Military
Many new weapons were created during the Civil War, especially by the North. They made use of the technology that they had and used it to create weapons that the South's could not even begin to match. One of these superior weapons was the "Minie Ball," a type of bullet. It was invented by Claude-Etienne Minie in 1849, but did not take the form we know it as today until 1861. It was a very important weapon in warfare. It was so valuable because, though only weighing around 30 grams, it had the ability to rip through one's body. This made it much stronger than other bullets of the time. Another thing that made the Minie Balls special was their grooves. Each Minie Ball had grooves in it, which allowed it to be quickly and easily loaded into the gun. This was so helpful because, while soldiers from the South would take much time in reloading their guns, soldiers using Minie Balls could reload their guns much quicker, and get more time to aim at the soldiers who were still reloading.
Because of the advantages of the North, the Confederacy tried to come up with strategies they could use to battle their advanced weapons. They tried to resist the Union's attacks as long as possible. Whatever they tried, though, the Northern armies were one step ahead of them. One of the Union's greatest strategies was the Anaconda Plan, or Scott's Great Snake. This plan was created by General Winfield Scott in the early days of the Civil War. The primary goal of this plan was to block the South's ports to cut off its supplies, and also to advance the Northern soldiers down the Mississippi river, cutting the South in two. The snake idea for the plan caught on because an anaconda snake constricts it prey to kill it, and the main goal of Scott's plan was to constrict the Southern states from uniting and from getting their supplies.
Yet another way the Union army had an advantage over the Southern army was because of its size. The Union already had a larger population, meaning more men enlisted as soldiers. After the initial Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, African Americans were also allowed to join the army. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was the first regiment in the Union to consist of African American soldiers. Many in the North joined, as did ones escaping from the South. This not only led to a great increase in the amount of soldiers, but the African American soldiers were among the most passionate. Fighting to end slavery and unite the country had directly affected them and their families, so they were all more than ready and willing to vehemently fight for the North to win. Although they did lose their first battle at Fort Wagner, this paved the way for many African American soldiers to enroll. This dramatically helped the North beat the South in future battles.
The soldiers on both sides of the war fought many important battles. Some of the most important battles included: the Second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg. The Second Battle of Bull Run was fought from August 28, 1862 to August 30, 1862. This battle was fought by General John Pope and the Union army, and Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson and the Confederate army. The confederates were initially outnumbered but held off the Union soldiers until reinforcements came. Then, they drove the Union soldiers back to Washington D.C. The Union suffered over 10,000 casualties, in part because of Pope's contradictory and confusing orders. The Confederacy won this battle.
The next battle was the battle of Antietam. It was fought on September 17, 1862. This battle was the first major one of the Civil War to take place on Northern grounds. It is known as the bloodiest single day in American history. From both sides combined, there were: 22,717 men killed, wounded, or missing. The battle ended when General Robert E. Lee ordered the Army of Northern Virginia to go South of the Potomac River.
A third important battle is The Battle of Gettysburg. It was fought from July 1, 1863 to July 3, 1863. It involved the largest number of casualties in the whole Civil War, and is often thought of as the war's turning point, where the outcome of the war was inevitable. Between 46,000 and 51,000 soldiers were killed, injured, or missing from this three-day battle. It turned out to be a victory for the North, though, and General Lee had to lead his army on an agonizing retreat back to Virginia.
No matter how cutting-edge the war technology was, or no matter who had more men or the most passion, though, neither side could have stood a chance at winning the war without good generals. The general in charge of the South's armies for most of the war was Robert E. Lee, and the general in charge a of the North's armies for most of the war was Ulysses S. Grant.
Robert E. Lee knew he was destined for a great military career since he was a child. He was born in Virginia to Colonel Henry Lee, a war hero from the Revolutionary War, who was known as "Light-Horse Harry." In 1846, Lee proved himself as a brave hero and brilliant tactician when the United States went to war with Mexico. His success with putting an end to John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859 put him on a short list of names to lead the Union Army in case the U.S. went to war with the South. He turned down the offer from Abraham Lincoln, though, wanting to feel loyal to his Southern birthplace. When Virginia decided to secede from the Union on April 18, 1861, Lee agreed to help the Confederate forces. He was successful as a general throughout the war, but still had some accidental disasters with battles fought against the North. With the battle known as Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg, his side of the South suffered heavy number of deaths, injuries, and men captured. In 1865, he realized that it was better for the South and its men if he surrendered to General Grant at a private home in Appomattox, Virginia. Although he knew this must be done, he told an aide that " I would rather die a thousand deaths."
Another Southern general who had a slightly more successful time was Stonewall Jackson. He is considered one of the South's best generals, along with Robert E. Lee. He got his nickname while fighting the Battle of Bull Run. He strongly defended against the Union soldiers and held firm, just like a stone wall. He died at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863, when a soldier on his own side accidentally shot him!
Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee's greatest opposition was Ulysses S. Grant. Grant was a brigadier general in 1861. Grant continued to fight successfully, and, in March of 1864, was appointed to General-in-Chief by Abraham Lincoln. Grant directed Major General William Tecumseh Sherman to lead North troops through the South. This attack lasted from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864. This was called Sherman's March to Sea. Here he used the tactic called "total war," using the military strategy of "scorched earth." Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers 285 miles from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. He burned many Southern towns' crops, blew up their ammunition, and ripped up some of their already limited railroad lines. The purpose of doing this was to scare Georgia's civilians into abandoning the Confederate cause. Because of the success of this and other strategies of Grant's, the South eventually surrendered to the Union on April 9, 1865, at the Appomattox Court House.
Because of the advantages of the North, the Confederacy tried to come up with strategies they could use to battle their advanced weapons. They tried to resist the Union's attacks as long as possible. Whatever they tried, though, the Northern armies were one step ahead of them. One of the Union's greatest strategies was the Anaconda Plan, or Scott's Great Snake. This plan was created by General Winfield Scott in the early days of the Civil War. The primary goal of this plan was to block the South's ports to cut off its supplies, and also to advance the Northern soldiers down the Mississippi river, cutting the South in two. The snake idea for the plan caught on because an anaconda snake constricts it prey to kill it, and the main goal of Scott's plan was to constrict the Southern states from uniting and from getting their supplies.
Yet another way the Union army had an advantage over the Southern army was because of its size. The Union already had a larger population, meaning more men enlisted as soldiers. After the initial Emancipation Proclamation was issued by Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, African Americans were also allowed to join the army. The 54th Massachusetts Regiment was the first regiment in the Union to consist of African American soldiers. Many in the North joined, as did ones escaping from the South. This not only led to a great increase in the amount of soldiers, but the African American soldiers were among the most passionate. Fighting to end slavery and unite the country had directly affected them and their families, so they were all more than ready and willing to vehemently fight for the North to win. Although they did lose their first battle at Fort Wagner, this paved the way for many African American soldiers to enroll. This dramatically helped the North beat the South in future battles.
The soldiers on both sides of the war fought many important battles. Some of the most important battles included: the Second Battle of Bull Run, Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg. The Second Battle of Bull Run was fought from August 28, 1862 to August 30, 1862. This battle was fought by General John Pope and the Union army, and Generals Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson and the Confederate army. The confederates were initially outnumbered but held off the Union soldiers until reinforcements came. Then, they drove the Union soldiers back to Washington D.C. The Union suffered over 10,000 casualties, in part because of Pope's contradictory and confusing orders. The Confederacy won this battle.
The next battle was the battle of Antietam. It was fought on September 17, 1862. This battle was the first major one of the Civil War to take place on Northern grounds. It is known as the bloodiest single day in American history. From both sides combined, there were: 22,717 men killed, wounded, or missing. The battle ended when General Robert E. Lee ordered the Army of Northern Virginia to go South of the Potomac River.
A third important battle is The Battle of Gettysburg. It was fought from July 1, 1863 to July 3, 1863. It involved the largest number of casualties in the whole Civil War, and is often thought of as the war's turning point, where the outcome of the war was inevitable. Between 46,000 and 51,000 soldiers were killed, injured, or missing from this three-day battle. It turned out to be a victory for the North, though, and General Lee had to lead his army on an agonizing retreat back to Virginia.
No matter how cutting-edge the war technology was, or no matter who had more men or the most passion, though, neither side could have stood a chance at winning the war without good generals. The general in charge of the South's armies for most of the war was Robert E. Lee, and the general in charge a of the North's armies for most of the war was Ulysses S. Grant.
Robert E. Lee knew he was destined for a great military career since he was a child. He was born in Virginia to Colonel Henry Lee, a war hero from the Revolutionary War, who was known as "Light-Horse Harry." In 1846, Lee proved himself as a brave hero and brilliant tactician when the United States went to war with Mexico. His success with putting an end to John Brown's raid on Harper's Ferry in 1859 put him on a short list of names to lead the Union Army in case the U.S. went to war with the South. He turned down the offer from Abraham Lincoln, though, wanting to feel loyal to his Southern birthplace. When Virginia decided to secede from the Union on April 18, 1861, Lee agreed to help the Confederate forces. He was successful as a general throughout the war, but still had some accidental disasters with battles fought against the North. With the battle known as Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg, his side of the South suffered heavy number of deaths, injuries, and men captured. In 1865, he realized that it was better for the South and its men if he surrendered to General Grant at a private home in Appomattox, Virginia. Although he knew this must be done, he told an aide that " I would rather die a thousand deaths."
Another Southern general who had a slightly more successful time was Stonewall Jackson. He is considered one of the South's best generals, along with Robert E. Lee. He got his nickname while fighting the Battle of Bull Run. He strongly defended against the Union soldiers and held firm, just like a stone wall. He died at the Battle of Chancellorsville on May 2, 1863, when a soldier on his own side accidentally shot him!
Stonewall Jackson and Robert E. Lee's greatest opposition was Ulysses S. Grant. Grant was a brigadier general in 1861. Grant continued to fight successfully, and, in March of 1864, was appointed to General-in-Chief by Abraham Lincoln. Grant directed Major General William Tecumseh Sherman to lead North troops through the South. This attack lasted from November 15, 1864 to December 21, 1864. This was called Sherman's March to Sea. Here he used the tactic called "total war," using the military strategy of "scorched earth." Sherman led some 60,000 soldiers 285 miles from Atlanta to Savannah, Georgia. He burned many Southern towns' crops, blew up their ammunition, and ripped up some of their already limited railroad lines. The purpose of doing this was to scare Georgia's civilians into abandoning the Confederate cause. Because of the success of this and other strategies of Grant's, the South eventually surrendered to the Union on April 9, 1865, at the Appomattox Court House.