The Civil War

Southern Goals and Strategy Southern goals – Seek recognition from Britain, France – Independence! – Flaws in goals? Southern Strategy – Fight defensive war, until North gave up – Exceptions: Antietam Gettysburg

Northern Goals and Strategy Northern goals – Restore the Union – End slavery (after 1863) Anaconda Plan – Blockade South – Divide South, along Mississippi River – Seize Richmond Later: Defeat Lee, CSA army in East

Why is Civil War Still Relevant? First American war, recorded US population was largely literate Little censorship of military 140 years later: still appalling Worth the sacrifice? Diary of Alfred S. Rowe, 6 th Maryland Vols. (note bullet hole in upper right corner)

Cost of Civil War Human cost: 620,000 casualties (KIA, WIA, MIA) –W–WWII: 400k casualties in 4 years –A–Antietam: 23,000 casualties in one day (more than all wars fought by US to that point) –G–Gettysburg: 50,000 casualties in three days –V–Vietnam: 58,000 casualties in ten years

Explaining the Cost of the CW Rifled musket – Easy to use, easy to teach – Rifling – Bullet caliber:.58 cal. – Snipers

Explaining the Cost of the CW Outdated tactics –W–West Point still teaching Napoleonic tactics –N–New tactics, painfully learned Cover Trenching Size of armies –S–Sheer volume of fire

Rifled artillery – Accuracy, range – New types of shells Solid shot Case shot Canister Impact (HE) shell

Explaining the Cost of the CW Disease – Dysentery (dirty water) – Sepsis (infected wounds) – Exposure Medical care – Triage system pioneered Divide incoming wounded into 3 categories – Drs, nurses understood what to do (just not enough of them) WARNING GRAPHIC IMAGE COMING UP!