A Journey Through the Civil War Pt. 1

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A JOURNEY THROUGH THE CIVIL WAR PART 1 Presented by Greg Caggiano, Instructor Brookdale Community College
Transcript
Page 1: A Journey Through the Civil War Pt. 1

A JOURNEY THROUGH THE CIVIL WAR

PART 1

Presented byGreg Caggiano, Instructor

Brookdale Community College

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OUR FOUR WEEKS TOGETHER

• Week 1: Causes of the Civil War, First Manassas, Peninsula Campaign• Week 2: War Out West, Antietam, Fredericksburg• Week 3: Chancellorsville, Gettysburg, Vicksburg• Week 4: Late Years of the War, Abraham Lincoln’s Presidency

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CAUSES OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR 1776-1861

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When Thomas Jefferson wrote that “all men are created equal” in the Declaration of Independence in 1776, there were 700,000 slaves in America. He owned more than a hundred himself. By the start of the Civil War in 1861, there would be four million slaves.

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A LONG TIME COMING• Tensions between North and South began with the signing of the

Declaration of Independence, when the writers could not agree on the wording

• The Civil War was a slow build up of actions and events, the ended up with the most costly conflict in American history

• “All men are created equal.”• Vast societal differences between north and south

• An “us vs. them” mentality

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NORTHERN SOCIETY• More cities, and with that, more factories and a much larger population• Northerners were viewed by Southerners as aggressive • While most abolitionists lived in the north, not every one was against

slavery, and many northerners owned slaves themselves• This adds complexity to the “only slavery” argument• Racism apparent even amongst abolitionists and anti-slavery proponents• Religious, but using bible to oppose slavery

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SOUTHERN SOCIETY• Smaller population that lived mostly throughout open farmland• There was the glory of the “Old South”, which involved the many large plantations in

the area; a romanticism • Northerners viewed Southerners as backwards• The majority of slaves were owned by wealthy southerners, used to work on

plantations• Cotton was a large part of the southern economy• Slavery drove the economy• Southerners used religion to justify slavery

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HOW IMPORTANT IS SLAVERY?• Slavery was AN issue, not the ONLY issue…but a MAJOR issue• Vast percentage of southern population had no direct connection to slavery

• Of the 8,000,000 people that lived down south, only 338,000 owned slaves (4%)• Politicians/wealthy landowners wanted to keep slaves but the common man was

generally indifferent to the idea of slavery

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“UNCLE TOM’S CABIN”• Novel was published in 1852, and written by Harriet Beecher Stowe• The book told the story of southern slaves, and an older one named

Uncle Tom• The book inspired people to speak out against slavery because of the

cruelty and realism it depicted• Enraged BOTH northerners and southerners…but for different reason• Abraham Lincoln called Stowe, “The little lady that started the big war.”

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“BLEEDING KANSAS”

• Between 1854 and 1858, fighting erupted in Kansas between pro-slavery groups who wanted the territory to enter as a slave state, and anti-slavery groups who wanted it to stay as a free state

• The Kansas-Nebraska Act was passed in 1854 as a result, which allowed the states to choose whether they wanted slavery or not

• There were many acts of violence committed by both sides, in order to sway votes

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US VS. THEM

• Politicians whipped people into a frenzy on both sides• Northerners painted as arrogant, aggressive, can’t mind their own business• Southerners were slow, backwards, old-fashioned

• “Rich man’s war, poor man’s fight”• How do wealthy southerners get the poor to fight for them? • “They’re not just coming for our slaves, they’re coming for your guns next, then

your land, etc, etc…”

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THE CANING OF CHARLES SUMNER• Massachusetts representative Charles Sumner was attacked by

Southerner Preston Books on the floor of Congress in 1856• Brooks said he did it to defend the honor of his native South

Carolina, which Sumner had insulted

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JOHN BROWN’S RAID

• Tensions hit their high-point• In 1859, abolitionist John Brown attacked a US military arsenal in Harper’s

Ferry, Virginia, with hopes to capture weapons and arm slaves to prepare for an uprising

• The attack failed, and 10 of Brown’s men were killed, while he was captured• After being put on trial, Brown was sentenced to death and hanged two

months later• The man who put down the rebellion was future Confederate commander

Robert E. Lee

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OUTCOME OF THE RAID• Brown had hoped to inspire rebellion against slavery, but

instead, many were outraged• Even northern abolitionists condemned the attack, wanting to

end slavery without the use of violence, which was the exact opposite of what Brown had done

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THE ELECTION OF 1860• Four candidates

• Abraham Lincoln (winner)• Stephen A. Douglas• John C. Breckinridge • John Bell

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LINCOLN’S VIEWS

• Contrary to popular belief, Lincoln was not against slavery• He was against the expansion of slavery, and did not want it to spread into new

states and territories• Many southern politicians confused this idea or outright lied and told the people that

Lincoln was a threat to southern economy• “My paramount object in this struggle is to save the Union, and is not either to save or

to destroy slavery. If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it; and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that. What I do about slavery, and the colored race, I do because I believe it helps to save the Union; and what I forbear, I forbear because I do not believe it would help to save the Union.”

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THE SOUTH RESPONDS• After Lincoln wins the election of 1860, South Carolina leaves

the United States on December 20• In the next few months, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia,

Louisiana, and Texas secede

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THE ATTACK ON FORT SUMTER• On April 12, Confederate forces under P.T Beauregard launched

an artillery bombardment of Fort Sumter• The Union commander, Robert Anderson, had been

Beauregard’s professor at West Point and the two remained friends

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• Anderson is forced to surrender the fort after being attacked for 36 hours• The only men killed are by accident, when the bombing was over• After the attack, Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee seceded• Lincoln then calls for 75,000 volunteers to enlist in the army in order to stop

the southern rebellion

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THE NOT-SO UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (1861)

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BORDER STATES

• Even though they were in the Union, the states of Maryland, Kentucky, Missouri, and Delaware still were slave-holding states• They would be known as Border States• Challenges the idea that the war was fought to end slavery• Crittenden-Johnson Compromise

• Lincoln suspends Habeas Corpus while Maryland votes for secession • Does this make him a tyrant?

• This causes an issue in 1863, when Lincoln signs the Emancipation Proclamation

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COOLER HEADS DO NOT PREVAIL

• “We are a nation of compromisers but the Civil War is the greatest example of how we did not compromise.”- Shelby Foote

• The Civil War began because politicians could not set differences aside to end the verbal attacks on one another, combined with differences in lifestyle between North and South

• Others gave speeches to show how the other side was doing them harm• Many wanted a war, because they felt it would be glorious and romantic

• See: “Gone with the Wind”

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DIVIDED LOYALTIES AND GRAY AREAS

• Where did loyalty lie?• Southerners to their state (emphasis on states’ right)• Northerners to their country (emphasis on solidarity and the constitution)

• In most cases, people fought for the Confederacy only because their state seceded, not because they hated the north and wanted war or wanted to protect slavery

• Many future generals who fought for the US Army in the Mexican War would leave and go south

• Best friends fought against best friends, and sometimes brothers fought brothers• Robert E. Lee offered command of Union Army in early 1861

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BATTLE OF FIRST MANASSAS(OR BULL RUN)

JULY 21, 1861

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WHY DO SOME BATTLES HAVE DIFFERENT NAMES?

• Many battles are known by more than one name• The Union chose to name some after the closest body of water• The Confederates named them after the nearest town or landmark

• Examples: • Antietam (creek)/Sharpsburg (town)• Pittsburg Landing (river)/Shiloh (church)• Bull Run (stream)/Manassas (town)

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ENLISTMENTS• Union enlistments were for 90 days because no one thought the war would

last long• Confederate enlistments were for the entire war

• Had to be 18 years old to join army, but poor birth records meant that younger men could fake their way in

• If you looked 18, you were 18• Drummer boys could be as young as 10

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ORGANIZATION OF ARMIES AND PAY SCALE

• Squad: 10 men • Platoon: 5 squads (50 men)• Company: 4 platoons (200 men)• Regiment: 4 companies (800 men)• Brigade: 4 regiments (3,200 men)• Division: 4 brigades (12,800 men)• Corp: 4 divisions (50,000 men)• Army: 4 or more corps

(200,000+ men)

• Lieutenant General ($758 a month)• Major General ($457 a month)• Brigadier General ($315 a month)• Colonel ($212 a month)• Lieutenant Colonel ($181 a month)• Major ($169 a month)• Captain ($115 a month)• First Lieutenant ($105 a month)• Second Lieutenant ($105 a month)• Sergeant ($15 a month)• Corporal ($15 a month)• Private ($13 a month)

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IMMIGRANTS IN THE ARMY

• The Union army was made up of many immigrants from Ireland, Germany and Scandinavia

• They wanted to prove they were good Americans by fighting and they were also given automatic citizenship at the end of their enlistment

• The wage for a private in the army was $15 a month, which was a lot of money to immigrants and poor citizens alike. The monthly wage for a general was around $100

• The Irish were placed in the 69th, 70th, and 71st brigades, and the 69th would become famous by the middle of the war as the “Fighting Sixty-Ninth”

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THE UNION PLAN• General Winfield Scott, the former commander-in-chief of the American

Army, who was now seventy-four years old proposed the “Anaconda Plan” to Washington. The Union was to raise a large army and navy, then surround (blockade) southern coastal ports, rivers and railroads, slowly strangling them and forcing them to surrender

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SITUATION REPORT

• Concerned about the location of the Confederate Army being so close to Washington, President Lincoln called for volunteers to arrive near the Potomac River. In the spring of 1861, more than 35,000 troops answered the call and they named themselves the Army of the Potomac.

• Lincoln replaced the aging Winfield Scott as commander-in-chief and appointed Irvin McDowell to command of the Union army.

• The Confederate army was under the command of PT. Beauregard and Joseph E. Johnston, who would later take command of the Confederate army before Robert E. Lee

• Union commanders generally lack experience (desk generals)

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MCDOWELL’S PLAN• McDowell’s plan was to march 35,000 men from Washington to

Centerville capturing that town, then marching south toward Manassas Junction after crossing Bull Run to capture the railroad. • He places 15,000 men under the command of General Robert Patterson and sends

them nearly fifty miles away to the Shenandoah Valley. He does this, hoping the Confederates will think that the actual attack was coming from that direction, and that the real attack, which was a head-on advance toward Bull Run and Manassas was only a feint

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PICNIC BASKETS AND BULLETS

• The Union Army becomes very arrogant and thinks the war will be over by the end of the day, and that they will all be partying in Richmond that evening to celebrate their victory

• Wives of some of the top generals come along, while wealthy men and women bring picnic baskets and blankets to sit on top of a hill and watch the fight

• Champagne toasts

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THE BEGINNING OF INCOMPETENCE

• McDowell then orders Generals Tyler and Richardson to advance, but not to engage the enemy yet• Tyler looks through his spyglass and sees Manassas Junction straight ahead, with

only a few Confederate soldiers getting off of a train, but because of the geography of Bull Run, he did not see thousands of Confederate troops waiting in the woods on the bank of the creek

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PROBLEMS IN THE RANKS

• Major fighting and troop movements begin on Henry House Hill, where an 88 year old widow, Ms. Henry, lived in a farmhouse. The Confederate army tried to get her to leave but she refused to depart from her home and was angered that the soldiers were on her land• Only brigade from New Jersey refuses to fight • Union General Dixon Miles is drunk• McDowell halts his march in the middle of the day for no reason

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UNIFORM CONFUSION

• Confusion was now starting to set in because men were running and marching all over the place and the armies did not have official uniforms.

• Most of the Union had dark blue jackets with light blue pants, while regiments from Minnesota had black pants and the “Zouaves” from New York had red pants with blue jackets and a yellow sash at their waist. • Zouaves: Regiments that used French style uniforms instead of standard blue

• Some Confederate soldiers even had blue uniforms because they were former US army troops that did not have time to get a change of clothes

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JACKSON’S DETERMINATION• Thomas Jackson was a brilliant general, but a little eccentric• Marches his men 60 miles in a day and a half (36 hours) to get to Manassas

to help Beauregard

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THE TIDE TURNS AND A LEGEND IS BORN

• The Union appeared to be taking the edge in the battle• They attack Jackson’s lines but could not move them• Before being fatally wounded, General Bee would remark that Jackson

and his men were “standing like a stone wall”, and the nickname would forever stick to Thomas Jackson and his brigade

• Both sides are now enduring heavy casualties and the Union can no longer advance• As the Union begins to retreat, Jeb Stuart and the Confederate cavalry attack them

from the side and behind, forcing a massive panic and retreat. The army would then charge and further force the Union to run away in multiple locations

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CONFEDERATE VICTORY

• 3,000 Union casualties and almost 2,000 Confederate • McDowell never used his entire force, and to this day, no one knows why he called a halt to

his advance in the middle of the day that could have inflicted more damage on the Confederates

• The Confederates used all their men and suffered fewer casualties, showing themselves to be a force to be reckoned with

• The result of the battle shocked the nation because the war that was supposed to be over in a day ended up in an embarrassing defeat for the Union army

• Lincoln would be angered and embarrassed at the defeat and would shortly after replace Irvin McDowell with George B. McLellan, a decision that would prove to be nearly fatal

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PENINSULA CAMPAIGN

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LEADER PROFILES: GEORGE MCCLELLAN

• Brilliant organizer• Lacked killer instinct• Suffered from a God complex• Loved his men• Nicknames

• “Little Mac”• “The Young Napoleon”

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THE PLAN

• McClellan’s plan is to capture the Confederate capital of Richmond after coming across the Virginia Peninsula• Takes ships up the York River who ferry him to land

• He believes great Confederate forces await him, and the Union army advances slowly

• The Union outnumbers 30,000 to 1,800 under John Magruder, who block his advance• McClellan takes Yorktown and ships up river• Union army advances up Peninsula and forms semi-circle around Richmond

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OUTCOME

• McClellan gets to within 5 miles of Richmond. He has 110,000 men and there are only 10,000 Confederates. Lee had taken the rest of his army to join Jackson and attack the Union Army • McClellan fears that it is a trap and refuses to attack unless he has more men• “We’re not retreating. We’re changing base.” • “We didn’t lose. We simply failed to win.”• "I am tired of the sickening sight of the battlefield, with its mangled corpses and

poor suffering wounded! Victory has no charms for me when purchased at such cost."• With all his brilliance, McClellan had no killer instinct

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“If I gave McClellan all the men he asks for, they wouldn’t be able to lie down in camp.They’d have to sleep standing up.”- Abraham Lincoln

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LEE TAKES COMMAND/ THE BEGINNING OF AN ERA

• Following Johnston’s wounding at Fair Oaks, Lee takes command• Lee proves to be a master at moving troops and dividing his forces• The Seven Days Battles• Lee defeats McClellan almost daily over the course of a week• Lincoln is so embarrassed he fires McClellan and replaces him with John Pope• Second Battle at Manassas• US outnumbers CS 180,000 to 60,000

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SUMMARY OF SECOND MANASSAS• Pope was to attack Richmond from the north, while McClellan would attack from the south• McClellan again asks for more men

• Lincoln says he will give him all he has as long as he advances• McClellan says he must wait until the rainy season ends. Lincoln does not buy him and gives him

an ultimatum of withdrawing him and putting him with Pope in the north• Lincoln then receives a letter from McClellan asking for 20,000 more men

• Henry Halleck is asked to talk to McClellan

• McClellan still complains and Lincoln withdraws him to the north• When the fighting begins, McClellan is too slow in sending his men into action• Another embarrassing defeat for the Union. Morale reaches its low point• Despite severely outnumbering their opponent (again), the Union Army loses the battle.

• USA: 10,000 casualties• CSA: 8,300 casualties

• Things get so bad that Lincoln fires Pope and replaces him with…

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He’s back!


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