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.
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.
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