8-4.5 Civil War Military Strategy

I. Northern Strategy – Be on The OFFENCIVE

1. BLOCK SOUTHERN PORTS ( Blockades )

2. CUT OFF SUPPLIES FROM EUROPE

3. BREAK UP THE CONFEDERACY

*SPLIT IT IN HALF WHERE THEY CONTROLLED

THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

4. ATTACK THE CONFEDERATE CAPITAL AT

RICHMOND VIRGINA

Ii. Southern strategy – Be on The defensive

1. DEFEND THE SOUTH FROM ATTACK

2. USE SUPPLIES FROM EUROPE GAINED THROUGH

THE SALE AND TRADE OF COTTON

3. DRAW THE WAR OUT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE

UNTILL THE NORTH GETS TIRED OF FIGHTING IT

III. Important Battle locations

1. SOUTH CAROLINA: FIRST SHOTS OF WAR FIRED

AT FORT SUMTER

** F. SUMTER WAS A FEDERAL MILITARY BASE

** THE UNION NORTH ATTEMPTED TO RE-SUPPLY

THE FORT WITH FOOD AND AMUNITION

2. THE CONFEDERACY ATTACKED ( FIRST SHOT )

THE FORT AND STOPED THE RE-SUPPLY ATTEMPT

BY THE NORTH

III. Important Battle locations

3. THE NORTH ANSWERED BY ATTACKING PORT

ROYAL: ( NEAR HILTON HEAD ISLAND )

3hrs. south of myrtle beach about 220 miles near GA

border

PORT ROYAL WAS USED AS A LAUNCH POINT TO

ATTACK CHARLESTON.

III. Important Battle locations

4. NORTHERN VIRGINIA --MOST OF THE CIVIL WAR

WAS FOUGHT HERE!

5. MISSISSIPPI RIVER– MANY BATTLES HERE

BECAUSE IT WAS A STRATEGIC LOCATION FOR

**TRANSPORTATION

** COMMUNICATION

iv. Controlling supply lines

1. NORTHERN BLOCKADES WERE SUCCESSFUL

**THE NORTH BLOCKED THE SOUTH’S ABILITY TO

GET SUPPLIES

** SOUTHERN PORTS WERE BLOCKED

**TRANSPORTATION ON THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER

WAS BLOCKED

** THIS DEVESTATED THE CONFEDERATE ARMY

v. ROBERT SMALLS ( escaped slave )

1. 23 YR. OLD SLAVE ( AND HIS WIFE AND KIDS )

ESCAPED

2. HE WAS THE PILOT OF A CONF. SHIP

3. HE WAS ABLE TO COMMANDEER THE SHIP AND

SURRENDER IT TO UNION FORCES AT A BLOCKADE

LOCATION

4. HE PROVIDED VALUABLE INFO ON FOTIFICATIONS

ALL AROUND CHARLESTON

v. ROBERT SMALLS ( ESCAPED SLAVE )

1. AFTER THE CIVIL WAR

** HE SERVED AS AN OFFICER IN S.C. MILITIA

** HELPED WRITE THE NEW S.C. CONSTITUTION

** SERVED 5 TERMS AS AN ELECTED S.C.

CONGRESSMEN IN THE HOUSE OF REP.

( in washington d.c.)

vI. General SHerman

1. CARRIED OUT THE “TOTAL WAR” STRATEGY

TOTAL WAR MEANT NOTHING WAS OFF LIMITS FOR

DISTRUCTION

• CITIES

• TOWNS

• CIVILIAN HOUSES / PLANTATIONS

• SCHOOLS

• HOSPITALS

• CHURCHES

• GROCERY / MERCANTILE STORES

vI. General SHerman

2. “MARCH TO THE SEA” CAMPAIGN ( battle plan )

- DIRECT NEGATIVE IMPACT ON CIVILIANS !

- SC WOULD PAY THE BIGGEST PRICE FOR BEING

THE 1ST TO SECED.

• PRIVATE HOMES, PLANTATIONS, RAILROAD

STATIONS, RAIL TRACK, SAW MILLS, AND GOV.

BUILDINGS WERE LEVELED.

• COLUMBIA WAS BURNED

vIi. Civil war technology

1.THE SOUTH IMPLMENTED THE USE OF A METAL

SUBMARINE ( CSS HUNLEY )

Confederate States Ship TO ATTACK UNION NAVY

BATTLE SHIPS

2. IT WAS A NON FACTOR BUT THE TECHNOLOGY

WAS A IMPORTANT MILITARY ADVANCMENT

vIii. African-Americans in the Civil war

1. THE 54th MASSACHUSETTS ARMY REGIMENT

** ALL BLACK ARMY UNIT KNOWN FOR

LEADING THE ATTACK AGAINST FORT WAGNER IN

CHARLESTON, SC

FINAL SCENES OF THE CIVIL WAR MOVIE “GLORY”

THIS MOVIE WAS ABOUT THE 54TH REG.

vIii. African-Americans in the Civil war

1. SOME ESCAPED TO THE NORTH

2. SOME CONTINUES TO WORK ON PLANTATIONS

AND WAITED FOR THE UNION TO FREE THEM

3. SOME WERE FORCED INTO ACTION BY THEIR

MASTERS AND THE CONF. ARMY

4. MANY SERVED IN THE UNION ARMY..BUT WERE

NEVER TREATED EQUAL TO A WHITE SOLDIER