Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and March to Sea

Atlanta Campaign

Sherman ordered the civilian evacuation of Atlanta, and aimed to capture the city for its sentimental value to the South, and to ensure the re-election of Lincoln. Additionally, Atlanta was a major supply hub for the Confederacy. When Sherman took Atlanta, he ordered to burn down the buildings related to military, but much of his army was intoxicated, so private property and homes were also burnt to ash. Around 30-40% of Atlanta was burned. Sherman's men also destroyed the Atlanta's rail lines beyond repair.  "Atlanta is ours, and fairly won," William T. Sherman to Abraham Lincoln.

Sherman's men destroying Atlanta railroads.
Link: www.spartacus.schoolnet.co.uk

Remains of Atlanta Depot
Link: americanhistory.unomaha.edu

Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman
Source: www.wired.com

March to Sea

Sherman riskily marched to take Savannah, lacking communications, food, and supplies from the North. Instead, Sherman brilliantly took resources from the fields of the South, thus starving the Confederacy and stuffing his troops. He freed all the slaves his army came across with open arms, however, due to the lack of supplies, former slaves who followed his army had to feed themselves.  Through Sherman's "Total War" policy, his army aimed to strike fear in the hearts of the Confederate civilians by destroying property, which would help to quicken the end of the war.

When Sherman and his men arrived in Savannah, the Mayor, after hearing what happened to Atlanta, surrendered Savannah to save its history and people. Sherman gave Savannah Lincoln as a Christmas present in 1864, " I beg to present to you as a Christmas gift the city of Savannah, with one hundred and fifty guns and plenty of ammunition, also about twenty five thousand bales of cotton.

Sherman's Total War Policy
Source; www.valdosta.edu

Map of Sherman's March to Sea
Source: www.austincc.edu

These campaigns were successful in demoralizing the Confederate army, destroying Confederate supply lines, inciting dissension throughout the Confederate army, and ensuring Lincoln's reelection. They cost Georgia's economy today's equivalent of $1 Billion.

The Battles of Chattanooga and Chickamauga

Major General William Starke Rosecrans
Link: www.arlingtoncemetery.net

The Battles of Chattanooga and Chickamauga were two major battles of the Chattanooga Campaign. The Union army was led by General William Rosecrans, who took Chattanooga in August of 1863. In November, the Union troops
marched south into Georgia where they were met by Confederate forces at Chickamauga. The Union retreated in formation back to Chattanooga. From there, General-in-Cheif Ulysses S. Grant established a supply line to resource the upcoming Atlanta Campaign to be led by William T. Sherman.

It's important to note around this time, the Anaconda Plan (blockade of Southern ports) was begin inning to take a major toll on the Confederate forces. The Rebels were technologically set back, because they lacked the knowledge and resources to manufacture the repeater rifles that were now being mass produced in the Union. Some of these repeater rifles could hold up to 16 rounds per magazine, so the Confederacy was essentially fighting against early machine guns with muskets.

Map of the Battle of Chattanooga
Link: http://www.posix.com/CWmaps/

Hooker at Lookout Mountain (Chattanooga)
James Walker
Link: americancivilwar.com

Around this time, blacks began fighting in the Union military. In Georgia, the 54th Massachusetts, a regiment made up entirely of Northern free, black volunteers, successfully raided the town of Darien. These brave soldiers fought to prove themselves to the rest of the world. Chickamauga was the first major battle in which African-Americans were incorporated.

54th Regiment Massachusetts
Link: literacyhistoryblog.wordpress.com

The Battle of Gettysburg (July 1-3, 1863)

For the second time in the war, General Robert E. Lee marched into Northern territory, this time into Maryland and Pennsylvania. Lee had hopes to surprise the Union army, win the battle, and start peace negotiations or at least receive foreign aid. Lee did surprise the Union army with a bombardment, however, he did not win the battle. What took place in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania was the bloodiest battle of the war, amounting to over 50,000 casualties. 

 Peter Rothermel: Charge of the Pennsylvania Reserves at Plum Run,
Battle of Gettysburg
Found at: http://19thcenturyusapaint.blogspot.com/2012/09/civil-war.html

Prior to the battle, the Confederates surrendered Vicksburg. In effect, the Union controlled the Mississippi River and the western theater of the war. Soon after Vicksburg, the Battle of Gettysburg took place, and delivered a major blow to the Army of Northern Virginia (Lee's Army). Now the Confederacy was in a corner, weak, and vulnerable, which is why Gettysburg is considered to be the turning point of the civil war. The result of the battle excited the North, but put the South in dispair.

Interesting Fact: Lincoln did not honorably bury Confederate dead, he only dedicated the cemetery at Gettysburg to the dead of the Union.

Map of the Battle of Gettysburg
Found at: www.civilwar.org

Emancipation Proclamation

Abraham Lincoln and his Emancipation Proclamation.
The Strobridge Lith. Co., Cincinnati, c1888. 

After the battle of Antietam, Lincoln finally had enough momentum to do what he had been waiting to do for a long time: he
addressed slavery by issuing the Emancipation Proclamation on January1,1963. The Emancipation freed all slaves in the South, allowed them to join the military, and gave them the right to act in self defense.  When the Union troops invaded Southern lands, they freed the slaves and asked the able-bodied slaves join the military (many did join making the proclamation strategically and militarily logical). It's important to note that the Proclamation did not give African descendants the right to vote, nor did it free slaves in the border states (Maryland, Missouri, Deleware, West Virginia,and Kentucky). Those slaves were not free until the 13 amendment. Still, the Emancipation Proclamation was a major stepping stone to completely abolishing slavery.

 

Left: Recruitment Poster for Black Soldiers      Right: Lincoln's Last Warning !0-11-1862
Source: www.archives.gov                         Source:www.civilwarliterature.com

Antietam (September 17,1862)

Battle of Antiedam
Source: www.history.army.mil 

Antietam (also known as Sharpsburg) was by far the bloodiest day in American history. It took place in September, 1862 in Sharpsburg, Maryland. General Lee had gained much support and momentum from the second battle of Bull Run and the Peninsula campaign. By this time, the South was negotiating with Britain and France for their respective support, so for recognition Lee attempted to invade Maryland. Unfortunately for the Confederacy, an unknown general accidentally dropped a battle plan which was picked up by a Northern sympathizer, who turned the battle plan over to the Union military. Union General-in-Chief (head general) McClellan had this advantage when he met Lee's forces in northern Maryland. The Union had a major advantage of having 85,000 troops, double the Confederate troops in size. After about 13 hours of fighting, the battle resulted in a draw with over 10,000 Confederate casualties and 12,000 Union casualties (Keep in mind the Union had much more troops than the Rebels). When the Confederates withdrew, McClellan failed to chase after them, which could have brought the already longer than expected war to a close. For his failure to do so, Lincoln removed him of his position for the last time.

Map of the Battle of Antiedam
Source: www.civilwaralbum.com

Battle of Fort Sumter (April 12,1961) and the Battle of Bull Run/Manassas (July 21,1861)

Battle of Forth Sumter
Source: www.loc.gov

The Battle of Fort Sumter was the first military engagement between the Union and Confederacy. The fort itself is located in the Charleston Harbor, so whoever controlled the fort controlled the flow of imports to South Carolina. Naturally, when South Carolina seceded, they tried to capture the Union forts in their territory. Even though the Rebels captured the fort, this battle united Northerners, and it wa

s the beginning of the Civil War.

Fort Sumpter
Source: news.nationalgeographic.com

Map of the Battle of Fort Sumter
Source: www.civilwar.org

Battle of Bull Run
Found at: www.civalwarcostumes.com

The Battle of Bull Run (Manassas was one of the first major engagements in the Civil War. This battle was significant, because it changed the Northern mindset from a glorified, romanticized, overconfident view on war to a brutal, challenging conquest. The Norths sent 30,000 troops with the objective of cutting off Southern railroad lines to Richmond, the Confederate capital.  The Rebels cut off the Union with 22,000 troops at Bull Run Creek (hence the name). Northerners even came to have picnics while watching the battle from afar, and were shocked to see the Union losing to what they thought was an easy opponent. In the end, the Union suffered about 3,000 casualties (460 killed) and retreated. The confederates managed to stand their ground until their reinforcements arrived. The Rebels suffered 2,000 casualties (387 dead). The union loss was largely attributed to the lack of experienced, qualified officers. On the other hand, the Confederates had educated officers and a stubborn, fearless commanding general, Stonewall Jackson.

Painting of Stonewall Jackson at Bull Run
by David Bendann

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Union and Confederacy

North and South Differences and Strongholds

                                        Source: www.civilwar.org

At the time of the Civil war, the North had the largest population and an industrial economy, which attributed to a much higher GDP than the South. The North had the power to manufacture arms and ammunition, and the navy to block the South's trade routes. On the other hand, the North had the difficult military objective of invading the unfamiliar South. All the Confederacy had to do was sufficiently defend their land. Additionally, they lacked an espirit de corps until after the Emancipation Proclamation when abolishing slavery became a common goal. Moreover, the North was fighting for a more selfless purpose, whereas the South was fighting for their home and "property." Almost 80% of the railroads were in Union territory.The South could produce enough food to sustain their army, but lacked the railroad system to transport it. In the North, President Lincoln managed to weaponize the vast railroad system by using it as an effective military transport and a telegraph communication network. At the beginning of the war the Confederacy lacked the industry to arm their military, but by the end of the war the were many armories were established and this problem was resolved.

American/Confederate Flag
Source:www.socialstudieswithasmile.com

Georgia's Secession and the Role of Alexander Stephens

Soon after Lincoln's election, South Carolina seceded from the Union. South Carolina was sequentially followed by Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, and Texas (these were the states that were quick to secede). Georgia, a very powerful, railroad driven state at the time, was unique because it did not unanimously vote for succession. The pro-union movement was led by Alexander Stephens who was very aware war would be the consequence of secession. His quote below demonstrates his weariness towards war with the Union.

"This step (the secession of Georgia,) once taken can never be recalled; and all the baleful and withering consequences that must follow will rest on the Convention for all coming time. When we and our posterity shall see our lovely South desolated by the demon of war which this act of yours will inevitably invite and call forth; when our green fields of waving harvests shall be trodden down by the murderous soldiery and fiery car of war sweeping over our land; our temples of justice laid in ashes; all the horrors and desolation of war upon us--who but this Convention will be held responsible for it?" (Alexander Stephens, State Convention of Georgia, 1861)

Portrait of Alexander Stephens
Source: history.furman.edu

In the end, Georgia voted in favor of succession on January 19th, 1861. The Civil War officially began three months later with the Battle of Fort Sumner on April 12th, 1961.

Map of Succession
Source: http://www.nps.gov/kemo/historyculture/wardeclared.htm