Key Battles of the Civil War

Key Battles

• Strategy
  • Northern
    • their strategy was the vision of the overall Yankee commander General Winfield Scott. His nickname was "Ole fuss and feathers"
    • He designed the Anaconda Plan to squeeze the life out of the Confederacy. He said the South has two main weaknesses are
      • the fact that they have little industry so they must rely on foreign trade to acquire material of war
      • They don't have a navy
    • Scott's plan envisions the capture/blockade of all major Southern Ports: Norfolk, Wilmington, Charleston, Savannah, Mobile and New Orleans. The North captured all of them by 1865.
    • The South used blockade runners to try to avoid the blockade. Scott also wants to reopen the "Father of Waters," which cuts the South in half and allows the Midwestern farm products to flow "unvexed to the sea."
    • Vicksburg, Virginia then provides for river-based invasion of the South
  • Southern
    • Defend their territory from Northern Aggression
    • Jefferson Davis was the Secretary of War and head of West Point.
    • Conventional over guerrilla insurgency; there were lots of borders.
• Theaters of the War
  • Eastern Theater- Virginia, North Carolina, and South Carolina
    • Battle of Bull Run
      • In 1861 there was hope for a short war. Both sides enlisted 90 day volunteers.
      • The North builds armies in Maryland and DC under Irwin McDowell, who has 35k men. Lincoln tells McDowell to attack PGT Beauregard (18k) at Manassas/Bull Run.
      • The South had another army in Shenandoah Valley under Joseph E. Johnston (15k). McDowell's advance caused Beauregard to ask Johnston for aid, so he sends his army by rail to help Beauregard.
      • McDowell successfully flanks Beauregard on July 21, 1861.
      • Half of the Southern Army is retreating except for 2,000 men under by a VMI math professor, eccentric, General Jackson. Jackson stands like a "stonewall" and rallies the Southern troops who then counter McDowell and drive him from the field in confusion.
      • This was a total victory for the South who were too disorganized by victory to follow up.
      • The failure to capitalize on the victory means a long war.
      • McDowell is replaced by George B. McClellan, who is an organizational genius and commands the Army of the Potomac and takes Scott's place.
    • Battle of Seven Pines and Robert E. Lee's appointment to Commander of the South
      • McClellan raises and trains 200,000 troops in the winter of 61-62.
      • Beauregard was sent west and the army of Northern Virginia was entrusted to Johnston. Both are fatally cautious.
      • Johnston has 60k men at Manassas and another 20k in the Shenandoah under Stonewall Jackson.
      • McClellan is a brilliant strategist, and sends 100k troops on transports to within 40 miles of Richmond. This is called the Peninsula Campaign in the spring of 1862.
      • McClellan leaves the other 100,000 men around DC to defeat Jackson and move South.
      • Johnston moves the rest to defend Richmond. McClellan advances to within 7 miles of Richmond, Johnston finally attacks at Seven Pines. Johnston is defeated and wounded severely . Davis appoints his personal advisor Robert E. Lee to be the Commander of Souther Forces
    • Jackson's Valley Campaign and Seven Days' Battles
      • McClellan tells the other 100k troops of his to join him after defeating Jackson's small force.
      • Jackson has other plans: the Valley Campaign
      • He defeats 4 different Union armies and captures Harper's Ferry and threatens DC via Shenandoah Shotgun. Jackson's victories cause Lincoln to withhold his 100k troops from McClellan to protect DC.
      • Jackson disappears and then shows up outside of Richmond and aids Lee in the Seven Days' Battles.
      • They attack McClellan for 7 days straight. McClellan panics and flees to the protection of the Navy on James River.
    • Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862
      • Lee, seeing McClellan paralyzed and soon to be fired. Lee sends Jackson to attack outside of DC in the Second Battle of Manassas in August 1862.
      • Jackson with 25k holds of John Pope with 75k until Lee arrives with the rest of his army at pouts pope.
      • Pope gets fired and McClellan is reinstated
    • Antietam
      • After Pope's defeat at Second Manassas, Lee decides to move the war into the North.
      • The invasion of the North may lead to the Confederates recognition by Europe. Destruction of armies should be visited upon the North.
      • Also, Lee posits that moving the war into the North will allow Virginia farmers to harvest crops unmolested because of their food shortage.
      • In September 1862, with McClellan back in command, Lee, via Shenandoah, invades Maryland with 40k.
      • Lee splits his army to distract McClellan and Jackson goes to Harpers Ferry with 15k and Longstreet goes into Maryland while being slowly pursued by McClellan.
      • Lincoln is unhappy with McClellan's indecisiveness, but luck strikes and McClellan finds Lee's battle orders wrapped around 3 cigars at an old Southern army camp.
      • McClellan's 80k men attacks Lee's 20k at Antietam Creek; the bloodiest day in US History.
      • Jackson is 35 miles away at Harper's Ferry, and rushes to arrive at the battle at a critical time.
      • The battle is a draw with 22k casualties. Lee retreats back into Virginia and McClellan pursues slowly and is fired again by Lincoln, and brings in a new commander named Ambrose Burnside tries to attack Lee in the spring of 1863.
    • Chancellosville
      • Burnside is replaced by Hooker. Hooker divides his army skillfully and flanks Lee at Chancellorsville in May 1863. Lee divides his army and flanks Hooker's flank with Jackson's men and routs Hooker's army driving him to the banks of Rappahannok.
      • Nightfall stops Jackson's attack. Jackson reconnoiters norther position and rides back to the line. He is shot by NC troops in the dark and eventually dies form infection.
      • Chancellorsville is a Pyrrhic victory for the South.
    • Lee then determines that if the South winds it must be in 1863
      • The South's manpower is peaking and the North has just instituted the draft causing riots in NY, so their armies are growing
      • The Blockade is affecting the South's economic ability to wage war
      • Morale in the North is getting low and victory on Northern soil will empower Northern Peace Movement.
        • The Copperheads led by Clement Vallandingham in Ohio
      • A successful northern invasion will help with an unobstructed crop harvest and give them foreign recognition.
    • Gettysburg Campaign
      • Lee in June of 1863, invades Pennsylvania via the Shenandoah Valley with Stuart screening for him. Stuart is given "leeway" goes on a raid around the Northern Army, leaving Lee blind.
      • Lee has 3 corps after Jackson's death
        • Ewell (bald dick)
        • AP Hill (has gonorrhea)
        • Longstreet
      • Lee is pursued by Hooker, and Hooker gets fired and replaced by General George Mead.
      • Ewell surrounds Harrisburg while sending scouts to Philadelphia.
      • Hill's group suffers from Rocky Roads in Pennsylvania without shoes. Hill looks for shoes in Gettysburg.
      • When Hill's troops try to enter Gettysburg the next morning, it is occupied by the Northern Cavalry. Southern troops try to drive off cavalry outfitted with new Spencer repeaters (12 shots per minutes vs. 3 shots per minute).
      • Hill's troops are angered regroup in full battle formation now clash with No. Infantry and a full battle ensues on July 1, 1863. Ewell comes down from the North and wins the day. Mead's troops then take position on a high hill.
      • The troops dig overnight on the ridge, anchored by small mountains
  • Trans Mississippi- west of the Mississippi
  • Western Theater- between the Mississippi river and the Appalachians