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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, focusing primarily on Jackson who had attacked the rail deport at Mannasas, seizing supplies and burning 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 believe 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 Virginia. [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 Potomac 'McClellan's personal body guard' and told an aiud, that he 'would like to borrow the Army if General McClellan was not going to use it.' It would be General Grant who would put it to effective use.
It looked like the Federal forces would defeat the Confederacy as McClellan slowly and meticulously conducted the Peninsulr Campaign. 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, shortening the distance they needed to drive toward Richmond. Itwas the cloest the Federals got to Richmond in 2 years. Richmond was vital to the Confederacy. Not only was it the capital, but it had the most important industrial complex in the south. The Tredegar Iron Works was the major source of Confederate artillery during the war. Without the arms munitiins cmplex at Tichmond, the Confederacy would have been hard put to fight the War. When the Federals landed, slaves ran away and flocked to the Federal lines. A good example is an unidentified slave boy. The pace of the War picked up as Robert E. Lee took command of the Army of Northern Virginia. It was at this time Lee exerted his military brillance. Major battles were fought punctuated with long period of recovery and inaction. Lee's initial victory was the Seven Days (June-July 1862). These were masterful battles which established Lee as one of the great military commanders of the War. It was a series of costly victories that the Confederacy could scarcely afford, but stopped the Federals before Richmond. 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. McClellan decided to withdraw back to Washington. The failure of the Peninsula Campaign undermined Lincoln's confidence in McClellan. McClellan for his part tuied to blamed the President for not adequrely supporting him. This despite huge sperioritieds in men and equipment. And he presnt the President wigh his biew as to how the war should be waged based on Christian principles, nanely not damaging or seizing property and here he was primarily talking about the slaves. "Military power should not be allowed to interfere with the relations of servitude, either by supporting or impairing the authority of the master, except for repressing disorder, as in other cases." [McClellan] This of course was essentially what Limcoln hd tried to do, but by this time of the War, Lincoln who from the beginning saw slavery as an evil, was increasingly seeing slavery as the backbone of the Confederate economy which was supporting the rebellion. So not only had McClellan failed as military commander he was also oppodsing the next step Lincoln was preparing and discussing with the cabinet--emancipation.
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 scored another great victory at Second Bull Run before the Federl forces had been united following the ithdrawl from the Penincular Campign (August 1862), 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 was among the worst in the Eastern campaign. He divided his forces and ignored reports about Confederate formantions, focusing primarily on Jackson who had attacked the rail deport at Mannasas, seizing supplies, and burning 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 caution 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 believe that he should invade the North and force an end to the War. It behan as thousands iof Federal soldiers after the fighting a Second Bull Run remained huddled within the growing defenses surrounding Washington, D.C. One author described them as disorganized and discouraged after Second Bull Run. The Federal soldiers had for the most part fought well, but had been poorly led. Lee and the Army of Northern Virginia were of a very different mind. They were increasingly confident and Lee's men had by now developed an almost mystical confidence in their commander. Lee believed that there was extensive support for the Confederacy in Maryland and that he would gain recruits by moving into the state. He was in part correct. Lincoln had kept Maryland in the Union by essentially occupying it with Federal troops. Lee miscalculted, however, in that he invaded western Maryland where like western Virginia there was considerable support for the Union. For Lee it was a bold gamble that might have ended the War with a Confederate victory. Iy was in fact the Confederacy's best chance of winning the War. It would be a 2 week campaign that ould dramatically change the course of the War. [Hartwig] Lee's invasion led to th eseige and capture of Harpers Ferry. This was followed by the day-long fighting at South Mountain (September 14). [Carmen, Vol. I.] 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 Virginia. [Jordan] The two armies then collied in full force at Antitem 3 days later (September 17). The battle was fouht in three phases, moving south from the Corn Field, to the Sucken Road and eventually the Burnside Bridge. [Carmen, Vol. II.]
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. Lee's failure defeated thebest chances fior a Confederate victory in the War. It gave President Lincoln the opportnity he coveted to issue the Emanciptiob Proclamation from a position of defense. McClellan in fact was a disastrous battle-field commander turned back by Lee at the Seven Day's campaign and failing to take advantage of Lee's defeat at Antitem. McClellan sat back while Lee's drastically weakeb\ned army was allowed to retire across the Potomac unhindered. McClellan while a poor battle-field 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 Potomac 'McClellan's personal body guard' and told an aid, that he 'would like to borrow the Army if General McClellan was not going to use it.' It would be General Grant who would eventually put the army that McClellan built to effective use.
Fredericksburg was one of the major battles of the Civil War (Decmber 11, 1962). Unlike Chanlorsville to come, was a setpiece battle. It was at the time the largest battle fought in North Ametrica and the first urban battle since the Revolutionary War. The Federal Army of the Potomac bombarded Frdericksburg with massed artillery from the far side of the Rappahannock River River-- a substantial barrier that the Federal Army has to cross to get at the Confederates. Much of the Civil War on the East was fought north of the Rapidan/Rappahannock line which the Federls had to cross to get to Richmond. Under whithering Confederate fire, the Federals crossed the Rappahannock and landed at the foot of Hawke Street in the middle of the city. The Federals charged into town and ransacked homes and shops trying to root out the Confederte soldiers. The Confederates held Caroline Street this became a hard fight part of the battle which extended south toward William Street. Churches and homes were used as makeshift military hospitals. The basement of the town hall becme a refuge for slaves. The Confederate Army retreated to Marye's Heights behind the city. Here the Confederate soldiers took up a posditiomn behind a stone wall along a Sunken Road, ideal defensive cover. The Federal troops had to charge uphill over open ground at the wall and suffered severe casualties. During the battle the Federals lost 12,653 men and the Confederates lost 4,201 men.
Carmen, Ezra Ayres. Thomas G. Clemens, ed.. The Maryland Campaign of 1862. Vol. I. South Mountain. Vol. II. Antitem. Carmen actually fought in the battle as a Federal Colonel. His two volume work is generally seen as the definitive accountb of the battle.
Hartwig, D. Scott. To Antitem Creek: The Maryland Campaign of September 1862 (2012), 808p.
Jordan, Brian Matthew. Unholy Sabbath: The Battle of South Mountain (2011), 384p.
McClellan, George. Letter to Ptesident Lincoln (July 7, 1862). The letter was writtn near Hafrison's Landing, Virginia on the occassion of his evacuation from the Penninsula Campaign.
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