FOUR SCORE AND SEVEN YEARS AGO…

American Civil War For Dummies, 2^nd Edition will teach readers the need-to-know details about the Civil War. Follow the timeline that led us to the war. Who were the major players? Which states fought for each side? How does the Emancipation Proclamation fit in? And just how long is “four score and seven years ago,” anyway?

INSIDE:

• Key players
• Tide turning battles
• Slavery and the Civil War
• President Abraham Lincoln

Keith D. Dickson is Professor Emeritus of military studies, National Defense University. Dr. Dickson served in the U.S. Army as a Special Forces officer and taught at the Joint Forces Staff College, Joint Advanced Warfighting School.

Introduction 1

About This Book 2

What Not to Read 3

Foolish Assumptions 3

Icons Used in this Book 4

Beyond the Book 4

Where to Go from Here 5

Part 1: The War and Its Causes 7

Chapter1: How Did the War Happen? 9

The Big Picture: War and Politics 9

What’s a civil war? 10

The setting: 1850–1860 10

The North and South: Two Different Worlds 11

The Opposing Sides 13

Playing a Part in the Controversy: The Constitution 14

Struggling for Power 15

Amassing states: The political stakes involved 15

Entering the Union: The politics of compromise, 1850 16

California: The Compromise of 1850 16

The Fugitive Slave Law 17

D.C is free 17

What did the compromise do? 17

Chapter2: The Five Steps to War: 1850–1860 19

Setting the Stage: Five Events Leading to War 19

Struggling for Kansas 20

The Kansas-Nebraska Act 22

The violence begins 22

Rising from the Collapse: The Republican Party 23

Disappearing Whigs and Southern Democrats 23

The Free Soilers 23

The Know-Nothings 24

The Republican Party arrives 24

The Republicans and the 1856 Presidential Election 26

The Democrats: Choosing a safe candidate 26

Millard Fillmore for president 26

Politics becomes sectional 27

Southern reaction to the Republican Party 28

The Dred Scott Decision 29

The reaction to the decision 30

The results of the Dred Scott decision 32

John Brown’s Raid 32

Harpers Ferry 33

Sending in the Marines 33

The results of John Brown’s raid 33

John Brown’s end 34

The Fighting South, the Angry North 35

The Election of Abraham Lincoln in 1860 35

A new party emerges 36

The Democrats divide 36

Lincoln wins by electoral vote 36

The South’s view of the election 37

Chapter3: Secession and War: 1860–1861 39

The First Secession: South Carolina and the Lower South 40

Building a New Nation: The Confederacy 41

The growing crisis in Charleston: Fort Sumter 42

Walking the tightrope: President Buchanan 43

Confederates at Charleston: Waiting for a sign and heavily armed 44

Sitting quietly: The outgoing president beats the clock 45

Taking Office: Lincoln’s First Inaugural Address 45

The Sumter crisis renewed 46

The decisions that led to war 46

Firing the First Shot 47

Calling for the 75,000 and another secession: The upper South 47

The hardest choice: Robert E Lee takes his stand 49

So, Who Started the War? 50

Part 2: Making War 53

Chapter4: Civil War Armies: Structure and Organization 55

Understanding the Basics of War 56

The offensive and the defensive 56

Strategy and tactics 56

Creating a Strategy: Three Basic Questions 57

Uncovering the Principles of War 58

Developing Campaigns: The Art of War 59

Interior and exterior lines 60

Lines of communication and supply 60

Supply is critical in war 61

Information: Orders and critical intelligence 61

The Indirect Approach 61

Taking the initiative: Who is on top? 62

Putting It All Together: Strategy to Campaigns to Battles 62

Fighting battles 62

Win the battles — lose the war 63

The commander’s choices 63

Terrain and the defensive 64

Ending a battle 64

Looking at the Civil War Army Organization 65

Eyes and ears: The cavalry 65

Providing firepower: The artillery 66

Fleet of foot: The infantry 67

Other important branches 68

Building a Basic Civil War Army Structure: The Regiment 69

Strength and size of units 70

Roles of different units in an army 71

Cavalry regiments 71

Comparing the Science versus the Art of War 72

Chapter5: Union and Confederate Strategy 73

Comparing Northern and Southern Resources 73

Industrial power 74

Agricultural advantages: Food and crops 74

Soldiers and laborers: Population 75

Financial wealth 75

Analyzing the statistics for both sides 76

Wartime Strategy: Union and Confederate 77

The Union’s strategy 78

The Confederacy’s strategy 78

Geography and Strategy: Theaters of War 78

The Eastern Theater 79

The Western Theater 79

The Trans-Mississippi Theater 80

Civil War Strategy in Retrospect 80

Chapter6: Organizing and Training the Armies 81

Making Civilians into Soldiers 81

Fighting in the frontier: The regulars 82

Responding to the call: The militia 82

Joining to fight: Volunteers — then Conscripts 82

Qualifications of Union and Confederate Officers 83

Military bloopers: The political generals 84

Rookies learning a new trade: the blind leading the blind 84

Chapter7: Significant Weapons of the Civil War 85

The Weapons You Need to Fight 85

Struggling with the smoothbore 86

Rifled muskets for the infantry 86

Spinning faster: The Minié ball 87

The Rifled Musket and Tactics 87

The Really Big Guns: Civil War Artillery 88

Artillery ammunition 89

Using artillery 89

Cavalry Weapons 89

The carbine 89

The revolver 90

Part 3: Opening Moves, 1861–1862 91

Chapter8: Starting the War: Bull Run (First Manassas), July 1861 93

The First Rumblings: “On to Richmond!” 94

Taking command of Union forces: McDowell 94

Waiting: Beauregard and the Confederates 94

Marching into Battle (Sort Of) 97

Organizing the Armies: Disposition of Forces on the Battlefield 97

Opening Moves: Key Decisions and Events 98

Advancing to Victory: The Outcome 100

Analyzing the Battle 101

Immediate and long-term results 102

Naming schemes of the Union and Confederacy 102

Heroes and Goats 103

Heroes 103

Goats 103

Chapter9: Trouble West of the Mississippi and the Road to Shiloh, August 1861–April 1862 105

Focusing on the Early Battlegrounds of Missouri and Arkansas 106

The Union offensive into Arkansas 107

A new commander arrives 107

The Battle of Pea Ridge 108

Dictating a Strategy in the Western Theater 109

Struggling with Rank: Union Command 110

The Importance of Kentucky 111

Attacking the Forts: Grant Teams with the Navy 113

Military misfits at Fort Donelson 113

Grant’s terms: “Unconditional surrender” 114

The Shiloh Campaign 115

Taking the initiative: Johnston’s plan 116

The plan’s weaknesses and advantages 117

The Fighting Begins: The Battle of Shiloh 118

Key decisions and events 119

Johnston’s last battle 119

Critical action at the Hornet’s Nest 120

The second day of Shiloh 121

Aftermath of the Battle 122

Immediate effects 122

Long-term effects: The war becomes real 123

Heroes and Goats 123

Heroes 123

Goats 124

Chapter10: Union Navy Victories and Union Army Defeats, March–July 1862 125

Bringing in a New Commander: George B McClellan 126

Taking a Gamble: The Blockade 127

Patrolling the Coast: Union Naval Victories 128

Discovering the Political Price of Failure and Inaction 130

The Peninsula: A New Campaign 131

Writing a New Chapter in Naval Warfare: The Ironclad 133

Washington panics! 134

The Virginia goes hunting 135

The Monitor versus the Virginia 136

Getting Fooled at Yorktown 137

The other Johnston 137

Johnston advances 138

Battle of Wills: The Presidents versus the Generals 139

McClellan Makes a Mistake before Richmond 140

Chapter11: Stonewall Jackson’s Valley Campaign, March–June 1862 141

Creating a Hero: Stonewall Jackson 142

Stonewall’s Valley: The Shenandoah 144

The Valley’s strategic importance 144

Looking for Jackson: Banks enters the Valley 144

Jackson disappears and reappears 145

Using the defeat: Lee’s strategic vision 145

Jackson disappears and reappears — again 147

Jackson strikes again 148

Lincoln sets a trap for Jackson 148

The campaign ends 149

The Valley Campaign: An Appreciation 149

Chapter12: The Seven Days of Robert E Lee, June–July 1862 151

The Confederacy in Crisis: Seven Pines 151

Results of the Battle: McClellan Falters 153

Taking Command: The “King of Spades” 154

Jeb Stuart’s ride around McClellan 154

The Seven Days begin: Lee at Mechanicsville (Beaver Dam Creek) 156

McClellan calls it quits 157

The end of the Seven Days: Lee’s final push at Malvern Hill 158

The Significance of the Campaign 159

Lee takes the offensive to win 159

The Seven Days: The bottom line 160

Heroes and Goats 160

Heroes 161

Goats 161

Chapter13: Second Bull Run (Manassas), August 1862 163

Reshuffling the Union Command Structure 163

Giving Lee an Opportunity: “Old Brains” Miscalculates 165

Jackson appears, disappears, and reappears 165

Looking for Jackson: Pope advances 167

The Aftermath of the Battle 170

Heroes and Goats 170

Heroes 170

Goats 171

Chapter14: The Bloodiest Day: Antietam (Sharpsburg), September 1862 173

Winning the War Now: The Confederate Strategic Situation 174

Waiting for a Victory: The Union Strategic Situation 175

The Antietam Campaign 176

Jackson’s Coup at Harpers Ferry 178

Starting the Battle: McClellan Creeps In 179

The sunken road 180

Burnside’s bridge 181

Aftermath of the Battle 183

Assessing the Battle and Its Significance 184

The Emancipation Proclamation 184

Lincoln’s proclamation: The fine print 185

Southern reaction 185

Heroes and Goats 186

Heroes 186

Goats 187

Chapter15: Lost Opportunities for the Confederacy in the West: September–October 1862 189

The Western Theater: A Lesson in Geography 190

Confederate Cavalry Dominates Tennessee 191

Bragg Takes Command 193

Bragg’s invasion plan 194

Bragg in Kentucky 195

Lincoln loses patience 195

Starting the Fight: The Battle of Perryville 196

Enduring Another Confederate Disaster: Iuka and Corinth 197

Assessing the Aftermath of the Campaign: Results and Recriminations 198

Significance of the Battles 199

Heroes and Goats 199

Heroes 199

Goats 200

Chapter16: War So Terrible: Fredericksburg and Murfreesboro, December 1862 201

Making a New Start in the East 202

Hurry Up and Wait at the Rappahannock 204

My kingdom for a pontoon 204

Lee awaits 205

The Battle of Fredericksburg 206

The Aftermath of the Battle 207

Both the Union and Confederacy fail in Mississippi 209

Rosecrans takes charge in Tennessee 209

The Battle of Murfreesboro 211

The Results of the Battle 213

Securing Tennessee: Union gains 213

Confederate losses 213

Heroes and Goats 214

Heroes 214

Goats 215

Part 4: War to the Hilt, 1863–1865 217

Chapter17: The Battle of Chancellorsville, May 1863 219

Beginning a New Campaign in the Eastern Theater 220

Another new commander for the Union army 220

Hooker’s plans 221

Lee’s situation 222

Fighting Joe Hooker won’t fight 223

Jackson disappears and reappears 224

Hooker fails to act 225

Heroes and Goats 227

Heroes 227

Goats 228

Chapter18: The Battles of Gettysburg and Vicksburg, July 1863 229

The Gettysburg Campaign 230

Moving the armies 232

Hooker waits (again) and is finished 232

The Battle of Gettysburg: Day One 234

Gettysburg favors the defender 235

Ewell says no 236

The Battle of Gettysburg: Day Two 237

Longstreet opens the battle 237

Longstreet attacks 238

The Battle of Gettysburg: Day Three 239

Meade calls a meeting 240

The Confederate attacks 240

The Final Moves 243

The Battle’s Significance 244

Heroes and Goats 245

Heroes 245

Goats 246

1863: The Western Theater 247

The Vicksburg Campaign 247

The advantages of geography 248

Grant’s gamble 249

Grant closes the vise 251

The Siege and Fall of Vicksburg 252

Success at Port Hudson 252

Grant’s Accomplishment 253

Heroes 253

Goats 254

Chapter19: The Battles of Chickamauga and Chattanooga, August–November 1863 255

Rosecrans: Approaching and Taking Chattanooga 256

The Chickamauga Campaign 257

The Battle of Chickamauga: Day One 259

The Battle of Chickamauga: Day Two 259

The Battle Ends 262

Chickamauga: The Results 264

The Union: Mixed results 264

The Confederacy: Frustration 265

Heroes and Goats 265

Heroes 265

Goats 266

Turned Tables at Chattanooga 266

Now Rosecrans is out 266

Handling the problem: Davis arrives 267

Grant takes charge 268

The soldiers take charge and win 268

The Battle’s Aftermath 269

Heroes and Goats 270

Heroes 270

Goats 271

Chapter20: Lee and Grant: Operations in Virginia, May–October 1864 273

Generals Get Their Orders from Grant 274

Day One in the Wilderness: “Bushwhacking on a Grand Scale” 276

Day Two in the Wilderness: Grant Doesn’t Quit 277

Lee attempts a decisive counterstrike 277

The battle for the Mule Shoe 279

Bad news for Grant 281

Bad news for Lee: Stuart’s death 281

Lee Loses the Initiative at North Anna 282

Grant’s Disaster at Cold Harbor 282

The Jug-Handle Movement to Petersburg 283

The strategic importance of Petersburg 283

Grant’s plan 284

General Beauregard’s greatest moment at Petersburg 284

The Second Valley Campaign 286

Old Jube in the Valley 286

Early distracts everyone 287

Early meets Sheridan 289

Reversal at Cedar Creek 289

The Siege at Petersburg: July–October 1864 291

Breaking the stalemate 292

Burnside blunders 293

The Battle of the Crater 293

The siege continues 294

Chapter21: The Atlanta Campaign and a Guarantee of Union Victory, May–December 1864 295

Taking Command: Johnston and the Army of Tennessee 296

Preparing to Move: Sherman in the Western Theater 297

The Campaign for Atlanta Begins 298

The Sherman sidestep 299

The Johnston backtrack 300

The Battle for Atlanta 302

Sherman’s supply line 302

Hoodwinking Hood 303

Looking at the Navy’s Contributions in 1864 304

Checking on Presidential Politics of 1864 306

The Democrats nominate McClellan 307

Atlanta and the soldier vote 307

The election results 308

Sherman’s March to the Sea 308

Beginning the march: Soldiers take all 310

A Christmas present 311

Assessing Sherman’s Impact 311

Chapter22: The Destruction of Hood’s Army in Tennessee, October 1864–January 1865 313

Hood Moves North 314

Running quietly: Schofield on the lam 314

Calculating the magnitude of Hood’s disaster 315

Triumphing at Nashville: Thomas’s Brilliant Plan 316

The Battle of Nashville 317

The Aftermath 317

Heroes and Goats 317

Heroes 318

Goats 318

Chapter23: A Matter of Time: Petersburg to Appomattox, January–April 1865 319

The Strategic Situation in 1865 320

Sherman on the move in South Carolina 321

The Confederate strategy 321

Johnston takes a stand 322

The results in Carolina 322

Lee’s Fateful Dilemma: Petersburg 323

Breaking out: Lee makes his move 323

A Crossroads: Five Forks 324

Falling in flames: Richmond 325

The Last Retreat 327

Grant proposes surrender 328

The meeting at Appomattox 328

Symbolic Formalities: The Last Act 330

Closing Events: The War Ends, a President Dies 331

The politicians react 332

Confederate President Jefferson Davis is captured 333

The last surrenders 333

Victory and Uncertainty: The Reunited States 333

The last parade 334

“Strike the tent” 335

A final thought 335

Winners and Losers: The Debate Lives On 339

Why the Union won 339

Why the Confederacy lost 340

Part 5: Behind the Lines 341

Chapter24: The Confederacy: Creating a Nation at War 343

Examining Jefferson Davis as President and War Leader 344

Creating the New Confederate Government 346

Handling political troubles: No political parties 347

Unionist sentiment in the Confederacy 348

States’ rights and the governors 348

Financing the War 350

Confederate creative finance I: Bonds and taxes 351

Confederate creative finance II: Paper money 351

The bottom line 352

Supplying Manpower for the War 353

Supplying Material for the War 354

Josiah Gorgas and his miracle 354

Getting food to the soldiers 355

Detailing the Confederate Naval War 356

Struggling to build a navy 356

Blockade running 359

Struggling with Diplomacy: European Recognition 359

The blockade 360

The decisive year for recognition: 1862 361

Diplomatic highlights with Britain, France, and Russia 362

Assessing Confederate diplomacy 363

Creating a Nation: Confederate Nationalism 364

Chapter25: The Union at War: Creating a New Republican Future for America 365

Looking at Abraham Lincoln as President and War Leader 366

Financing the War 367

Borrowing money: Loans and bonds 367

Taking money: Taxation 367

Making money: Greenbacks 368

Running the War: Congress and the President 368

Non-Wartime legislation 369

Opposing and disloyal: The peace democrats 369

Fighting the War 371

Drafting soldiers 371

Resisting the draft 372

Building a navy 372

Building an Economy: Northern Industrial Production 374

Chapter26: Wartime in America: Its Effect on the People 375

Meeting the Common Soldier: Everyman 376

Eating what the army gave you 376

Living the life of a soldier 377

Wearing the blue or the gray 377

Fighting illness in the ranks 379

Caring for the wounded 380

Taking in prisoners of war 381

Changing Women’s Roles in the Civil War 382

An essential workforce 383

The cost of war: Refugees and starvation 383

Spying for the North and South 384

Taking Note of the African American Contribution 385

Union: The U.S Colored Troops 385

African Americans in the Confederacy 387

Discovering the American Indians 388

Part 6: The Civil War Tourist 391

Chapter27: Getting Ready to Travel 393

Planning Your Trip 394

Using Your Time Wisely 395

Taking Three Methods on a Battlefield 395

Mounted 396

Mounted/dismounted 396

Terrain walk 396

Chapter28: Visiting a Civil War Battlefield 399

Fine-Tuning Your Trip 399

Getting an enthusiast 400

Checking the Internet 400

Bringing the right stuff 400

Getting Oriented: The Visitor Center 402

Asking the right questions 402

Finding the best monuments and markers 403

Appreciating the Terrain 404

Studying, Stories, and Reflection 404

Part 7: The Part of Tens 405

Chapter29: The Ten Worst Generals of the Civil War 407

Braxton Bragg (1817–1876) 408

Nathaniel P Banks (1816–1894) 408

Ambrose E Burnside (1824–1881) 409

John B Hood (1831–1879) 409

John B Floyd (1806–1863) 411

Benjamin F Butler (1818–1893) 411

Leonidas (Bishop) Polk (1806–1864) 412

Joseph Hooker (1814–1879) 413

John Pope (1822–1892) 414

P.G.T Beauregard (1818–1893) 415

George B McClellan (1826–1885): Honorable Mention 416

Chapter30: The Ten Biggest “Firsts” of the Civil War 417

The Growing Dominance of the Defense 418

Minesweeping: Naval Mines 418

Starting Undersea Warfare: The Submarine 418

Changing Tactics and Moving Quickly: The Railroad 419

Battling without Bullets: Psychological Warfare 420

Using Air-to-Ground Communication 420

Dominating the Seas: The Ironclad Warship 421

Talking over Wires: The Telegraph 421

Increasing Firepower: The Repeating Rifle 422

Born in the Civil War: The Machine Gun 422

Chapter31: The Ten Biggest “What Ifs” of the Civil War 425

What If the Confederates Had Pursued After Manassas (Bull Run)? 426

What If Grant Had Been Killed at Shiloh? 426

What If Fort Sumter Had Not Been Fired On? 426

What If McClellan Had Not Found Lee’s Lost Orders? 427

What If McClellan Had Won Decisively at Antietam? 427

What If Johnston Had Not Been Wounded at Seven Pines? 428

What If Davis Had Adopted a Different Strategy in the West? 428

What If Lee Had Won at Gettysburg? 428

What If Davis Had Relieved Bragg Earlier in the War? 429

What If Jackson Had Not Been Lost to Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia? 429

Chapter32: The Ten+ Best Battlefields of the Civil War and How to Visit Them 431

Best Battlefields by the Mounted Method 432

Best Battlefields by the Mounted/Dismounted Method 433

Best Battlefields by the Terrain Walk Method 434

Index 437