History of the Civil War

Table of Contents

 
 

HISTORY OF 

THE CIVIL WAR

 1861-1865

 

BY

 JAMES FORD RHODES, LL.D., D.Litt.

 

AUTHOR OF THE HISTORY OF THE UNITED STATES FROM THE COMPROMISE OF 1850 TO THE FINAL RESTORATION OF HOME RULE AT THE SOUTH IN 1877; HISTORICAL ESSAYS; LECTURES ON THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR DELIVERED AT OXFORD WITH MAPS New York THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 1917 All rights reserved

 

COPYRIGHT, 1917, BY THE MACMILLAN COMPANY. Set up and electrotyped. Published November, 1917. Norwood Press J. 8. Cushing Co. Berwick & Smith Co. Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.

 

 
PREFACE


This is not an abridgment of my three volumes on the Civil War but a fresh study of the subject in which I have used my work as one of many authorities. Whenever I have transferred sentences, paragraphs and pages, I have done so because, after a study of the original authorities, I found that I could give my conclusions no better than in my first work.

Since writing the three volumes, published respectively in 1895, 1899 and 1904, much new original material has come to light and valuable treatments of certain periods of the Civil War have appeared. I owe especial indebtedness to the Official Records of the Union and Confederate Navies ; Diary of Gideon Welles; Life of Rawlins, which J. H. Wilson kindly permitted me to read in manuscript before publication ; the Letters and Diaries of John Hay; Miss Nicolay's Personal Traits of Lincoln ; Life and Letters of General Meade ; W. R. Livermore, Story of the Civil War; J. Bigelow, Jr., The Campaign of Chancellorsville; W. R. Thayer, Life of John Hay; The Reminiscences of Carl Schurz.

I owe a literary revision of this volume to my son, Daniel P. Rhodes. I am indebted to D. M. Matteson for valuable assistance in historical research and for a careful reading of the manuscript with verifications. I acknowledge the aid of my secretary, Miss Wyman; that of Charles K. Bolton, Librarian, Miss Wildman and Miss Cattanach, assistants in the Boston Athenæum.

Boston, 1917.



CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

THE GREAT FACTOR IN DESTRUCTION OF SLAVERY

THEORY OF SOUTH CAROLINA

CRITTENDEN COMPROMISE

SOUTHERN CONFEDERACY

LINCOLN'S INAUGURAL ADDRESS

ANDERSON AND FORT SUMTER

SEWARD'S FOREIGN POLICY .

BREAD FOR ANDERSON . .

BOMBARDMENT OF FORT SUMTER

RISING OF THE NORTH .

BALTIMORE RIOT . . . .

THE BLOCKADE . .

SUPPOSED DANGER TO WASHINGTON

THE BORDER STATES . .

THE CIVIL WAR . .

UNPREPAREDNESS. .

JEFFERSON DAVIS.

LINCOLN . . . . . . . .

“ON TO RICHMOND" ..

BATTLE OF BULL RUN . .

THE PRESIDENT'S COURAGE . . .

 

CHAPTER II · · ·

CONGRESS · · · · ·

SLAVERY THE CAUSE OF THE WAR

FRÉMONT · · · ·

MCCLELLAN . . . . .

GREAT BRITAIN'S ACTION . . . .

ENGLISH SENTIMENT

MASON AND SLIDELL .

ENGLISH PRECEDENTS

LINCOLN AND SEWARD .

SURRENDER OF MASON AND SLIDELL .

 

CHAPTER III

SIMON CAMERON . .

EDWIN M. STANTON .

FORT DONELSON . .

SURRENDER OF DONELSON

ULYSSES S. GRANT

McCLELLAN'S DALLIANCE

GRANT AND HALLECK

GRANT AND SHERMAN SURPRISED AT SHILOH

BATTLE OF SHILOH

LINCOLN AND GRANT .

THE BLOCKADE . . . . . . .

THE MERRIMAC . . . . . .

THE MONITOR

FARRAGUT — FOX . .

FARRAGUT'S CAPTURE OF NEW ORLEANS

MCCLELLAN'S PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN

STONEWALL JACKSON'S CAMPAIGN

“THE GREAT SCARE" ..

BATTLE OF FAIR OAKS. .

ROBERT E. LEE . . .

BATTLE OF GAINES'S MILL.

MCCLELLAN'S DEMORALIZATION

LEE AND MCCLELLAN .

LEE AND JACKSON . ..

SEVEN DAYS' BATTLES. . . . .

 

CHAPTER IV

LEGAL-TENDER ACT . . . .

LINCOLN'S ATTITUDE TO SLAVERY . . 

PRELIMINARY EMANCIPATION PROCLAMATION

LINCOLN AND GREELEY . . . .

“THREE HUNDRED THOUSAND MORE"

POPE AND HALLECK . . . .

POPE'S DEFEAT . . . . .

MCCLELLAN AGAIN IN COMMAND.

LEE'S INVASION OF MARYLAND

BATTLE OF ANTIETAM . .

PROCLAMATION OF EMANCIPATION

 

CHAPTER V

FALL ELECTIONS OF 1862 . .

ALARM IN CINCINNATI . .

BUELL AND MORTON . .

MCCLELLAN'S REMOVAL .

UNFORTUNATE CHOICE OF BURNSIDE

BATTLE OF FREDERICKSBURG . .

THE CABINET CRISIS . .

LINCOLN'S SAGACITY

LINCOLN – CHASE

LINCOLN — SEWARD .

BATTLE OF STONE'S RIVER .

ACTION OF CONGRESS

POPULAR FEELING AND ACTION

HOOKER IN COMMAND . .

BATTLE OF CHANCELLORSVILLE

EFFECT OF CHANCELLORSVILLE .

 

CHAPTER VI

LEE'S INVASION OF PENNSYLVANIA .

MEADE SUCCEEDS HOOKER . . .

BATTLE OF GETTYSBURG .

PICKETT'S CHARGE . . . .

LEE — MEADE . .

LINCOLN — MEADE

GRANT'S EXPEDITION AGAINST VICKSBURG,

VICKSBURG CAMPAIGN . .

GRANT . . . . . . . .

SURRENDER OF VICKSBURG

 

CHAPTER VII

ENGLISH SENTIMENT . . .

THE ALABAMA . . . .

ENGLISH MEDIATION PROPOSED

GLADSTONE . . . . .

CHARLES FRANCIS ADAMS .

EARL RUSSELL . .

THE EMPEROR OF THE FRENCH

ANTI-SLAVERY SENTIMENT . .

THE TIMES — SATURDAY REVIEW .

GROTE — CARLYLE . . . .

DICKENS — TROLLOPE — TENNYSON

IRON-CLAD RAMS . . . .

ENGLAND AND FRANCE . .

 

CHAPTER VIII

NEW YORK DRAFT RIOT

MEADE

BATTLE OF CHICKAMAUGA

GRANT IN COMMAND

THOMAS — GRANT

BATTLE OF CHATTANOOGA

RECRUITS WANTED

GRANT — SHERMAN THOMAS — SHERIDAN

 

CHAPTER IX

GRANT . .

GRANT'S WILDERNESS CAMPAIGN . .

BATTLE OF COLD HARBOR . .

CHATTANOOGA — ATLANTA CAMPAIGN

SHERMAN – THOMAS

LINCOLN CHASE

GRANT'S CAMPAIGN

LINCOLN RENOMINATED . . . .

 

CHAPTER X . . .

LINCOLN — GRANT . . .

WASHINGTON IN DANGER .

DISAPPOINTMENT IN GRANT .

MEN WANTED . . .

JOHNSTON — HOOD . .

YEARNING FOR PEACE

DISSATISFACTION WITH LINCOLN

BATTLE OF MOBILE BAY

CAPTURE OF ATLANTA . .

SHERIDAN . . . .

LINCOLN REËLECTED .

 

CHAPTER XI · · ·

LIFE AT THE NORTH

PRIVATIONS OF THE WAR .

POSTAGE STAMPS CURRENCY.

FRACTIONAL CURRENCY

GLOOM DESPAIR .

BUSINESS ACTIVITY .

ARBITRARY ARRESTS

COPPERHEADS · · ·

SEYMOUR — VALLANDIGHAM

THE DEMOCRATS . . .

ARBITRARY ARRESTS .

SANITARY FAIRS . . .

TRADE WITH THE SOUTH . .

GRAVE FINANCIAL POSITION .

THE NORTHERN GOVERNORS

STANTON – LINCOLN . . . .

 

CHAPTER XII

DISCOMFORT AT THE SOUTH . . . .

LACK OF TEA AND COFFEE . .

LACK OF BREAD AND MEAT . .

DIFFICULTY OF TRANSPORTATION

THE AGE OF IRON

MUNITIONS OF WAR ,

BLOCKADE RUNNING

THE NEGRO SLAVES

CONSCRIPTION AT THE SOUTH

CARNIVAL OF FIAT MONEY . .

HIGH PRICES IN THE CONFEDERACY

IMPRESSMENT IMPERATIVE .

THE SOUTHERN WOMEN

DISTRESS AND PRIVATIONS . .

RELIGIOUS FEELING SOUTH . .

COMPARISON BETWEEN SOUTH AND NORTH.

NORTH – A DICTATORSHIP . . .

SOUTH – A SOCIALIZED STATE

DAVIS — LINCOLN . . 

 

CHAPTER XIII

SHERMAN – THOMAS .

SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA

LIVING ON THE COUNTRY

DESTRUCTION. ..

THE NEGROES . .

SAVANNAH TAKEN , .

GRANT – THOMAS. .

BATTLE OF NASHVILLE . . .

THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT .

DISTRESS IN THE CONFEDERACY

LEE — JEFFERSON DAVIS .

HAMPTON ROADS CONFERENCE

LINCOLN'S MAGNANIMITY . . . .

 

CHAPTER XIV

SHERMAN'S MARCH NORTHWARD

SOUTH CAROLINA . . .

SHERMAN'S ARMY. .

LINCOLN — GRANT — SHERMAN

GRANT — LEE . . .

EVACUATION OF RICHMOND ..

GENERAL LEE'S SURRENDER

ASSASSINATION OF LINCOLN ..

THE END OF THE WAR.



 

LIST OF MAPS

The United States West of the Missouri in 1860, East of the Missouri in 1861. . . . . .

Battlefield of Young's Branch or Manassas Plains . . 38

The Campaign in Tennessee Fort Donelson . . . . . . . 88

Map to Illustrate the Seven Days' Battle . . . . 136

Eastern Virginia . . . . . . 158

Battle of Fredericksburg . .

Battle of Chancellorsville , . . 212

Map showing Route of Ewell's Corps from Fredericksburg, Va., to Gettysburg, Pa., and return to Orange Court House, Va. . . . . . . . . . 226

Battle of Gettysburg, with Position of Troops July 2, 1863 . 234

Map Illustrating Grant's Vicksburg Campaign . . 250

Map showing the Army Movements around Chattanooga, Tenn. . . . . . . . . . . . 292

Sherman's Campaign from Chattanooga to Atlanta . . 314

Grant's and Sheridan's Campaigns, 1864 . . . . 338

Military Map of the Marches of the United States Forces under Command of Maj. Gen. W. T. Sherman, U. S. A. 398

Grant's and Sheridan's Campaigns, 1865 . . . . 430

 


ABBREVIATIONS OF TITLES OF AUTHORITIES

 


Source: Rhodes, James Ford. History of the Civil War, 1861-1865. New York: Macmillan, 1917.