Chapter 21

The Furnace of the Civil War

Chapter 21 is basically about the entire Civil War, from the beginning until Lincolns assassination.

Important facts to note:

1. Both the Union and the Confederacy thought that the war would last a maximum of 90 days. The first battle of Bull Run (or Manassas Junction) showed the North that the South wasnt kidding around (since the South won) and it did even more damage to the South because it inflated and an already dangerous overconfidence.
2. General George McClellan was given command of the Army of the Potomac. He was a brilliant if somewhat naïve commander since he thought that he could win without taking any losses. He consistently thought that he was outnumbered, even when he wasnt and so never took risks. Lincoln actually had to order him to do anything because he just drilled his army without moving it. He lost the battle to take Richmond and end the war early.
3. Lincoln began a naval blockade on the South. Surprisingly Britain actually found this as binding and didnt try to get through it and help the South. Blockade running was very profitable but extremely risky. Then South created the Merrimack and the North the Monitor, metal-clad ships which, when they battled, where equally powerful. Confederates destroyed the Merrimack a few months later so that the South wouldnt get a hold on it.
4. The bloodiest day of the war was the Battle of Antietam at Antietam Creek, Maryland. It was Lee vs. McClellan. It came to a military draw with Lee giving up his Maryland Campaign and moving into the Potomac and McClellan being removed from his command for a second and final time. Antietam was probably the most decisive day because it changed the minds of the British and French governments from helping the Confederacy, which they were planning on doing.
5. President Lincoln announced his Emancipation Proclamation. Strangely freed all the slaves in the Confederacy (which Lincoln had no power over) but not the slaves that were in the Union states already (which he did have power over).
6. African-Americans were finally allowed to join the Northern Army. By the Wars end some 180,000 blacks served in the Army. The South forced slaves to help build battle equipment but never allowed them to serve until a month before the war ended and then it was too late. Slaves helped the Union by slowing down productivity severely and brought and end to the antebellum ways.
7. Lee won a brilliant battle at Federicksburg, Virginia. Lee tried to invade the North again and accidentally made contact with a Northern Army. It was not really a Northern victory (it was more of a draw) but it stopped the South from ever coming into the North again.
8. General Sherman began a process know today as total war. During this process he literally began to destroy the South. He burned Atlanta, Georgia and huge amounts of other farms, cities and plantations. He then seized Savannah as a Christmas present to Lincoln.
9. The Politics of the War was perhaps the most confusing and dangerous part of the war.

Jarred wrote:

---

Alex Z.
No.

---

wah!

haha no seriously, here's a sweet link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Chamberlain#Receiving_the_Confederate_surrender_at_Appomattox
check out that one-line quote at the end there... the man!

s.bailey wrote:

---

"The Politics of the War"

huh?

---

Butchie wrote:

---

Who do you think the best general in the war was?  Why did the Republicans fear defeat in the presidental election?

---