Lesson 4: The Course of War Flashcards
Battle of Antietam Definition
an 1862 Civil War battle in Maryland; also called the Battle of Sharpsburg
Battle of Bull Run Definition
the first major battle of the Civil War; fought in Virginia in 1861; also called the Battle of Manassas
Battle of Chancellorsville Definition
an 1863 Civil War battle in Virginia; important victory for the Confederacy
Battle of Fredericksburg Definition
an 1862 Civil War battle in Virginia; one of the Union’s worst defeats
Battle of Shiloh Definition
an 1862 Civil War battle in Tennessee that ended in a Union victory
Monitor Definition
an ironclad Union warship
Remember: Because the North and South each had different advantages, the advantages helped determine the strategies they would pursue. Since the North had a formidable navy and a larger population from which they could draw their soldiers, they chose a naval blockade of the Southern ports, a plan to gain control of the Mississippi River, and an invasion of the South. On the other hand, the South planned to use their experienced military leaders and knowledge of the Southern terrain to outmaneuver the Union armies. The South had a great morale and thought the North would grow weary of fighting.
Because the North and South each had different advantages, the advantages helped determine the strategies they would pursue. Since the North had a formidable navy and a larger population from which they could draw their soldiers, they chose a naval blockade of the Southern ports, a plan to gain control of the Mississippi River, and an invasion of the South. On the other hand, the South planned to use their experienced military leaders and knowledge of the Southern terrain to outmaneuver the Union armies. The South had a great morale and thought the North would grow weary of fighting.
What was the Union strategy going into the Civil War?
First, the Union planned to use its navy to blockade southern ports. This would cut off the South’s supply of manufactured goods from Europe and its ability to earn money from cotton exports. In the East, Union generals aimed to seize Richmond, Virginia, the Confederate capital. They thought that they might end the war quickly by capturing the Confederate government. In the West, the Union planned to seize control of the Mississippi River. This would prevent the South from using the river to supply its troops. It would also separate Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana from the rest of the Confederacy.
What was the Confederate strategy going into the Civil War?
The South’s strategy was simpler: the Confederate army would fight a defensive war until northerners tired of fighting. If the war became unpopular in the North, President Lincoln would have to stop the war and recognize the South’s independence. The Confederacy counted on European money and supplies to help fight the war. Southern cotton was important to the textile mills of England and other countries. Southerners were confident that Europeans would recognize the Confederacy as an independent nation and that the South could continue to sell Europe cotton for its factories.
How did popular pressure motivate Lincoln to attack?
“Forward to Richmond! Forward to Richmond!” Every day for more than a month, the influential New York Tribune blazed this war cry across its front page. At last, responding to popular pressure, President Lincoln ordered an attack.
What was the Battle of Bull Run? Who was Stonewall Jackson? What was the influence of this battle? What is this battle also called?
On July 21, 1861, Union troops set out from Washington, D.C., to attack the Confederate army, which was camped 30 miles southwest of the capital. Hundreds of Washingtonians, in a festive mood, rode out along with them to watch the battle. Many northerners thought the Union army would crush the Confederates. The Union troops had not gone far when they met up with Confederate soldiers. A battle quickly followed. It took place near a small Virginia stream known as Bull Run, which was also near the town of Manassas. At first, Union forces succeeded in breaking up Confederate battle lines. “The war is over!” yelled some soldiers from Massachusetts. But General Thomas Jackson rallied the Virginia troops on a nearby hill. “Look!” cried a Confederate officer to his men, “There is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!” From that day on, the general was known as “Stonewall” Jackson. Historians consider him one of the most gifted tactical commanders in the Civil War, and he led many successful military campaigns for the Confederate army.
In the end, it was the Union troops who panicked and ran. “Off they went,” reported one observer, “across fields, toward the woods, anywhere, everywhere, to escape.” For most of the soldiers, the retreat did not stop until they reached Washington, D.C. The Battle of Bull Run (also referred to as the Battle of Manassas by the Confederates) showed both the Union and the Confederacy that their soldiers needed training. It also showed that the Confederate army could stand up to the Union, meaning the war would be long and bloody.
Who was General George McClellan? What part of the Union army was he assigned to? What was a strength of his? What was a crucial weakness of his?
After the shocking disaster at Bull Run, President Lincoln appointed General George McClellan as commander of the Union army of the East, known as the Army of the Potomac. McClellan, a superb organizer, transformed inexperienced recruits into an army of trained soldiers prepared for battle. McClellan, however, was very cautious. He delayed leading his troops into battle. Newspapers reported “all quiet along the Potomac” so often that the phrase became a national joke. Finally, President Lincoln lost patience. “If General McClellan does not want to use the army,” the President snapped, “I would like to borrow it.”
What was the result of the Peninsula Campaign, led and started by General George McClellan in March 1861?
At last, in March 1862, McClellan and most of his troops left Washington and sailed down the Potomac River and the Chesapeake Bay. After landing south of Richmond on the Virginia Peninsula, McClellan began inching slowly toward the Confederate capital. Learning of the Union approach, General Robert E. Lee launched a series of counterattacks. At the same time, Lee sent General Stonewall Jackson north to threaten Washington. As a result, Lincoln was prevented from sending the rest of the Union army to help McClellan. Cautious as usual, McClellan abandoned the attack and retreated. The Peninsula Campaign, as it became known, had failed.
Why did the Confederacy need ships known as “blockade runners”? What was the ironclad ship known as the Virginia? What did the Confederacy do with it? What was the Monitor? What did the Union do with it? What was the influence of ironclads? How long did the Union blockade hold?
Early in the war, Union ships blockaded southern ports. At first, some small, fast ships slipped through the blockade. These “blockade runners” brought everything from matches to guns to the Confederacy. In time, however, the blockade became more effective. Trade through southern ports dropped by more than 90 percent. The South desperately needed a way to break the Union blockade. One method it tried was the ironclad ship. Clad means clothed, or covered. Ironclad ships were covered with iron for protection. Confederates took over an abandoned Union warship, the USS Merrimack. They covered it with iron plates and renamed it the Virginia. On its first day out in March 1862, the Virginia destroyed two Union ships and drove three more aground. Union cannonballs bounced harmlessly off the Virginia’s metal skin. The Union countered with its own ironclad, the Monitor. The two ships clashed in a body of water called Hampton Roads near the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. Despite an exhausting battle, neither vessel seriously damaged the other, and both withdrew. Two months later, Confederates had to sink the Virginia when the Union captured Norfolk. The Union eventually built more than 50 ironclads. Ironclad ships changed naval warfare. However, the South was never again able to mount a serious attack against the Union navy. The Union blockade held throughout the war.
What was the Battle of Antietam? What were the results of the battle? How did McClellan’s supposed victory upset Lincoln, leading to him being fired?
In September 1862, General Lee took the offensive and marched his troops north into Maryland. He believed that a southern victory on northern soil would be a great blow to northern morale. Luck was against Lee, however. At an abandoned Confederate campsite, a Union officer found a copy of Lee’s battle plan. It was wrapped around three cigars, left behind by a careless general. General McClellan was overjoyed to have the information. “If I cannot whip ‘Bobbie Lee,’ I will be willing to go home,” he boasted. However, McClellan was slow to act. Finally, after a few days, he attacked Lee’s main force near a creek called Antietam (an TEE tuhm) in the town of Sharpsburg, Maryland, on September 17. In the battle that followed, more than 23,000 Union and Confederate soldiers were killed or wounded—in one day. September 17, 1862, remains the bloodiest day in American military history. On the night of September 18, Lee ordered his troops to slip back into Virginia. The Confederates breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that McClellan was not pursuing them. Neither side was a clear winner at the Battle of Antietam (also called the Battle of Sharpsburg by the Confederates). The battle was significant, however, because the North was able to claim victory, since Lee had ordered his forces to withdraw. As a result, northern morale improved. Still, President Lincoln was keenly disappointed. General McClellan had failed to follow up his victory by pursuing the Confederates. In November, Lincoln appointed General Ambrose Burnside to replace McClellan as commander of the Army of the Potomac.
