The Overland Campaign, which saw the bloodiest fighting in the continent of North American, was a necessary evil to end the American Civil War. Starting on May 4th of 1864, the newly promoted Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant committed to destroying Robert E. Lee and his Army of Northern Virginia in the field. First, one must look at what the Overland Campaign entailed. Next, this paper will examine previous major Northern victories and consider the differences between them and Grant’s campaign. Finally, one can come to the conclusion that the Overland Campaign effectively helped end the war and without it, fighting was sure to be prolonged. After his successes in the West, U. S. Grant became the first Lieutenant General since George Washington on March 2nd of 1864 and assumed command of the entire Union Army. Hopes were high for General Grant, seen in a letter the previous year, President Abraham Lincoln expressed his trust for Grant when he that he originally “feared it was a mistake” in regards to his attack on Vicksburg and “I now wish to make the personal acknowledgment that you were right, and I was wrong.” Heretofore, Union Generals in the East focused on capturing specific cities, however, Grant wanted to cripple the Confederate Army. In a letter from Grant to Major General George Meade before the Overland Campaign began, he outlined his intentions of the operation, writing that “Lee’s army will be your objective point. Wherever Lee goes, there you will go
In late June 1863, Confederate General Robert E. Lee’s Army of Northern Virginia passed through western Maryland and invaded Pennsylvania. General Lee believed that by invading the North, he could draw the Union Army of the Potomac away from their defenses and force them to come after him. He also assumed the people of the North would be so demoralized if the Union were to lose another major battle, especially if it was fought on Northern soil, that President Abraham Lincoln would be forced to negotiate a settlement of the Civil War. On 01 July 1863, then Colonel Joshua Chamberlain, and his 20th Maine received word to begin movement to
General Grant was given command over all union armies in 1864 in which then decided he would direct operations from Virginia while traveling with the Army of Potomac which Major General George G. Meade was in charge of. Grant presence took over the Army but yet still Meade took part on. General Grant was one of the greatest General that took part in the Union Army and he wanted that to show. “Initially Grant told Meade he did not envision a campaign of maneuver.” General Grant,” Meade predicted in reply, you are opposed by a general of consummate ability, and you will find that you will have to maneuver for position.” 2 General Grant took in the advice given from General Meade and maneuvered, this already displayed the building cohesive teams
Since the final battle of the American Civil War was fought in 1865, scholars have debated the reasons for the Union’s victory over the Confederacy. Historians have attributed the war’s outcome to many factors, some of which include Lincoln’s superior leadership, the South’s failure to diplomatically secure foreign intervention, emancipated slaves enlisting in the Union army, and the military strategies employed by the North’s generals. Both the Union and Confederacy expected a quick victory, each believing it possessed several advantages over the other. In the end, however, the North’s overwhelming
When the Civil War began in 1861, Grant eagerly jumped at the chance to volunteer for military service in the Union army. His first command was as the colonel of the 21st Illinois Infantry, but he was quickly promoted to brigadier general in July 1861, and soon after, was given command of the District of Southeast Missouri. Grant was starting to become noticed by the public eye. Grant won many important battles including the capture of Vicksburg which marked the turning point in the war. For these reasons,
Ulysses S. Grant was an important figure in the Civil War due to the fact that he led an inexperienced Union to a win in the Civil War. Towards the start of the Civil War, Ulysses S. Grant was given the role of the 21st Illinois Infantry, a military regiment located at Mattoon, Illinois (Sparknotes). Later, in September 1861, Grant was given the role of command in the District of Southeast Missouri (Sparknotes). Later, he earned two victories at Fort Henry and Fort Donelson. One of Grant’s most important victories came into part at the Battle of Vicksburg in 1863 (Stine 47). Grant felt different about the battles though. Even though, he had been through many wars, he was
Oftentimes, when thinking of important battles of the infamous civil war your mind will automatically go to the well-known Battle Of Gettysburg. While that was an extremely important battle that played a significant part in the Civil war, there are lesser know battle that are equally, if not more, important to the war that divided the United States of America. One of these battles was the first Battle at Bull Run. In this paper I will explain when and why it happened. And also, how this battle influenced and shaped the outcome of the Civil War.
"When New Orleans fell in the spring of 1862, the triumvirate Vicksburg, Grand Gulf and Port Hudson was destined to become the last obstacle to the total Federal control of the Mississippi." Abraham Lincoln thought Vicksburg was 'the key,' so Vicksburg was the focal point of Union strategy. Obviously, Vicksburg was one of the most important objectives of the Union army. General Ulysses S. Grant was placed in charge of the Vicksburg campaign. He was an exceptional strategist and arguably one of the best generals this country has ever seen.
The Wilderness Campaign was a battle between the Union and Confederacy that lasted 3 days from May 5-7 1864 that ultimately had an inconclusive result. Each side had a general as mostly all armies do. The Union was lead by Lt. Gen Ulysses S. Grant, and the Confederacy was lead by General Robert E. Lee. The battle was located at Spotsylvania and Orange Counties, Virginia. The Union had a total of 102,000 troops and the Confederacy had 61,000. The Confederacy had less troops, but they had less casualties with the Union having 18,400 casualties and the Confederacy having 11,400 casualties. It was fought at the edge of a field and woods. The battle had a very high amount of casualties due to the close quarter fighting in the woods. It was nearly
By the outset of 1864, after three years of war, the Union had mobilized its resources for the ongoing struggle on a massive scale. The government had overseen the construction of new railroad lines and for the first time used standardized rail tracks that allowed the North to move men and materials with greater ease. The North’s economy had shifted to a wartime model. The Confederacy also mobilized, perhaps to a greater degree than the Union, its efforts to secure independence and maintain slavery. Yet the Confederacy experienced ever-greater hardships after years of war. Without the population of the North, it faced a shortage of manpower. The lack of industry, compared to the North, undercut the ability to sustain and wage war. Rampant inflation as well as food shortages in the South lowered morale.
The North has begun its attack on Southern freedom and way of life. It is one’s duty to understand and navigate the situation in such a way that the Confederacy can gain victory from the grip of the Union. Certain resources that the Confederacy has will ensure its quick victory. Although the Union has their own resources, they are to be quickly dismissed because they are not sufficient enough to win a war. It is also true that the resources that one cannot dismiss must be brought down and destroyed. The following information should be used to ensure that the Confederacy would live on.
No other war seems to hold our focus like the Civil War. Scholars have chosen to make it their life's work, authors have written reams about it, and we all feel some kind of connection to the Civil War. This paper was created to highlight some of the major battles that took place during that conflict. Major battles usually marked a drastic change in the momentum from one side to the other or led to massive losses of troops. These battles and their results all played a huge part in the outcome of the war.
Gen. Robert E. Lee had a prolific military background compared to Maj. General George Gordon Meade entering the Battle of Gettysburg. Shortly prior to the Battle of Gettysburg Maj. Gen. Meade was promoted from captain to general whereas Gen. Lee served in the United States Army for 32 years. Both commanders attended the United States Military Academy but Gen. Lee had a substantial amount of command experience compared to Maj. Gen. Meade, which included a pivotal role in the Mexican-American War. In this battle, the Union army’s objective was to bring the Confederate army to battle while maintaining the defense of the capital in Washington, D.C and keeping the battles of war from being fought further north. The union did not intend on attacking the Confederates, they only planned on defending their positions as directed by President Lincoln. The Confederate army’s
A despondent Lincoln told his Cabinet he didn't expect to win the election. "I'm going to be beaten... badly," he told an army official, "unless some great change takes place." Grant and Sherman began finishing off the South. While Grant continued to pin down Lee at Richmond and Petersburg, Sherman cut loose from Atlanta and marched to the sea, destroying everything in his path in an effort to terrorize the South and break its will and ability to fight. As Sherman said before his march: "This war is different from European wars of the past. We're fighting not only a hostile army, but a hostile people. And we must make them, old and young, rich and poor, feel the hard hand of
“War at the best, is terrible, and this war of ours, in its magnitude and in its duration, is one of the most terrible” (Lincoln). This “war of ours” is the American Civil War 1861-1865. It is one of the most significant wars ever fought in American History. Many Americans lost their lives, some defending freedom, and others defending the Union. The warfare was a major contributor to the casualties suffered during this bloodbath. To fully understand this warfare, one must understand the individual factors involved and how they affected the warfare. The five factors are: military strategy, worldview paradigm, weapons and supplies, terrain, and climate.
After the Proclamation it continued to be an uphill battle for Lincoln, and the North lost many key battles. General Robert Lee, the commander of the Confederate Army, began a push into Pennsylvania to meet the Union in battle at Gettysburg. Lincoln had appointed General George Mead to defend the North. In early July 1863 the two armies met. More losses were sustained in that battle than in all the previous American wars together; but the North held the ground and won the day. July 5, 1863 was a banner day for the North, for on that day word came that General Ulysses Grant had also captured Vicksburg, a key Confederate position on the Mississippi River.