Chapter 16: The Civil War Begins
Section 1: War Erupts
A: First Shots at Fort Sumter
- If Lincoln supplied Fort Sumter in Charleston, SC he risked war with the South.
-If he ordered the troops to leave then he would be giving in to the rebels
-Lincoln decided to send supplies to the fort
-The South decided to attack, and for 34 hours the Confederates fired shells into the fort until Anderson was forced to surrender
-The attack on Fort Sumter was the beginning of the Civil War
B: Lincoln Calls out the Militia
-After the surrender of Fort Sumter, Lincoln called for the Union to provide troops
-The North responded with enthusiasm, but the upper South responded with anger
-VA, NC, TN and AR now voted to join the Confederacy
-Richmond, VA was the capital on the Confederacy
-Robert E. Lee was the commanding general of the Army of Northern VA even though he opposed slavery
C: Choosing Sides
-Border States – DE, MD, KY, and MO were slave states that bordered states where slavery was illegal
-In the end, 24 states made up the Union, and 11 joined the Confederacy
D: Strengths and Weaknesses
-The North had about 22 million people and the Confederacy had roughly 9 million
-Of the 9 million, roughly 3.5 million were slaves
-85% of the nation’s factories were in the North
-The North had more than double the railroad mileage
-Almost all naval power and shipyards belonged to the North
-The Union’s greatest asset was President Lincoln
-The Confederate advantages were its able generals, fighting a defensive war, and those defending their own homes will fight with more will
E: Confederate Strategy
-The South depended on King Cotton because of its importance in the world market
-The Confederacy took a defensive position at the first of the war; as the war progressed, they went on the offensive
F: The Union Strategy
-Anaconda Plan – was designed to smother the South’s economy
-Plan called for a naval blockade of the South’s coastline
-Blockade – armed forces prevent the transportation of goods or people into or out of an area
G: Battle of Bull Run
-First Battle of Bull Run – battle was near a little creek called Bull Run which was north of Manassas, GA
-General Thomas Jackson got his nickname “Stonewall” during this battle
-The South was the First Battle of Bull Run
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Section 2: Life in the Army
A: Those Who Fought
-The majority of those who fought in the Civil War were between 18 and 30 years old
-Farmers made up the largest group among Civil War soldiers
-In all about 2 million American soldiers served the Union, and fewer than 1 million served the Confederacy
B: Turning Civilians into Soldiers
-After enlisting, they went to a nearby Army camp for training
-Most did not have proper clothing and were not always properly fed because the supply trains never reached camps
C: Hardships of Army Life
-The camps where soldiers stayed were often filthy and unsanitary
-They often went weeks without bathing or washing their clothes
-Hygiene – conditions and practices that promote health – were poor and resulted in widespread sickness
-The doctors were not trained and used very unsanitary methods
D: Changes in Military Technology
-While camp life remained rough, military technology advanced
-Rifle – a gun with a grooved barrel that gave more distance and accuracy
-Minie Ball – a bullet with a hollow base
-Ironclads – warships covered with iron; the first battle of ironclads was between the Confederate Virginia and the Union Monitor
-The battle ended in a draw
Section 3: No End in Sight
A: Union Victories in the West
-The victorious Union general in the West was Ulysses S. Grant
-His battle plans were simple, yet effective (pg. 477)
-Grant used the ironclads and rivers to capture TN
B: The Battle of Shiloh
-Battle of Shiloh – happened in TN and turned into the fiercest fighting the Civil War had seen yet
-Union casualties at Shiloh numbered over 13,000, about 1/4 who fought
-The Confederates lost nearly 11,000 out of their 41,000 soldiers
-Because of the losses many wanted Grant replaced, but Lincoln refused because, “I can’t spare this man – he fights”
C: The Fall of New Orleans
-April 25, 1862, Union and Confederate sides clashed for a week, from June 25 to July 1, in 1862
-The Army of Northern VA suffered heavy losses, but it forced the Union Army to retreat
-In late August the Confederates won a second victory at Bull Run
-Union troops withdrew to Washington
E: Lee Invades the North
-Riding successful victories, General Lee decided to invade the North
-Lee crossed the Potomac with his Army and invaded MD in early September of 1862
-The reasons for taking the war North were:
- Hoping the victory in the North might force peace talk
- Invasion would give VA farmers a rest from war during harvest season
- The Confederates could plunder the Northern farms for food
F: Bloody Antietam
-Lee drew up plans to attack the North and a soldier left behind at a camp by accident
-A Union soldier found the plans and General McClellan planed an attack
-The attack resulted in the Battle of Antietam
-This battle was the bloodiest day in all of American History
-Neither side gained any ground and about 25,000 were dead or wounded
-Lee withdrew and a cautious McClellan did not follow and finish off the Confederates
-Lincoln was furious and fired McClellan as commander of the Unions Army