** the American Civil War -- war campaign early phase east








American Civil War Campaigns--Early Phase in the East (1861-1863)


Figure 1.--The fighting in 1861 was by hatily formed srmies that were bot sdure about whzt they were doing. Boh sides had only hzndful of professionl soldirers to lead massiv numbers of recruits. Artillery was just beginning to come into its owm. This photograoh was nmed 'Havoc' and shows the effect of a 32lb. shell from the 2nd. Mass. Heavy Artillery at , Fredericksburg, Virginia. The newspapers in America and Europe focused largely on the Eastern Campaign mening the fighting in a small area of Virginia north of the Rapidan/Rappahannock Rivers and around Washington. Here the Confedercy led by Lee were winning battles. Reporting on the rest of the war comprising the huge area comprising most of Confedercy, not just one state, received sketchy reporting and here the Confederacy was being torn apart in campigns most prominently speatheaded by Grant.

The Federal forces using the Army of the Polomac made a great effort to drive on the Confederate capital at Richmond, but the superb tactics of Lee frustrated that effort through most of the War. A succession of vascilating or fool-hardy northern generals experiended devestaing defeats in the East, in the face of numerically weaker Confederate forces. The first battle was fought at Bull Run (July 1861). At the time, most people in the North and South thought the War would be decided by one or a small number of battles. Federal forces were sure of victory. The battle swayed back and forth. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson emerged as the deciding force. The battle turned into a Federal disaster. As the defeated Federal forces streamed back to Washington, the people were shocked at the view of a defeated army. The Civil war might have ended right there, except for the man watching his defeated army stream back into Washington from a White House window. Lincoln's response was to call for the creation of a larger army. [Detzer] Bull Run was the only major engagement fought in the East during 1861. Both sides used the rest of the year to build up their forces. The pace of the War picked up the following year as Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Major battles were fought punctuated with long period of recovery and inaction. Lee's victories included: Seven Days (June-July 1862), Bull Run (August 1862), Fredericksburg (December 1862), Chancellorsville (May 1863). These were masterful battles which established Lee as one of the great military commanders of the War. Lee was an offensive-minded commander. While achieving these victories, they came at a considerable price, substantial losses even in victory. The losses were dreadful on both sides, but the Federal forces were better prepare to replace the losses than the Confederacy. The one Federal success in the Eastern theater was at Antitem (September 1862). Antitem was preceed by Lee's victory at Second Bull Run which led him to brlieve that he should invade the North and force an end to the War. This led to fighting at South Mountain (September 1862). The tactical actions at Fox, Turner, and Crampton's Gap proved to be the first victory of the Army of the Potomac over the Army of Northern Vurginia. [Jordan] The two armies then collied in full force at Antitem 3 days later. It was there that Federal forces under General McClellan managed to turn back Lee's first attempt to take the War to the North. It proved to be an horific killing field, the bloodiest day in American history. McClellan in fact was a disastrous commander turned back by Lee at the Seven Day's campaign and failing to take advantage of Lee's defeat at Antitem. McClellan while a poor commander did effectively build the Army of the Potomac into an effective fighting force, but was hesitant to use it. Lincoln becoming increasingly frustrated with McClellan . He called the Army of the Poptmac 'McClellan's personal body guard' and told an aiud, that he 'would like to borrow the Army if General McClellan was not goung to use it.' It would be General Grant who would put it to effective use.

1861

The Federal forces using the Army of the Polomac made a great effort to drive on the Confederate capital at Richmond, but the superb tactics of Lee frustrated that effort through most of the War. A succession of vascilating or fool-hardy northern generals experiended devestaing defeats in the East, in the face of numerically weaker Confederate forces. The first battle was fought at First Bull Run (July 1861). At the time, most people in the North and South thought the War would be decided by one or a small number of battles. Federal forces were sure of victory. The battle swayed back and forth. Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson emerged as the deciding force. Jackson was a West Point gradut and veteran of the Mexican War. It was in Mexico that Jackson met Lee. The battle turned into a Federal disaster. As the defeated Federal forces streamed back to Washington, the people were shocked at the view of a defeated army. The Civil war might have ended right there, except for the man watching his defeated army stream back into Washington -- from a White House window. Lincoln's response was to call for the creation of a huge army byond the scope of any precious army fielded by the United States. [Detzer] Bull Run was the only major engagement fought in the East during 1861. Both sides used the rest of the year to build up their forces nd trin the civilian volunteers with no precious military experiuence. Here the Confederacy had an itnitial advantage. Southerners lived with a huge enslved population and the nightmare of a slave reberllion. As a result, state militias werv better organized in southern than in northern states. While there ere no furtherr enggements of any importnce in the East there were some very significant agregemnts in the West. And here the name Ulysses S. Grant was beginning to appear in the newspapers. The best known Civil War fort is of course, Dort Sumter in Charleston Hrbor where the Confedracy fired on, launching tghe Civil War (April 1861). Another much less hearlded was Fort Monoroed in Hampton, Virginia, at the southern tip of the Virginia Peninsula. It is notable as near where the first captive Africans were landed in what is now the United States (1619). Ignored by the Critiucal Race Therorists is that it was also the historic site of freedom for former slaves under the provisions of contraband policies protecting runaway slaves. It was a policy first elborated by Benhmin Butler -- a Union general even more hated than Sherman by the Confederates. Lincoln did not countermand Butler nd the self emancipation of tens of thiusands of slaves began before the Emanciption Proclamation. Butler not only helped sercure Fort Monroe, but two forts in North Crolina wehich would play important roles in supoporting the Federal naval blokade of the Confederacy.

1862

It looked like the Federal forces would defeat the Confederacy as McClellan slowly and meticulously conf\ducted the Peninsulr Campaign. The pace of the War picked up the following year as Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia. Major battles were fought punctuated with long period of recovery and inaction. Lee's initial victories included: Seven Days (June-July 1862), Second Bull Run (August 1862), and Fredericksburg (December 1862).These were masterful battles which established Lee as one of the great military commanders of the War. Lee was an offensive-minded commander. While achieving these victories, they came at a considerable price, substantial losses even in victory. The losses were dreadful on both sides, but the Federal forces were better prepare to replace the losses than the Confederacy. The Army of the Potomac brought the War to the Confederacy with the Peninsula Campaign mastrermined by General McClellan. Using their superior naval forces, the Federals landed on the York Peninsula, shorteming the distance ythey needed to drive toward Richmond. It was at this time Lee exerted his military brillance. His Seven Day's campaign stopped the Federal Army in place, although at considerable cist to hos own army. The failure of the Peninsula Campaign undermined Lincoln's confidence in McClellan. Withdrawing the Army of the Potomac back to Washington, Linclon turned over the new Army of Virgina to General John Pope who had been active in the West. Lee's victory at Second Bull Run was the first time he divided his army to achieve victory. This is a dangerous military tactic, epecially for a commander ho is already at a numerical disadvantage. More commonly victories are achieved by concentrating force at a stategic point. Pope's generalship ws among the worst in the Eastern campaign. He divided his forces and ignored reports about Confederate formantions, foicusing primarily on Jackson who had attacked the rail deport at Mannasas, seizing supplies and buring the rest. The battle began the first day at the Brawner Farm and spread outfrom there. Jackson attacked late in the day before concentating his forces. The Federals fought hard, but were poorly led. Caualties totaled about 25,000 men. One of them was one of Jackson's top commpanders Ewell whose leg was smashed. He survived, but many historians say he was never the same. And Ewell's cautiin on the first day of Gettyburg is generally seen as dooming Lee's army to defeat. The one Federal success in the Eastern theater was at Antitem (September 1862). Antitem was preceed by Lee's victory at Second Bull Run which led him to brlieve that he should invade the North and force an end to the War. This led to fighting at South Mountain (September 1862). The tactical actions at Fox, Turner, and Crampton's Gap proved to be the first victory of the Army of the Potomac over the Army of Northern Vurginia. [Jordan] The two armies then collied in full force at Antitem 3 days later. It was there that Federal forces under General McClellan managed to turn back Lee's first attempt to take the War to the North. It proved to be an horific killing field, the bloodiest day in American history. McClellan in fact was a disastrous commander turned back by Lee at the Seven Day's campaign and failing to take advantage of Lee's defeat at Antitem. McClellan while a poor commander did effectively build the Army of the Potomac into an effective fighting force, but was hesitant to use it. Lincoln becoming increasingly frustrated with McClellan . He called the Army of the Poptmac 'McClellan's personal body guard' and told an aiud, that he 'would like to borrow the Army if General McClellan was not goung to use it.' It would be General Grant who would put it to effective use.

1863

Fredericksburg had been a terrible bloodletting by the Army of the Potomac. After the battlke, the Army retired to its winter quarters to rebuild. Perhaps Lee's greatest victory was Chancellorsville (May 1863). It was masterpiece of militry manuever, achieved by violting the cardinal military principle of concentralion of force. The confidence of many Federal commnders was shaken. And just as after Second Bull Run, the suprior performanced of the Army of Northern Virginia convinced Lee to head north again to make another attempt at forcing an end to the War. While Chancellorsville was a great victory, it came at a heavy price in men lost. Anotherr part of that price was the loss of Jackson who had played a key role in the victory. The night after the battle, Jackson was reconitering his lines when one of his own pickets accidentally shot him in the dark. Thus Lee's invasion of Pennsylvania would have to be done without Jackson. And with a Lee that had convinced himself that his men could do the impossible. As Lee moved the Army of Northern Virginia north behind the cover of the Appalachian, the Arny of the Potomac begn moving north as well placing itself between Lee and Washington. It is at this time Lincoln appoints a new commander--George Meade. While Gettyburg would make all the headlines, the Federals continued to make huge advances in the East. At the same time that the two armies met at Gettysburg, Grant would take Vicksburg securing the Mississippi for the Union and cutting the Confederacy in two.

Sources

Detzer, David. Donneybrook: The Battle of Bull Run, 1861 (Hasrcourt, 2004).

Jordan, Brian Matthew. Unholy Sabbath: The Battle of South Mountain (2011), 384p.






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Created: 10:07 PM 3/14/2012
Last updated: 10:07 PM 3/14/2012