Russell Shortt

A Brief Outline of the American Civil War



Posted: Wednesday, July 22, 2009

by
Exploring Ireland

The American Civil War is the most defining event in American history. The twentieth century, the American century was moulded by the carnage and devastation of the Civil War. It marked the end of slavery, the fading of the great Southern aristocratic families, the dawning of a new political and economic order and the beginning of big business and government. It was the first time that the world witnessed modern war and the monstrous being that it is. There is a rippling of inevitability about the Civil War, the very genesis of the nation is wrapped in the insidious nature of slavery, indeed before the Mayflower landed at Plymouth, Dutch ships had been arriving with their horrific cargoes of slaves stolen from Africa. History has taught us over and over again that all citizens must be treated equally and not ignored like the black population was during the American Revolution when everyone was patting themselves on the back with the belief that "all men are created equal". But that doctrine had roots in truth and so it blossomed; abolitionists increased greatly in the North and slavery was at the base of most inter-regional disputes. Simply, there can be no justification for such a heinous policy and eventually it has to be faced, branded what a monster it is, hacked down and done away for good. Harriet Beecher Stowe published Uncle Tom's Cabin in 1852, it sold in the hundreds of thousands, shocking readers with it's account of the hell that was daily life for their fellow Americans.

By the presidential election of 1860, the Democratic party had splintered over the issue of slavery, the Republican Party under Abraham Lincoln romped home to victory. When he was elected, there were thirty-three States in the Union, but by the time of his inauguration there were only twenty-seven remaining. The secessionist States adopted a provisional constitution for the Confederate States of America and established their temporary capital at Montgomery, Alabama. Confederate forces seized most of the federal forts within their boundaries. Ford Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina was one of the few that remained in Federal hands and Lincoln was determined to hold it. So when Confederate artillery bombarded the fort in the early hours of 12 April 1861, Lincoln sent out the call for the federal states to raise troops to recapture the captured forts, the Civil War had begun. The secessionists struck out to capture Washington while the North's forces were still in disarray, however the cavalry arrived just in time securing the city. There ensued something of a stand off between the two rival capitals glaring at one another across the lush countryside of Virginia. The two sides eventually clashed in on 21 July 1861 at the Battle of Bull Run, the Northerners had the best of the initial fighting but then stepped up Thomas J. Jackson whose Virginians stood like a Stonewall, forever defining the man. It was the turning point of the battle, the rebels were soon yelping the Johnny Reb shout, which was to become a rallying cry across thousands of battlefields in the coming years, as the northerners were forced into retreat. The Northern armies were in disarray, the Confederates never followed them, if they had, that might have been that. Many within the Union considered abandoning the secessionists, leaving them to take control of the South, Lincoln refused, calling for the enlistment of a hundred thousand men and placed Henry McClellan in command. McClellan transformed the rabble into the Army of the Potomac, high on confidence and faith. In the spring of 1862, McClellan attacked Virginia, he made great advances before being halted by Johnston at the gates of Richmond, before been defeated by Lee in the Seven Days Battles. The Confederacy emboldened by their successive successes, invaded the North, Lee leading his forces into Maryland. McClellan met him at the Battle of Antietam on 17 September 1862, halting Lee's advance and forcing him to return to Virginia.

McClellan was relieved of his post and replaced by Burnside who was subsequently defeated by General Lee at the Battle Fredericksburg. General Lee appeared invincible humiliating Hooker, Burnside's successor at the Battle of Chancellorsville. However, Hooker was replaced by Meade who defeated Lee at the definitive Battle of Gettysburg, it turned the tide in favour of the Union forces. In the Western Theater, the Union had been scoring successes against the Confederates under the master tactician Ulysses S. Grant, including at the Battle of Shiloh and the Battle of Vicksburg. At the beginning of 1864, Lincoln appointed Grant as Commander-in-Chief of the Union Army, who thought similarly in total war, and believed that only total annihilation of Confederate forces and their economic base would bring an end to the war. Grant devised a co-ordinated strategy, outlining plans for his generals to follow, directing Meade and Butler against Lee at Richmond; Sigel to attack the Shenandoah Valley; Sherman to capture Atlanta; Crook and Averell to operate in Virginia. It worked, Lee although fighting gallantly, found himself back-pedalling, losing conflict after conflict, eventually realising that further resistance was futile, he surrendered on 9 April 1865. Small pockets of Confederates continued fighting for a number of months but by the close of June 1865 all fighting had ceased and the American Civil War was over.  

Russell Shortt is a travel consultant with Exploring Ireland, the leading specialists in customised, private escorted tours, escorted coach tours and independent self drive tours of Ireland. Article source Russell Shortt, http://www.exploringireland.net
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