Saturday, March 14, 2015

Chapter 11: Farewell to the Ninety Days' War

Chapter 11: Farewell to the Ninety Days' War

When Fremont put together a small army to break through Sterling Price's barrier, he was unable to do so. His reputation dropped and he seemed to have lost half of Missourian command. Then, he issued a proclamation and declared martial law, announced the death penalty for guerrillas behind Union lines, confiscated property of Confederates and freed slaves. He did this to gain the favor of antislavery Republicans and needed to suppress the rebels, but he alienated Lincoln, who wanted to keep Kentucky in the Union. Lincoln later ordered him to modify his emancipation. The divide between Fremont and Lincoln was in place since Lincoln needed Kentucky on the Union's side. Kentucky was a border state and had many resources that would be beneficial to the Confederacy.

This stirred up a controversy, especially after the Union defeat at the Battle of Bull Run. Southerners started boasting that slavery was the reason they were so strong, which was because slaves were half of the Southern population, built forts and farmed crops for the rebels. Slave labor was very important to the southern war effort that the government started drafting slaves before it started drafting white men. Lincoln should now be allowed to confiscate their property (slaves) since the Confederates had forfeited their rights.

Beauregard created the new Confederate flag. The Confederates became more and more confident as they won more battles like the Battle of Bull Run (Manassas). Yet, the Union defeats led them to feel like they were inferior and morale was slowly declining. The Battle of Manassas was important in the Northerner psychology and explained why McClellan (Army of the Potomac commander) did not want to commit to a battle. He always believed the enemy was better and more powerful than him. 

There was a big difference between Jefferson Davis and Lincoln; Davis was a proud man and could not forget anything committed against him, whereas Lincoln was willing to do anything just so he may have a victory. But, by the New Year, Davis still had more confidence than Lincoln; since mid-July, the Confederacy had won most of the important land battles
.

Key Terms:

  • George McClellan: General in command of Army of the Potomac in 1861; student of warfare ("Young Napoleon"); an organizer and drill master and he put morale into his army
  • Battle of Bull Run (Manassas): (1861) - in Virginia - Jackson against the Union, and Union retreated; Confederate victory; showed that both sides were willing to fight and the war would be long and bloody.
  • Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson: Confederate general who stopped Union attack during the Battle of Bull Run
  • ironclad warships: a ship heavily armored with iron; replaced wooden ships previously used in navy; employed by both sides during the Civil War; ex: CSS Merrimac and the USS Monitor.
  • Ambrose E. Burnside: Union general who replaced McClellan as commander of Army of the Potomac; launched attack on Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville
  • John C. Fremont: Republican; against expansion of slavery; 1st candidate of the Republican party for presidential office and 1st presidential candidate of a major party to run on an anti-slavery platform
  • Army of the Potomac: major Union army under McClellan's command near Washington
  • Salmon P. Chase: U.S. Secretary of Treasury under President Lincoln; implemented the National Banking Act after the war to help economy
  • Battle of Antietam: important battle between Lee and McClellan in deciding the Civil War; McClellan found Lee's battle plans and stopped him

Questions:

  • Was the Union government planning on confiscating property of the Confederates since slaves were viewed as property and this could dampen Southern war efforts?
  • Despite Jefferson Davis's haughty demeanor, Confederates still united behind him. Were there any major factions within the Confederates who wanted to remove him from power and install someone else as President?

Citations

  • McPherson, James M. "11: Farewell to the Ninety Days' War." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 339-368. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
  • Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.civilwarvirtualmuseum.org/1861-1862/actions-in-fall-and-early/images/john-c-fremont-medium.jpg
  • Accessed March 11, 2015. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/b/b1/First_Bull_Run_July21_1600.png

No comments:

Post a Comment