American Life 5/2

Western Theater and Political Dimensions

• Early in the Civil War, Union generals in the East, like McClellan, were hesitant to act decisively.

  • They were often not abolitionists and skeptical of making the war about ending slavery.

• Lincoln wasn't initially an abolitionist in 1861-1862, but his views evolved as the war progressed.

• Abolitionist military leaders gained influence over time, while those ambivalent about slavery lost influence.

Western Theater: A Different Approach

• Western generals like Ulysses S. Grant and William Sherman had a more aggressive attitude.

  • They weren't necessarily abolitionists early on, but they were more willing to take risks.

• The Confederacy was less imposing in the West compared to the East.

• The Union capitalized on this, pushing its advantage due to more manpower, resources, and political capital.

• Early geographic successes occurred in the West, securing Missouri and Kentucky for the Union.

Union Strategy in the West: River Transport

• The Union utilized river transport and amphibious landings to advance against the Confederacy in areas like Middle Western and Western Tennessee, and Northeast Arkansas.

• They exploited the river system for troop and resource transport, gaining an advantage over the Confederates.

• The Union quickly flooded the river system with small craft and vessels, becoming proficient in amphibious landings by late 1861 and 1862.

• This marked the beginning of a tradition of capable amphibious landings in American history, influencing later conflicts like the Spanish-American War, actions in the Philippines, and World War II.

Battles: Henry, Donaldson, and Shiloh

• At Shiloh, the Confederates initially threatened the Union, but Grant held his ground.

• Grant knew reinforcements were arriving and planned an aggressive counterattack at sunrise on the second day.

• The Union gained an advantage through numbers and aggressiveness, capitalizing on available resources and manpower.

Confederate Indecisiveness in the West

• Unlike the Eastern theater under General Lee, the Confederacy in the West struggled with indecisiveness.

• By early spring 1862, Tennessee was essentially back in the Union, with early reconstruction efforts beginning.

• The Upper Mississippi Basin was also secured by the Union by autumn 1862, setting the stage for the siege of Vicksburg in 1863.

Civil War Casualties

• The Civil War resulted in approximately 600,000 dead soldiers.

  • Nearly 400,000 Union men and around 200,000 Confederate men.

• Only about one-third of deaths were due to immediate combat circumstances.

• Two-thirds were due to conditions such as exposure, illness, malnutrition, and prison camp conditions.

• Wounded numbers were also significant, with approximately 275,000 Union wounded and 137,000 Confederate wounded.

• Medical treatment was often rudimentary, and contamination in field hospitals led to high mortality rates among the wounded.

• Psychological wounds and post-traumatic stress were not well understood at the time, but likely affected millions of veterans.

Total War

• The Confederacy fought a total war, mobilizing all resources due to its existential nature.

• The Union did not fully mobilize to the extent of a 20th-century-style total war.

• The Union mobilized industry, manufacturing, agriculture, and rail transport to support the war effort.

• By 1863, the Union organized black men to fight, influenced by figures like Frederick Douglass, Lincoln Administration, and William Lloyd Garrison

Emancipation Proclamation

• Prior to the Emancipation Proclamation, there were Confiscation Acts in 1861 and 1862 that aimed to undermine the Confederacy's use of enslaved people.

• The Emancipation Proclamation was issued on January 1, 1863, freeing slaves in rebellious states.

• Lincoln justified it as a wartime measure to weaken the Confederacy, not as an abolitionist act.

• The proclamation did not free slaves in the non-rebellious slaveholding states (Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, Missouri) or Union-held territories.

• Despite its limitations, the Emancipation Proclamation had a significant impact, spreading throughout the Confederacy.

• Enslaved people sought out Union forces, viewing emancipation as permanent.

• The Thirteenth Amendment in 1865 officially ended slavery in the United States.

Republican Progressivism and the War

• The Republican Party had a progressive ideology regarding banking, finance, and infrastructure investment.

• This ideology was well-suited to organizing and financing the war effort.

• The Union government worked closely with industry and manufacturing to support the war.

• The Confederacy struggled with centralization and unification due to its emphasis on states' rights.

Political Challenges

• The midterm elections of 1862 and the presidential election of 1864 were difficult for the Republicans.

• Lincoln's reelection in 1864 was uncertain until the results came in.

Vicksburg

• By the spring and summer of 1863, Vicksburg, Mississippi was the last Confederate stronghold on the Mississippi River.

• Grant laid siege to Vicksburg, cutting off supplies and preventing Confederate soldiers from escaping.

• On July 4, 1863, nearly 30,000 Confederate soldiers surrendered at Vicksburg after a month and a half siege.

• The surrender marked a significant victory for the Union in the Western Theater.