The Coming of the American Civil War: Sumter, the sides, and Bull Run

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The Coming of the American Civil War Sumter,
the sides, and Bull Run
A house divided itself can not stand
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Fort Sumter review

• April 11, 1861
• PGT Beauregard and Major Anderson
• Not a random attack
• Political Issues
• Who is the aggressor?
• Lincolns flip/flop
• Forcing of hands

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Border States debate sec.
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Secession ensues Dec 20 1860

• SC secedes first through state convention.
• Other follow suit!

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Rating the North the South

• Conclusions?

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Men Present for Duty in the Civil War

• Conclusions?
• Advantages?

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Resources North the South

• What does it all mean?

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Overviewofthe NorthsCivil WarStrategyAnaco
ndaPlan

• -Mississippi River
• -Get Richmond
• -Offensive
• -Border States
• -voluntary return!

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Southern Plan

• Defensive Plan
• North was the aggressor!?
• Force a conquering of the South passivity
• Demoralization of the north
• Relied on greater pride and passion
• Gain British/French support once they are
  successful
• Worldwide respectWhy?
• Embargoissues
• Psychological aspect?

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The Gun of the Civil War

• Rifled musket (Springfield Rifle)(w/ minie ball)
• Longer range (100 yards)
• Changed tactical approach
• Explain it

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Cannons

• 10 lb and 12 lb howitzers
• Napoleon cannons too
• Parrot guns
• Large cannons

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The Calvary
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The structure
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The American Public

• Felt that war would be over soon
• 3 month signups to a year
• One big battle and the other side would be
  overwhelmed
• Col. William Tecumseh Shermans view
• Long, bloody affair
• Laughed at by contemporaries
• Ignorance of battle and war

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Union weaknesses exposed

• Soldiers slept outside for the first time
• Stomach cramps, etc from food
• Hardtack, salt pork, bland coffee, ALL moldy!
• Problems of rank and order
• Northern democracy got in the way of orders
• Southernism exposed social castes (classes)
• Angers flared when relationships were upset

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Southernism example

• Slave owners higher up on the ladder
• Tone of voice
• Respect
• for classes
• Remember wealth
• Power!! (Slaves)

Slavocracyplantation owners
6,000,000
The Plain Folkwhite yeoman farmers
Black Freemen
250,000
Black Slaves3,200,000
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Why do they fight?

• Rebel because they are here
• Both sides manhood, honor, integrity
• Southernism vs. Northern superiority
• One form of society against another
• James Mason, civilian from VA
• Somewhere between honor and degradation

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First Battle of Bull Run

• After months of preparation, the Blue and the
  Gray lined up at the town of Manassas
• Gen Irvin McDowell (Unions concern)
• Lincolns reply both sides are green
• Military contempt for nonmilitary comments.

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The setting

• July 17th -21st 1861
• Perfect battle spot
• Natural X made up of Bull Run Creek and
  Warrenton Turnpike
• The Union Troops approached from Washington (NE)
• Confederates from Richmond
• Various high ground strong holds and a bridge too
• Within 75 miles of both Richmond and Washington

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Strategies of the sides

• Union Attempt a left flank maneuver of Gen
  Beauregard
• Enemies left, his right
• Confed Attempt a left flank maneuver of Gen.
  Irvin McDowell
• Essentially could pinwheel around
• Union led by Irvin McDowell
• Temperate, old, large and frustrated
• Rebels led by Gen PGT Beauregard (of Sumter fame)

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Union plan continued

• This flank move was hard
• 4 Divisions towards Bull Run (middle)
• One towards Stone bridge
• One attacks Blackburns ford (fake attack)
• One in reserve
• One flanks the Southern bank of Bull Run
• All with green troops!
• Roll on to Richmond, win the war

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Southern plan

• Execute left flank by Joe Johnston
• Gen Beauregards troops would provide
  resistance/defend Run/High ground to protect
  right flank
• Hold the ground between the legs of the X!!!

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Gen McDowells frustrations

• Union troops were green
• As were confederates, but
• Took 2 days to move about 20 miles from
  Washington
• Even got delayed because they ate all their food.
• Lacked marching discipline ate berries and
  rested
• Trot/rest/trot/rest
• Troops were cold at night

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Gen Joe Johnstons disadvantage..

• Had gotten there before anyone
• Hes a confederate
• His 14K troops faced Pattersons 11,000 (Union)
• Straight shot to DC!!!
• Straight shot to Richmond
• Both sides feared (and craved) the war to be over
  in a month or two
• Yet Jeff Davis couldnt get a train to the battle
  field???

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Problems

• Confederate Reinforcements were late/looked to be
  a rout
• Johnstons men were slow in getting there
• Many arrived a Day later
• Vague orders to advance
• Should have moved to the first ford, not the River

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Beauregard's decision

• Waited patiently, saw nothing
• Then saw cloud of dust
• Sent Jackson and Bee over the bridge to clear
  high ground
• Attack the left!!!
• Fresh reinforcements (Jubal Early) arrived at
  their left flank (exposed)
• Jackson had the high ground too
• Ordered a bayonet attack once the enemy got close
• Nickname derivation

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The Union retreat

• Once they started to retreat, chaos ensued
• The public had come out
• Mass confusion at the sight of a rebel bayonet
  charge
• Civilians added to it
• Embarrassing rout by the Confederates.
• No clear winner, but psychological win for the
  south

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Battle of Bull Run (1st Manassas)July, 1861
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http//www.youtube.com/watch?vLPAxaFxjiDk
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First Battle of Manassas

• Animated map

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Medical Care

• Little was known about infection at the time of
  the Civil War and many more men died of infection
  and disease than on the battlefield.
• Amputation was often the end result of
  battlefield injuries.

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Conditions were highly unsanitary as amputated
limbs were simply tossed aside and surgical tools
often went unwashed between patients.