| Military Strategies, Socio-Economic Effects and Politics of the Civil War (1861-1865) |
|
Sections:- Jefferson Davis’ Message to the Confederate Congress (February 26, 1861)
- George B. McClellan to Abraham Lincoln (July 7, 1862)
- An Act to suppress Insurrection (July 17, 1862)
- Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis (September 1862)
- Letter from Robt. A. Maxwell to Gen. McClure (Sept. 12, 1862)
- The Battle of Gettysburg: History & Voices
- The Battle of Gettysburg: Two Generals and a President
- The Battle of Gettysburg: The Daily Life of Civil War Soldiers
- The Battle of Gettysburg: Mapping the Battle
- The Battle of Gettysburg: The Battle Begins (July 1st, 1863)
- The Battle of Gettysburg: Day 2 (July 2nd, 1863)
- The Battle of Gettysburg: Day 3 (July 3rd, 1863)
- The Battle of Gettysburg: The Aftermath
- The Battle of Gettysburg: The Gettysburg Address (November 19, 1863)
- The Battle of Gettysburg: Voices of the Battle: Tillie Pierce
- Robert E. Lee to Jefferson Davis (July 31, 1863)
- General John B. Hood's General Field Order No. 14 (August 12, 1864)
- Alice Williamson’s Diary (Feb 19, 1964-Sept. 27, 1864)
- Carrie Berry Diary (August 1, 1864-January 4, 1865)
- Letter from J Merrill Linn Eli Slifer (April 11, 1865)
|
| Attached Documents
Shortly after the start of the war, Jefferson Davis, in an address to the Confederate Congress, outlined what he believed to be the prerogatives of the executive branch. To successfully conduct the war, Davis argued that the executive must assume a greater coordinating function for the Confederacy.
Questions to Consider
1. What authority over war materiel does Davis claim for the executive?
2. According to Davis, who should control correspondence with foreign governments?
|
| | | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
At the onset of the Civil War, George B. McClellan (1826-1885) proved himself to be an efficient organizer with strong personal magnetism. In November 1861 he was named General-in-Chief of the U.S. Army, answerable only to President Lincoln. McClellan spent the winter of 1861-62 training the army, something it desperately needed. He reorganized a disjointed and poorly disciplined army, which gained him the respect and approval of his men.
But the reorganization and training of soldiers seemed, for McClellan, to be an end in itself: McClellan developed few operations plans and divulged even fewer to his civilian masters.
Soon, McClellan was superseded by Henry Wager Halleck as commander in chief.
As a general, his military operations soon became a frustrating series of lost opportunities. He consistently overestimated his opposing forces, and his carefully devised plans were lacking in execution. Lincoln became increasingly impatient with McClellan’s progress. McClellan's Peninsula Campaign in 1862 ended in failure, retreating from attacks by General Robert E. Lee's smaller army, without the planned seizure of the Confederate capital of Richmond. His performance at the bloody Battle of Antietam blunted Lee's invasion of Maryland, but allowed Lee to eke out a precarious tactical draw and avoid destruction, despite being heavily outnumbered.
After the Battle of Antietam, he was ordered to turn over his command to his good friend Ambrose E. Burnside and to go home to New Jersey to await further orders. They never came.
Attached Documents
In this document, McClellan advises Lincoln on general military strategy.
Questions to Consider
1. According to McClellan, what crisis is facing the Union? What does the General recommend?
2. How does McClellan view the Confederate rebellion? In his opinion, how should Lincoln regard the revolt?
3. How should the war be conducted? Who should be targeted? Who should be spared?
4. How should the Union military treat private property?
5. Does McClellan recommend interfering with southern slavery? Should the Union use slave labor?
6. According to McClellan, why should Lincoln avoid making a “radical” statement regarding slavery?
|
| | | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
During the war, Both the Union and Confederate Congresses enacted sweeping legislation designed to seize the private property of "enemy" citizens on a massive scale. In August, 1861 United States Congress passes the First Confiscation Act authorizing the
government to seize property of those participating in the Rebellion. Weeks later, the Confederate Congress retaliated by passing the Sequestration Act which authorized the permanent seizure of the real and personal property of "alien enemies" within the Confederate States of America. This act primarily affected those individuals who remained loyal to the union.
Attached Documents
This document, “an act to suppress insurrection, to punish treason and rebellion, to seize and confiscate the property of rebels, and for other purposes,” became known as the Second Confiscation Act. This act was much broader than the First Act and was passed by the United States Congress on July 17, 1862. It allowed for the “seizure of all property of anyone who recognized and or supported the legitimacy of the Confederacy”. The second Confiscation Act was also a virtual emancipation proclamation for southern slaves. It said that slaves of civilian and military Confederate officials “shall be forever free,” but it was enforceable only in areas of the South occupied by the Union Army. Yet President Lincoln was concerned about the effect of an antislavery measure on the border states and again urged these states to begin gradual compensated emancipation.
After the end of the conflict, as the victors, the United States Congress nullified all
the laws of the former Confederacy. Thus the prior confiscation of millions in property
and goods was as though it had never happened in the legal sense; it was all absorbed into
the newly reconstituted United States. The Federal courts continued to examine the implications of the Act.
Questions to Consider
1. What is the proscribed punishment for treason? What will happen to the slaves of those guilty of treason?
2. What is the proscribed punishment for those who help traitors to the United States?
3. What authority is vested in the President over the property of those guilty of treason? To whom does this apply specifically?
4. What will happen to slaves fleeing from the South or captured by Union forces? How can the President make use of African-Americans for the war effort?
5. According to the decree, what can the President do to remove those of African descent from the United States?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
In August 1862, Union General John Pope suffered defeated at the Second Battle of Bull Run on August 29-30. The following month, Union General McClellan defeated Confederate General Lee at South Mountain and Crampton's Gap in September. Unfortunately, McClellan failed to move quickly enough to save Harper's Ferry, which fell to Confederate General Jackson on September 15, along with a great number of men and a large body of supplies.
Attached Documents
In September 1862, Robert E. Lee, believing the time was ripe to exploit recent Confederate success, wrote Jefferson Davis requesting permission to adopt a new strategy against the Union.
Questions to Consider
1. What operation against the Union does Lee propose to Davis? What reasons does he give?
2. Why is Lee against invading the Union? What does he propose instead?
3. Which supplies does Lee ask from Davis?
|
| | | | Citations: | |
|
| Attached Documents
In this document, Robert A. Maxwell advises General McClure to adopt a unique tactic in order to slow the advance of Confederatate forces near the Susquehanna River.
Questions to Consider
1. What tactic does R A Maxwell advise General McClure to adopt? Why?
2. What does “Greek Fire” consist of?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
Fought over the first three days of July 1863, the Battle of Gettysburg was one of the most critical battles of the Civil War having occurred at a time when the fate of the nation hung in the balance- the summer of 1863. Often referred to as the "High Water Mark of the Confederacy", it was the culmination of the second and most ambitious invasion of the North by General Robert E. Lee and the "Army of Northern Virginia". The "Army of the Potomac", the Union army that had long been the nemesis of Lee, met the Confederate invasion at the crossroads town of Gettysburg and though it was under a new commander, General George Gordon Meade, the northerners fought with a desperation born of defending their home territory. The Union victory at the Battle of Gettysburg resulted in Lee's retreat to Virginia and an end to the hopes of the Confederacy for independence. |
| | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
The Battle of Gettysburg was directed by Confederate General, Robert E. Lee, and Union General, George Gordon Meade. General Lee had the goal of pushing into the North farther than in any previous battle, while General Meade commanded his troops to fight for the preservation of the Union. President Lincoln knew the critical point the war was at, and with a Union victory, he presented himself not as a victor but as a commander leading the charge of reunification.
Attached Documents
Presented here are brief bios of these key figures in the Battle for Gettysburg.
Questions to Consider
1. Compare & contrast the lives and experiences of Lee & Meade analyzing how they came to lead troops in the Battle of Gettysburg.
2. What role did President Lincoln play at Gettysburg?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
While the exciting and deadly battles of the Civil War are most often discussed and remembered, the day-to-day life of Civil War soldiers was far from action packed. In many cases, soldiers would find themselves bored on a daily basis, and with very few comforts to take their mind off of the boredom.
Attached Documents
The following information compares the life and comforts (or lack there of) for Civil War soldiers and officers during the down times of the war.
Questions to Consider
1. Describe the objects and environment of the first picture. What would life be like in the cold, rain, or snow? What comforts are the men lacking?
2. What were officers allowed to have with them that enlisted men were not?
3. Compare and contrast the pictures of the officer’s tent and the enlisted men’s tent? What items do officers have that would make their life more comfortable?
|
| | | | | | Citations: | |
|
| Attached Documents
Analyzing maps to gain a greater understanding of where the Battle of Gettysburg takes place is a key element in the study of the Civil War. Maps provide insight into where in the United States the battle took place, and how the battle progressed in terms of strategies and wins/losses. Below is a traditional map showing Gettysburg in relation to other landmarks in the United States, and then a website that provides interactive maps for each day of the battle.
A Flash animated map is available at: http://www.discovery.com/stories/history/civilwar/gettysburg/map.html
Questions to Consider
1. Describe where the in the United States the Battle of Gettysburg took place.
2. Summarize Day 1 – what strategies were used by the Union & Confederate troops? How did the day end?
3. Summarize Day 2 – what strategies are used by the Union & Confederate troops? How are the battles of Day 1 & Day 2 similar and different?
4. Summarize Day 3 – what was the goal of the Confederate forces? How did the battle end?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
On June 30, Confederate troops left their camps at Cashtown and marched toward Gettysburg in search of supplies. Upon reaching the edge of Gettysburg, scouts spied a column of Union cavalry south of town, closing fast. Under orders not to initiate a battle, the Confederates returned to Cashtown where they reported the encounter to their commander, Lt. General A.P. Hill. Hill agreed to send two divisions of his corps toward Gettysburg the next day to investigate the arrival of the mystery cavalrymen and the stage was set for the opening of the battle on July 1st, 1863.
Questions to Consider
1. Describe how the battle began.
2. What struggles did the Union troops face?
3. How did the townspeople react? How did Union troops use the town for protection?
4. Describe the end of the fighting for Day 1; what did the soldiers do at nightfall?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
July 1 was a great victory for General Lee, but not a decisive one. Though the Union forces had been badly mauled, they had retreated to a strong position south of Gettysburg. General Meade arrived on the battlefield near midnight and after discussions with his corps commanders, decided to wait for the rest of his army to concentrate around Cemetery Hill. Come the morning of July 2, he would attack Lee or defend the prominent hills where his men now rested. Lee, meanwhile, seated in his headquarters tent on Seminary Ridge, pondered the growing strength of the Union position south of Gettysburg. If only he could hear from his cavalry chief J.E.B. Stuart and information he could provide about the remainder of the Union army.
Questions to Consider
1. What was the strategy for the Union on Day 2? What was the Confederate strategy?
2. Why is Day 2 described as the bloodiest day?
3. How did the battle for Culp’s & Cemetery Hill end?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
At the end of the second day, apart from the precious foothold on Culp's Hill, the Confederate gamble of simultaneous attacks had failed. Knowing that he could not sustain more than another full day of battle, a frustrated Lee was working at his headquarters when a smiling General "JEB" Stuart arrived. The smile quickly vanished when the disgusted army commander admonished Stuart for his long absence and failure to report Union movements in the weeks prior to the battle. Yet it was quickly back to the business at hand for Stuart's cavalry would fit prominently into Lee's strategy for the next day of battle. Meanwhile, General Meade held a "Council of War" at his headquarters on the Taneytown Road. Though the Union line had been restored by midnight there was still a sizeable Confederate force on Culp's Hill. Almost to a man, his generals agreed to stay at Gettysburg, retake and secure Culp's Hill, and then wait for Lee to attack. If he did not, then Meade should order a counterattack and force Lee to fight or flee. The Gettysburg Campaign was about to reach its climax.
Questions to Consider
1. Describe the battle at Culp’s Hill. What was the Confederate strategy after this fight?
2. What was the goal of Pickett’s Charge?
3. Did the Confederates reach their goal? Support your answer.
4. How did Day 3 end?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
While the battle was over in three days, the town of Gettysburg had a long road ahead. Not only did the town have to make repairs to land and structures, it found itself now home to thousands of dead and wounded soldiers. Below is the statistics from this bloody and deadly battle, and a description of how the people of Gettysburg worked to bring about a proper end to the battle.
Questions to Consider
1. What roles did the townspeople & army doctors take on after the battle ended?
2. Describe the medical care given to the wounded soldiers.
3. How did the Soldiers National Cemetery come into being? Who was present for the dedication?
4. Compare and describe the casualties faced by the Union & Confederate armies during the Battle of Gettysburg.
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Attached Documents
With the Battle of Gettysburg over, and the loss of lives immense, President Lincoln traveled to the battlefield for the dedication of the Soldier’s Cemetery. While Gettysburg was a great victory for the North, Lincoln was looking to the future when addressing those assembled in November of 1863.
Questions to Consider
1. Why was President Lincoln speaking at Gettysburg?
2. What hope does President Lincoln have for the country?
3. Even though the North won the Battle of Gettysburg, why do you think President Lincoln does not boast or brag about the victory in his speech?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
Tillie Pierce was born in 1848 and when the battle began, had lived all her life in the village of Gettysburg. Her father made his living as a butcher and the family lived above his shop in the heart of town. Tillie witnessed the entire battle and published her observations twenty-six years after the event.
Attached Documents
Tillie attended the "Young Ladies Seminary" a finishing school near her home. She was attending school on June 26 when the cry "the Rebels are coming!" reverberated through the town's sleepy streets.
As the sounds of battle increased and the fighting neared her home, Tillie joined a neighbor as she and her children fled to her father's (Jacob Weikert) house three miles south of town near Round Top. Tillie's parents elected to stay in town.
During the battle's second day, fighting shifted to the area around Little Round Top. Tillie remained in the Weikert home carrying water to passing Union troops while others baked bread for the soldiers. Towards noon she witnessed an incident at the front of the house.
Lee aimed his attack at the center of the Union line. The ferocity of the battle forced Tillie and the others to flee to a farm house farther from the fighting. Late in the day, as the battle subsided, the family decided to return to the Weikert farm.
Hearing that her family was safe in town, it was decided that Tillie should remain at the Weikert farm for a few days after the battle. On July 5, Tillie and some friends climbed to the crest of Little Round Top and surveyed the battlefield below.
Questions to Consider
1. Who are the Rebels Tillie is referring to? What was her concern as they entered town?
2. What roles do Tillie and others take on during the battle?
3. Describe how the wounded were taken care of. What type of medical procedures did Tillie witness?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Attached Documents
Following the Battle of Gettysburg, Lee wrote Davis again, suggesting subsequent strategy & offer a military explanation for the tide-turning Confederate defeat.
Questions to Consider
1. In the wake of the Battle of Gettysburg, what has the Confederate government and army suffered? What does Lee advise?
2. How does Lee explain the Confederate defeat at Gettysburg?
|
| | | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
John Bell Hood (1831 – 1879) was a Confederate general during the American Civil War. Hood had a reputation for bravery and aggressiveness that sometimes bordered on recklessness. Arguably one of the best brigade and division commanders in the Confederate States Army and wounded at Gettyburg, Hood became increasingly ineffective as he was promoted to lead larger, independent commands, and his career was marred by his decisive defeats leading an army in the Atlanta Campaign and the Franklin-Nashville Campaign.
In the spring of 1864, the Confederate Army of Tennessee, under Joseph E. Johnston, was engaged in a campaign of maneuver against William T. Sherman, who was driving from Chattanooga toward Atlanta. Jefferson Davis lost patience with Johnston's strategy of withdrawals and relieved him. Hood, commanding a corps under Johnston, was promoted to the temporary rank of full general on July 18 and given command of the army just outside the gates of Atlanta.
Hood conducted the remainder of the Atlanta Campaign with the strong aggressive actions for which he was famous. He launched four major offensives that summer in an attempt to break Sherman's siege of Atlanta, starting almost immediately with Peachtree Creek. All of the offensives failed, with significant Confederate casualties. Finally, on September 2, 1864, Hood evacuated the city of Atlanta, burning as many military supplies and installations as possible. Hood's Tennessee Campaign lasted from September to December, 1864, comprising seven battles and hundreds of miles of marching. Union general George Thomas defeated him at the Battle of Nashville, in which most of his army was wiped out, one of the most significant Confederate battle losses in the Civil War. After the catastrophe of Nashville, the remnants of the Army of Tennessee retreated to Mississippi and Hood resigned his temporary commission as a full general, reverting back to lieutenant general.
As Union forces began penetrating deeper and deeper into Souther territory, destruction of property was widespread.
Attached Documents
This document is an order issued by Hood to prevent wanton looting on the part of both citizen and soldier.
Questions to Consider
1. According to Hood, of what misdeed are many soldiers guilty? Whose help does Hood seek in solving this problem?
2. What is the consequence for an officer who fails to stop his soldiers from looting?
3. When exchanging or bringing horses into the army, what procedure must be followed?
|
| | | | | Citations: | |
|
| Historical Context
Alice Williamson kept a diary during the civil war. We know very little about Alice except what we can learn of her attitudes and circumstances through her own words. A visit to the 1860 US Census for Sumner County, Tennessee gives us some basic facts about Alice and her family. Through the census record we can see that Alice would have been 16 years old at the time she wrote her diary. R.[Robert] Williamson is listed as the head of household and his place of birth is listed as Virginia. His occupation is listed as a farmer with the family's real property valued at $3,000 and personal property valued at $2,000.
The census lists R.R. Williamson, aged 19 and Joseph Williamson, age 15, presumably her brothers Rush and Jo mentioned on pages 23, 34, and 35 in her diary. Other household members listed on the 1860 census include mother Elizabeth Williamson, age 45, born in Tenn.; Thomas Williamson, age 16, also listed as being a farmer; Harris and Thomas Ocburn (sp?), ages 12 and 13; Jane, age 5; a 91 year old male Williamson (first name illegible); Eskill and George Williamson, ages 9 and 7.
She would have been a member of the senior class of 1862 at Howard Female Institute, if the war had not closed the school. In 1866, the school reopened, and she graduated in 1867. Alice Williamson died in 1869, at a young age of 21.
Attached Documents
We have no other papers of Williamson or her family nor are we aware of any other family papers in another library or archival repository. Even so, this tiny diary provides a colorful window into one girl's Civil War experiences and an interesting view of the changes the Civil War and emancipation brought in her small rural community.
Questions to Consider
1. Who is described by Alice as “our king?” What misdeeds and crimes is he accused of committing?
2. What happened to Mr. Dalton? What did his father do in an attempt to help him? What was he guilty of?
3. What happened to the gentleman who was aquainted with Mrs. Prince?
4. What type of school will be established in the village? Who will attend the school?
5. Although the regiment from East Tennessee is described as mean, what one good trait does Alice attribute to them?
6. According to Alice, hat will happen is Capt Nicklen leaves the village? Did this in fact happen?
7. What particularly heinous act occurred on June 15?
|
| | | Citations: | |
|
| Attached Documents
The following passages were taken from the Diary of Carrie Berry, a 10 year old resident of Atlanta, Aug. 1, 1864 - Jan. 4, 1865. They provide a first hand account of war through the eyes of a child. Through Berry's eyes, the effects of Sherman's "March to the Sea" and the end of the Civil War in Georgia are witnessed with particular poignancy.
Questions to Consider
1. During the war, Carrie and her family live in constant danger of what? Where do they take refugee from this danger?
2. What activities does Carrie engage in to pass the time?
3. How does Carrie expect the Union soldiers or “Yankees” to treat her? How do they in fact treat her? How does she respond?
4. What kind of destruction does Carrie witness in her town? How does she feel about it?
5. What livestock does Carrie’s family lose to the soldiers?
6. Why is Carrie’s father forced to go to Macon, Georgia?
|
| | | | | | | Citations: | |
|
| Attached Documents
In this letter, J Merrill Linn describes the exhausted, sickly state of Civil War soldiers at war's end.
Questions to Consider
1. What disease have the soldiers caught during their imprisonment in a Confederate prison?
2. Why does Linn advise that the soldiers’ break be extended? How long of an extension does he request?
|
| | | | | Citations: | |
|
| Back To Module List Back to Sections |
![http://www.geocities.com/genebrooks/img.jpg](http://www.geocities.com/genebrooks/img.jpg"){kind=link}
