Chapter 25: After Four Years of Failure
After Grant and Sherman's campaign, Atlanta became a symbol of resistance and nationality. Still, in Richmond, the cabinet worried, believing Atlanta was lost to them. Grant's siege of Petersburg was not very successful and northerners began to feel the weight of the war at last. Still, it led to a stalemate between Lee and Grant; finally, Grant forced the Confederate army to abandon Petersburg and Richmond, and then pursued them after isolating them from the South. Finaly, Lee surrendered.
From July and August of 1861, the northern morale plummeted again. Many of the homefront war songs that had become popular during the time shifted from a patriotic tone to a longing for peace, just like the Confederates had hoped would happen. "When This Cruel War Is Over" became a best-seller in 1864.
Nothing, it seemed, could remove the Northern depression. Even after David Farragut made sure to take the last blockade-running port in the Gulf (east of Texas) out of business, people were still depressed. Later, they realized how amazing it had been as the war still continued in Virginia and Georgia.
Some Southerners tried to get Peace Democrats into a war against their own government. This never happened, since the leaders of the Peace Democrats could never mobilize their people. Most of them didn't want to create a counterrevolution since they believed their chances of overthrowing Lincoln were getting better.
Many accused Lincoln of fighting only for the abolition of slavery and not for the Union, which he vehemently denied. He almost gave in to demands that they should ignore abolition in sake of peace. But, his peace terms remained as the Union and emancipation and believed that he would be defeated because of his platform. He expected McClellan to win since he was the most popular Democrat and was a symbol of opposition against Lincoln's policies. Still, McClellan was a War Democrat and many no longer wanted to support him, even though he said that he would still call for a peace treaty.
When Atlanta was finally taken, Lincoln said that the war was a victory.
After Grant and Sherman's campaign, Atlanta became a symbol of resistance and nationality. Still, in Richmond, the cabinet worried, believing Atlanta was lost to them. Grant's siege of Petersburg was not very successful and northerners began to feel the weight of the war at last. Still, it led to a stalemate between Lee and Grant; finally, Grant forced the Confederate army to abandon Petersburg and Richmond, and then pursued them after isolating them from the South. Finaly, Lee surrendered.
From July and August of 1861, the northern morale plummeted again. Many of the homefront war songs that had become popular during the time shifted from a patriotic tone to a longing for peace, just like the Confederates had hoped would happen. "When This Cruel War Is Over" became a best-seller in 1864.Nothing, it seemed, could remove the Northern depression. Even after David Farragut made sure to take the last blockade-running port in the Gulf (east of Texas) out of business, people were still depressed. Later, they realized how amazing it had been as the war still continued in Virginia and Georgia.
Some Southerners tried to get Peace Democrats into a war against their own government. This never happened, since the leaders of the Peace Democrats could never mobilize their people. Most of them didn't want to create a counterrevolution since they believed their chances of overthrowing Lincoln were getting better.
Many accused Lincoln of fighting only for the abolition of slavery and not for the Union, which he vehemently denied. He almost gave in to demands that they should ignore abolition in sake of peace. But, his peace terms remained as the Union and emancipation and believed that he would be defeated because of his platform. He expected McClellan to win since he was the most popular Democrat and was a symbol of opposition against Lincoln's policies. Still, McClellan was a War Democrat and many no longer wanted to support him, even though he said that he would still call for a peace treaty.
When Atlanta was finally taken, Lincoln said that the war was a victory.
Key Terms:
- Battle of Petersburg: stalemate between Lee and Grant; Grant forced Confederates to abandon Petersburg and Richmond; pursued them by cutting off their line of retreat to the South; Lee surrendered.
- "When This Cruel War Is Over": a homefront war song that shows the shift from patriotism to a longing for peace in the North as morale dropped.
- Horace Greeley: An American editor of a leading newspaper, a founder of the Republican party, reformer and politician He helped support reform movements and anti-slavery efforts through his New York Tribune newspaper
Questions:
- What impact did social media (newspapers, telegraphs) have on shaping public opinion about the war?
- Did Peace Democrats support McClellan after his statement that he would still seek out a peace treaty with the Confederates?
Citations:
- McPherson,
James M. "25: After Four Years of Failure." In Battle Cry of
Freedom, 751-773. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
- Accessed March 11, 2015. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/35/Petersburg_Aug18-19.png.
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