The Civil War: 1862 Overview

The Civil War: 1862

• The United States was in the early stages of the Civil War in 1862.
• Several Southern states had seceded from the Union in the previous year over the election of President Abraham Lincoln, who was mainly elected on a strong anti-slavery platform.
• The Southern States declared a new nation, the Confederate States of America, with Jefferson Davis as their President.

The Anaconda Plan

• The Anaconda Plan was devised by General Winfield Scott to end the war with a minimal loss of life.
• The plan aimed to surround and squeeze the Confederacy into submission.
• The plan had two main components: a naval blockade of Confederate ports along the Atlantic Coast and the Gulf of Mexico, and controlling the Mississippi River.
• The plan was slow to enact and required patience.

Civil War Battles in Virginia

• Virginia saw a great deal of fighting during the Civil War.
• The state had more factories than any other state in the Confederacy, which the Union sought to control or destroy to cripple the South's supplies.
• The Confederate capital was Richmond, less than four days' march from Washington D.C.
• Over 120 battles were fought in Virginia by the end of the war.

The Peninsula Campaign

• In the spring of 1862, General McClellan sailed his troops south to Fort Monroe and marched north towards Richmond.
• McClellan's lack of aggressiveness proved costly to the Union when he met Confederate resistance at Yorktown.
• He began a time-consuming siege instead of attacking outright, allowing Confederate reinforcements to arrive and drive McClellan back out of Virginia.

The Valley Campaign

• General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson clashed with Union troops in the Shenandoah Valley.
• Although outnumbered, Jackson pushed his troops hard, outmaneuvering the Union armies and keeping their attention focused on the Valley instead of making their way to Richmond.

The Battle of Hampton Roads

• In March 1862, the Union ship USS Monitor clashed with the Confederate ship CSS Virginia.
• This significant battle marked the first time two ironclad warships faced off against each other.
• The skirmish ended in a stalemate, but the Monitor successfully prevented the Virginia from breaking the Union blockade.

The Second Battle of Bull Run

• In keeping with the goal to capture Richmond, President Lincoln ordered the creation of the Army of Virginia under the command of Maj. Gen. John Pope.
• Confederate General Robert E. Lee crushed the Union forces and advanced across the Potomac River into Northern territory.

The Battle of Fredericksburg

• Union Major General Ambrose E. Burnside, replacing General McClellan, hoped to get in between General Lee and Richmond.
• The battle ended with a Confederate victory.

The Battle of Antietam

• The Battle of Antietam in 1862 was the deadliest one-day battle of the Civil War.
• General Lee brought his entire force North, hoping to bring the fighting into Union territory.
• The battle stopped Lee's advance northward and persuaded the British and French not to recognize the Confederacy.

Civil War Battles in Missouri

• Fighting was intense in the border state of Missouri, with over 1,000 battles fought there.
• Although Missouri did not officially secede from the Union, both sides claimed it and established governments there.
• The Confederate forces, led by General Sterling Price, used guerilla warfare.
• Union troops were sent in to protect the public, led by Major General Henry W. Halleck.

The Trans-Mississippi Theater

• Control of Missouri meant control of the vital Mississippi River.
• The river was crucial for the movement of troops, communications, and Confederate supplies.
• President Lincoln knew that controlling the river would cut the Confederacy in half and limit aid and supplies to Richmond.

Battle of Shiloh

• Union General Ulysses S. Grant had been making his way down the Tennessee River.
• The Confederacy saw an opportunity to attack before Grant's reinforcements could arrive.
• Grant's reinforcements arrived quickly and forced a Confederate retreat.

The Battle of Kirksville

• At the Battle of Kirksville, Union Colonel John McNeil defeated Confederate Colonel Joseph C. Porter.
• The battle established northeastern Missouri under Union control.

The Battle of Compton's Ferry and Yellow Creek

• In August 1862, Union Colonel Odon Guitar encountered Confederate Colonel John A. Poindexter at Compton Ferry.
• The Rebels were routed, and the Union army captured a large amount of ammunition and supplies.
• Guitar pursued the Confederate forces to Yellow Creek and wiped them out.

Explore the early stages of the United States Civil War in 1862, including the secession of Southern states, the election of President Abraham Lincoln, and the formation of the Confederate States of America.