0.25 war in 1861-2 (battles)

winfield scott

union general-in-chief

thought it would take months to train and equip armies needed

supported anaconda plan - aim to slowly squeeze the life out of the confederacy by a naval blockade + win control of mississippi river

lincoln

wanted a quick, decisive blow

accepted the troops were untrained, but wrote to general McDowell that both sides were green alike

lincoln urged McDowell to march on Richmond

jefferson davis

pledged himself to defend every part of the confederacy

knew lost territory would result in less resources and decline in morale

order of battles

• first manassas

• fort henry + fort donelson

• shiloh

• peninsula campaign

• second manasses

• antietam

• fredericksburg

• chancellorsville

• gettysburg

• chickamauga + chattanooga

• vicksburg

first battle 1861

first manassas

july 1861

battle of bull run

first manassas - who was involved

confederacy

• general Beauregard

• 22,000 men

• positioned in north virginia

• general Johnston commanded another army of 11,000 men in Shenandoah Valley

union

• general McDowell marched south with around

• 30,000 men

first manassas - what happened

confederate victory

McDowell almost had decisive victory but confederate forces fought bravely, Jacksons brigade stood like a stonewall

south - 2,000 casualties < union - 3,000 casualties

successes / failures at first manassas

successes

union

• strong initial attack

confederacy

• stonewall jackson’s strong brigade of defence

• johnsons troops joining, mostly travelled by train from Shenandoah

failures

union

• troops panicked and fled , retreated

• amateur army + old fashioned strategy

confederacy

• made no attempt to follow up victory - by marching on washington dc. they missed an opportunity of winning the war, by following the river and taking over, instead prolonged the war

• army just as disorganised as union

• short of supplies, not in state to attack washington’s defences

• even if they did capture washington - may not have ended the war

effect of first manassas

southerners boosted morale - overconfident and complacent

defeat spurred north on + gave them more determined efforts

McDowell was fired and replaced with McClellan

what was the 2nd battle

Fort Henry snd Fort Donelson

february 1862

who was involved in fort henry + fort donelson

union

• general - Grant

• 24,500 man army

• lost 2,500

confederacy

• Johnson

• 16,000 man army

• 13,800 killed

what happened at fort henry + donelson

union victory

union wanted control of the tennessee and cumberland rivers to invade the south

confederate defences were weak and spread out in the west

fort henry - bombarded by union navy quickly surrendered

fort donelson - grant surrounds it, failed confederate break out, Johnston retreats

successes / failures of fort henry + donelson

successes

union

• coordinated land + naval attacks

• rapid victory

• presents Grant very well, gains fame

confederacy

• brief breakout attempt

failures

confederacy

• poor leadership,

• surrendering most of the army

effect of fort henry + donelson

Johnston’s retreat left Kentucky and most of Tennessee under union control - union controls key rivers

confederate loses kentucky and most of tennessee, nashville falls soon after

huge boost for union moral, major blow for confederacy morale

confederate western defence collapses

Grant becomes a major commander

the first major union victory in the west - big surrender opens deep south to invasion

who was involved in the battle of Shiloh

union

• Grant - reinforced by Buell

• 40,000 men and with buell another 25,000

• 13,000 casualties

confederacy

• Johnston then Beauregard

• 45,000

• lost 10,600 men

the number of casualties was used in the newspapers and had a huge impact

what happened at the battle of Shiloh

1862

first major awakening in the west

union victory - although can be seen as a draw

a surprise attack launched by Johnston, many union troops panicked and fled, but some held position, so confederacy would not win total victory

Johnston died and was taken over by Beauregard

Buell’s army of 25,000 came to reinforce Grant

confederate army forced to retreat

successes / failures of the battle of shiloh

successes

union

• Buell reinforced

• held position

• forced confederate retreat

confederacy

• strong surprise attack caught union off guard

failures

union

• day 1, got surprised, many troops panicked and fled

confederacy

• poor coordination

• Johnston died

• failure to follow through the victory from day 1 into the second day

effects of the battle of Shiloh

not Grant’s best fought battle but important outcome

Halleck appointed general-in-chief for union - lincoln thought he would become a vigorous commander, coordinating union strategy - he ended up not laying down or enforcing any comprehensive strategy for the war at all

Davis replaced Beauregard with General Bragg as displeased with his evacuation

confederates fail to stop union advance in the West

union - shocked at casualties but confidence in Grant rebounds

confederacy - lowered morale, hope of stopping union in tennessee fades

war now seen to as longer + bloodier than expected

turning point - Grant realises the scale of the war ‘this war can never be won without completely taking over the south’

who was involved in the Peninsula campaign + Seven days battles

june 1862

union

• general - McClellan

• 120,000 man army

• lost almost 23,000 overall

confederacy

• general - Jackson (in Shenandoah valley) then Johnston replaced by Robert E Lee

• 18,000 in Shenandoah valley, 92,000 for Seven days battles

• around 21,000 lost

what happened in peninsula campaign

confederate victory

McClellan was anxious to avoid frontal attack - planned to attack richmond, sent the Potomac army up but instead of attacking, settled down to besiege Yorktown - which gave Davis more time to send more men to the Peninsula

confederates then withdrew

McClellan approaches Richmond very cautiously, though his forces greatly outnumbered the confederates, he waited for reinforcements

he never got the reinforcements

what happened in the seven days battles

McClellan didn’t get his reinforcements

Jackson ensured union did not advance towards south, he diverted the 60,000 union troops from other tasks and inspired the south

lincoln didn’t send help for McClellan - instead Jackson went to fight

jackson had been successful but the confederacy still seemed on the verge of defeat - losing new orleans and most of mississippi valley

then johnston attacked mcclellan forces but it was a costly draw johnston wounded and replaced with Robert E Lee

how did Robert E Lee continue it

considered america’s highest soldier - lincoln had offered him high command in union army but he remained loyal to his state

he attacked in the 7 days battles

made a number of disjointed attacks due to overcomplicated battle-plans and defects in command structure

offensive strategy saved richmond causing McClellan to retreat

effects on morale of the peninsula campaign / seven days battles

damaged northern morale with forced retreat

boosts morale for confederacy - gives them confidence, become really bold, later this confidence causes them to make big mistakes founded by this boldness

who was involved in the second manassas

august 1862

union

• general Pope replaced McClellan

• 77,000 man army

• 16,000 casualties

confederacy

• general Lee - supported by Jackson and Longstreet

• 55,000 man army

• 9,000 casualties

what happened in the second manassas

confederate victory

McClellan was ordered to evacuate Peninsula and join Pope so with a united army Pope would advance on Richmond

Lee divided his army

Jacksons troops captured Pope’s main supply depot at Manassas

Pope attacked Jackson’s outnumbered army

general longstreet attacked Pope’s left plank

Lee came close to winning decisive victory but union troops escaped and retreated

effects of second manassas

lincoln reluctantly reappointed McClellan as commander-in-chief

union disaster - most union troops escaped and retreated towards washington

boosted morale for confederacy - building confidence in success of strategy

knocks confidence for union, being defeated again and relying on escaping and retreating

successes / failures of second manassas

successes

union

• escaping + retreating meant they Lee only came close to decisive victory he was seeking

confederacy

• Lee’s strategy and splitting the army

• Lee’s army marching to Jackson’s aid which Pope was unknowing of so they were able to defeat his army

failures

union

• not appreciating Lee’s army was helping aid Jackson

• retreating and escaping

who was involved in the battle of Antietam

september 1862

union

• general McClellan

• 87,000 army size

• 12,000 casualties

confederacy

• general Lee

• 40,000 man army

• 11,000 casualties

what is significant about Antietam

‘bloodiest battle’

led to Lincoln’s emancipation proclamation and prevented foreign intervention

why did the battle of Antietam break out

Lee sent Jackson to capture Harper’s ferry while he invaded Maryland with 40,000 men aiming to

• protect Virginia’s harvest

• gain Maryland volunteers

• win a decisive victory

• demoralise the north

• persuade britain to recognise confederacy

what happened at the battle of antietam

union victory - although suffered a great loss

Lee invaded maryland, sent Jackson to capture harper’s ferrry

McClellan got hold of Lees battle plans / operational orders

McClellan was aware Lee’s army was divided so was in a great position to defeat him but didn’t use this advantage too well

Lee was forced back to Potomac river but took position behind Antietam Creek

McClellan attacked with 2:1 advantage

attacks handled really badly by McClellan so was really 3 separate battles all with union partially successful but not complete victory

Lee then retreated into Virginia - which is what gave union victory

how was Antietam a turning point in the war

fought on union soil, union victory

meant british intervention was unlikely

emancipation proclamation

but, McClellan failed to follow up his victory and was later replaced with Burnside

what was the significance of emancipation proclamation

within days of the battle Lincoln issued the emancipation proclamation

not a law or amendment to constitution

a war measure - military decision to help him win the war, not necessarily strong morals

emancipation proclamation frees slaves in territories of rebellion

so not accounting for slaves in border states meaning he doesn’t risk losing their support

gives the option of them returning by january to the confederacy

who was involved in Fredericksburg

1862

union

• general Burnside

• 100,000 man army

• 11,000 casualties

confederacy

• general Lee

• 75,000 man army

• 5,000 casualties

what happened at Fredericksburg

confederate victory - strong

Burnside with 100,000 men marched soth

Lee’s army had taken strong position behind Fredericksburg

Burnside launched series of suicidal attacks

union lost significantly more men - 11,000 vs 5,000

union morale lowered even more when burnside’s attempt to turn Lee’s flank got bogged down in mud

successes / failures at Fredericksburg

successes

confederacy

• strong positioning

failures

union

• poor coordination

• overly rigid plan, not adapting well to situation - getting bogged down in mud

effects of Fredericksburg

one of the most one-sided confederate victories

the union suffered very heavy casualties

confederacy - massively boosted morale

union - dampened morale as Burnside attempted to turn Lee’s flanks in January but got bogged down in mud - slowed union momentum

burnside replaced with Hooker