uscw total war 1864-1865

USCW

Total War 1864-1865

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The Civil War –Total War 1864-65Strategic Overview:

• By 1864: North attacking all forms of South’s resistance:– Military targets & field Armies prime tactical

objective– Also target South’s economy & population

• Undermine morale & psyche of South’s entire population;

• That is: North wages Total War, plan & simple!– Unmatched in Europe – even during Napoleonic

wars

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Military Perspective• From strictly military perspective –

– South was beaten:– Time favored North’s side – to a point - why?

• Must maintain political will of the people & the voters

• South’s only chance & hope?– Delay defeat until the Nov 1864 election – Why?– Friendlier Democratic admin to negotiate treaty

terms

• North was also weary of war:– Lincoln particularly concerned about copperheads

• Democratic candidate’s stated platform position

• Lincoln's response?

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Lincoln's response

• Promotes WHO? to General in Chief– Commands all Union Armies as a three star General– The first LT General since George Washington

• Grant takes firm control of Union Army• Pursues multi-front grand strategy:

– In stark contrast to all his predecessors – how?

• Demonstrated by Grant’s Grand Strategic Plan

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Grant’s Grand Strategic Plan• Grant’s Grand Strategic Plan

– Grant proposes multi-front grand strategy as planned out West– Simultaneous advance on all Southern fronts– Strategy of Exhaustion andAttrition

• Aim: Press South on all fronts & deny Logistics & LOCs– Operationally: Preclude South’s use of its interior LOCs– How were LOCs used in past campaigns by South?

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Strategic, Operational, & Tactical Goals

• Grant to Meade: Lee’s Army is your Objective.• Union Army: destroy all of South’s main armed forces:

– Strategy of attrition vice taking & holding ground;– simply put: Kill the enemy & destroy his army;

• Destroy South’s resources used to support forces:– Armies now too big to completely destroy in battle;– Therefore –must attack & destroy logistics & supply– Plus: destroy South’s means & ability to supply

• Use all available means & troops to do it:– Include all detachments & garrison troops;– Offensive advance vice garrison defense; – Grant: best defense is aggressive offense

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Union’s Strategic Plans• North’s planned Strategic Deployments:

– Two major Union Armies advance simultaneously:

• Meade’s Army of Potomac AOP;• Sherman’s Combined Army of Cumberland,

Tennessee, Ohio

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Strategic Deployments- The East

• Eastern Theater: Meade’s Army pursues Lee’s

• Siegle advances up Shenandoah– -fails by 15 May

– Defeated at Battle of New Market;• Butler to conduct amphibious assault &

press Richmond– Objective: cut off Richmond’s rail supply

from Petersburg•Butler soon became stalled, cut-off, &

neutralized – soon a liability

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Strategic Deployments- The West

• Western Theater: Sherman advances on Johnston

• Banks to advance to Mobile, Alabama– Mobile’s port a key military aim

• Banks’ army diverted instead to Red River Valley– Due to political considerations & influence– Red River Valley of little strategic military

significance– By early April Banks defeated anyway!

1864 Campaigns: Strategic Overview

• Main Union Armies step off in early May, 1864:– Examine Eastern Theater Operations first

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Eastern Theater Operations- 1864-65Strategic Overview

Let’s examine Grant’s Meade’s final campaign in Virginia

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The Virginia Campaign Strategic Overview 1864-1865

Conduct series of flanking maneuvers & vicious fighting & Bloody battles

Grant & Meade w119K troops cross Rapidan on 4 May

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Battle of The Wilderness Commanders, Troops & Their objectives

• Commanders’ strengths & weaknesses:– Grant vs. Lee: Both highly competent & aggressive

• Force dispositions:– Grant – 119K;– Lee - w64K to West of Union Army

• Tactical, Operational, & Strategic Objectives:– Grant: Turn Lee’s flank & compel retreat

• Destroy Lee’s Army & South’s instrument for waging war

– Lee: Get there first & keep Union Army outside LOC• Use terrain thick veg. of Wilderness to dilute Union

numbers

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Battle of The Wilderness - Terrain

• Lee effectively uses dense vegetation of Wilderness to negate Grant’s 2:1 advantage– Union Army unable to set

skirmish line with troop & artillery batteries

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Battle of The Wilderness- execution

• Lee attacks 2 Union corps with intensity– Marched through narrow lanes of

Wilderness & attacks– Ferocity of fighting takes Grant

momentarily taken aback

• Grant gets unwelcome advice– Instructs his commanders to

take more initiative– Continues flanking movement to

South around Lee’s RF– Lee forced to react on inside

track

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Battle of The Wilderness- results

• Tactical, Operational, & Strategic Results:– Brief tactical setback for Grant- loss: 17K

casualties– Lee takes advantage of thick woods: 10K

casualties– No significant operational or strategic change

• Possible exception- what happens after:– Grant orders Army of Potomac to continue drive

• Instead to withdrawing to regroup & refit• Army ordered to keep pressure on & flank Lee

– Union morale & confidence improve

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Battle of Spotsylvania Court House

• Grant continues flanking move 10 miles SE Map=>

• Tactical & Operational objectives:– Union: Take key crossroads;– Interpose AOP between Lee &

Richmond

• South: advance element beats Union to this tactical objective:– Hold until reinforced by Lee

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• Engagements & Execution Overview:– Lee fights from strong entrenched position;– 12 days of bitter, inconclusive fighting;– Grant struggles to penetrate Lee’s lines

Battle of Spotsylvania

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Battle of Spotsylvania- New Tactic

• Emory Upton’s tactical innovation?– charge in new tactical formation:– columns quickly assault a small section of enemy line– trading fire– overwhelm the defenders and achieve breakthrough– Muskets uncapped except for front rank;– Temporary penetration achieved in Rebel line– But Upton is unsupported & forced to withdraw

• Grant is impressed – employs same tactic with entire corps:– Muleshoe salient broken – 4K POWs captured

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• Lee counterattacks to plug hole left by Muleshoe:– Fierce firefights & hand to hand fighting ensues– Lee restores new entrenchment line across baseline– Standoff develops & Lee is reinforced by 8500

Battle of Spotsylvania - counterattack

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Battle of Spotsylvania - results

• Grant attacks Lee’s left center but is repulsed– Tactical stalemate ensues– Nevertheless, Grant maintains initiative over Lee

• Possesses both capacity & will to win• In stark contrast to his predecessors

• Grant decides to move again while Lee follows:– Exact reverse of original Union operational objective– Troop morale of Army of Potomac remains good – Next move: south to North Anna River

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Battle of North Anna River• Grant continues south to North Anna River

– Lee’s advance forces arrive first & quickly set up defense– Establish strong defensive position at Oxford ford

• After fruitless skirmish Grant moves back across river– Slides southeast once again around Lee’s right flank

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Battle of Cold Harbor• Background: Series of small actions ensue:

– Grant attempts to flank Lee’s right once again – Lee anticipates & moves quicker than Grant

• Six week’s of continuous engagements occur– This series breaks previous Civil War battle

patterns:– Pattern: high casualties & no clear victory:

• Union: 55,000 KIA,WIA, & MIA• South: 20,000+

– Troops dig in at every opportunity• Tactical defense becomes the most favored tactic of the

troops

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Battle of Cold Harbor-Strategy & Tactics & Execution

• Tactical & Operational objectives:– Exploit perceived weak

point in Lee’s line;– Destroy Lee’s army;

• Op. Deployment: – Grant deploys to within 7

miles of Richmond

• Execution Overview:– Grant makes series of

early am frontal assaults on Lee;

– Lee strongly entrenched and repulses all Grant’s attempts

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Battle of Cold Harbor- results• Tactical, Operational, & Strategic Results:

– Total waste of troops for no positive gain– Union forced to abort continued assaults– Grant’s casualties: 7000 3500 during main attack– Lee’s casualties: 1500– Greater appreciation on both sides gained for

tactical defense

• Grant would later come to regret making the assault– Determined to find another way to Richmond

without higher casualties

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Petersburg Siege- Advance • Grant concludes Richmond breakthrough too hard

– Redeploys army to attack Petersburg – why?• How is Richmond re-supplied?

• Force dispositions Map:

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Petersburg Siege- Strategy & Tactics

• Strategic, Operational, & Tactical Objectives: – Cut off Richmond from

supply distribution source

– Pressure Lee to prevent his sending help to Johnston

– Force Lee to attack or abandon Richmond

• Problem with siege? – presidential election

politics

• Strategic & tactical Deployment Map:– Grant crosses James

river initially undetected

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Petersburg Siege- execution & results

• Engagements & Execution Overview Map:– Missed opportunity:

Meade’s Lts botch job– Lee able to reinforce

Richmond just in time– Long siege follows

• Tactical, Operational, & Strategic Results:– Tactical: 10 month siege

stalemate ensues– Operational: Lee unable

to reinforce Johnston– Strategic: Sherman

drives toward Atlanta unmolested

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Western Theater – Atlanta Campaign

• Sherman heads south Map• Commanders’ strengths &

weaknesses:– Sherman vs. Johnston:

both about even in generalship

• Force dispositions:– Sherman: 3 part combined

Army of 100K:• Thomas – Cumberland;• McPherson – Tennessee;• Schofield corps – Ohio

– Johnston: 50K plus up to 60K

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Atlanta Campaign- Strategy & Tactics

• Strategic, Operational, & Tactical Objectives: – Johnston: On Defense -

delay Sherman & buy time– Sherman: outflank Johnston

& destroy his army if possible• Take Atlanta & destroy Rebel

material resources

• Strategic & tactical Deployment – Union right flank Johnston’s

left– Union center & left fix South’s

position to facilitate flanking LF

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Atlanta Campaign- execution

• Sherman presses Johnston in several actions;– Johnston maintains effective

defensive retreat– Destroys rr as he withdraws to cut

Union LOC• Sherman worries Rebel

Cavalry will cut his LOC– Sends troops to raid Mississippi as

diversion– Successfully diverts Bedford

Forrest from attacking Union LOC

• Johnston eventually runs out of room to maneuver in further retreat– NTL he is able to occupy well

fortified positions throughout

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Atlanta Campaign- engagements• Several engagements ensue:

– Resaca, Cassville, Pickett’s Mill, & Kennesaw Mountain

• Kennesaw Mountain is first major battle of Atlanta Campaign:– Sherman attempts break

through at weak point in line

• Sherman’s Tactical objective: – Convince Johnston that his entire

line remains at risk not just his left flank

– Also wants to restore offensive spirit in his forces whose default reaction is to entrench on defense when in doubt

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Atlanta Campaign- Kennesaw Mtn results

• Tactical, Operational, & Strategic Results:– Kennesaw Mountain: 2000

casualties & no ground gained

– Sherman reverts back to flanking movements once again

• Out of room, Johnston forced to withdraw to Atlanta:– Defend Atlanta behind its

outer fortifications

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Battle for Atlanta- prelude

• Davis becomes more & more frustrated with Johnston’s Fabian tactics– Ultimately replaces him with Johnston’s more

aggressive subordinate- who? ?______________ – Lee had advised against this change of

command would be proved right in the end

• Commanders’ strengths & weaknesses:– Sherman: determined commander & sound

tactician– Hood: brave but impetuous- was good division

commander• Not as good an Army commander

• Force dispositions:– Hood: 40K– Sherman: 100K

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Battle for Atlanta- Strategy & Tactics

• Strategic, Operational, & Tactical Objectives:– Hood: protect Atlanta from Union

• Destroy parts of Sherman’s army in detail

– Sherman: Destroy Hood & take Atlanta

• Plans & preparation:– Hood: takes aggressive tactical offensive

• With 40K against 100K he has to be careful

• Strategic & tactical Deployment:– Union: tactical flanking maneuvers for position;– Hood: position to strike targets of opportunity in detail

• Hood launched 3 separate engagements against Sherman – Sharply repulsed at the end of each attack– Hood is ultimately forced to withdraw behind Atlanta

defenses– He has lost more than 13K men in 9 days & nothing to show

for it

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Siege of Atlanta• Sherman conducts quasi

siege – bombards Atlanta– Initiates turning movement to

cut Atlanta’s LOC– Union corps demonstrates to

hold Hood still

• Hood recognized Sherman’s intent too late:– His belated attempt to break

hold by attack at Jonesboro fails

– Forced to abandon city which falls Sept 2, 1864

• Hood then withdraws into Northern Alabama:– Conducts attacks on

Sherman’s LOCs to the North

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Battle for Atlanta- Campaign Results

• Tactical, Operational, & Strategic Results:– Hood lost 15K of 40K that South can’t afford– Atlanta’s fall has major strategic

& political impact:– Lincoln’s re-election very likely– Last chance for a political

settlement evaporates

• In the meantime Grant sent ?______________ to Shenandoah Valley to halt MG Early’s successful series of attacks in the Valley & eliminate his potential threat to Washington– From Aug-Oct 1864 Sheridan would defeat

Early & become one of the Union’s best generals- Competent, aggressive, and bold

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Sherman’s March to Sea 15 Nov – 24 Dec 1964

• Sherman detached Thomas w35K to defend TN against Hood

• Sherman finally gains Grant’s approval to abandon Atlanta– Begins his historic march

to Savannah with 60K– Sherman’s army would

destroy everything in its 60 mile wide path

• Sherman would replicate this march through Carolinas- Jan-April 1865

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Sherman’s March- Strategic Impact

• Strategic Impact of Sherman’s March:– Destroyed South’s infrastructure

& most of it crops:• All food, rail transport, & any potential

war making resources

• Dispelled any Confederate hope of winning:– Ruined South’s morale & encouraged desertions

• Demonstrated to world especially potential Confederate allies that the North was unstoppable – North able to march through South without

opposition – And therefore likely to win only a matter of time

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• At start of October Hood conducted raids into TN:– One of the last & riskier Confederate campaigns of war:

Hood’s Tennessee Campaign Oct - Nov 1864

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Hood’s Tennessee Campaign- Strategy & Tactics

• Hood’s highly unrealistic Op. & strategic purpose:– Operational: recover middle Tennessee

• Cut off Sherman’s LOC from the North• No longer a real concern of Sherman- why?

– What is Sherman going to do anyway?

• Strategic: exploit potential to link up with Lee– Attack Grant with the two Armies’ combined forces– Bolster sagging Southern morale political objective

• Tactical: concentrate on portions of Union army– Defeat in detail

• Hood failed to achieve these objectives at very high cost– After losing 9K during pointless frontal assaults against well

entrenched Union positions at Franklin, he proceeds to Nashville

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Battle of Nashville 15-16 Dec 1864

• Hood continues on with 30K to Nashville:– Even more extensively fortified– 70K Federals under Thomas fully

ready

• Hood realizes unable to attack realistically– Conducts show of siege instead

• Following ice storm, Thomas attacks:– Demonstrates to fix Hood’s attention:– Then hits Hood’s left flank

• Hood soon forced to retreat– South’s casualties: 7K to Union: 3K

– His Army ruined & no longer a credible threat to the North

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Collapse of Confederacy –1865 • Army of Potomac continued to besiege

Petersburg– Grant continued to extend his line to the West– Added forces as they become available

• Sheridan & his cavalry were redeployed from successful operations in the Shenandoah Valley

• Grant tasked Sheridan to break Lee’s right flank:– Tactical aim: capture South Side rail junction and stop it

from supplying Petersburg

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Road to Appomattox• Lee realized his only hope was to break free of

Grant:– Join Johnston 30K in Carolinas with Lee’s 50K– Also anticipated Grant’s intention to cut off his LOC

• Sends Pickett with 5 Brigades to meet Union threat– Able to check Sheridan’s first attack, but not the

second*

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Battle of Five Forks

• April 1: Sheridan moved to attack Pickett at Five Forks:– Lee has charged Pickett with

holding Five Forks at all hazards– Warren’s V Corps then deployed

to attack Pickett’s center– Confederate defenses were

over extended

• Sheridan personally inspired Warren’s corps for assault– Sought to find weak spot in Rebel

line– Custer made his famous cavalry

charge on Pickett’s Right Flank– By 4:30 on 1 April 1865, Pickett’s

line crumbled

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Fall of Petersburg & Richmond• Grant then attacked Lee all along Petersburg line:

– Forced Lee to abandon city & march to join with Johnston– Meanwhile Johnston attempted to slow Sheridan

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Battle of Five Forks results• Tactical, Operational, & Strategic Results:

– South: 5000 out of 10K total effectives lost– North: 2500 casualties out of 25K total effectives– Resounding Tactical victory for North

• Significant Operational & Strategic impact– Lee now on the run to the West & extremely vulnerable– North closes in for kill

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• Grant pursued Lee aggressively:– Sent Sheridan to cut off any avenue to South

• 6 April: Union Army destroyed Early at Syler’s Creek– Eliminated Lee’s rear guard & captures 6000 Rebel prisoners

• Grant then sent surrender summons to Lee who declined

Pursuit to Appomattox

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• April 8 eve: Sheridan positioned Army to block retreat:– Lee was completely cut-off from escape– Made one last attempt to escape & is easily repulsed

• Lee finally requested conference with Grant– Surrendered 9 April 1865 at Appomattox Court House

Surrender at Appomattox

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Flight into Oblivion• Davis still under illusion that South can still win:

– Talked about new stage for conflict GW?:– Fled Richmond for Danville, Virginia– 10 April news reached him of Lee’s surrender:

• Started his flight into oblivion for Greensboro, NC

• Davis refused to accept reality until he read Lee’s dispatch– Johnston & Beauregard advised Davis to surrender– Davis reluctantly agreed

• Davis then tried to evade capture– 10 May: Davis captured by Federal Horsemen

• Imprisoned at Fort Monroe

– 26 May: Kirby Smith surrender last Rebel force • Marking the end of the Civil War

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Assessment - Civil War’s Legacy

• Pivotal impact on America’s History:• Politically: extreme state’s rights destroyed

– Strong Federal central government emerged

• Society: 3.5M African Americans freed– Industrial North emerged as dominate section of Nation

• Warfare: tactical defense over tactical offense:– Armies can’t be destroyed in battle:

• Only destroyed if surrounded & surrenders Vicksburg• Or exhausted as with Hood’s at Nashville

– Strategy of Attrition pursued over Strategy of Annihilation

– Corps system becomes standard for employment• Wings- independent & self-contained

– Navy support of Army coastal & river operations proved effective

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Assessment - 2

• Future characteristics of War - Total War:– Mass Armies employed as corps– Conscription more readily used– Mobilization of entire population & resources– All resources subject to targeting & destruction

• Industrial Revolution’s Impact:– New technologies - exploited especially by North:

• Rail, rifles, telegraph, turret guns, iron clad ships• Steam Engines refined & employed

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Assessment – 3 Strategic & Operational Capabilities

• Lincoln superior to Davis as Commander in Chief– More effective mobilization & control of Government– Davis got bogged down in details & tended to be

ineffective

• Union & Confederate Generalship about even:– South: Lee, Jackson, Longstreet on upside

• But also Bragg & Pemberton on downside later Hood uneven

– North: Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, Hancock, Buford

• But also McClellan, Pope, Hooker, & Burnside

• Both sides employed Napoleonic Model:– Adapted to each side’s logistics requirements

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Assessment – 4Tactical Lessons Learned

• Both sides adjusted well to new technologies:– Rifled musket & artillery – employed & exploited for

defense– Fortifications & entrenchments used more:

• Tactical defense over Tactical offense When in doubt- dig in!

• On downside: both relied on frontal assaults:– Parade dress on line assaults took heavy toll on troops– Gettysburg & Nashville & Cold Harbor

• Civil War’s Lessons Learned gradually incorporated:– LTC Upton’s tactical reforms at Spotsylvania The

Muleshoe• Column formation attack at weak salient

– Improved & more professional officer corps emerged• Improved professional military educational studies• Military Schools & War Colleges established

– U.S. Army gradually dragged into 20th century

Back-up Slides

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Grant’s Leadership

• Grant’s leadership style: Leads from front:– Maintains HQ w Meade’s Army of Potomac

why?• Avoid Washington politics• Hands on Commander• Provide additional supervision for Army of Platomic

• Main Union Armies step off in early May, 1864:– Examine Eastern Theater Operations first

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Battle of Franklin 30 Nov 1864 • MG Thomas concentrates 70K at

Nashville:– Sends Schofield w28K to delay Hood– Hood manages to end run around flank– Schofield able to retreat to Franklin

• Hood enraged orders frontal assault:– 18K Rebels charge strong Union

defense:– Union dug in: entrenchments, arty,

rapid fire carbines– Assault is worse than Pickett’s charge

at Gettysburg

• Hood suffers 9K casualties plus 5 generals;– Destroys his Army’s tactical

offensive potential

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Battle of Nashville 16 Dec 1864• Hood soon forced to

retreat• Wilson’s cavalry

plays key role:– Speed and power to

press Hood– Pursues Hood for

several days

• Hood’s Army of TN essentially ruined:– No longer credible

threat to North– South’s casualties: 7K– Union: 3K

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Naval Warfare 1862-65 Strategic Role of Navy

• 1. Sea Control – Minor but important role– Union dominated coastal seas

all over South– Conduct ship to ship

engagements:• USS Monitor vs. CSS Virginia• Harbinger of future sea battles • Mahan’s Command of the Sea

thesis

• 2. Blockade significant but mixed tactical success:– Reduced South’s importexport

commerce;– Sent strong message to

Europe of North’s power

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Navy’s Strategic, Operational, & Tactical Roles

• 3. Joint Operations – to include:• A. Strategic Deployment:

– Transport Union Army & equipments– Logistic re-supply;– McClellan’s Peninsula campaign

• To include redeployment back– Negative impact on future amphibious Operations

• B. Strategic & tactical Employment:– Amphibious support landing the force– Fire support & Logistic re-supply to Army

• Burnside along Carolina coast

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Navy’s Strategic, Operational, & Tactical Roles- 3

• 4. Riverine Warfare- most effective for Union:– Inland Operations includes all of the above– Joint operational & tactical support of Army:

• Fort Henry & Fort Donelson• Island Number 10• Grant’s Vicksburg Campaign

• 5. Commerce Raiding:– South’s only primary realistic option:– CSS Alabama quite successful commerce raider

• Finally – Blockade Running:– South’s other limited option

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Battle for Atlanta – 2 engagements-37

• Battle of Peachtree Creek– Hood strikes Army of

Cumberland without success• Hardee slow & uncoordinated

• Battle of Atlanta July 22 – Hood strikes McPherson’s

Army of Tennessee• Sends Hardee to hit Union LF• Breaches gap in Union line • McPherson is killed

– McPherson’s defense recovers & restores line at cost of 3700 causalities

– Rebel losses over 5500

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Battle for Atlanta – 3rd engagement-38

• Battle of Ezra Church- 28 July– Sherman moves Army of TN now under Howard west of

Atlanta– Hood launches his last attack against Army of TN

• Inexperienced corps commander S. D. Lee makes frontal assault

• Results in severe repulse with 3000 casualties

• Hood forced to withdraw behind Atlanta defenses– Lost more than 13K men in nine days

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Sheridan in Shenandoah Valley Fall 1864

• Sheridan defeats Early in 2 sharp battles in September:– Early withdraws south & and is

forced to abandon Valley– Sheridan destroys farms,

barns, crops, supplies throughout Valley

• Sheridan destroys Early’s Army in October for good;– Completely eliminates Rebel

threat in Valley– Then destroys everything his

army can’t consume or take with them

• Sheridan now able to rejoin Grant at Petersburg:– Destined to play key role in

final defeat of Lee