Epilogue: The Shoals of Victory

Epilogue: The Shoals of Victory

How blacks would receive their freedom and what their boundaries would be continued to be an issue, but mostly everyone agreed that blacks should have rights, even southerners. Many southerners began to believe that slavery was ruining their lifestyle. Secession and slavery were forever gone. 

People started referring to the United States as a singular country. The nation became more centralized, taxed the people directly, and created an internal revenue bureau to collect the taxes. A shift in power from the South to the North occurred, as it took more than a century before a resident in an ex-Confederate state became president.

Union victory made sure that the South was completely destroyed and the Republican and the northern way of life would dominate the country.

Key Terms: 

None, since this is just a summary of what happened after the Civil War ended.

Questions: 

I honestly have no more questions... This gigantic book covered pretty much every thing I'll ever need to know...ever.

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "Epilogue: The Shoals of Victory." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 853-862. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://perfunction.typepad.com/.a/6a00d8341d896453ef010535d51455970b-500wi.

Chapter 28: We Are All Americans

Chapter 28: We Are All Americans


Abraham Lincoln followed the Union soldiers to Richmond to see it.

Meanwhile, at Appomattox Courthouse, Lee was cornered; finally, he surrendered to Grant. As the news of the surrender spread, many started cheering and shooting; Grant put a stop to it, saying that the Union was now one. He also sent rations for Lee's army.

Three days later, a formal ceremony took place in which Confederate troops gave up their weapons and surrender their flags. Confederate officers and soldiers were allowed to go back home and take their horses with them.

All of these actions led to reuniting the North with the South. Lincoln promised to have a new policy for reconstructing the Union.


If you're still here, Mr. Zuber, I think I've learned everything I will ever need to know about the Civil War. 900 pages succeeded in doing that much! :)

And aww, Grant cried when Lincoln was assassinated. (I'm warming up to him XD)

Key Terms: 

• Appomattox Court House: Lee forced to totally surrender at this court house in 1865; Union treated enemy with respect and allowed Lee's men to return home to their families with their horses
• Special Field Orders, No. 15: issued by General Sherman on January 16, 1865, and said that confiscated land along the Atlantic Coast (Sea Islands) were to be settled by freed slaves and blacks; revoked by Andrew Johnson later that year.
• John Wilkes Booth: Lincoln's assassin

Questions: 

•  Was the pardoning of Confederates established by Lincoln or Andrew Johnson?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "28: We Are All Americans." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 831-852. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. https://c1.staticflickr.com/3/2005/2271496438_fbb31abd46.jpg.

Chapter 27: South Carolina Must Be Destroyed

Chapter 27: South Carolina Must Be Destroyed

The Atlanta Campaign seemed to be over after Sherman invaded Georgia from Chattanooga, Tennessee in May 1864. After winning against Confederate Johnston, Johnston's Army of Tennessee withdrew towards Atlanta, becoming isolated from the rest of the South as Sherman cornered them. In July, President Davis replaced Johnston with the aggressive John Bell Hood.

Hood challenged the Union army through many assaults; finally, he laid a siege on Atlanta and the city fell. This would lead to Sherman's March to the Sea after the city falls. It signals the beginning of the end of the war.

During this time, the northern economy turned out butter and guns. It also had enough manpower and energy to continue westward expansion. Gold production had remained steady, new mines with copper and silver were found, and Lincoln said they had to finish the transcontinental railroad.

New industries formed in the southern economy during the war, like gunpowder mills ordnane plants, and machine shops. The Tredegar Works in Richmond produced iron for weapons for the Confederacy. Still, the Union forces raided much of their new industries and anything of value, especially due to Sherman's March to the Sea. By the end of the war, the South was completely destroyed. Farms were burned and in need of repair, two-fifths of livestock were killed, and two-thirds of assessed southern wealth was gone during the war. After Winfield Scott's Anaconda Plan, the South continued to deteriorate. 

The southern economy which was completely destroyed caused the 1860s to become the decade with the least amount of economic growth; the average income of southerners was two-thirds that of the North. After the war, the southern income continued to fall and didn't rise again for the rest of the 1800s.

Key Terms: 

• scorched earth policy: burn everything in their way; used by Sherman on his way to Atlanta in order to affect everyone (a total war); pioneered idea of hard war. 
• John Bell Hood: appointed by President Davis after Johnston fails at Atlanta; he challenged the Union through many attacks and the city fell.
• Anaconda Plan: (Scott's Great Snake) strategy for subduing the seceding states by Winfield Scott

Questions: 

• In what ways did the scorched earth policy affect the women and children who were left behind on the farms?
• During this time, was the South still suffering from inflation from Davis's flooding of the market with paper dollars?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "27: South Carolina Must Be Destroyed." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 807-830. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.loc.gov/exhibits/civil-war-in-america/april-1861-april-1862/Assets/cw0011000_enlarge.jpg

Chapter 26: We Are Going To Be Wiped Off the Earth

Chapter 26: We Are Going To Be Wiped Off the Earth

After Sherman's attack and victory, newspapers praised him. Sheridan attacked the Confederates on September 18. He led them in a wave against them and his rapid-firing carbines played a role in his victory. The North was celebrating over the many victories they had now got in the past couple of months.

Meanwhile, McClellan was accepting the Democratic nomination. He was wondering how to mention what platform he was taking when his War Democrat friends convinced him that if he stopped the war with a peace treaty, that would be equal to the Union surrendering, and after what happened at Atlanta, that would be bad for his candidacy. Peace Democrats were angered that he had betrayed them. On the Republican side, Lincoln was now a victorious leader.

Republicans also used fake and real evidence to convince the people that the Democrats were involved with rebels in Canada. Judge-Advocate General Holt released a report on the so-called Sons of Liberty and said they were working with Davis to destroy the Union. Democrats denied the report and said it was a fraud. Still, whether these were true or not is unknown, but it was a dangerous topic in Missouri. There, the "Order of American Knights" had connections with guerrilla bands. Republicans also used copperhead activities in Missouri to help their cause; Democrats fought back with racism.

Warfare along the Kansas-Missouri border continued through 1864. The conflict between border ruffians and Jayhawkers increased more and more. Guerrilla fighting led to a form of terrorism and many were killed, land was burned, and many things were destroyed. Just like Sheridan had in the Shenandoah Valley, Jayhawkers initiated a scorched-earth policy against rebel sympathizers. Guerrilla bands in Missouri were the origin of outlaw gangs that would form after the war had ended.

Union soldiers were given the chance to vote and twelve states allowed soldier ballots to be tabulated separately. Lincoln got 78% of the votes. The Republicans swept Congress in the elections and President Lincoln was reelected for a second term.

Key Terms: 

• border ruffians: Southerners from Missouri who flooded Kansas to vote for it as a slave state and won; still in Missouri and fighting as tensions rose
• Jayhawkers: People in Kansas who were anti-slavery and willing to use violence; they fought at the Kansas-Missouri border with the border ruffians

Questions: 

• By this time, was Missouri still a slave state and was Kansas a free state?
• Did the border ruffians and Jayhawkers actually affect politics in the east?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "26: We Are Going To Be Wiped Off the Earth." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 774-806. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://images.fineartamerica.com/images-medium-large/2-kansas-border-ruffians-granger.jpg.

Chapter 25: After Four Years of Failure

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.

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. 

Chapter 24: If It Takes All Summer

Chapter 24: If It Takes All Summer

In 1864, the Union seemed to be doing very well and it looked like the Confederacy was about to come to an end. They didn't have much food, had few people left for their armies, and had less than half of the numbers the Union had. Still, the Union had its flaws. Because of all its success, it had to use many armies to watch over conquered territory, thus dropping defenses.

The Army of the Northern Virginia still seemed to want to continue fighting; in the Union, many veterans were supposed to go home, but Congress forced those veterans to re-enlist. Still, there was a lot of disunity between veteran soldiers and the new recruits and the apparent superiority the North had in numbers disappeared in 1864. 

The Confederacy hoped to use these problems to their advantage. If they could wait until the 1864 election, the North may become tired of the war and vote in a Peace Democrat who could negotiate Confederate independence. They had many casualties, but the Union had even more.

Grant attempted to bring Lee into open-field combat, but failed; despite his large numbers and huge quantity in gunpowder, Lee was able to defend against Grant. This could have scared northern voters into not allowing Lincoln a second term, McPherson claims. Thus, Grant took all summer to finish it off. After seven weeks, at the Wilderness, it fought and many were killed. Still, they killed a similar percentage on Lee's army and cut off his communication with the rest of the Confederacy. Thus, the Army of Northern Virginia slowly declined in fame and Lee was defeated.

Sherman decided to fight for Atlanta. When he began his campaign in Atlanta, he ordered a garrison commander to find Forrest and fight him so that he wouldn't cut the railroad. Still, they lost and it was one of the worst Union defeats in the west, but it diverted Forrest from the Tennessee railroad. He didn't inflict as many casualties hoped and the Unions believed the south was now in good spirits.

Key Terms: 

• Army of the Northern Virginia: Lee was Confederate General; its first mission was to defend Richmond (Confederate capital) and then defeat the Army of the Potomac.
• March to the Sea: Sherman's march from Atlanta to South Carolina; hard war; scorched earth policy that led to a lot of damage for the South
• William Sherman: general who succeeded at Vicksburg and Atlanta, and completed the March to the Sea; was able to capture Johnston and his army

Questions: 

• In what ways did the Southerners suffer from after William Sherman's March to the Sea?
• Was the scorched earth policy just a burning of the land so that no one could use it or was there other reason as to why Sherman did this?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "24: If It Takes All Summer." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 718-750. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://web3.encyclopediavirginia.org/resourcespace/filestore/3/7/4_6a6f284a413a8e7/374scr_f69b5054fe7f302.jpg.

Chapter 23: When This Cruel War Is Over

Chapter 23: When This Cruel War Is Over

The Confederate Congress elections occurred in 1863, when southern morale was very low. The Davis administration was hated even more because of the political structure; there were no formal political parties and Southerners believed they needed to present a united front against any issue. This was a weakness; in the North, the two-party system allowed different sides to be heard and allowed political activity as there was competition.

The Republicans mobilized war resources, raised tariffs and taxes, created a new financial system, started the process of emancipation, and enacted conscription. The Democrats opposed most of these measures and this opposition allowed the voters could identify who they most agreed with and vote for them. But in the Confederacy, the Davis administration had no way to figure out who supported them.

In the North, most state governors were Republicans and they were bound together in the war effort; in the South, governors had different ideas in mind and stopped the centralization of a war effort since the Confederacy emphasized states' rights and not a national government right.

Also, the Confederate Constitution only allowed a single 6-year term, so Davis didn't have to create a party with followers in order to be re-elected. Everyone who ran against the Davis administration were individuals and had no party to back them up. Thus, it was harder for the administration to actually retaliate against the accusations by opponents.

"Proto-parties" began forming in the Confederacy by 1863. Former Whigs became the major opposition. In both the Confederacy and the Union, there were two factions: those for war and those against.

Lincoln always maintained that secession was illegal and that southern states were still in the Union; his job was to remove all the rebels. Still, it was obvious that southern states had left the Union and formed a new government.

The Wade-Davis bill best showed the difference between the president's and congress's policy. When Lincoln vetoed it, Congress had no way to retaliate, but it showed that there was tension in his administration. His renomination and re-election was not guaranteed, even as people warned that changing power during the war was dangerous to the unity of the Union. The Republican Party had many men who could have won, but in the end, Lincoln was reelected for his second consecutive term, even when Chase ran against him and used Treasury Department patronage. Even with anger at Lincoln's reconstruction policy, he was no match. Most Republicans joined with Lincoln.

Key Terms: 

• Wade-Davis bill: required 50% voters of a state to take a loyalty oath: permitted only non-Confederates to vote for a new state constitution; Lincoln vetoed the bill; showed tension between the President and the Congress during this time.
• Radical Republican: (formed official party in 1866) struggled to extend equal rights to all Americans
• Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction: (1863) president would pardon any southerner who took an oath of loyalty to the Union; accepted the emancipation; a state govt could be reestablished once 10% of its voters in that state took the loyalty oath.

Questions: 

• Why did Lincoln reject the Wade-Davis bill?
• The book only mentions that he does it because Congress is assuming that the states were out of the Union and thus, secession was legitimate, but how is that unconstitutional?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "23: When This Cruel War Is Over." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 689-717. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://kids-learn.org/middledbqs/carron6/map2.jpg.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.ushistory.org/us/images/00035719.jpg.

Chapter 22: Johnny Reb's Chattanooga Blues

Chapter 22: Johnny Reb's Chattanooga Blues

Lincoln believed that just one more victory would crush the Confederacy. When Van Dorn's Confederate army transferred to Mississippi, northern Arkansas didn't have any defense. So, Samuel R. Curtis's Union force advanced to Little Rock. Confederate Thomas C. Hindman made a conscription that created a 20,000-man army and went on the offensive. Eventually, the Union attacked on each side, and the Confederate army scattered.

Desertions from southerner armies rose and morale plummeted yet again. Bragg created a plan to cut the Union forces off from Chattanooga, but failed. This became the bloodiest battle in the west. Again, at Chickamauga, Bragg refused to participate and George Thomas took charge, winning.

Longstreet and Forrest wanted to push on to destroy Union forces, but Bragg was so worried that they'd lost so many people (30% of his army). Bragg refused to pursue after Union forces, but hoped to starve them out. Halleck ordered Sherman to take some divisions from Vicksburg to Chattanooga and rebuild the railroad; eventually, some corps were transferred by rail. Once Grant was in charge of the Division of the Mississippi, he replaced Rosecrans with Thomas as commander of the Army of the Cumberland.

For Lincoln, all the victories in the west led to success at home. Republicans were in good shape, but the Ohio and Pennsylvania gubernatorial elections were about to take place. Vallandingham (discussed in previous chapter) conducted his campaign for Ohio governor position from Canada in exile.

Because Republicans now had many war successes, the Democrats could only use the issue of emancipation as their platform, but anti-abolitionism and racism no longer seemd to be that important. The attack by the 54th Massachusetts Infantry against a Confederate army was significant since they were a black army. They took a lot of casualties and soon newspapers were talking about their valor and bravery. This set the main idea for this time: opposing emancipation was equal to opposing northern victory. The Republicans won by a large margin.

I enjoyed the pictures interspersed between as it enriches the experience of reading straight blocks of text. :)

Key Terms: 

• Johnny Reb: typical Confederate soldier (nicknamed as such by Unionists)
• Army of the Cumberland: North's second-most powerful army, used in the west; general was Rosecrans, then replaced by Thomas
• William S. Rosecrans: Union general of Army of the Cumberland; had many victories in West, but defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga in 1863.
• Division of the Mississippi: Lincoln created it to reorganize Union troops in the West after the Union defeat at the Battle of Chickamauga

Questions: 

• Did the 54th Massachusetts Infantry increase the percentage of blacks in armies or were they still confined to only black armies and not interspersed with whites?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "22: Johnny Reb's Chattanooga Blues." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 666-688. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://questgarden.com/109/40/5/100923064752/images/4blus04b.jpg.

Chapter 21: Long Remember: The Summer of '63

Chapter 21: Long Remember: The Summer of '63

Grant was confident he would get food for his soldiers even as people around him starved. After what happened when his supplies were destroyed, he decided to travel light and live off the land. Many regiments just looted supplies and food to survive. 

On July 4, 1863, the Confederacy went away from Gettysburg, and in Mississippi, Union troops captured Vicksburg. This was the most important northern strategic victory; Grant believed the Confederacy fell because of this victory. But, the Union, McPherson claims, won the war because of its many victories in the West, since the Confederacy came close to winning in the East.

Joe Hooker didn't use his troops as efficiently during the battle, but the Chancellorsville battle, which the Confederates won, cost them. About a third of their forces were killed and Stonewall Jackson died. The boost in morale that followed after this battle for the Confederates actually proved to be bad; many of them believed too much in their abilities and a hatred against the Unionists and believed they couldn't be defeated.

Longstreet then ordered the attack on the Union line at Gettysburg since it seemed the Confederates thought they had disabled the Union's weaponry. Pickett's charge represented the Confederate war effort, McPherson claims; they seemed to have a deep sense of identity and pride; they were brave and it would like they were winning, but eventually they only lost. 

The Union weapons had not been destroyed; the Union forces were merely hiding and when they counterattacked, the Confederates collapsed. Although they breached the first Union line, many were killed. Of the 14,000 Confederates that began at the beginning of the battle, less than half returned.

Southern morale was completely crushed; still, the Union suffered many casualties at Gettysburg and even more Confederates were killed. Lee was depressed by the outcome of his campaign and offered his resignation.

Though the war continued for two more years, Gettysburg and Vicksburg proved to have been the final turning point. (This is actually really interesting, since I thought Gettysburg and Vicksburg happened and then the war just ended, though that wouldn't make sense since the war only ended in 1865.)

Key Terms: 

• Battle at Vicksburg: Grant led Union forces and defeated two Confederate armies and destroyed the city; soon, he had complete control over the Mississippi River.
• Battle at Gettysburg: an incredibly bloody battle with many casualties; Lincoln was furious, but it was a major victory for the Union.

Questions: 

• Why was Lincoln so angry about the Battle at Gettysburg? The book didn't really explain this.
• Did the natives play any sort of part in the Civil War? It feels like they've completely disappeared, though they must be there in some numbers in the West.

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "21: Long Remember: The Summer of '63." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 626-665. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://thomaslegion.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/siegeofvicksburgcampaign.jpg.

Chapter 20: Fire in the Rear

Chapter 20: Fire in the Rear

"The fire in the rear" was Lincoln's fear of the northwest Democrats. Vallandigham became leader of the Peace Democrats in 1863 and wanted to restore the Union. Many Peace Democrats believed the Republicans caused the war and believed he could do better. The suspension of habeas corpus, the violation of speech and freedom, and the debt and taxes that the Republicans were imposing were only ruining the Union even more. That became their platform for the next two years.

In Butternut regions of the Midwest, due to economic issues, many southerners believed the same thing and began to support Peace Democrats. For a while, they were commanding the support of a large minority of the party. This Butternut identity with the south and the hatred of the northeast led to western Democrats talking of a "Northwest Confederacy" that would change the Union for the better when it hurt the northeast.

The National Banking Act, passed in 1863, also alienated western Democrats. This was passed because Secretary of Treasury Chase wanted to flood the market with war bonds.

Then, Vallandigham was arrested for disloyalty; his supporters attacked Republicans, but a military commission convicted him for expressing sympathy for the enemy and weakening the power of the government. Lincoln banished him, but in exile, he was nominated by the Ohio Democrats.

The Enrollment Act of 1863 was implemented to stimulate volunteering by the threat of a draft. (This was actually mentioned in a previous chapter). Democrats began using this in their platform as well as a Republican sin. Still, it was a corrupt system since the rich could get out of the draft. People started believing, however, that the bounty given for "volunteering" was worse than just being drafted. The draft also forced men from ages 35 to 45 into the war and poor families starved. The exemption of one white man on every plantation with twenty or more slaves also angered Northerners.

Lincoln went through more generals, like Benjamin Butler, whose martial law reduced crime. But his notoriety soon led to him being replaced by Nathaniel P. Banks. Banks tried to ban trade with the enemy and tried to use peace to work with the natives but that didn't work. The North needed cotton, however, and still used it. Lincoln maintained that cotton was necessary for export and for its own industries, and thus couldn't ban trade. But, Banks believed that cotton was the corrupter of the Civil War.

Key Terms: 

• Enrollment Act of 1863: every able-bodied white male citizen aged 20 to 45 could be drafted, but could get out of it through substitution or paying a fee.
• Peace Democrats: division of Democrats led by Vallandigham; didn't support the war and hoped to reunite the states through negotiation and peace.
• National Banking Act: (1863) established a system of national charters for banks; encouraged development of a national currency; raised money for the government by forcing banks to buy war bonds; issuing of Greenbacks.
• Benjamin Butler: Union general who gave slaves freedom in conquered areas before Emancipation; a way to scare Confederates into believing their property could be taken away and dropping morale.

Questions: 

• In what ways did the National Banking Act affect individuals? All the book talked about was it coercing banks into buying charters, but nothing about the people.
• Why was the Republican "reign" for sixteen years so long when people began opposing their acts and laws?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "20: Fire in the Rear." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 568-625. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2f/New_York_enrollment_poster_june_23_1863.jpg.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/images/national.jpg.

Chapter 19: Three Rivers in Winter, 1862-1863

Chapter 19: Three Rivers in Winter, 1862-1863

Even though McClellan failed at beating Lee at Antietam, Lincoln still expected the Army of the Potomac to fight the rebels. But McClellan protested; he thought he was the hero of Antietam and believed he could do whatever he wanted. On November 7, Lincoln replaced McClellan with Burnside.

Burnside fought at the battle of Fredericksburg, but lost. The commanders in the Union forces were terrible, whereas the Confederate side had good fighting skills and leadership. The Union suffered many casualties, but the Confederates lost less than 5,000. This led to a drop in morale for the North. Many rumors swept the Union. The Republican senators met in caucus later and decided that there would be a reorganization of the cabinet. They wanted to victimize Seward, and showed the conflict between conservative and radical Republicans (or the rivalry between Seward and Chase). Chase made it seem like Seward was exercising influence over Lincoln, leading to emancipation, appointment of antislavery generals and black soldiers. Lincoln defended Seward and Chase offered to resign, but Lincoln refused both resignations.

Meanwhile, the Confederates seemed to be winning in the West. They attacked the Union forces, though the Union army managed to resist. Sheridan's brigade most helped in this, but he was decimated. At Stones River, the Army of Tennessee claimed to win and appeased the copperhead offensive against the war policy in the North. More problems arose for the North, however, when the Army of the Potomac traveled through Rappahannock and led to a "Mud March". Burnside had to call the whole thing off. Lincoln appointed Joe Hooker as Burnside's successor.

Hooker was a popular man among his men; he helped improve food, make sure corrupt men were not in lead, cleaned up camps and hospitals, and instilled pride in his troops. Morale rose in all of the army. Sickness declined, desertion rates dropped, and amnesty led AWOLs to return to their posts.

On the other hand, Grant's army was suffering. Despite Lincoln's faith in him, he allowed Secretary of State Stanton to investigate what was going on in the Army of the Tennessee. Grant was considered a good leader, despite his drinking. Most stories about his drunkenness were false. He was a binge drinker, but never got drunk during military operations. He himself believed it was a moral weakness and struggled for self-discipline, thus allowing him to understand his troops.

Key Terms: 

• Army of Northern Virginia: Lee was Confederate General of this army; its first mission was to defend Richmond (Confederate capital) and then defeat the Army of the Potomac.
• Ambrose Burnside: replaced McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac
• Battle of Fredericksburg: (Dec 13. 1862) the Union, led by Major General Ambrose Burnside, was defeated; Lee won.
• Joe Hooker: general who took over for Burnside; defeated at Chancellorsville by Lee
• Philip Sheridan: Union General that marched through the Shenandoah Valley in Virginia, destroying farms, livestock, crops, and anything else in his path
• Army of the Tennessee: commandeered by Grant; would later win at the Battle of Vicksburg.

Questions: 

• Did Philip Sheridan pioneer the idea of "hard war"?
• After Fredericksburg, what event brought northern morale back up? Was it Hooker?
• Other than improving his troops' lifestyle, what did Hooker do to make him significant? (I know he lost at Chancellorsville...) 

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "19: Three Rivers in Winter, 1862-1863." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 568-590. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d6/Fredericksburg-Overview.png.

Chapter 18: John Bull's Virginia Reel

Chapter 18: John Bull's Virginia Reel

The war in 1862 led to Confederate hope that they might get European diplomatic recognition again. Many Englishmen believed the South's revolution against the Union was justified. Soon, Liverpool secretly built a commerce raider warship and sent it to the Confederates. The British officials also allowed southern agent Bulloch to get his cruisers out of the country. Also, there was a cotton famine in Britain and the South and plenty of cotton.

Yet, the British view of Southerners as trying to get their freedom failed since they had slavery. The English prided themselves on stopping the transatlantic slave trade and abolishing slavery in the West Indies; thus, they couldn't support the South. But, also, since the North didn't fight for freedom, the British didn't see how they were any better. Since they didn't care about removing slavery, the British didn't support them.

The Battle at Antietam ended the Confederacy's hope of British intervention. This was mentioned in the previous chapter as well; because the Union said that Antietam was their victory, the British stopped caring, since the Confederacy wasn't winning any important battles. The Battle of Antietam also led to issuing of the Emancipation Proclamation. The battle was also significant since it warned the British that they shouldn't fight against a government that now wanted freedom, since Britishers had claimed they would support the Union if they worked to abolish slavery.

After the Proclamation was issued, many were confused; even though it didn't immediately free any slaves, it was still a statement to the world. This was also unconstitutional to remove slavery in states that were loyal to the Union. Then, the Democrats made emancipation their issue in control of Congress. Lincoln's suspension of habeas corpus to enforce the militia draft also hurt the Republicans; the continuation of the war, combined with all these other issues, led to the Democrats gaining a lot in the 1862 elections.

Southern response to emancipation was terrible. Many abolition prisoners were executed. These massacres bothered the Union, who threatened to attack; this was a reason why they were afraid to use blacks in combat, since they could be captured and killed. Still, the Union now had the British support and the Emancipation Proclamation was a turning point in the war.

Key Terms: 

• Emancipation Proclamation: issued by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, as a war measure during the Civil War; directed at the Confederates, in order to weaken them and make them think that they were going to lose their property and drop their morale; although it didn't free any slave immediately, it still gave the Union British support; it was in response to the Battle of Antietam.
• habeas corpus: federal courts  determine if a state's detention of a prisoner is valid; Lincoln suspended it during the war, something many people hated, to hurt Confederate supporters.
• 13th amendment: passed after the Emancipation Proclamation in 1865; Constitutional amendment prohibiting all forms of slavery and involuntary servitude; ex-Confederate states were required to ratify the amendment prior to gaining reentry into the Union.

Questions: 

• Once the British supported the Union when the Emancipation Proclamation was passed, what did they do to help the Union/hurt the Confederacy?
• Were there any significant riots in the South that affected the war?
• In what ways did blacks in the South react after the Emancipation Proclamation was passed?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "18: John Bull's Virginia Reel." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 546-567. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.loc.gov/rr/news/topics/images/emancipation.jpg.

Chapter 17: Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

Chapter 17: Carry Me Back to Old Virginny

While Lee was driving McClellan away and winning, in the West, Union forces were still failing, All of their land triumphs disappeared. Halleck divided the Army of the Tennessee under Grant for different duties, but despite what he did, other campaigns in the West still failed. Guerrillas cut supply lines and since forces were behind Confederate lines, many of them starved and died. Then, Nathan Bedford Forrest captured a Union garrison, wrecked a railroad, and escaped. The Confederacy was thoroughly being beaten.

Buell's campaign (major Union effort in the West) showed the strengths and weaknesses of railroads. The iron horse could transport more men and goods than the normal kind. The Union forces relied more on railroads than did their Confederate counterparts. Unlike Napoleon, who stole supplies when their transportation failed, Buell was unwilling to do so, and failed. At Lexington, Kirby Smith's army prepared to inaugurate a Confederate governor at Frankfort, Kentucky.


Kentuckian women came forward to treat many of the men, but few Confederates wanted to fight.

At Corinth, Grant tried to destroy the Confederate Army, but failed. Kirby Smith and Bragg moved north from Knoxville and Chattanooga, and Jackson and Lee moved north from Richmond. Although the western battles covered more land, the eastern campaigns led to more deaths.

Antietam, called Sharpsburg by the South, was one of the few battles in which commanders of both sides chose the field on purpose and pre-planned their tactics. The Confederates used cover instead of trenches. McClellan used many troops and crated diversions. Still, it was not very well executed.

Still, Antietam could be considered a Union success. One-third of the rebels died. When Lincoln recognized it as a Union victory, Confederates gave up hope for British recognition. Antietam, would soon lead to the Emancipation Proclamation, showing that Antietam was a big turning point in the war.

Key Terms: 

• Battle at Corinth: Grant went through Corinth after Battle of Shiloh, where there was a major railroad junction; he wanted to capture Memphis.
• Battle of Antietam: Bloodiest single day in American History (1862); McClellan vs Lee; Union achieved potential breakthroughs at Confed. line. McClellan feared counterattacks and held back; McClellan was replaced, the battle was considered a tie, but the Union claimed it as their victory. It would lead to the Emancipation Proclamation.
• Braxton Bragg: Confederate; hoped to regain TN and then move forward to KY; fought against Union army at Chattanooga, but was forced to withdraw back South. 
• Kirby Smith: Confederate general; along with Braxton Bragg swept through eastern Tennessee in August; by September they were operating in Kentucky; inaugurated governor at Frankfort, Tennessee.
• Don Carlos Buell: Union General; at Battle of Shiloh
• Henry Halleck: general-in-chief; gave orders to Grant in northern MS to take property for public use from rebel sympathizers inside Union lines.
• Emancipation Proclamation: After Union victory at Antietam, Lincoln announces on the Jan. 1, 1863 that all slaves in the rebelling states would be free. He did this to hurt the Confederacy, and take away its property. 

Questions: 

• All the book talks about treating soldiers is in one sentence... When did nurses start working on the battlefield and form foundations to help soldiers?
• What prompted the Emancipation Proclamation?
• I mean, I understand that it happened after Antietam, but just because there was so many casualites then, what does that have to do with freeing the slaves?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "17: Carry Me Back to Old Virginny." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 511-545. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.totalgettysburg.com/images/PoliticalCartoon5a.jpg.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://civilwardailygazette.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/11/april7battle-shiloh-cartoon.jpg

Chapter 16: We Must Free the Slaves or Be Ourselves Subdued

Chapter 16: We Must Free the Slaves or Be Ourselves Subdued

Despite the number of casualties in the Seven Days' War, the Southerners' morale rose again. Northern morale plummeted and Lincoln realized that stopping recruitment was a bad idea. He was afraid that implementing a draft would worry the public, so Seward made a plan to tell the public that they had to "volunteer" and defeat the rebellion once and for all. They began paying those who were in the army as an incentive to join. But in several areas, especially Irish Catholic neighborhoods, they met the draft with resistance. Now, the North would have to destroy their society and build a new one from scratch.

But, if McClellan's Peninsula campaign had worked, the war may have ended and the Union and the South would have been joined again and the South wouldn't have become so destroyed; slavery would have still existed. When Lee defeated McClellan, he only lengthened the war and ensured the destruction of slavery. After Lee's victory, the Union took a turn into a total war. (I don't quite understand why McPherson keeps pointing out what-if situations, but I suppose it enhances the narrative approach style he employs.)

Soon, the abolitionist movement began to show an influence. A radical among them, Wendell Phillips, lectured everywhere. Soon, Republicans were sure that the fate of the nation could not be separated from the fate of slavery. Many began preparing for universal emancipation and antislavery bills poured into Congress. Lincoln called in border-state congressmen to urge compensated emancipation and from then on, he would take on a more radical position.

On the other hand, the "copperhead" faction (part of the northern Democrats) opposed turning the Civil War into a total war, which would eventually destroy the old South instead of restore the entire Union. This term was coined by Republicans, since they felt that opposing the way the war was turning into was going against the Republicans and their way of life. 


Key Terms:

• copperheads: a term invented by Republicans to liken the antiwar Democrats to the snake; soon it was applied to the entire Democratic Party; in 1863, some Peace Democrats also accepted the label.
• Wendell Phillips: helped found the American Antislavery Society in 1833; he was strongly against slavery and traveled the east coast, lecturing on it. (Fun Fact: He also knew Frederick Douglass and wrote the preface to Douglass's autobiography.)
• Thaddeus Stevens: Republican leader and one of the most powerful members of the United States House of Representatives; party leader in the House from 1861 until his death and wrote much of the financial legislation that paid for the American Civil War; supported abolition and reconstruction (a total war)
• Contrabands: slaves that were not "legally" freed; after the war ended, they used the confusion to seize freedom for themselves and escaped to the North.
• First Confiscation Act: (1861) any property belonging to Confederates used in war could be seized by federal forces; any slaves used by their masters to benefit the war would be freed.
• Second Confiscation Act: (1862) authorized seizure of all Confederate property and stated that slaves that came to Union lines were free forever; a tactic to get blacks to fight for the Union.
• compensated emancipation: slaveowners would be given money in return for setting all their slaves free.

Questions: 

• Now, the book states that the Union finally turned to a total war, but it mentioned the exact same thing for a different battle (I think the Battle of Shiloh), so which battle was the actual one in turning the Union to a total war, or was it a collection of events that prompted them?
• I vaguely remember talking about this in class, but I can't quite remember... Were the contrabands also blacks that Union commanders seized and then kept in their camps?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "16: We Must Free the Slaves or Be Ourselves Subdued." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 490-510. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://warhistorian.org/blog1/images/peninsula-campaign.gif.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://supremecourthistory.org/assets/06_a.jpg.

Chapter 15: Billy Yank's Chickahominy Blues

Chapter 15: Billy Yank's Chickahominy Blues

In mid-1862, Confederate survival was not promising. The fall of the Confederate capital seemed to be only a matter of time.


Lee used Jackson on Shenandoah Valley; he instilled a sense of pride in his men. Soon, he made victories at Front Royal and Winchester. His campaign provided relief of pressure against Richmond, but the Union army was quick to retaliate. Still, Lincoln's diversion of troops to chase after Jackson was wrong and may have killed half of his army. They would have to move quickly to get Richmond.

The Chickahominy river runs north of Richmond. Confederate army commander Johnston commanded the Southern army in the field near Seven Pines, east of Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital. When he was shot, Robert E Lee took control. The battle at Seven Pines continued, but cost the Confederates more than 6,000 men. Lee had a new plan; he believed Richmond could not be held against the enormous Union army. The Confederates had only three options: abandon Richmond, fight a defensive battle for Richmond, or attack.  Lee urged the Confederacy to attack.  He was planning to launch an attack along with Stonewall Jackson, but when Jackson didn't show up, he went alongside the Chickahominy and defeated the Unionist McClellan. Called the Seven Days' War, there were the most number of casualties in it.

The high casualties during the battles was due to the traditional tactics being employed and the modern weapons being used. During the 18th century, Napoleonic warfare was practiced, with formations of soldiers trained to move together; this was used very well in the Mexican War. But the transition from smoothbore had many effects. It increased casualties and strengthened the defensive instead of staying on the offensive as soldiers used to. When generals used close-order assaults, more people were killed since marksmen could kill off the men from far distances. Interestingly enough, more generals and officers were killed because they were on horseback and their uniform was so unique. Soon, they began to disguise themselves as privates.

Attacks changed throughout the war as the new rifle came into soldiers' hands. The strategy used by many generals - the close-front attack - explains why the Civil War was so long and cost so many lives.

Key Terms:

• Seven Days' War/Battles: Confederate victory in Virginia, during which Lee stopped Union campaign against Richmond and drove the union back toward the sea; was a counterattack to McClellan's Peninsula Campaign
• Chickahominy River: river near Richmond, VA (the Confederate capital); used to sneak up on the Unionists.
• Peninsula Campaign: McClellan's waterborne advancement upon Richmond between the James and York Rivers. He took a month to capture Yorktown, at which point Lincoln diverted reinforcements to pursue Jackson at the Shenandoah Valley.
• Richmond, VA: Unionist McClellan wanted to capture this city since it was the Confederate capital.

Questions: 

• Were the new rifles produced in the North or by some foreign country and then imported in?
• How would southerners have received the new rifles if there was a blockade imposed on them?
• When was the shift made in the way soldiers attacked with their new rifles?

Citations: 

• McPherson, James M. "15: Billy Yank's Chickahominy Blues." In Battle Cry of Freedom, 454-489. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://www.civilwar.org/battlefields/glendale/glendale-history-articles/gaines-mill.jpg.
• Accessed March 11, 2015. http://thomaslegion.net/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/seven_days_battles_map_civil_war.jpg.