11.4 The North Takes Charge

Explain the surrender at Appomattox Court House

With Union troops nearing capital, Confederates abandon and burn the capital to keep the Union from taking it. Lee and Grant arrange a Confederate surrender at Appomattox Court House. The terms were generous, with Confederate soldiers were sent home with their possessions and three days rations. They were allowed to keep their guns to hunt for food. Grant tells his troops to be respectful during the Armistice and any remaining Confederate resistance is over in two months.

Go over the events of the second day of Gettysburg.

90k Union and 75k Confederates now assembled. The key point of the day was that the Union gave little ground. Union troops who left their station were killed. An undefended gap appeared in Little Round Top. Little Round top was defended and held by Union troops. Troops from the Union were sent by Joshua L. Chamberlain to fill the hole. Both sides ran out of ammo, so Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge at the Confederates. Confederates, surprised and exhausted from uphill fighting, surrendered in droves. Chamberlain and his me saved the Union lines from rebel artillery attacks. Union positions remained the same at the end of the day.

What was total war?

Believed by William Sherman and Ulysses Grant, it meant to destroy the will to fight, even among citizens. They reasoned that civilians produced weapons, food, and transported goods which the armied relied. Morale also kept the war going. A low morale would destroy the Confederacy. They destroyed and set fire to entire towns to demoralize civilians. But civilians are not killed and told to leave the town beforehand. South Carolina had it the worst, as they were the first to leave.

Who is Joshua L. Chamberlain and why is he so important?

Colonel Joshua L. Chamberlain noticed an undefended position on Little Round Top led his troops to meet the Confederates and repulsed Confederate attacks. When both sides ran out of ammo, Chamberlain ordered a bayonet charge, which succeeded in getting getting droves of Confederate troops to surrender. Chamberlain and his men saved the Union lines from rebel artillery attacks. The Union may have lost at the Battle of Gettysburg if it wasn't for him.

Go over the events of the first day of Gettysburg.

Confederate soldiers went into Gettysburg looking for a supply of footwear and to meet up with general Lee. They ran into a couple of Union cavalry brigades. The commander of the Union troops, John Buford, ordered his men to take defensive positions on high ground, the hills and ridges surrounding the town. Shooting attracted more troops from both sides. Union troops fell back under an assault and Confederates took control of the town. However, the Union had control of the strategic high ground at Cemetery Ridge that allowed them to stay. Lee knew if he wanted to win the battle, he must control the high ground.

As the war progressed, how did Confederate moral do?

Deteriorated. The Confederacy was already low on supplies, so people wanted an armistice. The congress made a weak resolution by urging farmers to grow fewer cash crops like cotton and tobacco and instead increase production of food. Farmers resented the taxes that took some of their produce. Many soldiers deserted after hearing about the lack of food and shortage of farm labor. Some soldiers decided to fight for the Union. Discord in the Confederate government made it impossible for Davis to govern effectively. The members squabbled among themselves. Peace movements sprung up, although failed.

Why was high ground so important in the battle at Gettysburg?

High ground allowed the Union to maintain their stance in the battle of Gettysburg even when the Confederates controlled the town. High ground offered strategic advantages for the north. Lee knew if he wanted to win the battle, he must force the Union soldiers from their high ground.

What was Sherman's March to the Sea?

It was a wide path of destruction from Atlanta to the coast. He would live off the land as he wanted to make Southerners "So sick of war that generations would pass away before they would again appeal to it." After taking Savannah, Sherman's troops turned north to help Grant wipe out Lee. As the army marched through South Carolina, it inflicted even more destruction because South Carolina was the first state to succeed. But when they entered North Carolina they were more nice.

Go over the events of the third day of Gettysburg.

Lee still felt like he could break Union lines. He orders artillery fire. For two hours both armies fired at one another. Lee commands a frontal assault, which means troops run straight to their enemy. The general does not like the idea, but proceeds anyway. Union fires artillery again and the Confederates who charged were devastated. Confederates try flanking hoping to surprise Union troops but failed because it was protected. Lee retreats back to Virginia.

Explain the election of 1864.

Lincoln faced heavy opposition. Many democrats, dismayed with the horribleness of the war, joined pro-Southern part members and nominated McClellan on a platform of an immediate armistice. Lincoln thought he would lose, but Union victories helped swing the election to Lincoln, giving him a second term. Many Union soldiers helped Lincoln win.

Why was the Battle at Gettysburg considered a spontaneous battle?

No one planned to fight there. Confederate soldiers, led my A. P. Hill, marched into Gettysburg seeking a supply for shoes, as they before marched barefoot. They ran into a couple of Union brigades.

Explain the Gettysburg Address

Speaker Edward Everett gave a two hour flowery speech while Lincoln gave a two minute speech. He says that the men did not die in vain, all men are created equal, and stressed unity. The address re-energizes the Union. Before the war, people said, "The United States are." After Lincoln's speech, they said, "The United States is."

What was the strategy of Grant and how was it carried out?

Strategy was total war and to immobilize Lee in Virginia while Sherman tears through Georgia. The Union casualties were higher, but they could afford it. The Confederates could not afford losses. At Cold Harbor, 7k men killed in one hour and from May to June of 1864 Grant loses 60k and Lee 32k. Newspapers call Grant a butcher.

Explain why the battle of Gettysburg was considered a turning point of the war.

The battle devastated the South. In the end, 23K Union/28K Confederate troops were dead. The Union could replace these troops, but Confederates could not. The battle crippled the Confederacy so bad that Lee would never again threaten Northern soil. It badly hurt the South.

Explain why a siege was used in Vicksburg instead of a direct attack.

Two frontal assaults of Vicksburg had already failed. In a siege, Vicksburg was constantly bombarded with artillery. The city was also cut off from the river and land for several hours a day, causing starvation. The purpose of a siege is to prevent death. After the massive deaths at Gettysburg, nobody wanted anymore carnage. A siege was also a good choice because it displayed the Union's massive amount of supplies, something the Confederacy didn't have. Sieges break the soldiers mentally instead of physically. This prompts soldiers to surrender.

Explain why the win at Vicksburg was so important?

Vicksburg was one of only two Confederate holdouts preventing the Union from taking complete control of the Mississippi River, an important waterway for transporting goods. Taking control of the river was part of the Anaconda plan to split the confederacy in two. Five days after the fall of Vicksburg, Port Hudson in Louisiana, the last holdout, also fell - cutting the Confederacy in two.

Why was Lee in Gettysburg in the first place?

Prior, Lee took momentum from a confederate win at Chancellorsville to get a win on Union soil. He felt like getting a win on Union soil will also prove themselves to Britain, prevent them from supporting the Union, and possibly the Confederates. Nobody wants to support the losing side. Most of the war was fought on Confederate soil, not painting a good image for the Confederacy.