October 3, 2024 • 27 mins
We'll then transport you to the chaotic Battle of Shiloh and closely examine Robert E. Lee's rise in the Eastern Theater. Lee's audacious maneuvers during the Seven Days Battles marked a turning point, pushing Union forces back from Richmond and revealing the brutal nature of the struggle. Finally, we'll examine the Battle of Antietam, the bloodiest day in American history, and its profound impact on the nation's political and social landscape. Join us as we recount these pivotal events and their enduring legacy, capturing a year's relentless and uncompromising spirit that reshaped America's destiny.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:06):
Welcome to Double Helix Blueprint of Nations,
season 2, episode 2.6, theReckoning, part 1.
Welcome back to Double HelixBlueprint of Nations.
(00:28):
If you've been with us sincethe start of the journey, you'll
remember that this series onthe American Civil War was
originally supposed to be justfour episodes long.
But like most good stories and,let's be honest, like most
plans when you're dealing withhistory, things have started in
their own way and they aregrowing beyond their original
(00:49):
scope.
So here we are embarking onpart six of what has turned into
an ever-growing exploration ofone of the most pivotal
conflicts in American history.
I also wanted to share that.
As you may have noticed, I havecondensed the episodes a lot
more for this series.
I am discovering that when itcomes to far-ranging and
(01:10):
long-drawn-out series such asthese, less is more, so
hopefully this makes it easierto follow and consume.
Finally, if you're enjoying theseason and the podcast, please,
please, please, rate us.
Enjoying the season and thepodcast, please, please, please,
rate us.
We are also on YouTube and I amslowly and I do mean slowly
(01:30):
going to start turning eachepisode into an audiovisual
experience with still images andsuch, but it is going to be
slow.
If you have any comments orquestions or suggestions.
Please don't forget to reachout via email, twitter,
instagram, facebook, you name it.
All right time to move on withour story.
(01:51):
If you're just tuning in or ifyou need a quick refresher,
let's get you up to speed.
Over the past five episodes,we've covered the original sin
of slavery, the political andsocial upheavals of the 1850s
and before the secession crisisand Lincoln's rise to the
presidency.
We've also watched as thefragile union between the North
(02:14):
and the South crumbled, andwe've followed the first
harrowing year of the war thatturned brother, cousin and
friends into enemies.
Now, as we step into 1862,we're moving into a critical
phase of the conflict, a yearthat will come to be known as
the Year of the Reckoning, atleast that's my terminology.
(02:35):
This is the year when the fullweight of the war began to bear
down on both sides, when therealities of bloodshed, of loss
and the sheer scale of theconflict started to sink in.
It was a year of hard lessonsand painful realizations, as
both the Union and theConfederacy realized that this
(02:57):
war would be neither quick noreasy.
In today's episode, we'll diveinto the major events of 1862, a
year marked by ambitiousstrategies, brutal battles and
the growing awareness that thenation was in for a long and
grueling struggle.
From the Union's early victoriesin the West under Ulysses S
(03:19):
Grant to the slow, grindingprogress of George McClellan's
Peninsula Campaign in the East,1862 was a year when the stakes
were raised and the cost of thewar began to be paid in earnest.
As the calendar turned to 1862,the Union was desperately in
(03:39):
need for a win.
The previous year had seen theConfederacy stand its ground,
turning back Union advances andsolidifying its hold on the
southern states.
The North's early optimism thatthe rebellion would be swiftly
quashed had been dashed by theharsh reality of war.
The task of preserving theUnion was proving to be far more
(04:01):
challenging and far bloodierthan anyone had anticipated.
But in the early months of 1862, the Union would find hope in a
place that might have seemedunlikely the rugged, swampy and
strategically crucial WesternTheater.
This region, encompassing thevast stretch of land from the
(04:22):
Appalachian Mountains to theMississippi River, was a
critical battleground.
Control of the rivers and therailroads in this area would
determine the ability of bothsides to move troops, supplies
and, most importantly, win thewar.
Enter Ulysses S Grant, a man who, by all accounts, wasn't
(04:45):
supposed to be a hero.
In fact, before the war he'dbeen something of a failure.
After graduating from WestPoint, grant had served with
distinction in theMexican-American War, but
peacetime wasn't kind to him.
It just wasn't his thing.
He struggled with civilian life, he failed in business and
(05:06):
eventually resigned from thearmy under a cloud of rumors
about his drinking.
By 1860, grant was working inhis father's leather shop, far
removed from the life of asoldier.
I think we will do a companionspecifically on Ulysses S Grant,
as he would later becomePresident of the United States
and should be remembered as oneof the key figures of American
(05:28):
history.
But anyway, when the Civil Warbroke out, grant found his way
back into the military and by1862, he was a brigadier general
in the Union Army, commandingforces in the Western Theater.
It was here, in the backwoodsand river valleys of Tennessee
and Kentucky, that Grant wouldbegin to make his mark.
(05:51):
The first significant battle of1862 came at Fort Donaldson, a
Confederate stronghold on theCumberland River in Tennessee.
After capturing Fort Henry onthe Tennessee River, grant
turned his attention toDonaldson, knowing that his
capture would open the door tothe Deep South.
In February, grant's forceslaid siege to the fort, enduring
(06:15):
brutal winter conditions andfierce resistance from the
Confederate defenders.
The fighting was intense, withboth sides suffering heavy
casualties, but Grant'srelentless pressure eventually
wore down the Confederate forceswho, realizing their situation
was hopeless, asked for terms ofsurrender.
And it was here that Grantissued his famous demand no
(06:40):
terms except unconditional andimmediate surrender can be
accepted.
Terms except unconditional andimmediate surrender can be
accepted.
This declaration earned him thenickname Unconditional
Surrender for US.
Grant Get it.
And it was a signal of the kindof war he intended to wage, one
of total commitment with noroom for compromise.
(07:00):
The surrender of Fort Donaldsonon February 16, 1862 was a
significant victory for theUnion.
It marked the first majordefeat for the Confederacy and
gave the North control of theCumberland River, a vital artery
into the heart of the South.
Grant's success at FortDonaldson was a much-needed
boost to Northern morale.
(07:21):
At a time when the Union seemedmired in setbacks, grant's
triumph provided a glimmer ofhope.
Here was a leader who waswilling to take the fight to the
enemy, who wasn't afraid topress the advantage and who
understood that the war would bewon, but not by half measures
but by decisive action.
(07:42):
But while Grant's star wasstarting to be on the rise in
the West.
The situation in the East wasfar more complicated and far
less promising, as we'll seeshortly.
The Union's Eastern Theaterwould become a quagmire of
indecision, missed opportunitiesand bloody stalemates.
Things were set for a year ofgrueling conflict, but for now.
(08:02):
Things were set for a year ofgrueling conflict, but for now.
In the early months of 1862,ulysses S Grant US Grant had
given the Union something itdesperately needed a reason to
believe that victory waspossible.
For now, let's move eastwardsand explore the challenges faced
by the Union forces under avery different kind of leader.
(08:24):
We met him in our last episode,george B McClellan and the Long
Grinding Peninsula Campaign.
While Ulysses S Grant wasmaking a name for himself in the
Western theater, the story inthe East was unfolding quite
differently.
Here's where we meet George BMcClellan again, a man with the
(08:44):
kind of resume that looked likeit was tailor-made for the role
of Union's savior.
He was a West Point graduate,former railroad executive and
someone who seemed to have theconfidence of both his men and
the politicians back inWashington.
Mcclellan had been handed thereins of the Army of the Potomac
After the Union's earlydisaster at Bull Run.
(09:07):
But if Grant was a man of action, mcclellan was a man of
hesitation, and nowhere was thismore evident than during the
Peninsula Campaign, a grand andmeticulously planned operation
on paper that had all themakings of a decisive Union
victory.
The idea was simple enoughInstead of attacking Confederate
(09:29):
forces head-on, mcclellan wouldlead his army up the Virginia
Peninsula, between York and theJames Rivers, and take Richmond,
the Confederate capital, bysurprise.
It was a bold plan, to be sure.
If successful, it would strikeat the very heart of the
Confederacy and potentiallybring the war to a swift end.
(09:49):
But bold plans require boldexecution, and this is where
McClellan's cautious naturebegan to show.
Despite having a numericaladvantage and significant
resources at his disposal,mcclellan moved with all the
speed of molasses in January.
The campaign kicked off in Marchof 1862, with McClellan's
(10:12):
forces slowly making their wayup the peninsula.
Almost immediately, they raninto problems Bad weather,
logistical challenges and, mostof all, mcclellan's own
persistent belief that he wasoutnumbered by a vast
Confederate force.
This belief was of courseunfounded, but it paralyzed
(10:33):
McClellan's decision-making.
The truth was that theConfederate Army under General
Joseph E Johnston wassignificantly smaller and far
less equipped than McClellan's,but Johnston recognizing
McClellan's, but Johnston,recognizing McClellan's cautious
nature, played a brilliant gameof bluff, moving his troops
(10:54):
around to create the illusion ofa larger force.
Mcclellan's reluctance toengage was so pronounced that it
became a running joke among hiscritics.
President Lincoln, growingincreasingly frustrated with his
general inertia, famouslyremarked If General McClellan
does not want to use the army, Iwould like to borrow it for a
time.
The jive was well earned.
(11:17):
While McClellan did her, theConfederates fortified their
positions and reinforced theirdefenses around Richmond.
By late May, mcclellan's armyhad crept to within a few miles
of Richmond, but the delay hadcost him dearly.
The Confederates, now under thecommand of the aggressive and
tactically brilliant Robert ELee, were ready to strike back.
(11:40):
Lee's audacious strategy duringthe Seven Days Battle pushed
McClellan's army away fromRichmond and back down the
peninsula.
Despite his numericalsuperiority, mcclellan found
himself outmaneuvered andoutgunned his grand campaign,
fizzling out in a series ofbloody and inconclusive
skirmishes.
(12:02):
The peninsula campaign was abitter disappointment for the
Union and a stark contrast tothe success Grant was achieving
in the West.
It exposed the weakness ofMcClellan's leadership, his
over-caution, his reluctance totake risk and his inability to
capitalize on opportunities.
More importantly, it showedthat the war was far from over.
(12:24):
Richmond remained inConfederate hands, and the cost
of trying to take it had beenhigh.
Mcclellan's failure to delivera decisive blow at Richmond had
significant consequences.
It emboldened the Confederacy,giving them a psychological
boost at a time when moralecould have faltered.
It also deepened the dividebetween McClelland and Lincoln,
(12:49):
who was now increasinglyconvinced that a more aggressive
strategy was necessary to winthe war.
As the summer of 1862 dragged on, the Union's hope of a quick
victory was rapidly fading, ifnot completely gone.
The war was proven to be agrinding, brutal affair with no
clear end in sight.
(13:09):
But if the Peninsula Campaignwas a missed opportunity, it was
also a sobering lesson for theUnion leadership, one that would
shape their strategies in thebattles to come.
We'll shift our focus back tothe Western theater, where
Grant's relentless drive wouldcontinue to push the Confederacy
to its limits, even as theUnion faced setbacks elsewhere.
(13:32):
The war was evolving, and withit the strategies and the
leaders who would define itsoutcome.
While McClellan was slowlyretreating from his failed
peninsula campaign in the East,the Western theater was about to
witness a battle that wouldshock both the Union and the
Confederacy to their cores.
The Battle of Shiloh, fought inearly April 1862, would become
(13:58):
the bloodiest battle in the warup to that point and the
bloodiest battle in Americansoil also up to that point,
shattering any lingeringillusions that the conflict
would be short-lived andrelatively painless.
Our story begins in Tennesseewhere Ulysses S Grant, fresh off
of his victories at Fort Henryand Fort Donaldson, was leading
(14:21):
the Union advance deeper intoConfederate territory.
Grant had established a camp atPittsburgh Landing on the
western bank of the TennesseeRiver, not far from a small
church named Shiloh.
Here his forces waited forreinforcements led by General
Don Carlos Buell, beforelaunching an offensive against
(14:42):
the vital railroad junction atCorinth in Mississippi.
It was supposed to be atemporary stop, a place to
gather strength beforecontinuing to push southwards.
But while Grant's men werepreparing for what they thought
would be the next phase of theircampaign, confederate generals
Oliver, sidney, johnston and PGTBeauregard had other plans.
(15:03):
They recognized the threatposed by Grant's army and
decided to strike first, hopingto catch the Union forces off
guard and drive them into theriver before Buell's
reinforcements could arrive.
In the pre-dawn hours of April 6, 1862, the Confederates
launched a surprise attack.
Union soldiers, many of whomwere new recruits and had little
(15:27):
combat experience, were joltedawake by the sound of gunfire
and the sight of Confederatetroops pouring out of the woods.
Chaos ensued as Union linesbuckled under the ferocity of
the Confederate assault.
Entire units were overrun andby mid-morning it all seemed as
though Grant's army might be onthe brink of disaster.
(15:48):
Grant, however, was not one topanic.
As reports of the Confederateattack flooded in, he calmly
made his way to the front,rallying the troops and
organizing a defense, despitebeing caught off guard.
Grant's stubborn resistance andthe natural defensibility of
the Union position helpedprevent a complete rout.
(16:10):
By mid-afternoon, union forceshad established a defensive line
along a sunken road that wouldbecome known as the Hornet's
Nest due to the intensity of thefighting there.
The Confederates threw waveafter wave of men against the
Hornet's Nest, but the Unionsoldiers held firm, buying
precious time for Grant toregroup.
(16:32):
The fighting was brutal, withboth sides suffering heavy
casualties.
General Johnston, theConfederate commander, was
mortally wounded during thebattle, and his death left
Beauregard to carry on the fight.
Despite their initial success,the Confederates were unable to
break the Union lines beforenightfall that night, as the
(16:54):
exhausted soldiers of both sidestried to catch some sleep in
the blood-soaked battlefield,grant received the news he had
been hoping for.
Buell's reinforcements were ontheir way and would arrive by
morning.
Confident that he could turnthe tide, grant planned a
counterattack for the next day.
On the morning of April 7, theUnion forces, now bolstered by
(17:17):
fresh troops, launched adetermined counteroffensive.
The Confederates, worn out fromthe previous day's fighting and
without the leadership ofJohnston, were gradually pushed
back.
By afternoon, beauregardrealized that his position was
untenable and ordered a retreat.
The Union had won the battle,but the cost had been staggering
(17:38):
.
Shiloh was a wake-up call forthe entire nation.
Over 23,000 men were killed,wounded or missing, more than
the total casualties of allprevious American wars combined.
The scale of the carnageshocked both the North and the
South and dispelled anyremaining notions that the war
(18:00):
would be short or glorious.
Shiloh was a grim preview of thebrutal, grinding warfare that
would come to define the USCivil War.
Grant, who had faced criticismfor being caught off guard,
emerged from Shiloh moredetermined than ever.
He realized that the only wayto win the war was through
relentless, unyielding pressureon the Confederacy, an insight
(18:24):
that would shape his strategy inthe coming years.
But Shiloh also showed that thewar would not be won by
brilliant maneuvers or quickvictories.
It would be won by sheerdetermination and the
willingness to endure horrificlosses.
As the year of 1862 continuedto unfold, both the Union and
(18:45):
the Confederacy were beginningto understand the true cost of
the conflict they had embarkedupon.
The war was no longer just aclash of armies.
It was a struggle for the verysoul of the nation, and neither
side was willing to back down.
As we turn our attention back tothe East, robert E Lee, the
newly appointed commander of theConfederate Army of Northern
(19:07):
Virginia, the newly appointedcommander of the Confederate
Army of Northern Virginia, wasabout to launch a series of
audacious offensives that wouldredefine the war and challenge
the Union's ability to hold theline.
While the Battle of Shiloh hadshaken the nation with its
unprecedented bloodshed, anothertheater of the war was about to
see a dramatic shift inleadership and strategy.
In the Eastern Theater, theUnion forces had been inching
(19:30):
closer to Richmond, theConfederate capital, but, as we
saw, with the rise of Robert ELee, the war in the East would
take on a new and formidablecharacter.
The year 1862 had not startedwell for the Confederacy.
In the East, general Joseph EJohnston, who had been in
command of the Confederateforces defending Richmond was
(19:51):
finding it increasinglydifficult to hold off.
The Union Army of the Potomac,led by the ever-cautious General
George B McClellan.
Mcclellan, despite his habitualoverestimation of Confederate
strength, had managed tomaneuver his forces to within
striking distance of Richmond byearly May.
He set the stage for what hehoped would be a swift and
(20:13):
decisive capture of theConfederate capital.
However, fate had other plans.
On May 31st, during the Battleof Seven Pines, general Johnston
was severely wounded, leavingthe Confederate Army without its
leader at a critical moment.
Severely wounded, leaving theConfederate Army without its
leader at a critical moment.
(20:34):
This was when PresidentJefferson Davis made the
faithful decision to appointRobert E Lee as the new
commander of the Army ofNorthern Virginia.
Now, lee was no stranger to themilitary, but his reputation at
the time was somewhat mixed.
He had been Davis's militaryadvisor and had seen some
success in the early stages ofthe war, but he was not yet the
revered figure he would laterbecome.
(20:54):
Some of the Confederateleadership even doubted his
ability to turn the tide againstthe Union's seemingly
unstoppable advance.
But those doubts were soondispelled.
Lee quickly took command with aboldness that would come to
define his leadership,recognizing that Richmond's
defenses were too weak towithstand a prolonged siege, he
(21:17):
decided that the best defensewas a strong offense.
Lee began to reorganize hisarmy and to plan a series of
aggressive maneuvers aimed atforcing McClellan away from
Richmond.
Plan a series of aggressivemaneuvers aimed at forcing
McClellan away from Richmond.
One of Lee's first moves was tolaunch what would become known
as the Seven Days Battles, aseries of fierce engagements
(21:45):
from June 25th to July 1st 1862.
Lee attacked McClellan's forcesrepeatedly, using his knowledge
of the terrain and his army'smobility to strike where the
Union was most vulnerable.
It was a risky strategy.
Lee's forces were outnumberedand McClellan was entrenched and
well-supplied.
But it paid off.
Despite suffering heavycasualties, lee succeeded in
(22:06):
pushing the Union forces backfrom the gates of Richmond.
The seven days' battle were aturning point in the war.
They marked the moment whenRobert E Lee emerged as the
South's greatest general, acommander who could not only
defend but also take the fightto the enemy.
(22:26):
The audacity and aggressivenesshe displayed during these
battles would become hallmarksof his leadership throughout the
war.
But the battles also revealedsomething deeper about the
conflict.
The war in the East, which hadpreviously been characterized by
McClellan's slow, methodicalapproach, was now being
(22:47):
transformed into a series ofhigh-stakes gambles.
Lee's strategy was to keep theUnion off balance, to prevent
them from ever gaining theinitiative again and to exploit
every opportunity to strike ablow against Northern morale.
This approach was not withoutits cost.
The Confederate Army sufferedthousands of casualties during
(23:08):
the Seven Days Battle and Lee'swillingness to engage in such
bloody confrontations would havelasting consequences.
But for the moment his strategywas successful.
Mcclellan, rattled by theferocity of the Confederate
attacks, retreated down theVirginia Peninsula, abandoning
his campaign to capture Richmond.
(23:31):
The outcome of the seven days'battle had a profound impact on
both sides.
In the North, there was growingfrustration with McClellan's
failure to deliver a decisiveblow against the Confederacy.
His cautiousness, which hadbeen a source of confidence
early in the war, was now seenas a liability.
President Lincoln, who hadalready been losing patience
(23:53):
with McClellan, began to searchfor other options In the South.
With McClellan began to searchfor other options In the South.
Lee's successful defense ofRichmond bolstered Confederate
morale and solidified hisposition as the preeminent
military leader of theConfederacy.
The victories at Seven Daysemboldened Lee to take even
greater risk, setting the stagefor his famous campaigns in the
(24:14):
months to come.
As the summer of 1862 progressed.
The war in the East wouldcontinue to intensify, with both
sides gearing up for what theyknew would be a long and
grueling struggle.
Lee, now fully in command andconfident of his army's
abilities, was ready to take thefight to the Union on his terms
(24:36):
.
As Lee prepared to take the warto the North, the stakes of the
conflict would only grow higher, bringing the nation ever
closer to the reckoning that hadbegun in 1861.
We are going to leave thingshere for now.
As the reckoning breaks into twoparts, we journey through some
of the most pivotal battles andmoments of 1862.
(24:58):
From the blood-soaked fields ofShiloh to the stalemate at
Seven Pines, the year hadalready proven to be one of
immense struggle and heartbreak.
The Union and the Confederateforces were locked in a deadly
embrace, but neither sidewilling to give an inch yet,
both realizing that victorywould come at an unimaginable
(25:19):
cost.
The Battle of Seven Pines hadmarked a significant turning
point in the Eastern Theater,with General Robert E Lee taking
command of the Confederate Armyof Northern Virginia.
Lee's leadership would prove tobe one of the most critical
factors in the war's trajectory.
But as we close this chapter,it's clear that 1862 was far
(25:40):
from over.
The nation was still in thethroes of a bloody reckoning,
and the battles that had alreadytaken place were merely a
prelude to the even morecatastrophic confrontations on
the horizon.
With the stakes higher thanever, the Union and the
Confederacy were about to faceoff in a series of engagements
that would define not just theyear but the entire course of
(26:04):
the war.
Next time, on Double Helix,we'll pick up where we left off,
starting with the Battle ofAnthetum, a clash that would
become the single bloodiest dayin American history.
Come the single bloodiest dayin American history, the
consequences of that day wouldreverberate far beyond the
battlefield, influencing thepolitical and social landscape
(26:24):
of the nation.
So join us next time as wecontinue to explore the year of
the reckoning.
Thank you for listening.
We will see you soon.
The Old Church Bell will pealwith joy, hurrah, hurrah, to
(26:47):
welcome home our darling boy.
Hurrah, hurrah.
The village lads and lasses sayWith roses, they will strew the
way and we'll all feel gay whenJohnny comes marching home.
When Johnny comes marching home.
When Johnny comes marching home.
Welcome to Double Helix Blueprint of Nations,
season 2, episode 2.6, theReckoning, part 1.
Welcome back to Double HelixBlueprint of Nations.
(00:28):
If you've been with us sincethe start of the journey, you'll
remember that this series onthe American Civil War was
originally supposed to be justfour episodes long.
But like most good stories and,let's be honest, like most
plans when you're dealing withhistory, things have started in
their own way and they aregrowing beyond their original
(00:49):
scope.
So here we are embarking onpart six of what has turned into
an ever-growing exploration ofone of the most pivotal
conflicts in American history.
I also wanted to share that.
As you may have noticed, I havecondensed the episodes a lot
more for this series.
I am discovering that when itcomes to far-ranging and
(01:10):
long-drawn-out series such asthese, less is more, so
hopefully this makes it easierto follow and consume.
Finally, if you're enjoying theseason and the podcast, please,
please, please, rate us.
Enjoying the season and thepodcast, please, please, please,
rate us.
We are also on YouTube and I amslowly and I do mean slowly
(01:30):
going to start turning eachepisode into an audiovisual
experience with still images andsuch, but it is going to be
slow.
If you have any comments orquestions or suggestions.
Please don't forget to reachout via email, twitter,
instagram, facebook, you name it.
All right time to move on withour story.
(01:51):
If you're just tuning in or ifyou need a quick refresher,
let's get you up to speed.
Over the past five episodes,we've covered the original sin
of slavery, the political andsocial upheavals of the 1850s
and before the secession crisisand Lincoln's rise to the
presidency.
We've also watched as thefragile union between the North
(02:14):
and the South crumbled, andwe've followed the first
harrowing year of the war thatturned brother, cousin and
friends into enemies.
Now, as we step into 1862,we're moving into a critical
phase of the conflict, a yearthat will come to be known as
the Year of the Reckoning, atleast that's my terminology.
(02:35):
This is the year when the fullweight of the war began to bear
down on both sides, when therealities of bloodshed, of loss
and the sheer scale of theconflict started to sink in.
It was a year of hard lessonsand painful realizations, as
both the Union and theConfederacy realized that this
(02:57):
war would be neither quick noreasy.
In today's episode, we'll diveinto the major events of 1862, a
year marked by ambitiousstrategies, brutal battles and
the growing awareness that thenation was in for a long and
grueling struggle.
From the Union's early victoriesin the West under Ulysses S
(03:19):
Grant to the slow, grindingprogress of George McClellan's
Peninsula Campaign in the East,1862 was a year when the stakes
were raised and the cost of thewar began to be paid in earnest.
As the calendar turned to 1862,the Union was desperately in
(03:39):
need for a win.
The previous year had seen theConfederacy stand its ground,
turning back Union advances andsolidifying its hold on the
southern states.
The North's early optimism thatthe rebellion would be swiftly
quashed had been dashed by theharsh reality of war.
The task of preserving theUnion was proving to be far more
(04:01):
challenging and far bloodierthan anyone had anticipated.
But in the early months of 1862, the Union would find hope in a
place that might have seemedunlikely the rugged, swampy and
strategically crucial WesternTheater.
This region, encompassing thevast stretch of land from the
(04:22):
Appalachian Mountains to theMississippi River, was a
critical battleground.
Control of the rivers and therailroads in this area would
determine the ability of bothsides to move troops, supplies
and, most importantly, win thewar.
Enter Ulysses S Grant, a man who, by all accounts, wasn't
(04:45):
supposed to be a hero.
In fact, before the war he'dbeen something of a failure.
After graduating from WestPoint, grant had served with
distinction in theMexican-American War, but
peacetime wasn't kind to him.
It just wasn't his thing.
He struggled with civilian life, he failed in business and
(05:06):
eventually resigned from thearmy under a cloud of rumors
about his drinking.
By 1860, grant was working inhis father's leather shop, far
removed from the life of asoldier.
I think we will do a companionspecifically on Ulysses S Grant,
as he would later becomePresident of the United States
and should be remembered as oneof the key figures of American
(05:28):
history.
But anyway, when the Civil Warbroke out, grant found his way
back into the military and by1862, he was a brigadier general
in the Union Army, commandingforces in the Western Theater.
It was here, in the backwoodsand river valleys of Tennessee
and Kentucky, that Grant wouldbegin to make his mark.
(05:51):
The first significant battle of1862 came at Fort Donaldson, a
Confederate stronghold on theCumberland River in Tennessee.
After capturing Fort Henry onthe Tennessee River, grant
turned his attention toDonaldson, knowing that his
capture would open the door tothe Deep South.
In February, grant's forceslaid siege to the fort, enduring
(06:15):
brutal winter conditions andfierce resistance from the
Confederate defenders.
The fighting was intense, withboth sides suffering heavy
casualties, but Grant'srelentless pressure eventually
wore down the Confederate forceswho, realizing their situation
was hopeless, asked for terms ofsurrender.
And it was here that Grantissued his famous demand no
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terms except unconditional andimmediate surrender can be
accepted.
Terms except unconditional andimmediate surrender can be
accepted.
This declaration earned him thenickname Unconditional
Surrender for US.
Grant Get it.
And it was a signal of the kindof war he intended to wage, one
of total commitment with noroom for compromise.
(07:00):
The surrender of Fort Donaldsonon February 16, 1862 was a
significant victory for theUnion.
It marked the first majordefeat for the Confederacy and
gave the North control of theCumberland River, a vital artery
into the heart of the South.
Grant's success at FortDonaldson was a much-needed
boost to Northern morale.
(07:21):
At a time when the Union seemedmired in setbacks, grant's
triumph provided a glimmer ofhope.
Here was a leader who waswilling to take the fight to the
enemy, who wasn't afraid topress the advantage and who
understood that the war would bewon, but not by half measures
but by decisive action.
(07:42):
But while Grant's star wasstarting to be on the rise in
the West.
The situation in the East wasfar more complicated and far
less promising, as we'll seeshortly.
The Union's Eastern Theaterwould become a quagmire of
indecision, missed opportunitiesand bloody stalemates.
Things were set for a year ofgrueling conflict, but for now.
(08:02):
Things were set for a year ofgrueling conflict, but for now.
In the early months of 1862,ulysses S Grant US Grant had
given the Union something itdesperately needed a reason to
believe that victory waspossible.
For now, let's move eastwardsand explore the challenges faced
by the Union forces under avery different kind of leader.
(08:24):
We met him in our last episode,george B McClellan and the Long
Grinding Peninsula Campaign.
While Ulysses S Grant wasmaking a name for himself in the
Western theater, the story inthe East was unfolding quite
differently.
Here's where we meet George BMcClellan again, a man with the
(08:44):
kind of resume that looked likeit was tailor-made for the role
of Union's savior.
He was a West Point graduate,former railroad executive and
someone who seemed to have theconfidence of both his men and
the politicians back inWashington.
Mcclellan had been handed thereins of the Army of the Potomac
After the Union's earlydisaster at Bull Run.
(09:07):
But if Grant was a man of action, mcclellan was a man of
hesitation, and nowhere was thismore evident than during the
Peninsula Campaign, a grand andmeticulously planned operation
on paper that had all themakings of a decisive Union
victory.
The idea was simple enoughInstead of attacking Confederate
(09:29):
forces head-on, mcclellan wouldlead his army up the Virginia
Peninsula, between York and theJames Rivers, and take Richmond,
the Confederate capital, bysurprise.
It was a bold plan, to be sure.
If successful, it would strikeat the very heart of the
Confederacy and potentiallybring the war to a swift end.
(09:49):
But bold plans require boldexecution, and this is where
McClellan's cautious naturebegan to show.
Despite having a numericaladvantage and significant
resources at his disposal,mcclellan moved with all the
speed of molasses in January.
The campaign kicked off in Marchof 1862, with McClellan's
(10:12):
forces slowly making their wayup the peninsula.
Almost immediately, they raninto problems Bad weather,
logistical challenges and, mostof all, mcclellan's own
persistent belief that he wasoutnumbered by a vast
Confederate force.
This belief was of courseunfounded, but it paralyzed
(10:33):
McClellan's decision-making.
The truth was that theConfederate Army under General
Joseph E Johnston wassignificantly smaller and far
less equipped than McClellan's,but Johnston recognizing
McClellan's, but Johnston,recognizing McClellan's cautious
nature, played a brilliant gameof bluff, moving his troops
(10:54):
around to create the illusion ofa larger force.
Mcclellan's reluctance toengage was so pronounced that it
became a running joke among hiscritics.
President Lincoln, growingincreasingly frustrated with his
general inertia, famouslyremarked If General McClellan
does not want to use the army, Iwould like to borrow it for a
time.
The jive was well earned.
(11:17):
While McClellan did her, theConfederates fortified their
positions and reinforced theirdefenses around Richmond.
By late May, mcclellan's armyhad crept to within a few miles
of Richmond, but the delay hadcost him dearly.
The Confederates, now under thecommand of the aggressive and
tactically brilliant Robert ELee, were ready to strike back.
(11:40):
Lee's audacious strategy duringthe Seven Days Battle pushed
McClellan's army away fromRichmond and back down the
peninsula.
Despite his numericalsuperiority, mcclellan found
himself outmaneuvered andoutgunned his grand campaign,
fizzling out in a series ofbloody and inconclusive
skirmishes.
(12:02):
The peninsula campaign was abitter disappointment for the
Union and a stark contrast tothe success Grant was achieving
in the West.
It exposed the weakness ofMcClellan's leadership, his
over-caution, his reluctance totake risk and his inability to
capitalize on opportunities.
More importantly, it showedthat the war was far from over.
(12:24):
Richmond remained inConfederate hands, and the cost
of trying to take it had beenhigh.
Mcclellan's failure to delivera decisive blow at Richmond had
significant consequences.
It emboldened the Confederacy,giving them a psychological
boost at a time when moralecould have faltered.
It also deepened the dividebetween McClelland and Lincoln,
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who was now increasinglyconvinced that a more aggressive
strategy was necessary to winthe war.
As the summer of 1862 dragged on, the Union's hope of a quick
victory was rapidly fading, ifnot completely gone.
The war was proven to be agrinding, brutal affair with no
clear end in sight.
(13:09):
But if the Peninsula Campaignwas a missed opportunity, it was
also a sobering lesson for theUnion leadership, one that would
shape their strategies in thebattles to come.
We'll shift our focus back tothe Western theater, where
Grant's relentless drive wouldcontinue to push the Confederacy
to its limits, even as theUnion faced setbacks elsewhere.
(13:32):
The war was evolving, and withit the strategies and the
leaders who would define itsoutcome.
While McClellan was slowlyretreating from his failed
peninsula campaign in the East,the Western theater was about to
witness a battle that wouldshock both the Union and the
Confederacy to their cores.
The Battle of Shiloh, fought inearly April 1862, would become
(13:58):
the bloodiest battle in the warup to that point and the
bloodiest battle in Americansoil also up to that point,
shattering any lingeringillusions that the conflict
would be short-lived andrelatively painless.
Our story begins in Tennesseewhere Ulysses S Grant, fresh off
of his victories at Fort Henryand Fort Donaldson, was leading
(14:21):
the Union advance deeper intoConfederate territory.
Grant had established a camp atPittsburgh Landing on the
western bank of the TennesseeRiver, not far from a small
church named Shiloh.
Here his forces waited forreinforcements led by General
Don Carlos Buell, beforelaunching an offensive against
(14:42):
the vital railroad junction atCorinth in Mississippi.
It was supposed to be atemporary stop, a place to
gather strength beforecontinuing to push southwards.
But while Grant's men werepreparing for what they thought
would be the next phase of theircampaign, confederate generals
Oliver, sidney, johnston and PGTBeauregard had other plans.
(15:03):
They recognized the threatposed by Grant's army and
decided to strike first, hopingto catch the Union forces off
guard and drive them into theriver before Buell's
reinforcements could arrive.
In the pre-dawn hours of April 6, 1862, the Confederates
launched a surprise attack.
Union soldiers, many of whomwere new recruits and had little
(15:27):
combat experience, were joltedawake by the sound of gunfire
and the sight of Confederatetroops pouring out of the woods.
Chaos ensued as Union linesbuckled under the ferocity of
the Confederate assault.
Entire units were overrun andby mid-morning it all seemed as
though Grant's army might be onthe brink of disaster.
(15:48):
Grant, however, was not one topanic.
As reports of the Confederateattack flooded in, he calmly
made his way to the front,rallying the troops and
organizing a defense, despitebeing caught off guard.
Grant's stubborn resistance andthe natural defensibility of
the Union position helpedprevent a complete rout.
(16:10):
By mid-afternoon, union forceshad established a defensive line
along a sunken road that wouldbecome known as the Hornet's
Nest due to the intensity of thefighting there.
The Confederates threw waveafter wave of men against the
Hornet's Nest, but the Unionsoldiers held firm, buying
precious time for Grant toregroup.
(16:32):
The fighting was brutal, withboth sides suffering heavy
casualties.
General Johnston, theConfederate commander, was
mortally wounded during thebattle, and his death left
Beauregard to carry on the fight.
Despite their initial success,the Confederates were unable to
break the Union lines beforenightfall that night, as the
(16:54):
exhausted soldiers of both sidestried to catch some sleep in
the blood-soaked battlefield,grant received the news he had
been hoping for.
Buell's reinforcements were ontheir way and would arrive by
morning.
Confident that he could turnthe tide, grant planned a
counterattack for the next day.
On the morning of April 7, theUnion forces, now bolstered by
(17:17):
fresh troops, launched adetermined counteroffensive.
The Confederates, worn out fromthe previous day's fighting and
without the leadership ofJohnston, were gradually pushed
back.
By afternoon, beauregardrealized that his position was
untenable and ordered a retreat.
The Union had won the battle,but the cost had been staggering
(17:38):
.
Shiloh was a wake-up call forthe entire nation.
Over 23,000 men were killed,wounded or missing, more than
the total casualties of allprevious American wars combined.
The scale of the carnageshocked both the North and the
South and dispelled anyremaining notions that the war
(18:00):
would be short or glorious.
Shiloh was a grim preview of thebrutal, grinding warfare that
would come to define the USCivil War.
Grant, who had faced criticismfor being caught off guard,
emerged from Shiloh moredetermined than ever.
He realized that the only wayto win the war was through
relentless, unyielding pressureon the Confederacy, an insight
(18:24):
that would shape his strategy inthe coming years.
But Shiloh also showed that thewar would not be won by
brilliant maneuvers or quickvictories.
It would be won by sheerdetermination and the
willingness to endure horrificlosses.
As the year of 1862 continuedto unfold, both the Union and
(18:45):
the Confederacy were beginningto understand the true cost of
the conflict they had embarkedupon.
The war was no longer just aclash of armies.
It was a struggle for the verysoul of the nation, and neither
side was willing to back down.
As we turn our attention back tothe East, robert E Lee, the
newly appointed commander of theConfederate Army of Northern
(19:07):
Virginia, the newly appointedcommander of the Confederate
Army of Northern Virginia, wasabout to launch a series of
audacious offensives that wouldredefine the war and challenge
the Union's ability to hold theline.
While the Battle of Shiloh hadshaken the nation with its
unprecedented bloodshed, anothertheater of the war was about to
see a dramatic shift inleadership and strategy.
In the Eastern Theater, theUnion forces had been inching
(19:30):
closer to Richmond, theConfederate capital, but, as we
saw, with the rise of Robert ELee, the war in the East would
take on a new and formidablecharacter.
The year 1862 had not startedwell for the Confederacy.
In the East, general Joseph EJohnston, who had been in
command of the Confederateforces defending Richmond was
(19:51):
finding it increasinglydifficult to hold off.
The Union Army of the Potomac,led by the ever-cautious General
George B McClellan.
Mcclellan, despite his habitualoverestimation of Confederate
strength, had managed tomaneuver his forces to within
striking distance of Richmond byearly May.
He set the stage for what hehoped would be a swift and
(20:13):
decisive capture of theConfederate capital.
However, fate had other plans.
On May 31st, during the Battleof Seven Pines, general Johnston
was severely wounded, leavingthe Confederate Army without its
leader at a critical moment.
Severely wounded, leaving theConfederate Army without its
leader at a critical moment.
(20:34):
This was when PresidentJefferson Davis made the
faithful decision to appointRobert E Lee as the new
commander of the Army ofNorthern Virginia.
Now, lee was no stranger to themilitary, but his reputation at
the time was somewhat mixed.
He had been Davis's militaryadvisor and had seen some
success in the early stages ofthe war, but he was not yet the
revered figure he would laterbecome.
(20:54):
Some of the Confederateleadership even doubted his
ability to turn the tide againstthe Union's seemingly
unstoppable advance.
But those doubts were soondispelled.
Lee quickly took command with aboldness that would come to
define his leadership,recognizing that Richmond's
defenses were too weak towithstand a prolonged siege, he
(21:17):
decided that the best defensewas a strong offense.
Lee began to reorganize hisarmy and to plan a series of
aggressive maneuvers aimed atforcing McClellan away from
Richmond.
Plan a series of aggressivemaneuvers aimed at forcing
McClellan away from Richmond.
One of Lee's first moves was tolaunch what would become known
as the Seven Days Battles, aseries of fierce engagements
(21:45):
from June 25th to July 1st 1862.
Lee attacked McClellan's forcesrepeatedly, using his knowledge
of the terrain and his army'smobility to strike where the
Union was most vulnerable.
It was a risky strategy.
Lee's forces were outnumberedand McClellan was entrenched and
well-supplied.
But it paid off.
Despite suffering heavycasualties, lee succeeded in
(22:06):
pushing the Union forces backfrom the gates of Richmond.
The seven days' battle were aturning point in the war.
They marked the moment whenRobert E Lee emerged as the
South's greatest general, acommander who could not only
defend but also take the fightto the enemy.
(22:26):
The audacity and aggressivenesshe displayed during these
battles would become hallmarksof his leadership throughout the
war.
But the battles also revealedsomething deeper about the
conflict.
The war in the East, which hadpreviously been characterized by
McClellan's slow, methodicalapproach, was now being
(22:47):
transformed into a series ofhigh-stakes gambles.
Lee's strategy was to keep theUnion off balance, to prevent
them from ever gaining theinitiative again and to exploit
every opportunity to strike ablow against Northern morale.
This approach was not withoutits cost.
The Confederate Army sufferedthousands of casualties during
(23:08):
the Seven Days Battle and Lee'swillingness to engage in such
bloody confrontations would havelasting consequences.
But for the moment his strategywas successful.
Mcclellan, rattled by theferocity of the Confederate
attacks, retreated down theVirginia Peninsula, abandoning
his campaign to capture Richmond.
(23:31):
The outcome of the seven days'battle had a profound impact on
both sides.
In the North, there was growingfrustration with McClellan's
failure to deliver a decisiveblow against the Confederacy.
His cautiousness, which hadbeen a source of confidence
early in the war, was now seenas a liability.
President Lincoln, who hadalready been losing patience
(23:53):
with McClellan, began to searchfor other options In the South.
With McClellan began to searchfor other options In the South.
Lee's successful defense ofRichmond bolstered Confederate
morale and solidified hisposition as the preeminent
military leader of theConfederacy.
The victories at Seven Daysemboldened Lee to take even
greater risk, setting the stagefor his famous campaigns in the
(24:14):
months to come.
As the summer of 1862 progressed.
The war in the East wouldcontinue to intensify, with both
sides gearing up for what theyknew would be a long and
grueling struggle.
Lee, now fully in command andconfident of his army's
abilities, was ready to take thefight to the Union on his terms
(24:36):
.
As Lee prepared to take the warto the North, the stakes of the
conflict would only grow higher, bringing the nation ever
closer to the reckoning that hadbegun in 1861.
We are going to leave thingshere for now.
As the reckoning breaks into twoparts, we journey through some
of the most pivotal battles andmoments of 1862.
(24:58):
From the blood-soaked fields ofShiloh to the stalemate at
Seven Pines, the year hadalready proven to be one of
immense struggle and heartbreak.
The Union and the Confederateforces were locked in a deadly
embrace, but neither sidewilling to give an inch yet,
both realizing that victorywould come at an unimaginable
(25:19):
cost.
The Battle of Seven Pines hadmarked a significant turning
point in the Eastern Theater,with General Robert E Lee taking
command of the Confederate Armyof Northern Virginia.
Lee's leadership would prove tobe one of the most critical
factors in the war's trajectory.
But as we close this chapter,it's clear that 1862 was far
(25:40):
from over.
The nation was still in thethroes of a bloody reckoning,
and the battles that had alreadytaken place were merely a
prelude to the even morecatastrophic confrontations on
the horizon.
With the stakes higher thanever, the Union and the
Confederacy were about to faceoff in a series of engagements
that would define not just theyear but the entire course of
(26:04):
the war.
Next time, on Double Helix,we'll pick up where we left off,
starting with the Battle ofAnthetum, a clash that would
become the single bloodiest dayin American history.
Come the single bloodiest dayin American history, the
consequences of that day wouldreverberate far beyond the
battlefield, influencing thepolitical and social landscape
(26:24):
of the nation.
So join us next time as wecontinue to explore the year of
the reckoning.
Thank you for listening.
We will see you soon.
The Old Church Bell will pealwith joy, hurrah, hurrah, to
(26:47):
welcome home our darling boy.
Hurrah, hurrah.
The village lads and lasses sayWith roses, they will strew the
way and we'll all feel gay whenJohnny comes marching home.
When Johnny comes marching home.
When Johnny comes marching home.
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