Guerrilla warfare, a bloody, swift, exiting tactic not only used in more modern times, was used during the Civil War to fight in the rough and tough lands between the North and South. Albert C. Ellithorpe describes the bands of Guerrillas, including Thomas Livingston, as outlaws and killers; but the tactic wasn’t that simple. Instead of waiting for plains, the Guerrillas attacked the Union from where they were. For almost two years the bands were nearly untouched by the Union army; until they finally realized just how big a threat the groups were. Guerrilla warfare in the Civil War were a bloody affair that took place in the mountains and plains between the North and South; a battle that didn’t get much attention until it was almost too late. …show more content…
The men, mostly “horse thieves, highway robbers, and evil-minded, lawless vagabonds” (Johansson, p.223), joined for the main reason that they wanted adventure. It got better as the Confederate army paid them and gave them food. The groups were lawless, and even “Confederate leaders found the partisan groups difficult to control” (Johansson, p.181), attacking supply lines and attacking farms and towns looking for food. The Guerrilla groups even clothed themselves in uniforms stole from fallen soldiers or murdered prisoners (Johansson, p.200). The attackers road horses, waiting in thick bushes for their victims, the springing out to attack them and then escape as quickly as they could. One such group, led by Thomas Livingston was known for murdering their prisoners of war, and were a menace to the Federal army for almost two years. (Johansson, p. 183). All in all, Guerrilla warfare was a brutal type of war, one which created some of the bloodiest fights in the Civil …show more content…
Outlaws and men just looking for money would join the bands that would fight against the Union. They would hide in the hills or bushes around the plains. Makin quick attacks, the Guerillas would attack the Union army for nearly two years before anything was done to stop them. The Civil War proves to be the first war that Guerrilla warfare, the art of attacking fast from hidden spots, was used, and wasn’t stopped for many
Another way he helped the outcome of the war is by winning at Vicksburg and Petersburg. One confederate leader was General George Pickett. He helped the course of the war by leading “15,000 men in a daring charge against the center of the union line” (Stoff 506). This was known as Pickett’s charge but it was an easy win for the union. To get to the union army “Pickett’s men would have to march 1,000 yards across
The Civil war started when the Southern states seceded by the Union. “Apprehension seem to exist among the people of the Southern States. The war still continued even though Lincoln believed there should not be any enemies against anyone in the United States. Glory for the private soldiers were different for the officers.
Civil War soldiers fought for something more than just manhood, duty, government, and their country. They fought for and against slavery, which for most soldiers was their primary motivation beyond defending their home. Slavery for many was more than just an institution, it was the fabric of their economic society that provided the wealth and opportunity to the South. Without slavery the South could not operate and prosper which made it impossible for the notion of emancipation. However, those in the North did not immediately rely on the institution of slavery in such dire manner.
Shaara writes this story in a way that gives the reader insight on both the Confederate and Union army. The Confederates were fighting for pride and for their way of life. The South believed heavily in the power of the government in the states. At one point there was an argument between an Englishman and a guy named Sorrel. Sorrel ranted to the Englishman saying “That’s all we want and that’s what this war is about.
The United States Civil War is possible one of the most meaningful, bloodstained and controversial war fought in American history. Northern Americans against Southern Americans fought against one another for a variety of motives. These motives aroused from a wide range of ideologies that stirred around the states. In James M. McPherson’s What they fought for: 1861-1865, he analyzes the Union and Confederate soldier’s morale and ideological components through the letters they wrote to love ones while at war. While, John WhiteClay Chambers and G. Kurt Piehler depict Civil War soldiers through their letters detailing the agonizing battles of war in Major Problems in American Military History.
This key battle of the Civil War was led by General Samuel R. Curtis of the Union and General Earl Van Dorn of the Confederates. To begin with, before the battle of Pea Ridge the Union had a strong defensive position in Arkansas near LIttle Sugar Creek. The Confederate forces had commanded General Van Dorn to destroy the Union’s position at the Pea Ridge in Arkansas. General Van Dorn came up with a plan to attack the Union soldiers by marching around the Unions location and attacking rear sides. This battle was an attempt to take a strong defensive position for the confederates that would leave the Confederate army with a strong position through Arkansas and Missouri.
There were even paramilitary organizations; Brinkley says, “the Red Shirts and White Leagues armed themselves to ‘police’ elections and worked to force all white males to join the democratic party” (368). On the other hand, these organizations worked to keep white men on their side and against the newly freed slave population. As a consequence of the aggressive actions taken, the former slaves’ rights were not properly protected during the Reconstruction
Life for the Union Soldier was not only brutal on the battlefield, but the camp life for a Union soldier was just as cruel. With the lack of personal hygiene, unsavory and repugnant food, and the shortage of clothing made living, a very difficult thing to do. Growth in the number of people with diseases was also a contributing factor to the massive amounts of death within the camp and as well as the post-battle wounds that often left either a man with one less limb or put in a mental institution. A Union Soldier’s life during the Civil War was cruel and horrific during their stay at the camps.
The Civil War is a very brutal war in American History. One nation fought and killed its own people, and over half a million lives were destroyed and even more families were torn apart. The nation was divided because of slavery. In the North, people wanted to abolish slavery and make free states. In the South, people wanted to keep slavery because it was profitable to their economy and generated a 100% profit on all goods sold.
Blood, death, tears, and shouts, that was life in the Civil War for a soldier. In 1861, the Civil War begun and the states that had once been united were now turning against each other. Texas fought for the South and was the 7th state to join the Confederacy. Texas had a military with about 65,000 Texan soldiers within it and almost a fifth of these fighters perished. Men of all ages were marching off to war in different states, and women and children were left waiting anxiously for their return.
After continually losing to the rebel Confederates, Sherman learned that the only way to demolish the opponent was to target matters beyond the battlefield. This included resources keeping the rebels alive, the land they fought to protect, and the people they loved. These tactics of war and demolition were known as “extreme or modern warfare strategies” and had been used in wars before. Sherman openly conveyed his total warfare ideals to the public, and his concepts were turned down immediately. His fellow Union soldiers thought he was insane and put him on leave from the Union army.
Many military strategies of the Civil War Many military strategies of the Civil War which made it the deadliest of all American wars. During the Civil War many strategies were used by the South and North, to fight hard but the hardest will win. There are many battles, many weapons were used, along with spies and navies. There were many battles, navies were important, spies were used in the war, very much, along with many weapons, and the South won the war. There were many major battles of the Civil War, the first one was Fort Sumter, others were the First Battle of Bull Run, Shiloh, Seven days battle, Fredericksburg, Vicksburg, and Gettysburg ("Civil War Battles”).
. . out of Hell,” and their allies against the small militias of South Carolina who was mainly made up of farmers, merchants, traders, supporters from Virginia, North Carolina, and their Indian allies (The Yamasee War). It was a war not seen coming. The Yamasee were tired of being mistreated by their ally, while the colonist just wanted to make money not friendships, so they mistreated the Yamasee and thought they could get away with it (Slavery in Indian Country: The Changing Face of Captivity in Early America). That is why Yamasee War was a war not seen coming.
In chapter one of What They Fought For, I learned about the letters and diaries of the Confederate soldiers. The themes of the letters were home-sickness, lack of peace, and the defense of home against their invading enemy. The thought of soldiers fighting for their homes and being threatened by invaders, made them stronger when facing adversity. Many men expressed that they would rather die fighting for a cause, than dying without trying and this commitment showed patriotism. Throughout the letters, soldiers claimed their reason for fighting, was for the principles of Constitutional liberty and self-government.
Civil War The year was 1861 and the first battle had already begun. The country was now divided as two teams, the confederates and the unions. I wasn’t looking forward to the upcoming battle that was about to happen. I sat in my tent in silence, thinking about what might happen.