Total War & the Republic Meaning of total war —mass and full commitment

The Demands of Total War  Southern advantages —defenders of home country with friendly population  Lincoln’s leadership —inexperienced, fine politician, judge of character with human touch  Suppression in Maryland —suspended habeas corpus, arrested sympathizers, bullied state election  Kentucky’s neutrality —Lincoln patient, waited for Confederate attack  Importance of the border states — population, production, rail centers, Washington, access to major river systems General Winfield Scott, who developed the “Anaconda Plan.”

Opening Moves  Ironclads —new warfare begun  King cotton diplomacy —belligerent status, but King enough?  Grant’s character —iron will  Shiloh — “Lick ‘em tomorrow” The southern Merrimac battles the northern Monitor in the world’s first battle of ironclads. Secretary of State William Seward, who warned European nations to stay out of conflict. Ulysses. S. Grant, the one Union general who could and would take the fight to the enemy. The two-day springtime Battle of Shiloh, which came to be known as “Bloody Shiloh.”

 Lincoln fears “McClellan has slows” —arrogance, self-doubt, cautious to a fault  Lee’s generalship –“Audacity” and “Stonewall”  Lee’s invasion fails —detach Maryland, isolate Washington; cigars don’t embolden McClellan at Antietam, U.S.’s “bloodiest day” General McClellan, an able administrator who was loved by his troops, he was too cautious to be a great field general. Robert E. Lee, the greatest military tactician of the war, won many battles in the war ordinary generals couldn’t have won. “Burnside Bridge,” over Antietam Creek, which saw the last decisive action of the Battle of Antietam. END OF READING

Emancipation  Crittenden Resolution —war aim: preserving Constitution, Union  Lincoln gives priority to the Union —slavery second to Union  Congressional attack on slavery —slaves are “contraband,” then free those used in war effort, then free those owned by rebels  Lincoln’s decision for emancipation —keep border states in Union, strike a blow against the Confederacy  Terms of the Proclamation —after Antietam, in enemy lines only?—emancipation for military reasons, not necessarily humane reasons  Reaction to the Proclamation —Europe swayed, redefined war  Slaves within Union lines —Freedmen face racism, hostility  Blacks in combat —Douglass: soldiers become citizens Lincoln discusses the Emancipation Proclamation with his cabinet.

The Confederate Home Front  Attempts to industrialize —better at industrial goods than foodstuffs  New responsibilities, opportunities —women’s roles expand: spies, smugglers, manufacturers, managers, “government girls”  Soaring inflation —more money chasing few goods—why?  Centralization of power —more federal than federal; 1 st conscription law  Opposition to Davis —state’s rights  Hostility to conscription —20-slave exemptions: “a rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight” Alexander Stephens, VP of the Confederacy, who accused Jefferson Davis of trying to be a dictator, he eventually abandoned the government.

The Union Home Front  Measures to raise money —taxes (1 st income), bonds, “Greenbacks”  Western development (finally) —Homestead and Land Grant College (land sales proceeds) Acts, 1862  Corruption and fraud –“shoddy,” 20% fraudulent expenditures  Moral decline —war brings out the worst—why?  Women and medicine —resistance at first; Clara Barton The Union Congress went ahead with western settlement despite the war with the Homestead Act and Land Grant College Act of A Civil War nurse comforts a wounded soldier.

 Women and teaching —another profession taken over by women  Suspension of the writ of habeas corpus —across the North states vs. anti-war agitators; martial law  The Copperheads —peace Democrats against draft, emancipation  New York City draft riots —Irish attack draft officials, Republicans, African Americans—END OF READING Women staff an outpost of the United States Sanitary Commission. A crowd of draft rioters takes out its frustrations on a black man— substitutes part of the controversy. Clement Vallandigham of Indiana, labeled a Copperhead and banished to Confederacy for proposing armistice (1864 return).

Gone to Be a Soldier  Disease and medical care —double died from disease as bullets; doctors considered quacks  Decline of morality —boredom, horrors, no women  Southern soldiers and discipline —Americans not easily molded; southern social structure, elections erode discipline The Civil War staple hardtack, sometimes called “worm castles” by the Union soldiers. A “boning kit,” used by Civil War doctors, whose main battlefield treatment was amputation.

 Differences between the two armies —acceptance of organization helps Union  Impact of technology —rifled barrels, minie balls increased range greatly increases casualties  Strength of defense —artillery devastating defensive, not offensive, weapon, particularly with exploding shells and canister loads  Soldiers’ hardening outlook —the romance of battle is gone The “rifled” Colt musket, which used a percussion cap and fired rifled minie balls like those to the right. Union “Zouave” soldiers in dress that imitated French military styles of the time. Most Union soldiers dressed more like the officer at the right.

The Union’s Triumph  Gettysburg —Lee on offensive, July 1-3, 1863; Pickett’s Charge Lee’s greatest mistake  Capture of Vicksburg —July 4 surrender, with Port Hudson, seals Mississippi  Grant in command —coordinate with Sherman and push on  Union’s summer offensive —attrition General George Meade faces off against Lee at a Pennsylvania crossroads; some of the thousands of dead. George Pickett’s men fought Pickett’s charge.

Only known picture of Abraham Lincoln at the Gettysburg Cemetery dedication at which he gave his address.

 1864 election —remarkable wartime election: Lincoln (abolition) vs. McClellan (armistice)  Significance of Lincoln’s reelection —South’s toast  Thirteenth Amendment —abolition: no compensation  Abolition as a global movement —Britain spearheads; serfdom, too Mac and his running mate went up the hill to unseat Lincoln, but both come tumbling down in cartoon; Lincoln wins election with a general that wins battles.

 Confederacy’s abandonment of slavery —enlist slaves?; finally, begrudging rejection of values, institutions of “Old South”  March to the sea —a lesson in total war; in turn north, South Carolina gets worst  Lee’s Surrender —Richmond abandoned, supplies captured, nowhere to go General William Tecumseh Sherman, who said, “War is hell, and I’m going to make ‘em howl”; a scene from his 50-mile- wide march through Georgia. Lee’s surrender to Grant at the little Virginia town of Appomattox Courthouse.

 Lincoln’s assassination —made it worse…for the South  Cost of war —620,000; South goes from richest to poorest; U.S. is now singular  Spiritual toll of war Abraham Lincoln shot by John Wilkes Booth at Ford’s Theatre, just days after Lee’s surrender, while watching the English comedy My American Cousin. Major Henry Rathbone and his fiancé were also in the theatre box. Later in life, Rathbone would kill his wife, then attempt suicide, but survive, and would eventually die in an insane asylum. Lincoln’s elaborate funeral cortege would make stops in many cities before his eventual burial in Springfield, Illinois, his home.