Civil war 5
Civil war 5Civil War Major Battle:1861
As the men and women were joining the armies, the leaders of the both Confederate and Union began to talk about strategies on how they were going to win the war. The strategies for both sides contrasted each other due to the different war aims. The Confederate's strategy, which had to defend itself from the North invasion until the Northerners felt that the war costed to much money and many lives. The Union's strategies, was thought up by the general-in-chief of the US army, Winfield Scott. Scott's plan was to put pressure on the South, by putting a blockage so that they could not receive any manufacture goods from the European. They also attacked them from all sides, and splitted the South into western and eastern states from the Mississppi River. This plan by Scott was called the Anaconda Plan.
On July 16, 1861, 30,000 Union troops led by General Irvin McDowell began to march to the Confederate capital, Richmod, Virginia. The place was only 100 miles from Washington DC. As the Union troops march nearly � of the way to Richmond, they stopped and camped at Manassas. There the Union troops met the Confederate Army. They were led by General Beauregard. Then only July 21, the Battle of Bull Run or the Battle of Manassas began. At the beginning the of the battle, with bad judgement from the Confederacy the Union gained the upper hand, but as the battle went on, the Confederates made a come back. This comeback was thanks to Thomas J. Jackson and his infantry. Because of the Confederate Army's fall back, the only infantry who didn't fall back was Jackson. There was one general shouted out, "Look! There stands Jackson like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virgians!". From that point on that was Jackson's new nickname, Stonewall. He truly deserved it, and he would prove that in many future battle in the war. There then, the Confederacy would held the Union army back until reinforcements would arrive to turn this battle around into a victory for the Confederacy. While being too exhausted, the Confederates did not folllow up and attack Washington.
The day after Manassas, Lincoln was so upset that he signed a bill for the enlistment of 500,000 volunteer soldiers to serve in the Union army for the next three years. Three days later, Lincoln signed bill for another 500,000 volunteers. Lincoln also change the military leaders for the Union by firing General Winfield Scott as the chief general, and replaced him with General George McClellan to lead and whip the Union army into shape for a new offense. McClellan proved to be great at this task, as he trained an army of 150,000 soldiers within 5 month. This was known to be the Army of the Potomac. However, due to McClellan caution, he kept on arguing that his troops were not ready and it was out numbered by the Confederates (which was false). McClellan said he would only attack the Confederates when his army reached 270,000 soldiers. McClellan would not attack the Confederates until the Spring of 1862.
From the beginning to the mid-1861 most of the battle and some of the bloodiest sites took place along the Eastern Coast of the US, but some of the "most outset of the Civil War and took place in Missouri" thoughout the last half of the 1861. On June of 1861, Captain Nathaniel Lyon, led a force about 6,000 troops down into Southern Missouri. Captain Lyon plans was to "secure" the area of this section, then he would began his attack on Little Rock, Arkansas. By August of 1861, Captain Lyon have come close to the borders of Arkansas, and to the town of Springfield. Then by now with little supplies and ammunition, Lyon heard news that a Confederates forces was heading his way of 20,000 men, although they were really 12,000. Lyon is still outnumbered. The Rebels were led by General Ben McCulloch and General Sterling Price. Lyon quickly retreated his troops to Wilson's Creek (ten miles from Springfield), and camped there. Lyon still thought that the Rebels outnumbered him by three to one, he then planned a surprise attack on the Rebels at night time. On the night of August 9-10, Lyon sent Colonel Franz Sigel to attack the Army at the side while he attacked them at the front. There a battle which could be no sweeter, without yelling and cheering from either sides, the battle turn into a "merciless slaughter", fought at close range of the Confederate flintlocks and fowling pieces. By the end of the days, the Union troops began to dispurse and retreat back to North. While all of this was going on, Lyon was shot in his thigh, ankle, and one bullet creased his scalp. While limping away Lyon had began to loose his confident, "I fear the day is lost". Within an hours all of the suddens Lyon got his confident back and rallied his men for another attack, but quickly he was shot in the heart and died. After he his troops now retreat for good, and Confederate gain another victory. With more than 2,000 soldiers from both sides were casualties, and 315 soldiers missing (291 of them are Union), this battle prove to both sides that this war will cost many lives.