The Battle of Fort Sumter
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/fort-sumter.html?tab=facts
After the South Carolina's secession in 1860, the first state to secede from the Union, the Union still owned Fort Sumter. Fort Sumter was off the coast of South Carolina, and was defended by a small amount of Union troops. Lincoln, who was inaugurated soon after, resupplied the base's food rations. This aggravated the south, and they demanded this base be returned to them. Major Robert Anderson, however, refused. The south then began to open fire on the base, officially bringing the Civil War to a start. Even though the north lost the base in two days, the north did gain an advantage: the south started the war with the north, and not vice versa. This may have been Lincoln's plan all along, as the south could not argue any more that the north was trying to oppress the south in the Union. And since the south started the war, they could not back out immediately anymore.
This picture illustrates the tactics and movement of the Battle of Fort Sumter.
The First Battle of Bull Run
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/bullrun.html?tab=facts
While Fort Sumter was technically the start of the Civil War, the real battles didn't begin until the First Battle of Bull Run. Three months after April's bombing of Sumter, Lincoln commanded Brigadier General McDowell to quickly cut through the southern forces and put an end to the war prematurely. The north did not believe that they would put up much of a fight, and that the war would be done quickly. People from Washington and New York had also come down to watch the south get crushed. As the north began their attack on the south, who were pushed back, Stonewall Jackson prevented them from losing too much ground. As the south received their reinforcements, they began to cut through northern lines. The north and their spectators retreated from the now disorganized Confederate army, who could not give chase. This battle proved that the south was a force to be reckoned with, and the war was more serious of a matter than people previously thought. As the north gathered themselves, they realized that their conquering of the south would require much more determination and sacrifice.
This picture illustrates the tactics and movement of the First Battle of Bull Run.
The Battle of Shiloh
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/shiloh.html?tab=facts
This battle began as the south had launched a surprise attack on Ulysses S. Grant's men on April 6, 1862, at Shiloh, Tennessee. The attack was originally planned to be two days earlier, but the weather prevented this from happening. During the battle, the Confederacy's forces surprised the Union soldiers during the morning phase, and had created a formation during the afternoon. The rebels attacked with artillery, ultimately surrounding them. The Union was able to hold out as their artillery and backup arrived. Earlier in the day, General Johnston of the Confederacy had been wounded, and leadership was transferred to the less-experienced General Beauregard. The northerners, who now had extra troops, were able to attack, and Beauregard counterattacked, unaware of the new arrivals. The battle eventually settled in a stalemate, as the south retreated to regroup. This battle set the tone for the next several battles, as stalemates. The south's lack of supplies and the north's less experienced military leadership contributed to this stalemate as well.
This map illustrates the tactics and flow of The Battle of Shiloh.
Merrimack vs. Monitor
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/hampton-roads.html?tab=facts
One of the Civil War's first naval encounters, the Battle of Hampton Roads, otherwise known as Merrimack vs. Monitor, the ironclad vessel CSS Merrimack destroyed the Union's wooden ship, the USS Cumberland. The USS Congress ran itself aground to avoid a similar fate. The USS Monitor, a similarly ironclad vessel, was assigned to defend the Union's naval fleet. The following day, as the Merrimack was destroying other Union ships, the Monitor was able to begin its assault. Being the smaller vessel, the Monitor was able to outmaneuver the slugs fired from the Merrimack. After a slugfest that raged for hours, both ships were low on ammo and retreated for the safety of shallower waters. This was the first time that ironclad vessels were used in naval warfare, and it had ended in a draw. The tactics used in this fight were also repurposed in modern day naval skirmishes. This battle also proved true to be yet another stalemate, as foreshadowed by the Battle of Shiloh.
The Ironclad Vessel CSS Merrimack. This ship illustrates how far technology had come since the days of the American Revolution, highlighting the technological innovations used in the Civil War.
The Battle of Antietam
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/antietam.html?tab=facts
Antietam occurred when General McClellan encountered General E. Lee's forces in Maryland. At dawn on September 17, McClellan and his troops attacked Lee's forces, starting the battle. This battle is known as the single bloodiest day in American history because of the Union's powerful attacks and the Confederacy's powerful counterattacks, with deaths leading into the thousands, wounded reaching 16,000 total. While this battle did not have as many deaths and wounded as other battles, it was bloody because of the strength and ferocity of the combat rather than tallied deaths. While this battle was considered a draw, the Union did drive the Confederacy out of Maryland. This "victory" would provide Lincoln with everything he needed to start delivering the Emancipation Proclamation, which would change the war entirely. With the Emancipation Proclamation on the horizon, the freed blacks in the north would be able to fight for the army, and the slaves in the south could begin to rise up.
This picture highlights the fact that the Battle of Antietam was undoubtedly the bloodiest event in American military history.
The Battle of Chancellorsville
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/chancellorsville.html?tab=facts
With General Burnside's recent failures, General Hooker was promoted to lead the army in his stead. Hooker was able to strengthen the army to new levels, better than they were ever before. They pushed Lee to Chancellorsville, where he and Stonewall Jackson devised a plan. They split their smaller army into two, and were able to confound the northerners and force them into defensive positions instead of pressing their number advantage. During the battle, however, Stonewall was accidentally shot by one of his own men, and killed. A day later, Hooker retreated even further, giving up important land along the way. Later that morning, the southern forces finished off the last of the northerners, and even halted a threat that approached them from their rear. This battle was considered Robert E. Lee's greatest success, as he drove out a northern army twice the size of his own.
This battle shows the flow and tactics of the Battle of Chancellorsville. You can even see the south pushing back the north.
The Battle of Vicksburg
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/vicksburg.html?tab=facts
This campaign was enacted in order to wrest the control of the Mississippi River from the Confederacy. For over a month, Ulysses S. Grant and his men tried to take the fort directly, but the south would counter their every move. The high terrain didn't help much, either. In April of 1863, Grant hatched a plan to take Vicksburg once and for all. He started at Bruinsburg and moved inward quickly. The Union army also took control of Champion Hill and Big Black Bridge, leaving the south with no other choice than to rely on the defenses of Vicksburg proper. Grant fired artillery on the city and the stronghold for 47 days until the Confederacy surrendered Vicksburg. This battle was an important victory to the north because they now had control of the Mississippi River, which would put the south in a bad spot and seal their fate for the end of the war.
You can see how the North had a terrain disadvantage during the Battle of Vicksburg through this diagram.
The Battle of Gettysburg
http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/gettysburg.html?tab=facts
The battle of Gettysburg began as Robert E. Lee wanted to fight a battle on Northern soil, as most of the other battles had occurred on Southern soil. Fighting a battle in the north would cause them to have less of a desire to fight, and would have Lincoln devise a peace treaty sooner. Once Lee was in Pennsylvania, the general believed he could raid the farmlands and move further north. Major General Meade, however, stopped Lee, and Lee surrounded his forces around Gettysburg. Three days of fighting occurred after, with no clear side having an advantage. However, the south attempted Pickett's Charge, a 12,000 men assault on the center line of the northern forces. Northern artillery fire stopped their charge entirely, forcing Lee to retreat back to Virginia with his men. This battle was very significant because it was fought on northern soil instead of southern, and the north was able to pull off a victory in their home territory. The demoralized south had to flee, and the north had newfound strength. 51,000 total soldiers had been lost or killed, and Lincoln used this to commemorate the Gettysburg's Soldier's National Cemetery, where he would deliver his Gettysburg Address. However, only northern soldiers got proper burials after the battle, and southern remains would be shipped off to various cemeteries in Virginia.
This video explains in greater depth the events of the Battle of Gettysburg
Sherman's March
http://www.history.com/topics/shermans-march
Sherman's March was a campaign lead by William G. Sherman in order to frighten citizens of Georgia into ending the cause of the Confederacy. Atlanta was captured, as it was the industrial center of the revolution, and the army continued on throughout the state looting towns and burning the homes and barns of those who retaliated. The south retreated into the safety of Tennessee and Alabama, and Sherman split his men into two groups. Half went to Nashville, the other half continued through Georgia in order to "make Georgia howl". In a 60 mile wide swathe, Sherman led his men across Georgia, making life unpleasant for all citizens of Georgia, in hope that they would eventually demand an end to the fighting. The south burned their villages so the north would not be able to raid them, and the north killed livestock, burned villages that were still intact, and wreaked general havoc. After Sherman's forces got to Savannah, on December 21, 1864, they continued on to South Carolina, bringing the same chaos that they did to Georgia. Early in 1865, the south surrendered and the war ended. This march was the introduction of Total War, a strategy used by militaries all around the world. This proves how the Civil War was the first "modern" war of the world, as the strategies used in this war were integral to wars in the future.
This picture shows the path that Sherman's March took across Georgia.
Appomattox Courthouse
http://www.history.com/topics/appomattox-court-house
Before the surrender, several battles occurred in Northern Virginia. Grant would attack at locations Lee had set up, and pushed him back. The effects of Sherman's March also demoralized Lee's army and the remaining Confederate forces. At the Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia on April 9, 1865, General Robert E. Lee surrendered his troops to Grant, ending the Civil War. While several small skirmishes occurred afterwards, the war had finally met its end. Fortunately, Lee's men were not prosecuted for treason. The Confederate Nation was surrendered back into the North.
Lee is pictured on the left, Grant on the right.
Civil War Medicine
http://www.medicalmuseum.mil/index.cfm?p=exhibits.nationswounds.page_01
Medicine during the war was, at best, primitive. However, it was the best that they understood at the time. Germs and bacteria were not fully understood yet, so operations were often performed with unwashed hands. Disease became one of the major factors in soldier death during the war, and the most common one was diarrhea. This disease would run rampant due to the poor quality of life the soldiers had: poor water, poor food, and poor latrines. Amputations were really the only choice for helping a shot victim, as the Minie ball bullet technology wouldn't have allowed for broken bone to be healed. Ether and chloroform were used as anesthetics, as more modern anesthetic technology had not even been invented yet. To top it all off, battlefield medics were usually poorly trained with little medical knowledge, and unprepared to move shot victims and deal with gunshot wounds.
Battle Technology
http://www.history.com/topics/civil-war-technology
The Minie Ball was a new bullet design that was far more accurate than traditional bullets. Because of their deadly accuracy, trench warfare was invented to protect the soldiers from long-range fire.
Telegrams were used in the north to rapidly communicate from long distances. Abraham Lincoln was fascinated by this technology, and would use it to communicate and give orders to his soldiers many miles away. This was also a northern advantage, as the south had failed to use this technology during their military campaigns.
Rifling and improved weapons also came about during the Civil War. Rifling is spiral shaped grooves in the barrel of the new "rifles" that replaced standard muskets. This would spin the bullet, allowing it to travel faster, farther, and hit more accurately than ever before. Also, "repeaters" were introduced, guns that could fire multiple bullets in succession before needing to reload. Revolvers and carbines were the first of these types of guns.
Submarines and ironclad warships also changed naval warfare forever. Instead of lining up and firing at each other, rotating mortars would allow for fire to be exchanged from long distances, and metal-clad hulls were perfect for ramming into other boats. Submarines were also invented to counter this, able to navigate invisibly underwater due to the fact radar technology was not yet developed.
A Minnie Ball wound, showing how deadly the new technology was in warfare.
Life as a Civil War Soldier
http://www.historynet.com/civil-war-soldiers
Disease was one of the most fearsome enemies of a Civil War soldier. Diarrhea ran rampant due to poor quality of life, food, water, and latrines. Food was scarce, and rations were often limited. Meat was promised, but hardtack and coffee usually awaited each soldier. Fights did not occur as often as one could be led to believe, so boredom also dominated camps. Black soldiers also appeared after the Emancipation Proclamation, who fought harder than most other soldiers because they were finally able to go out and fight for their own cause. Even though they made up around ten percent of the army and appeared too late to make too much of a difference, their contribution really did help the northern war effort.
No comments:
Post a Comment