The Blue and The GrayTotal War Continues
Union Army
Money, Men, Railroads
Not a war against slavery
Economics and Nationalism
Abraham Lincoln
Republican President
Critical Thinker
Willing to push envelope with presidential powers
Showed respect and restraint with adversaries
No efficient team of advisors for information collection
No control of congress or administration
Union Military Leaders
Not a strength!
McClellan: idea man, presented well, man of swagger, implementation not his strength
Took leadership role after Bull Run debacle
Never on Lincoln’s good side
Replaced by General Ambrose Burnside; poor military strategies
Soon replaced by Ulysses S. Grant
Grant
West Point graduate
Reputation as a heavy drinker
Failed businessman and farmer
Success in early campaigns in the war
Eventually hailed as the General to defeat Robert E. Lee
Jefferson Davis
President of the Confederacy
Came with high credentials: West Point graduate, successful plantation owner, bright, and industrious
Lacked in interpersonal skills at times
Many disputes with his advisors, held grudges, made enemies amongst his own, burned bridges
Not a great military strategist
Confederate Military leaders
Robert E. Lee
Often misunderstood because of his gentle courteous manner
Bold and impressive military strategist
Held the respect of his men, and those around him
Never a great supporter of secession
Used psychology as a weapon
Battles
Bull Run: July 1861
Chaos
Neither side militarily prepared
Result: A draw Confederate Army morale boosted Union faced with the enormity of task
Battles Cont…
Shiloh: April 1862 in Tennessee
Great losses on both sides
Grant and Union army got a surprise attack
Able to recover and counterattack, but shaken
Opportunity missed
Union loss: 13,000
Confederate: 10,700
Two days of fighting
Cont…..
Antietam: September 1862
Lee’s move to show strength and force on Northern soil
McClellan’s good fortune, Lee’s plans
Took upper hand, Lee at a disadvantage
70,000 Union soldiers vs. 40,000 Confederate
22,000 dead in the end
McClellan’s opportunity to be redeemed, did not act, Lincoln had enough!
Emancipation Proclamation
Fighting brought new ideologies
Free the bondsman only to injure his master!
Antietam Opened door for Lincoln to act Emancipation Proclamation Impact subtle No slaves immediately free Some too much, others not enough Europe now completely on side of North