CIVIL WAR BEGINS

            January 1861, supplies were sent to Fort Sumter but the South Carolina cannon halted the action. In April, President Lincoln sent another shipment of supplies and the encounter turned into a confrontation. It was the first encounter of the Civil War.

            Both the Southerners and Northerners expected the upcoming war to last only 90 days. The day after the exchange at Fort Sumter, President Lincoln called on the states to provide 75,000 militiamen for 90 days. Border states such as Kentucky were angry at the request, stating that …Kentucky would not furnish troops for the wicked purpose of subduing her sister southern states…. Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Florida, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, and Virginia seceded from the Union in the spring of 1861. The Confederate States set up their capitol in Richmond, Virginia just 100 miles from Washington D. C.

STRATEGIES OF THE UNION MILITARY

            The Northern forces wanted to divide the Southern states. Blockades of Southern ports and attempts to control the Mississippi River. The leadership of the Union forces was given to U. S. Grant and his strategy was to wage total war in the southern states. Sherman used this tactic on his march through Georgia. The burning of Atlanta from the movie “Gone with the Wind” is the result of this type of war tactic. Not only were the troops defeated, factories, forts, fields, railroads, and livestock were destroyed.

STRATEGIES OF THE CONFEDERATE MILITARY

            The best way for the south to win would be not to lose. In order to accomplish this, the Confederate forces fought a war of attrition. Rather than use all of their forces in battle, the southern leaders would have their armies attack the northern forces and do battle then just as rapidly disappear. In addition, the southern leaders decided to fight a defensive war in which the northerners would have to take the fight to the southern forces. In 1862, changes in strategy lead to the invasion of the north by General Lee. This invasion was an attempt to force Lincoln to negotiate peace, convince Europe to support the south, and provide the soldiers with food, while allowing harvest to continue in Virginia. The change of strategy led to the bloodiest battle of the war, the Battle of Antietam. A military draw which resulted in England and France delaying their assistance to the southern states.

            Battle of Bull Run also known as Manassas. Many people went to watch the battle, while many women packed gowns for the celebration dance in Richmond. Behind “Stonewall Jackson”, the Confederates routed the Union forces. Retreating and scared soldiers became entangled with the sightseers and picnickers.

            One year later the Battle of Shiloh enabled the northern forces to control the river system in the northern part of the southern states. Days later, David Farragut captured New Orleans for the Union forces, thus controlling the northern and southern parts of the Mississippi River.  July of 1863 Grant had taken the city of Vicksburg, which gave the northern forces control of the Mississippi River thus cutting the south in half.

            On the day before the defeat at Vicksburg, the Confederates were defeated at Gettysburg. Today, the site of the battle is now a national cemetery, which was dedicated 6 months after the battle.