Andersonville Prison Camp

Andersonville, or Camp Sumter, as the Union called it, was a gruesome place. It was a prison camp run by the dreaded Henry Wirz. Wirz was a man who did not care about the way his prisoners had to live, and eventually was executed due to inhumane treatment of war prisoners. The prisoners had a town system, with little shacks called shebangs that were built out of anything available to the occupants of the prison. People sold anything they could, such as parts of their food rations, or tobacco. There was no sanitation, and the prisoners tried their best to wash themselves with sand. The bodies of dead and dying men were littered about, picked up by a wagon every morning. The very same wagon would bring back the bread for the prisoners, which was their only food other than small rations of uncooked beans or meat. Many people in Andersonville were desperate for a better lifestyle, and would go crazy waiting to get wood (to make a fire with) and take clothes off of dead men, either to make their shebangs warmer or to wear them themselves. Prisoners would have almost no chance of escape, as the guards were very smart and knew the tactics prisoners would use to attempt and escape.
Some healthy prisoners would help the dying ones.
Image from: http://www.nps.gov/ande/forteachers/classrooms/lp-medicalwebquest.htm

William Sherman's Atlanta Campaign and March to the Sea

The city of Atlanta was a major source of pride for the Confederacy, as it had risen up so quickly to become such a populous city. This was one reason General William Sherman decided to go on a raid through Atlanta, the other being that taking over a southern city would give Lincoln the support he needed to win the election of 1860. It was crucial Lincoln was reelected, as the other candidate, George McClellan had very different views on how to fight the war. After having retreated to Chattanooga at the Battle of Chickmauga, Sherman marched his troops into Atlanta, and caused chaos. Because the mayor refused to surrender, Sherman ordered all citizens to evacuate, and used homes and stores as barracks and supply hubs. After his troops got carried away and burned much of Atlanta, Sherman resided in Atlanta for two months. Once this waiting period was over, he went on a terrorizing march towards the coast, destroying anything in his path. His strategy, also known as "total war," was to wear down the Georgians so much that they would just give him their towns and hope the war would end. When Sherman met former slaves, even though he thought they were inferior, he would invite them on the march, and treat them with respect.

Sherman and his troops burned about 30% of Atlanta.

William Sherman marched through Georgia, causing utter destruction anywhere he went.

Activity in Georgia (The Battle of Chickmauga, Chattanooga, and the Blockade of GA's coast)

Throughout the Civil War, activity in Georgia was very minor, up until the Battle of Chickmauga. The Confederate and Union Troops met at Chickmauga. Before this, the Union had been staying in Chattanooga, so that was where the temporary barracks and supplies were. Chickmauga was a big deal for Georgia, as it was the first major battle fought here. Soon, it became clear that the Union troops were being beaten by the Confederate ones. The federals issued a retreat, but unlike the retreat at Bull Run, this one was orderly and calm. A brave soldier, General Thomas of the Union troops, stood his ground and defended the retreating troops. This earned him the nickname "The Rock of Chickmauga." The troops came back to Chattanooga, and were trapped in the city for a while. After Ulysses S. Grant (the new union general) opened a supply line, the troops, even having lost 16,000 men, the Union troops continued on to Atlanta, which would become the Atlanta Campaign. Meanwhile, the Union was blockading the entire coast of Georgia, very tightly. The purpose of this was to deplete the Confederacies supply of exports and imports, while the Union holding Chattanooga created a good supply hub for Lincoln.
















Union troops were losing, and had to retreat back to Chattanooga.
Image From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Chickamauga


Union ships formed a blockade all along GA's coast.
Image From: http://www.civilwaracademy.com/civil-war-ships.html

The Battle of Gettysburg

The Emancipation Proclamation gave slaves the chance to escape North and join the Union army. This just added to the Confederacy's growing problems. The slaves and supplies were dwindling, and every battle meant more southern losses. General Robert E. Lee, after his loss at Antietam, knew that his army was growing weaker and weaker, and needed support. For the second time (the first being Antietam), Lee set out to invade the North and gain recognition from England, and maybe even end the war by gaining peace with the Union. The two armies met each other at the city of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania, and their was an extreme bloodbath. Collectively, 50,00 lives were lost. For 3 days, Lee attempted to break the strong fishhook formation of General Meade's Union army, but to no avail. This battle raised the confidence of the North, and caused Lee to almost resign. The Confederacy lost about 1/3 of it's army (28,000), did not gain England's support, and is no longer the larger power in this war. Gettysburg was indeed a turning point, and Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, spoken 5 months after the battle, has become one of the most well-known speeches of the Civil War.

The Battle of Gettysburg was the turning point of the war.
Image From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Gettysburg

The Emancipation Proclamation

After the battle of Antietam, even though it was technically a draw, Lincoln was very confident after the "victory." In fact, he was so confident that he decided to issue the Emancipation Proclamation. The Emancipation Proclamation was an official document that issued the freedom of all slaves in the Confederate States. Because Lincoln technically had no power over the southern states, slaves would have to escape into the North to be free. Lincoln did not free slaves in the border states of Maryland, Delaware, Kentucky, and Missouri because he needed those states to stay in the Union, as they would almost double the population of the Confederacy. This was very controversial, because it went against the Constitution and now the Union was fighting for something other than keeping itself together. In the document, Lincoln encouraged slaves to escape and join the Union army. This way, the Union's already huge population was being combined with angry, determined slaves.

Image From: http://theinterrobang.com/2012/12/the-filtered-excellence-december-27-2012/filtered-excellence-emancipation-proclamation/

Significant Battles of the War (Ft. Sumter, Bull Run/Manassas, and Antietam)

In South Carolina, there were two forts that were under control of the government. One of these was Fort Sumter, and it stayed under Union control after South Carolina seceded. Abraham Lincoln sent supplies to the federal troops inside the Fort, but the South Carolinian forces opened fire, and defeated the fort. Fort Sumter was the first battle of the war, and a victory for the Confederacy, giving the southerners confidence. Even after this, the Union was extremely confident that they would easily defeat the rebels, so when a battle at Manassas broke out, citizens from Washington even came out to watch. Their views quickly changed, as the Confederacy made a huge comeback, thanks to Stonewall Jackson, and the Federals retreated, scared of the unexpected tactics and skills of the Southern Army. This battle significantly lowered the confidence of the North, and increased it for the South. Antietam was an invasion of the North, led by Robert E. Lee. Lee believed that if he were to make one big blow to the Union by invading them, England and France would recognize the Confederacy as a country, and provide support and troops. Union soldiers found a copy of Lee's battle plan, and General McClellan intercepted the rebel army, and defeated them. It was technically a draw, because Lee's army just turned around, and the Union did not chase them. England and France did not help the Confederacy, and the Union was more confident.
Image From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Sumter.jpg

Image from: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_Battle_of_Bull_Run

These battles were all a significant in the Civil War, and the war may have turned out differently without them.
Image From: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Antietam

Strengths and Weaknesses of the Union and Confederacy

The Confederacy and the Union each had strengths and weaknesses that the other did not. The Union was almost double in it's population than the confederacy, while the Confederacy had less people, but better generals and soldiers. This was because there were more military academies and the south, so strategic masters of war like Robert E. Lee fought for the confederacy. A huge advantage the North had though, were telegrams and railroads. Because most technology and industry was in the North, the majority of railroads and telegram lines were there. Railroads were a big thing to have, as they provided fast transportation of equipment, and more importantly, soldiers. So were telegrams. Because of instant communication, Lincoln could control his army from the White House, unlike Jeff Davis. Yet another edge the Union had over the Confederacy was that in their huge population, their were lots of factory workers, and lots of factory workers means that the Union has access to guns and equipment. Even though the South was outnumbered, all they had to do was defend their territory, while the Union was invading unfamiliar ground, which was a huge setback for the federals.

This chart shows some of the advantages and disadvantages of the Union and Confederacy.
Image From: http://freesolstuff.weebly.com/free-games.html