America at War

The bloodiest single day of the Civil War occurred at Antietam, outside of Sharpsburg, Maryland. Despite the intelligence find of lifetime (Lee's orders to his army), General McClellan's caution overtook him as he closed on Lee, wasting an opportunity. Nevertheless, Lee and McClellan clashed along Antietam Creek in September, 1862. McClellan, attacked Lee's army in piecemeal, allowing him to counter each attack one at a time. While McClellan stopped Lee's raid, it was a hollow victory as the Army of Northern Virginia left. Nevertheless, it was a victory, allowing President Lincoln the leverage he needed to end slavery in the Confederacy.

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Lee's victory over George B. McClellan in front of Richmond sealed Lee's reputation. With McClellan disgraced, Lincoln turned to John Pope who assembled an army along the Rappahannock River. Lee formulated a plan that would lever him out of his position by attacking his supply depot at Manassas. The bold plan worked and Pope was defeated. Lee considered his next moves and looked to the north. He crossed the Potomac and moved into Maryland, setting up another clash at Antietam.

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Thomas 'Stonewall' Jackson's reputation and legacy was sealed with his audacious campaign in the Shenandoah Valley. In a gambit to pin Union troops west of the Potomac River, preventing them from joining McClellan's army, Lee had high expectations. Boy were they met. Jackson defeated the Union in detail and prevented them from going south. At the gates of Richmond, Robert E. Lee, the new commander of the Army of Northern Virginia, beat back McClellan's forces and removed the threat to the rebel capital. Robert E. Lee's star was on the rise! Take a listen!

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In our last episode we spoke of the interest in Ironclads. In this episode we focus on their epic clash. While it ended in a draw, the echoes of that clash had a profound effect on navies around the world. The age of the wooden ship was over. Once the threat of the CSS Virginia was nullified, General McClellan began his march on Richmond. Overly cautious and far too methodical for President Lincoln's taste, It took well into the summer before he was knocking at Richmond's door. With his opponent, General Johnston, wounded, McClellan would know face its most talented opponent, Robert E. Lee.

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We have hit the 100 episode mark! Thank you dear listeners for downloading the previous 99 episodes that concentrate on our country's military past. In this episode, we speak of my journey in the field of military history as well as some podcast business. The patron system will change, giving you all more flexibility if you would like to donate to the podcast. We will continue our journey down the timeline, so stay tuned for more content!

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Let's return east to Virginia. At the beginning of 1862, George McClellan was sick with Typhoid Fever, which Lincoln took advantage of and began exercising his authority to get McClellan's plans on paper. After a considerable amount of push and pull, McClellan revealed his plans - doing an end run to Richmond through the York Peninsula. While a bold plan, it left Lincoln nervous. Before the Army could move, however, the Confederate ironclad CSS Virginia deterred the Union plan. We will set up the ironclad's story and carry it on in a future episode.

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One of the iconic battles of the Civil War is Shiloh. Grant had seen nothing but success since he began his campaign at the beginning of the year. That run would come to an abrupt halt at Shiloh in April of 1862. Desperate to stop Grant, Albert Sidney Johnston was able to assemble an army and attacked. While the Confederates were able to gain an edge over Grant with a surprise attack, Union troops doggedly defended their ground. As the battle dragged on, Johnston was killed and command passed to PGT Beauregard who put a halt to operations. The next day, reinforced, Grant pushed Beauregard back. While Grant was stung by criticism, and demoted, he learned from his mistakes and showed what he was made of sterner stuff. Take a listen!

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U.S. Grant's move against Forts Henry and Donelson was quickly followed by moves at both ends of the Mississippi River. Commodore Foote continued his drive down the river, moving against Confederate fortifications at Island Number 10 and Fort Pillow, opening the river to Memphis and beyond. At the delta of the Mississippi, David G. Farragut, moved his fleet past the forts on the main channel, opening up the New Orleans, the largest port in the Confederacy. It was a critical move that hurt the Confederacies ability to defend the critical corridors into the heartland of the south. Take a listen!

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With the beginning of 1862, Presidents Lincoln and Davis wanted to see results for their respective nations. Unfortunately, the year would begin with a critical Confederate defeat. U.S. Grant successfully unhinged Confederate held forts on the Tennessee and Cumberland Rivers - Forts Henry and Donelson, blowing a hole in Confederate plans. Grant's successful campaign secured Kentucky and opened up Tennessee for the Union. Grant's star was on the rise. Take a listen!

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In this episode we switch gears and move from land to the sea. Despite the challenges of secession and the loss of bases and ships, the US navy was able to quickly redeploy their available assets and blockade the Confederacy. It created a challenge for the Confederacy. Jefferson Davis attempted to not only break it through diplomacy, but leverage their hold on the cotton market to gain international recognition. Both efforts were foiled, but the Confederates continued to hope for legitimacy overseas. Take a listen!

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