American Civil War Essay

The American Civil War a cruel and bloody war between the southern and northern states of America. It all began in 1861 because the southern states realized that their control in the government was slipping away and the north was taking control by introduced a northern President who was potentially anti-slavery. 1 and that these changers would change their way of life and the only solution was for the southern states to secede in order to protect their way of life. 2When in fact all the northern states wanted was for slavery not to spread to the western territories and to loosen the tensions between north and south3 while trying to keep the country whole. The reason the civil war went for so long is due to the fact that after every battle the victorious side never pursued or wiped out the whole army but rather chased them away, so they could rebuild their armies and come back for another try. During the civil war there have been many battles but one that stands out is the Savannah Campaign. This campaign was led by Maj. Gen. William T. Sherman was a very war hardened man with only negative ideas about war he lead the northerners through Georgia. His reason for starting this sort of campaign was that He felt the South should pay for all of the destruction and misery that they have caused by starting the Civil War in the first place.4 Even though there was a lot of bloodshed and cruelty during the war I think that the end always justify the means because it had such and impact on the futures society and the way we view different cultures and races. We will delve deeper into Shermans use of tactics and any comparisons that there are with Sherman tactics and other tactics during the Civil War. Shermans choice of tactics during the Savannah Campaign where brutal , cruel, heartless and inhumane. An example of Shermans brutality is seen in the way in which he and his soldiers attacked the civilians by threatening them and sometimes they where Were even hanged to the verge of strangulation to compel revelation of the places where money, plate and jewelry were buried, or plantation animals concealed.5 This quote shows how truly hard Sherman must have been to kill civilians who arent even on the battlefield just for some material items like jewelry is utterly unbelievable and astonishing. Shermans main tactic was to attack or terrify the civilians so as to influence desertions on the front lines of the Confederacy6 once they found out what was happening to their loved ones. Inhumanness is one of the first impressions you receive of Sherman especially when he said war is hell 7and I can make this march and make Georgia howl!8 these quote have a raw harshness to them which can give you insight into the kind of man Sherman was and why he though that attacking the civilians was fair war play. The tactics used by
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Causes of the Civil War: Two Regions on Separate Paths <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm> 2 Causes of the Civil War: States Rights <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm> 3 Causes of the Civil War: Bleeding Kansas <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm> 4 Savannah campaign: <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm> 5 Shermans march to the Sea:< http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/sidebars/sherman.html> 6 Shermans march to the Sea:< http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/sidebars/sherman.html> 7 Shermans march to the Sea:< http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/sidebars/sherman.html>T 8 The American Civil War student notes booklet: pg 66.

Sherman may have been brutal but how do they compare to other tactics used during the Civil War. The tactics used throughout the Civil War (focusing on Gettysburg) are very different from Shermans tactics. The other battles during the war where army versus army, face to face on the battlefield ready to fight to the end for their beliefs. While Sherman used very different tactics by going in by rear attack 9 which was like how he terrorized and threatened civilians these actions where supposed to be part of a great strategy that he had thought up. Another difference is that at Gettysburg they where using bayonet, rifles, swords and revolvers and they did a lot of hand-to-hand combat and the army was set up in the artillery and the infantry. Whereas Sherman was using no real weapons but frightening the people stealing, living of the southerners land and destroying what could not be used.10 He also was wrecking supply depots and railroads. They twisted the railroads into Shermans hairpins so the south could not transport food or soldiers quickly to where they where needed. From this sentence it is obvious how different the tactics where of the Savannah Campaign and Gettysburg. Shermans tactics may have meant to be brilliant military strategy11 like some acclaim to, while other still denounce his ruthless tactics 12they where far different from the usual combat that they would have suspected but more cleverly planned and thought out but this tactic was still brutal. Although his actions led to the end of the Civil War they where unfair and unnecessary, but if his tactics wouldnt have been different form others then the war wouldnt have ended and slavery wouldnt have been abolished. So I must say that the end always justify the means. Bibliography:
American Civil War student notes booklet: pg 66 Battle of Gettysburg :< http://www.celebrategettysburg.com/civil-war-journal-5.html> Causes of the Civil War: Bleeding Kansas <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm Causes of the Civil War: States Rights <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm Causes of the Civil War: Two Regions on Separate Paths <http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm> Savannah campaign :<http://militaryhistory.about.com/od/civilwar/a/CivilWarCauses.htm Shermans march to the Sea :< http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/sidebars/sherman.html>

Shermans march to the Sea:< http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/sidebars/sherman.html> Battle of Gettysburg:< http://www.celebrategettysburg.com/civil-war-journal-5.html> 11 Shermans march to the Sea:< http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/sidebars/sherman.html> 12 Shermans march to the Sea:< http://www.sherpaguides.com/georgia/civil_war/sidebars/sherman.html>
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