The Civil War was now underway. On April 15, Lincoln called for 75,000
volunteers to join the Northern army. Unwilling to contribute troops,
Virginia, Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee dissolved their ties to
the federal government.
13. Seven Days Battle
Seven Day’s Battles (June 25-July 1, 1862)
o
Robert E. Lee took command of Confederate army in Virginia
o
b. After an unsuccessful battle, McClellan withdrew and later
retreated completely
o
Represented Robert E. Lee’s first of many victories over the
Union.
14. Preliminary Emancipation Proclamation
In July 1862, President Lincoln read his "preliminary proclamation" to his
Cabinet, then decided to wait for a Union military victory to issue it. On
September 22, 1862, following the victory at Antietam, he signed the
preliminary Emancipation Proclamation, formally alerting the
Confederacy of his intention to free all persons held as slaves within the
rebellious states. One hundred days later, with the Confederacy still in full
rebellion, President Abraham Lincoln issued the final Emancipation
Proclamation.
Antietam (September 17, 1862): perhaps the most important battle of the
war.
o
Lee invaded Maryland hoping to take it from the Union and
encourage foreign intervention on behalf of the Confederacy.
o
Antietam was the bloodiest day of the war (23,000 casualties)
Ended in a stalemate; Lee withdrew having failed his
objective.
McClellan should have destroyed Lee’s army with his
numerical advantage but he let him slip away.
Lincoln thus removed McClellan from command for the
second time and replaced him with Gen. Ambrose Burnside
o
Considered a major turning point in the war
o
South was never again so near victory
o
Foreign powers decided not to intervene in support of the
South whose military capacity was now questioned in the
face of a unexpectedly powerful Northern army.
o
Lincoln got the "victory" he needed to issue the preliminary
Emancipation Proclamation on Sept. 22, 1862.
Hitherto, he had not issued the proclamation
because the war was going poorly and issuing the
document without a military victory would have
made it impotent.
15. 2
nd
Bull Rull (Manassas)
The War in the Eastern Theater: 1862
A. The Peninsula Campaign (April 5-June 16, 1862)
1.
McClellan abandoned a direct frontal assault on Richmond by land for a flanking
approach to Richmond by moving up the peninsula between James & York
Rivers.
After a month's fighting, the campaign appeared to be working as
McClellan pushed within a few miles of Richmond.
2.
Seven Day’s Battles (June 25-July 1, 1862)
Robert E. Lee took command of Confederate army in Virginia
After an unsuccessful battle, McClellan withdrew and later
retreated
completely
Represented Robert E. Lee’s first of many victories over the Union.
