Battle of Fredericksburg, VA: Dec. 11-13, 1862
- Lee brings in troops, © takes Heights on 12/11
o (U) bombs city on 13th, then crosses river to advance into city (Fred. on M’s H.)
o (U) launches 14 separate assaults on ©, but (U) could NOT reach © line
- Gibbons takes on Jackson and fails
- The Irish Brigade (young/patriotic Irishmen) is sent to the stone wall and are slaughtered
- 9,000 (U) soldiers fall on the 13th
o Overall 12,600 (U) soldiers die
o 5,300 © soldiers
- (U) retreats
Emancipation Proclamation
-3 reasons for conception-
· Huge [U] losses [Shiloh & Antietam]
o Lives have to be lost for greater purpose, not just for economy, money
· Abolitionist & radical republican pressure
o Wanted [C] to feel pain of war via loss of property [slaves]
· European influence
o Did not support slaveryàif north claims it is abolitionist area, by default, the countries must support north
o $ or greater good?
Proclamationà2 big things
- slaves are free
- US recognizes rebellion of some states
Results
- was becomes moral crusade for union
- crusade of principle for [C]
- renews spirit to fight for north
- many blacks join [u] army
- when [u] pushes into [c] landsàslaves flee to [u] lines
- [U] goes southàslaves find out about proclamationàgo to [u] lines=free
- [c]:you have no right to impose laws on us, we are our own country
- DCàadopts compensated emancipation
- Slaves wishing to come free would gain freedom, but masters would be compensated for worth
Role of Blacks in Union Army
- After emancipation proclamationè200,000 free and fugitive blacks join army
- 150,000 join quartermaster [supplies] & engineering corp
- commanded by white officers
- paid less
- lived in segregated quarters
- at end of war=23 blacks earn Congressional Medal of Honor
- for extreme acts of bravery on the part of others
Union Conscription March 1863
- could hire substitute
- ages 18-35
- could buy yourself out of draft for $300
- 3yr draft
- got bounty-lump sum of $1500 for 3yr enlistment
- bounty jumping-enlist, desert, enlist again somewhere else, desertàget $$ each time you enlist
- leads to series of riotsà4 days
- “Draft Riots” –July 1863, larges riots, in NYC
- war discriminated against poor b/c wealthy people could by themselves out of serving
- riots are suppressed, conscription continues
Role of Women During the War
Women in the North-war didn’t COMPLETELY change their lives
- continued to work in factories, operated machines
- worked on farms, taking responsibility
- accustomed to working long hours
- [not new ideas in North]
Women in South
- originally “headed up” household of slaves, but usually more of a figurehead
- during waràrunning plantations
- women on small farms: plowing, harvesting, planting
- manufacturing=on homefront, producing own clothing
- take on jobs outside the home
- gov’t clerks, etc.
- factory workers in munitions factories
- accompany husbands on field
- helping them more as equals
- spies
- Belle Boyd
- Rose Greenhow [prominent in DC society]
- Disguised themselves and fought
- Goes against expectations
- Idea of southern belle is gone
Development of Field Hospital
- Idea of sanitation evolves over time after/during war.
Union
- Dorothea Dix
- makes reform in how to care for troops
- superintendent of female nurses in [U] army
- Clara Barton
- Starts American Red Cross
- To be a nurse for [U]=plain to the point of homely, very modest
- U.S. Sanitary Commission
- Job was to raise money to improve living conditions of soldiers
- Raise millions of dollars
Confederate
- Nursing helps change perception of women in south
- Revolutionizes how southern men see southern women
- Women say, look at all we did for—saved your lives, sopped up your blood etcàgive us rights!
- Can do anything
- Played key roles
Overall
Supplying the Armies
South:
- Intended to get $$ from GB, but [U] put up effective blockade
- Prevented good cotton trade
1) have graduated income tax
a) whatever you makeàsome goes back to government
2) 10% of all produced cropsàgov’t of [C]
3) started printing more money
a) forced people to accept confederate $$ in exchange for supplies
North:
1) develops income tax
a) income=$600-5000?à5%
b) income= +$5000?à10%
2) excise tax [$$ goes to gov’t]àon manufactured goods
a) on food, tobacco, clothing, alcohol, railroad tickets
3) protective tariffs
4) increase factory production
5) sell bonds
6) greenbacksàpaper $$ not backed by precious metal, but backed by success of Union
Battle of Chancellorsville May 1, 1863
1) [U]-Hooker, [C]-Stonewall, Lee
2) Hooker feints to right flank of Lee’s line, around Fredericksburg
a) Lee shifts to right
b) Hooker moves troops to the left & comes from behindàoutflanks Lee
i) Establishes position @ Chancellorsville, and gets more troops from Union HQ
3) Lee sends Stonewall & 28,000 troops thru Wilderness to Hooker’s left flank
a) Stonewall goes thru Wilderness during nightàconfusion etcèStonewall is shot by his own patrol
4) Union is forced to retreat to Rappahannock River
a) Stonewalls men are at left flank
b) Lee is pushing from Fredericksburg
5) Confederate Victory
a) But Stonewall dies on Sunday
i) Had left arm amputated, but didn’t help
ii) Lee-“Jackson lost his left arm, but I have lost my right”
b) Losses
i) Union=17,000
ii) Confederates=13,000
c) Considered to be Lee’s best victory
i) Outnumbered, has to divide troops
ii) Manages to keep Fredericksburg and gain Chancellorsville despite odds
iii) BUT he loses best general
Grant’s Seige @ Vicksburg
1) May 15-July 4, 1863
2) Why? It is the nail that is holding the [C] together
a) [U] plan from the beginning was to split [C] into 3 parts
i) north Virginia-working on it
ii) eastern & western parts of south
3) Vicksburg is fortified
4) Grant already tried to take it in 1862, but failed
5) Lays in for siege
a) Skirmishes
b) Cut off supply lines
c) Wears down city
6) Grant takes Vicksburg by July 4, 1863
7) Pemberton & Joseph Johnston
8) Results
a) 31,000 [C] troops surrender
i) problem for [C] because they need all the troops possible because they already lack troops
b) [U] really controls MS river
c) [C] is divided | 
