Lecture - Chapter 4, Key Battles of the Civil War, Part 2

You need to
WRITE DOWN
anything labeled
“Notes”!
Don’t make
me come
over there!
That’s right…
I said, “Notes”.
We are covering
2 major battles,
“Total War,” and
General Lee’s
surrender at
Appomattox
Courthouse,
Virginia.
The Anaconda Plan
Tj
We still need to
gain control of the
Mississippi River…
Sure it is heavily
fortified…but we
outnumber them
40,000 to 18,000.
To h*** with
this…we will just
lay siege to
Vicksburg!
Mr. Fox…what the heck is
a siege?
My fellow gangsters, a
siege is when you
completely surround a
place and shoot at it
without stopping…for
example, Ft. Sumter!
Now you know…
- Grant’s Men
- Union Naval Blockade
The Union Navy
shelled the city
endlessly.
The Union Army shot
anyone who dared
enter the streets,
civilian or soldier.
By early June the
stench of rotting flesh
was unbearable both in
Vicksburg and on the
hillsides.
Grant called a brief
cease-fire and ordered
his men to assist the
Confederates in the
removal and burial of
the dead.
Then the shelling resumed...
Notes #1
Vicksburg, MS: May & July, 1863
What Happened:
- Lincoln wanted complete control of the Mississippi River
- Sent Gen. Grant to Vicksburg, the last remaining western Confederate hold out
- Vicksburg was heavily fortified
- Army strength: 40,000 US, 18,000 CSA
- May 22nd: After two failed assaults, rather than attack Vicksburg again, Grant decides to lay
siege to the city, using the superior Union Navy to cut off access on the river side
- People in the street are shot on sight, and the dead bodies are never removed
- Early June: Brief cease fire: Union troops help confederates bury their dead
- Civilians and soldiers remain trapped inside Vicksburg until Jul 4th when the Confederates
surrender
Significance:
- Confederacy divided
- Union control of the Mississippi
- Grant gains further prestige in Union
In late June,
1863, the
Confederate
army was still
enjoying great
success,
however the war
was taking a toll
on the Southern
states…
particularly in
Virginia.
Robert E. Lee
decided, once
again, he needed
to advance into
the North and
bring the fight to
the Union. His
goal was to cut
deep into
Pennsylvania
and eventually
reach New York.
Huzzah! Let’s
scare the
Yankees and get
our freedom!
The day ends with the Union
troops nearly surrounded by
Confederate forces.
Late in the evening, Gen.
Lee (CSA) and Gen. Meade
(USA) arrive at Gettysburg
and begin to strategize.
Lee’s Battle Plan
Lee developed a complicated battle
plan based on the last known Union
positions. The attack required
timed coordination between CSA
Generals Ewell, Hill, and Longstreet
who would attack “en echelon.”
That is hard to do in a time without
radio, cell phones, etc.
Attacking “en echelon”
essentially means
attacking in sequence.
Ewell would attack first,
followed by Hill, and then
Longstreet.
This would prevent
Union Gen. Meade from
shifting his troops to
shore up any weak lines.
The Confederate assault hit four key areas:
- Devil’s Den
View from
- The Slaughter Pen
Round Top
- The Valley of Death
- The Round Tops
Slaughter Pen
Devil’s Den: rocky field on the approach to the Round Tops
The Slaughter Pen: field at the base of Little Round Top
The Valley of Death: small valley on the approach to the Round Tops
Confederate General
Longstreet’s men rushed up
the Round Tops and found
themselves facing
punishing fire from the
reinforced Union lines in
superior position.
Longstreet was several
hours late in his assault due
to the terrain.
Longstreet’s late arrival
would be the Confederate’s
downfall.
Overnight it is said that the two sides sang songs to each other to pass
the time and help drown out the moaning of the wounded lying in the
field.
Men from both sides are reported to have helped their wounded enemies.
Lee is desperate and in a weak
position behind a stand of trees
across from the Union line.
Lee fears defeat at Gettysburg
will be the beginning of the
end for the Confederacy.
How right he would be!
Lee decides to try an all
out frontal assault on
the Union line. It
appears to be a
desperate gamble.
The attack has
become known as
“Pickett’s Charge”
or the
“Pickett-Pettigrew
Assault.”
Lee sent 12,500 men on a ¾ mile suicide march
across an open field in to Union rifle and artillery
fire…
This charge has become symbolic of the Civil War itself.
It displayed every aspect of the Civil War soldier:
Courage Dedication Loyalty
Pickett’s Charge
was a
DISASTER!
Only 50% of the men on Pickett’s Charge survive
unscathed…6,000 were killed or wounded.
The field comes to be known as the “Harvest of Death.”
CSA
USA
Notes #2
Gettysburg, PA: July 1-3, 1863
What Happened:
- Late June, 1863: Lee decides to take the battle to the Union again; the land/people of VA can
no longer support the troops
- July 1st: Union and Confederate skirmishers bump into each other outside Gettysburg; neither
side prepared to fight
- After a brief battle, Union troops retreat chaotically through the streets of town
- For the rest of the evening reenforcements pour in on both sides
- July 2nd: Lee plans to envelope the Union forces by surrounding them on both flanks
- Coordination fails; Gen. Longstreet is late to the Round Tops
- Union wins the day
- July 3rd: Lee is desperate and in a weak position
- Believes loss at Gettysburg will be the beginning of the end for CSA
- Orders Pickett-Pettigrew Assault - fails
Significance:
- “The Turning Point”
- First true Union victory
- Southern forces never truly recover
Ten days after the victory at Gettysburg,
Lincoln was faced with one of the most
difficult domestic problems he faced.
On March 3, 1863 Congress had authorized
the first draft in U.S. history. Male citizens
between 18 and 35 were eligible to be drafted
to serve three years in the military.
On July 11, 1863 that draft began.
The exact motivation for the draft is unclear –
there was definitely a growing death toll, but
the Union faced no major shortage of man
power.
More likely, the draft
was designed to
encourage voluntary
enlistment.
Lincoln’s problem was that public perception
of the draft was quite different than the reality.
Few men were actually drafted, but the public
feared the draft of the poor for what was now
seen as a war for the slaves at the behest of
the rich but at the cost of the working class
and immigrants.
The main contributing factors to this were the
Emancipation Proclamation and the ability to
buy one’s way out of the draft for a sum of
$300 (~$5,500 today) as well as the provision
allowing a drafted citizen to supply a
substitute and, thus, avoid service. The
working class, in particular, was very
unhappy.
On Friday, July 11th, when
the first names were drawn,
there was calm.
On Monday July 13th, when
the second names were
drawn, riots broke out…
Militia had to be recalled
from Gettysburg to put
down the riots and restore
calm to NYC.
By Thursday, July 16th, there were thousands of
Federal troops in the city all working together to put
down the riots. Total fatalities were probably around
150, but the injured totaled over 2,000 more and
around 50 buildings were destroyed.
The riots are the worst draft riots in U.S. history and
emphasized the growing dissatisfaction with Lincoln
and the war and highlighted the fears of the working
class and immigrant labor about emancipation.
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address
Only photo of
President Lincoln
at Gettysburg.
General Grant, it has been a year
and a half since Gettysburg and
we still haven’t won this war!
Something must be done!
I know!
Let’s burn everything!
We’ll call it “Total War.”
We will bring the South to
it’s knees.
Hmm….burn everything?
That might just work!
Now I am in
real trouble!
I have nowhere to
run and nowhere to
get resupplied….
Notes #3 – “Total War”
Sherman’s March to the Sea, GA:
Nov. 15 - Dec. 22, 1864
What Happened:
- Sherman and Grant decide the war will only end when the Southern people’s will to continue
is broken
- Grant and Sherman apply “scorched earth” tactics
- Union marches from Atlanta, GA to Savannah, GA destroying the southern infrastructure as
they go
- Burn crops
- Kill livestock
- “Sherman’s neckties”
- Destroy wealthy, live poor alone
- Absorb blacks into Union line
Significance:
- Nearly ends civilian support for the Confederacy
- Leaves Lee’s army stranded, unable to be resupplied, and on the run
Following Sherman’s
March to the Sea,
Grant starts chasing
Lee all over the South,
mostly in Virginia.
This is futile!

I cannot win this
war…they
outnumber me
110,000 to 27,000.
I’m doomed!
On April 9th, Lee
and Grant met in
Wilmer McLean’s
Parlor in
Appomattox, VA to
discuss terms of
surrender.
Lee agreed to formally surrender on April 12th at
Appomattox Courthouse, VA. When Lee attempted to
surrender his sword, a sign of defeat, Grant refused to
accept it, a sign of deep respect for his adversary.
On April 12th, an overcast Wednesday, the Confederate soldiers marched
past the Union line. Both sides saluted each other. The Confederate
soldiers turned in their weapons and were then allowed to leave
peacefully and return to their homes. The Civil War was now at an end.
Lincoln and others would have to work
hard to unify a nation still bleeding from
the wounds of a war with herself.
This next period would be known as
Reconstruction.
Notes #4
The End is Here: Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia (April 1865)
o Lee’s forces starving and unable to be resupplied
o Grant’s army chasing Lee all over Virginia
o Grant’s army outnumbered Lee’s by 80,000 (110,000 USA, 27,000 CSA)
o Lee realizes he cannot defeat the Union or continue fighting
o April 9th (Sunday)
 Lee and Grant meet in Wilmer McLean’s parlor
 Discuss surrender terms
 Lee to surrender on April 12th (4 years to the day the war started at Ft. Sumner.)
 Cease fire declared
 Grant, as a sign of respect, refuses to accept Lee’s sword which normally is
surrendered to the victor
o April 12th (Wednesday)
 Overcast cloudy day…
 Confederate soldiers marched past Union lines
 “Awed stillness and breath-holding, as if it were the passing dead”
 Confederate soldiers had to turn in their guns, but were allowed to leave peacefully