October 17, 2024 • 28 mins
What if one year could change the course of history forever? In our latest episode of Double Helix: Blueprint of Nations, we promise you a gripping journey through 1863, a pivotal year in the American Civil War. From Robert E. Lee's audacious tactics at Gettysburg and Chancellorsville to Ulysses S. Grant's unyielding siege of Vicksburg, you'll learn how these critical battles reshaped the nation. Discover the profound impact of Abraham Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation, a historic decree that redefined the war's purpose and symbolized a monumental shift towards freedom and justice for African Americans.
We also unravel the complexities behind Major General Joseph Hooker's reorganization of the Army of the Potomac and his ultimately flawed yet ambitious strategies. Listen as we recount the Union's desperate defense at Little Round Top, where heroism and high stakes collided. We'll take you through the relentless campaigns of 1864, the rise of total war under General Grant, and the crucial roles played by African American soldiers. This episode doesn't just recount history; it brings to life the tumultuous events and brave individuals that steered the United States towards a more just and unified future. Prepare for an emotional and educational experience that captures the essence of a nation tested by war.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:00):
Welcome back to Double Helix Blueprint of
Nations.
Today we're diving into one ofthe most critical and
transformative years of theAmerican Civil War, 1863.
This year, more than any other,saw the conflict reach its
boiling point.
It was a year of intensestruggle, where every battle,
(00:21):
every decision seemed to carrythe weight of the entire war on
its shoulders.
The stakes had never beenhigher and the future of the
nation hung in the balance.
You know, when we talk about1863, we're not just talking
about Gettysburg andChancellorsville, although those
battles were, of course,pivotal.
(00:42):
We're talking about therelentless campaigns in the
Western theater as well, whereUnion forces were making
significant gains, particularlywith the capture of Bixburg, a
victory that would prove to be aturning point in the war.
This was the year when theUnion's strategy of dividing the
Confederacy began to bear fruit, cutting the South in two and
(01:07):
crippling its ability to sustainthe war effort.
But beyond the battles, 1863was also the year the war's
purpose began to evolve in aprofound way.
With the issuance of theEmancipation Proclamation at the
start of the year, the conflicttook on a new dimension.
It wasn't just about preservingthe Union anymore.
(01:30):
It was about redefining whatthat Union stood for the
inclusion of African Americansoldiers in the Union Army
symbolized this shift, as theyfought not only for the Union's
survival, but for their ownfreedom and the future of their
people.
In this episode, titledCrucible of War, we'll explore
(01:52):
the titanic struggles of boththe Eastern and Western theaters
, where victories and defeatscarried enormous consequences.
We'll see how Robert E Lee'saudacious tactics at
Chancellorsville led to one ofhis most celebrated victories,
and yet how the tide turnedagainst him just a few months
later at Gettysburg.
(02:12):
At the same time, we'll journeyto the banks of the Mississippi
, where Ulysses S Grant'srelentless campaign to capture
Pittsburgh finally delivered acritical blow to the Confederacy
.
And let's not forget thepolitical and social shifts of
the year.
The Emancipation Proclamationissued by Abraham Lincoln not
(02:35):
only altered the course of thewar, but also the very nature of
the nation itself.
It was a bold definingstatement that this war would
also be a war for freedom.
So join me as we step into 1863, a year that would test the
resolve of a divided nation likenever before, whether it's on
(02:57):
the bloody fields of Gettysburg,in the siege lines of Bixburg,
or in the heart of newly freedmen fighting for the Union siege
lines of Bexford or in theheart of newly freed men
fighting for the Union.
We'll see how this crucible ofwar began to forge a new United
States, one that was stronger,more just and irrevocably change
(03:19):
.
Welcome to Double Helix.
Blueprint of Nations, season 2,episode 2.8,.
Crucible of War, as 1863 dawned,the Union found itself in a
(03:44):
precarious position.
The previous year had been amixed bag.
Victories in the Westerntheater had provided some
glimpses of hope, but in theEast, things were looking rather
grim.
Despite President Lincoln'sbold move with the Emancipation
Proclamation, which promised tochange the very nature of the
war, the Union's army'sconfidence was still quite shaky
(04:06):
.
And why wouldn't it be?
Just months earlier they'd beenbested by Robert E Lee's Army
of Northern Virginia atFredericksburg, a defeat that
was both humiliating anddemoralizing.
The northern public, desperatefor a swift end to the bloodshed
, was starting to lose patience,and so was Lincoln.
(04:28):
Here's when we meet MajorGeneral Joseph Hooker,
affectionately known by his menas Fighting Joe.
He was the latest in a line ofcommanders tasked with doing
what George McClellan, ambrose,burnside and others had failed
to do Take the fight to Lee anddeliver a decisive victory.
In the East, hooker wasconfident, even brash.
(04:51):
He reorganized the Army of thePotomac, boosting morale with
improved rations, bettersanitation and regular drills.
He even set up a centralizedcavalry corps to match the
Confederate horsemen who had sooften run rings around the Union
forces.
But Hooker's greater strength,his boldness, was also his
(05:11):
Achilles' heel.
By late April, hooker had aplan he believed would crush Lee
once and for all.
He intended to use his superiornumbers to outmaneuver the
Confederates, forcing them intoa disadvantageous position.
It was a sound strategy onpaper.
He'd leave a portion of hisforces to keep Lee's attention
(05:34):
at Fredericksburg, while sendingthe bulk of his army on a
flanking march to catch Lee frombehind.
Confident in his plan, hookerdeclared the rebel army is now
the legitimate property of theArmy of the Potomac.
Brother E Lee, however, was notone to be easily outflanked.
Facing an opponent with twicehis numbers, lee did the
(05:58):
unthinkable.
Instead of retreating, hedivided his already outnumbered
forces, leaving a smallcontingent under General Jubal.
Early at Fredericksburg, leesent General Stonewall Jackson
with 28,000 men to execute adaring flanking maneuver of his
own.
On May 1st, hooker's forcesencountered Confederate troops
(06:20):
in the dense thickets of thewilderness, a nightmarish
landscape of tangled underbrushand narrow paths that nullified
the Union's numerical advantage.
Hooker inexplicably decided topull back and adopt a defensive
posture.
This hesitation proved costly.
Sensing weakness, lee andJackson sprang into action.
(06:41):
In one of the most audaciousmoves of the war, jackson led
his men on a 12-mile marchthrough the wilderness,
completely out of sight of theUnion army.
On the evening of May 2nd,jackson unleashed his assault on
Hooker's right flank, catchingthe Union forces completely off
guard.
What ensued was chaos.
(07:01):
Confederate troops poured outof the woods, rolling over the
Union line like a tidal wave.
Thousands of Union soldiersfled in panic and Hooker's grand
plan began to crumble before iteven started.
But as night fell, fate dealtLee and Jackson a cruel hand.
(07:24):
While scouting ahead of hislines, jackson was accidentally
shot by his own men.
The South had lost one of hismost brilliant commanders and
Lee, though victorious atChancellorsville, was left
without his most trustedlieutenant.
Despite this tragic setback, theConfederate victory at
Chancellorsville was complete.
Lee had outmaneuvered andoutthought an enemy twice his
(07:45):
size, proving once again thataudacity often trumps numbers.
Chancellorsville was a bitterpill for the North to swallow.
Lincoln reportedly lamented myGod, my God, what will the
country say?
Hooker, who had started thecampaign with so much promise,
(08:06):
was left reeling His indecisionin the face of Lee's boldness
had cost the Union dearly and hewould soon find himself
replaced.
But the Union army's woesdidn't end with Hooker's defeat.
The victory emboldened Lee,convincing him that the time was
ripe for another invasion ofthe north.
As we'll see, the events set inmotion by Chancellorsville
(08:31):
would lead to one of the mostsignificant and bloodiest
confrontations of the entire war.
No-transcript.
After the stunning Confederatevictory at Chancellorsville, lee
was riding high on a wave ofconfidence.
(08:52):
His army had proven time andagain that it could outmaneuver
and outfight the Union forces,despite being outnumbered and
outgunned.
For Lee, the time had come toshift the war's momentum in a
more decisive direction.
The Confederate general, neverone to rest on his laurels,
began planning his next boldmove a second invasion of the
(09:15):
North.
Lee's strategy was ambitious,to say the least.
The Confederacy was running lowon supplies and the southern
economy was buckling under thestrain of the war.
A successful invasion of theNorth could alleviate some of
these pressures by allowing hisarmy to live off of the land in
the rich agricultural areas ofPennsylvania.
(09:37):
But more importantly, adecisive victory on Union soil
might demoralize the Northernpublic so much that it will
bolster the anti-war sentimentand pressure Lincoln's
administration into seeking apeace deal.
And so, in early June 1863, leebegan moving his army of
(09:58):
Northern Virginia northwards.
His plan was to threatenHarrisburg, pennsylvania, hoping
that the Union army would belured into a major battle on
ground of his choosing.
Lee's ultimate objective Strikea blow so devastating that it
would bring the North to thenegotiating table.
(10:18):
As Lee's forces began theirmarch, union General Joseph
Hooker, still licking his woundsfrom Chancellorsville,
scrambled to figure out what hisConfederate counterparts was up
to.
Intelligence reports were hazyand it was clear that Lee was on
the move.
The problem was nobody knewexactly where he was headed.
While Lee moved with confidence, the Union high command was in
(10:42):
disarray.
Hooker's inability toanticipate Lee's movements and
his overall lacklusterperformance had eroded Lincoln's
already tenuous confidence inhim.
As the Confederate Army slippedfurther into Pennsylvania,
hooker's indecision reached abreaking point.
Sensing that Hooker was out ofhis depth, lincoln made a bold
(11:03):
decision he relieved Hooker ofcommand and appointed General
George Gordon Meade as the newcommander of the Army of the
Potomac, just three days beforewhat would become the most
famous battle of the war.
Now let's pause here for amoment to consider the position
Meade found himself in.
Imagine being handed the reinsof an army just days before it's
(11:27):
expected to confront one of themost formidable forces in the
world, at that time led by ageneral whose reputation for
audacity and brilliance wasunmatched.
It was a situation that wouldhave tested the mettle of any
commander, but Meade acceptedthe challenge with grim
determination.
He was no stranger to thebattlefield.
(11:49):
Meade was a career soldier whohad proven himself at places
like Antietam and Fredericksburg.
But this this was somethingelse entirely.
Meanwhile, as Meade was takingcommand, lee's army was already
deep in Pennsylvania, spreadingout to gather supplies.
His troops moved through townslike Chambersburg, carlisle and
(12:12):
York so in panic in their wake.
For many Northerners, this wasthe first time that they had
even seen the enemy up close,and the sight of Confederate
soldiers marching through theirhometowns was nothing short of
terrifying.
But Lee's army wasn't justthere to instill fear.
They were also there to do someserious foraging.
(12:32):
Confederate soldiers helpedthemselves to food, livestock
and any other supplies that theycould lay their hands on.
And while Lee had issued strictorders against pillaging and
violence against civilians,those orders weren't always
followed to the letter.
Back in Washington DC, lincolnwas watching these developments
(12:53):
with growing anxiety.
The Capitol was buzzing withrumors and speculations about
where Lee would strike.
Would he go for Philadelphia,baltimore, even Washington
itself?
The uncertainty was almostunbearable.
Lincoln knew that the outcomeof the coming battle could very
well determine the fate of thenation.
(13:16):
As Lee's forces continued topush northwards, meade was
moving his army to interceptthem.
The two forces were on acollision course and it was only
a matter of time before theymet.
The stage was set for whatwould become the bloodiest
battle in American history, abattle that would not only
determine the course of theCivil War but quite possibly the
(13:39):
future of the United Statesitself.
And so, as June turned intoJuly, the Union and the
Confederate armies closed in ona small town in Gettysburg,
pennsylvania.
The fate of the two nationswere about to be decided in
three days of brutal andrelentless combat.
As dawn broke on July 1st 1863,few in the sleepy town of
(14:05):
Gettysburg could have predictedthe seismic events that were
about to unfold, could havepredicted the seismic events
that were about to unfold Forthe Union and Confederate
soldiers converging on thiscrossroads town.
It was just another day in thegrueling campaign that had
defined their lives for the pasttwo years.
But, as fate would have it,gettysburg would soon become the
setting for one of the mostcrucial battles in all of
(14:26):
American history.
The battle began almost byaccident.
Confederate forces underGeneral Henry Heth had entered
Gettysburg in search forsupplies, particularly shoes,
which were in short supply forLee's army.
Unbeknownst to them, unioncavalry under the command of
(14:47):
General John Buford had alreadyset up a defensive position just
outside the town.
John Buford had already set upa defensive position just
outside the town.
Buford, a West Point graduateand a seasoned cavalry officer,
had a sharp eye for terrain.
When he saw the ridges and highgrounds around Gettysburg, he
knew this was where the Unioncould make a stand.
He wasn't going to let theConfederates take it without a
(15:08):
fight.
As Hetzmann advanced towardsthe town, they ran headlong into
Buford's cavalry.
The skirmish quickly escalatedinto a full-blown battle as both
sides scrambled to bringreinforcements.
By mid-morning the fields westof Gettysburg were filled with
smoke and chaos.
The Confederates weredetermined to push through and
(15:29):
seize the high ground, whileBuford's men fought desperately
to hold them off.
Meanwhile, union General JohnReynolds, commanding the First
Corps, was advancing toGettysburg, racing headlong.
Reynolds was one of the Union'smost respected generals.
He was brave, decisive andhighly regarded by his peers.
(15:51):
He knew that if the Union couldhold the high ground around
Gettysburg, they'd have a strongdefensive position against
Lee's advancing army.
But Reynolds' arrival on thebattlefield would be tragically
short-lived.
As he led his troops into thefray, reynolds was struck down
by a Confederate bullet.
As he led his troops into thefray, reynolds was struck down
(16:15):
by a Confederate bullet,becoming one of the
highest-ranking officers killedin the battle.
Despite the loss of Reynolds,union forces continued to pour
into Gettysburg, taking uppositions on the ridges south of
the town.
The fighting raged throughoutthe day, with both sides
suffering heavy casualties.
By evening the Confederates haddriven the Union forces back
through the town of Gettysburg,but the Union still held the
(16:36):
high ground on Cemetery Hill,culp's Hill and Cemetery Ridge a
formidable defensive position.
As night fell, general GeorgeMeade arrived on the scene.
He quickly assessed thesituation and made the crucial
decision to stand and fight.
Meade ordered his men tofortify their positions on the
(16:57):
high ground, preparing for theinevitable Confederate assault.
He knew that Lee would not giveup easily.
If the Union was to holdGettysburg, they would have to
endure some of the fiercestfighting of the war, old
Gettysburg.
They would have to endure someof the fiercest fighting of the
war.
Lee, on the other hand, wasconfident that his army could
(17:18):
deliver a decisive blow to theUnion forces.
Despite the day's heavyfighting and the strong Union
position, he believed that histroops could break through.
Lee's plan for the day wasambitious he would attack the
Union flanks, hoping to collapseMeade's defensive line and
seize the high ground.
If successful, it could spelldisaster for the Union army and
(17:39):
open the road to Washington DC.
July 2nd would prove to be a dayof brutal close-quarter combat.
Lee's generals James Longstreet, on the right and Richard Ewell
on the left were tasked withcarrying out the assaults on the
Union flanks.
But as the morning gave way tothe afternoon, it became clear
(18:00):
that things were not goingaccording to plan.
On the Union left, at a placecalled Little Round Top, a
brigade of Union soldiers fromMaine, led by Colonel Joshua
Lawrence Chamberlain, foundthemselves at the center of the
action.
Little Round Top was a smallrocky hill at the extreme
southern end of the Union lineand it was crucial to the
(18:23):
Union's defense.
If the Confederates couldcapture it was crucial to the
Union's defense.
If the Confederates couldcapture it, they could enfilade
the entire Union line from thesouth.
Chamberlain, a former collegeprofessor with no formal
military training before the war, understood the stakes.
As waves of Confederatesoldiers charged up the hill,
chamberlain's men held theirground, repelling attack after
(18:46):
attack.
Hill Chamberlain's men heldtheir ground, repelling attack
after attack.
But as the afternoon wore on,his soldiers were running low on
ammunition and anotherConfederate assault was imminent
.
In a desperate move,chamberlain ordered a bayonet
charge down the slope of LittleRound Top.
The unexpected attack caughtthe Confederates off guard and
Chamberlain's men were able todrive them back, securing the
(19:09):
hill and saving the Union flank.
It was a heroic stand thatwould become one of the most
famous actions of the battle,earning Chamberlain the Medal of
Honor and cementing his placein Civil War history.
While the Union left held firm,the Confederate assault on the
right was met with equallyfierce resistance.
Ewell's men attempted to stormCulp's Hill, but the Union
(19:33):
defenders, entrenched behindstrong fortifications, repelled
the attack.
By the end of the day, theUnion line had held, but the
cost in lives was staggering.
The fighting of July 2nd hadbeen fierce, but the battle was
far from over.
Lee was not ready to give up.
He believed that a concentratedattack on the center of the
(19:57):
Union line could still carry theday.
The next day would see theclimatic moment of the battle,
the infamous charge that wouldgo down in history as Pickett's
Charge.
But for now, as the sun set onGettysburg on July 2nd, both
armies were battered andexhausted.
The outcome of the battle hungin the balance and the fate of
(20:20):
the nation was still very muchin doubt.
The morning of July 3rd 1863dawned with a sense of grim
anticipation.
Both the Union and Confederateforces knew that the day would
bring a decisive conclusion tothe Battle of Gettysburg.
General Robert E Lee,undeterred by the brutal
(20:42):
fighting of the previous days,was convinced that one final
massive assault could break theUnion line and secure a
Confederate victory.
This belief set the stage forwhat would become one of the
most infamous and tragic momentsin the Civil War.
Pickett's Charge.
Lee's plan for July 3rd wasstraightforward yet daring.
(21:03):
He believed that the Unioncenter, positioned along
Cemetery Ridge, had beenweakened by relentless fighting
of July 2nd.
If Confederate forces couldpunch through this center, they
could split the Union army intwo, leading to its collapse.
Lee entrusted this pivotalattack to General George Pickett
(21:24):
, a division commander underJames Longstreet.
Pickett, known for hisflamboyant personality and
impeccable grooming, was eagerto prove himself in battle,
having missed much of theearlier fighting.
However, longstreet, who wastasked with overseeing the
assault, was far less confident.
He had already voiced hisconcerns to Lee about the
(21:47):
feasibility of such a frontalattack, especially against a
well-entrenched enemy.
Longstreet knew that the openfield between Seminary Ridge,
where the Confederate forceswere positioned, and Cemetery
Ridge, where the Union forcesawaited, would offer little
cover.
The men would be marchingdirectly into a storm of
(22:07):
artillery and rifle fire.
Longstreet's hesitation waspalpable, but Lee's decision was
final.
Pickett's men would lead thechart.
Around 1 pm, after a massiveartillery bombardment intended
to soften the Union defenses,which in reality did far less
(22:27):
damage than intended, pickett'sdivision, along with troops from
other divisions, began theirfateful advance.
Approximately 12,500Confederate soldiers stepped out
of the tree line on SeminaryRidge and started their march
across the open fields towardsthe Union center.
And started their march acrossthe open fields towards the
Union center a distance of aboutthree-quarters of a mile.
(22:49):
As they marched, the Unionartillery positioned on the high
ground of Cemetery Ridge,opened fire.
The cannons unleashed a deadlybarrage of shell and canister
tearing through the Confederateranks.
Soldiers fell by the dozens,but the line pressed on.
The sound of the battle wasdeafening a cacophony of cannon
(23:11):
fire, the crack of muskets andthe shouts of men trying to
maintain their formation underthe withering fire.
As the Confederates drew closerto the Union line, union
infantrymen added their fire tothe deadly mix From behind stone
walls and hastily constructedbreastworks.
The Union soldiers unleashedvolleys of rifle fire.
(23:32):
The Confederates continuedforward, but their ranks were
rapidly thinning.
The open field became a killingground, with entire companies
being cut down in minutes.
Despite the horrific casualties, some Confederate soldiers
reached the stone wall thatmarked the Union line In what
(23:53):
was often referred to as thehigh-water mark of the
Confederacy.
A small group of men led byBrigadier General Louis Armstead
actually breached the Uniondefenses.
Armstead, with his hat on thetip of his sword, urged his men
forward, but the breakthroughwas short-lived.
Union reinforcements quicklyclosed the gap and the
(24:13):
Confederate assault faltered.
Within moments, what was leftof the Confederate forces began
to retreat.
The field was littered with thedead and the dying, a grim
testament to the futility of thecharge.
Pickett's division, which hadstarted the day with around
5,000 men, was nearlyannihilated.
(24:35):
When Pickett himself returnedto Lee, the general asked him to
rally his division for anotherattack.
Pickett's heartbreakingresponse was General Lee, I have
no division.
The failure of Pickett's chargemarked the end of the Battle of
Gettysburg.
Lee, who had been so confidentin the success of the assault,
(24:57):
now faced the reality of adevastating defeat.
He rode out to meet hisretreating troops, taking full
responsibility for the failure,saying it's all my fault, boys.
His men, however, still heldhim in high regard and many
would go on to fight under hiscommand until the very end of
the war.
(25:18):
For the Union, gettysburg was asignificant victory, but it had
come at a tremendous cost.
Both sides suffered staggeringcasualties, over 50,000 in total
, making Gettysburg thebloodiest battle of the Civil
War.
General George Meade, who hadonly recently taken command of
(25:39):
the Army of the Potomac, hadsuccessfully repelled Lee's
invasion, but he was criticizedfor not pursuing the retreating
Confederate army moreaggressively.
The Battle of Gettysburg was aturning point in the Civil War.
It marked the last time thatLee would attempt a major
offensive operation in the north.
The defeat at Gettysburg,coupled with the fall of Bixford
(26:03):
on July 4th, dealt a severeblow to Confederate morale and
made it increasingly difficultfor the South to continue the
fight.
We've reached a pivotal momentin the Civil War.
The twin victories atGettysburg and Vicksburg
stripped the Confederacy of itsmomentum, shifting the tide
decisively in favor of the Union.
(26:25):
From this point forward, itwould be the Union setting the
terms of the conflict.
While the bloodshed of 1863 and1864 was far from over, the
Union had once again been sparedfrom the brink of defeat.
Next time, on Double Helix,we'll explore the aftermath of
(26:45):
Gettysburg and the rest of 1863.
We'll also explore the finaland most brutal phase of the war
.
We'll dive into the relentlesscampaigns of 1864, the rise of
General Grant and the Unionstrategy of total war.
We'll also bring light to thepivotal role of African American
soldiers as they fight not justfor the Union, but for their
(27:08):
freedom and the future of thenation.
The stakes are higher than everand the war's end is within
sight, but the path there willbe one of the most difficult yet
.
Thank you for listening.
We will see you soon.
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
(27:30):
His truth is marching on.
Glory, glory, hallelujah, glory, glory, hallelujah, glory,
glory, hallelujah.
His truth is Washington,washington.
Welcome back to Double Helix Blueprint of
Nations.
Today we're diving into one ofthe most critical and
transformative years of theAmerican Civil War, 1863.
This year, more than any other,saw the conflict reach its
boiling point.
It was a year of intensestruggle, where every battle,
(00:21):
every decision seemed to carrythe weight of the entire war on
its shoulders.
The stakes had never beenhigher and the future of the
nation hung in the balance.
You know, when we talk about1863, we're not just talking
about Gettysburg andChancellorsville, although those
battles were, of course,pivotal.
(00:42):
We're talking about therelentless campaigns in the
Western theater as well, whereUnion forces were making
significant gains, particularlywith the capture of Bixburg, a
victory that would prove to be aturning point in the war.
This was the year when theUnion's strategy of dividing the
Confederacy began to bear fruit, cutting the South in two and
(01:07):
crippling its ability to sustainthe war effort.
But beyond the battles, 1863was also the year the war's
purpose began to evolve in aprofound way.
With the issuance of theEmancipation Proclamation at the
start of the year, the conflicttook on a new dimension.
It wasn't just about preservingthe Union anymore.
(01:30):
It was about redefining whatthat Union stood for the
inclusion of African Americansoldiers in the Union Army
symbolized this shift, as theyfought not only for the Union's
survival, but for their ownfreedom and the future of their
people.
In this episode, titledCrucible of War, we'll explore
(01:52):
the titanic struggles of boththe Eastern and Western theaters
, where victories and defeatscarried enormous consequences.
We'll see how Robert E Lee'saudacious tactics at
Chancellorsville led to one ofhis most celebrated victories,
and yet how the tide turnedagainst him just a few months
later at Gettysburg.
(02:12):
At the same time, we'll journeyto the banks of the Mississippi
, where Ulysses S Grant'srelentless campaign to capture
Pittsburgh finally delivered acritical blow to the Confederacy
.
And let's not forget thepolitical and social shifts of
the year.
The Emancipation Proclamationissued by Abraham Lincoln not
(02:35):
only altered the course of thewar, but also the very nature of
the nation itself.
It was a bold definingstatement that this war would
also be a war for freedom.
So join me as we step into 1863, a year that would test the
resolve of a divided nation likenever before, whether it's on
(02:57):
the bloody fields of Gettysburg,in the siege lines of Bixburg,
or in the heart of newly freedmen fighting for the Union siege
lines of Bexford or in theheart of newly freed men
fighting for the Union.
We'll see how this crucible ofwar began to forge a new United
States, one that was stronger,more just and irrevocably change
(03:19):
.
Welcome to Double Helix.
Blueprint of Nations, season 2,episode 2.8,.
Crucible of War, as 1863 dawned,the Union found itself in a
(03:44):
precarious position.
The previous year had been amixed bag.
Victories in the Westerntheater had provided some
glimpses of hope, but in theEast, things were looking rather
grim.
Despite President Lincoln'sbold move with the Emancipation
Proclamation, which promised tochange the very nature of the
war, the Union's army'sconfidence was still quite shaky
(04:06):
.
And why wouldn't it be?
Just months earlier they'd beenbested by Robert E Lee's Army
of Northern Virginia atFredericksburg, a defeat that
was both humiliating anddemoralizing.
The northern public, desperatefor a swift end to the bloodshed
, was starting to lose patience,and so was Lincoln.
(04:28):
Here's when we meet MajorGeneral Joseph Hooker,
affectionately known by his menas Fighting Joe.
He was the latest in a line ofcommanders tasked with doing
what George McClellan, ambrose,burnside and others had failed
to do Take the fight to Lee anddeliver a decisive victory.
In the East, hooker wasconfident, even brash.
(04:51):
He reorganized the Army of thePotomac, boosting morale with
improved rations, bettersanitation and regular drills.
He even set up a centralizedcavalry corps to match the
Confederate horsemen who had sooften run rings around the Union
forces.
But Hooker's greater strength,his boldness, was also his
(05:11):
Achilles' heel.
By late April, hooker had aplan he believed would crush Lee
once and for all.
He intended to use his superiornumbers to outmaneuver the
Confederates, forcing them intoa disadvantageous position.
It was a sound strategy onpaper.
He'd leave a portion of hisforces to keep Lee's attention
(05:34):
at Fredericksburg, while sendingthe bulk of his army on a
flanking march to catch Lee frombehind.
Confident in his plan, hookerdeclared the rebel army is now
the legitimate property of theArmy of the Potomac.
Brother E Lee, however, was notone to be easily outflanked.
Facing an opponent with twicehis numbers, lee did the
(05:58):
unthinkable.
Instead of retreating, hedivided his already outnumbered
forces, leaving a smallcontingent under General Jubal.
Early at Fredericksburg, leesent General Stonewall Jackson
with 28,000 men to execute adaring flanking maneuver of his
own.
On May 1st, hooker's forcesencountered Confederate troops
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in the dense thickets of thewilderness, a nightmarish
landscape of tangled underbrushand narrow paths that nullified
the Union's numerical advantage.
Hooker inexplicably decided topull back and adopt a defensive
posture.
This hesitation proved costly.
Sensing weakness, lee andJackson sprang into action.
(06:41):
In one of the most audaciousmoves of the war, jackson led
his men on a 12-mile marchthrough the wilderness,
completely out of sight of theUnion army.
On the evening of May 2nd,jackson unleashed his assault on
Hooker's right flank, catchingthe Union forces completely off
guard.
What ensued was chaos.
(07:01):
Confederate troops poured outof the woods, rolling over the
Union line like a tidal wave.
Thousands of Union soldiersfled in panic and Hooker's grand
plan began to crumble before iteven started.
But as night fell, fate dealtLee and Jackson a cruel hand.
(07:24):
While scouting ahead of hislines, jackson was accidentally
shot by his own men.
The South had lost one of hismost brilliant commanders and
Lee, though victorious atChancellorsville, was left
without his most trustedlieutenant.
Despite this tragic setback, theConfederate victory at
Chancellorsville was complete.
Lee had outmaneuvered andoutthought an enemy twice his
(07:45):
size, proving once again thataudacity often trumps numbers.
Chancellorsville was a bitterpill for the North to swallow.
Lincoln reportedly lamented myGod, my God, what will the
country say?
Hooker, who had started thecampaign with so much promise,
(08:06):
was left reeling His indecisionin the face of Lee's boldness
had cost the Union dearly and hewould soon find himself
replaced.
But the Union army's woesdidn't end with Hooker's defeat.
The victory emboldened Lee,convincing him that the time was
ripe for another invasion ofthe north.
As we'll see, the events set inmotion by Chancellorsville
(08:31):
would lead to one of the mostsignificant and bloodiest
confrontations of the entire war.
No-transcript.
After the stunning Confederatevictory at Chancellorsville, lee
was riding high on a wave ofconfidence.
(08:52):
His army had proven time andagain that it could outmaneuver
and outfight the Union forces,despite being outnumbered and
outgunned.
For Lee, the time had come toshift the war's momentum in a
more decisive direction.
The Confederate general, neverone to rest on his laurels,
began planning his next boldmove a second invasion of the
(09:15):
North.
Lee's strategy was ambitious,to say the least.
The Confederacy was running lowon supplies and the southern
economy was buckling under thestrain of the war.
A successful invasion of theNorth could alleviate some of
these pressures by allowing hisarmy to live off of the land in
the rich agricultural areas ofPennsylvania.
(09:37):
But more importantly, adecisive victory on Union soil
might demoralize the Northernpublic so much that it will
bolster the anti-war sentimentand pressure Lincoln's
administration into seeking apeace deal.
And so, in early June 1863, leebegan moving his army of
(09:58):
Northern Virginia northwards.
His plan was to threatenHarrisburg, pennsylvania, hoping
that the Union army would belured into a major battle on
ground of his choosing.
Lee's ultimate objective Strikea blow so devastating that it
would bring the North to thenegotiating table.
(10:18):
As Lee's forces began theirmarch, union General Joseph
Hooker, still licking his woundsfrom Chancellorsville,
scrambled to figure out what hisConfederate counterparts was up
to.
Intelligence reports were hazyand it was clear that Lee was on
the move.
The problem was nobody knewexactly where he was headed.
While Lee moved with confidence, the Union high command was in
(10:42):
disarray.
Hooker's inability toanticipate Lee's movements and
his overall lacklusterperformance had eroded Lincoln's
already tenuous confidence inhim.
As the Confederate Army slippedfurther into Pennsylvania,
hooker's indecision reached abreaking point.
Sensing that Hooker was out ofhis depth, lincoln made a bold
(11:03):
decision he relieved Hooker ofcommand and appointed General
George Gordon Meade as the newcommander of the Army of the
Potomac, just three days beforewhat would become the most
famous battle of the war.
Now let's pause here for amoment to consider the position
Meade found himself in.
Imagine being handed the reinsof an army just days before it's
(11:27):
expected to confront one of themost formidable forces in the
world, at that time led by ageneral whose reputation for
audacity and brilliance wasunmatched.
It was a situation that wouldhave tested the mettle of any
commander, but Meade acceptedthe challenge with grim
determination.
He was no stranger to thebattlefield.
(11:49):
Meade was a career soldier whohad proven himself at places
like Antietam and Fredericksburg.
But this this was somethingelse entirely.
Meanwhile, as Meade was takingcommand, lee's army was already
deep in Pennsylvania, spreadingout to gather supplies.
His troops moved through townslike Chambersburg, carlisle and
(12:12):
York so in panic in their wake.
For many Northerners, this wasthe first time that they had
even seen the enemy up close,and the sight of Confederate
soldiers marching through theirhometowns was nothing short of
terrifying.
But Lee's army wasn't justthere to instill fear.
They were also there to do someserious foraging.
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Confederate soldiers helpedthemselves to food, livestock
and any other supplies that theycould lay their hands on.
And while Lee had issued strictorders against pillaging and
violence against civilians,those orders weren't always
followed to the letter.
Back in Washington DC, lincolnwas watching these developments
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with growing anxiety.
The Capitol was buzzing withrumors and speculations about
where Lee would strike.
Would he go for Philadelphia,baltimore, even Washington
itself?
The uncertainty was almostunbearable.
Lincoln knew that the outcomeof the coming battle could very
well determine the fate of thenation.
(13:16):
As Lee's forces continued topush northwards, meade was
moving his army to interceptthem.
The two forces were on acollision course and it was only
a matter of time before theymet.
The stage was set for whatwould become the bloodiest
battle in American history, abattle that would not only
determine the course of theCivil War but quite possibly the
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future of the United Statesitself.
And so, as June turned intoJuly, the Union and the
Confederate armies closed in ona small town in Gettysburg,
pennsylvania.
The fate of the two nationswere about to be decided in
three days of brutal andrelentless combat.
As dawn broke on July 1st 1863,few in the sleepy town of
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Gettysburg could have predictedthe seismic events that were
about to unfold, could havepredicted the seismic events
that were about to unfold Forthe Union and Confederate
soldiers converging on thiscrossroads town.
It was just another day in thegrueling campaign that had
defined their lives for the pasttwo years.
But, as fate would have it,gettysburg would soon become the
setting for one of the mostcrucial battles in all of
(14:26):
American history.
The battle began almost byaccident.
Confederate forces underGeneral Henry Heth had entered
Gettysburg in search forsupplies, particularly shoes,
which were in short supply forLee's army.
Unbeknownst to them, unioncavalry under the command of
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General John Buford had alreadyset up a defensive position just
outside the town.
John Buford had already set upa defensive position just
outside the town.
Buford, a West Point graduateand a seasoned cavalry officer,
had a sharp eye for terrain.
When he saw the ridges and highgrounds around Gettysburg, he
knew this was where the Unioncould make a stand.
He wasn't going to let theConfederates take it without a
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fight.
As Hetzmann advanced towardsthe town, they ran headlong into
Buford's cavalry.
The skirmish quickly escalatedinto a full-blown battle as both
sides scrambled to bringreinforcements.
By mid-morning the fields westof Gettysburg were filled with
smoke and chaos.
The Confederates weredetermined to push through and
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seize the high ground, whileBuford's men fought desperately
to hold them off.
Meanwhile, union General JohnReynolds, commanding the First
Corps, was advancing toGettysburg, racing headlong.
Reynolds was one of the Union'smost respected generals.
He was brave, decisive andhighly regarded by his peers.
(15:51):
He knew that if the Union couldhold the high ground around
Gettysburg, they'd have a strongdefensive position against
Lee's advancing army.
But Reynolds' arrival on thebattlefield would be tragically
short-lived.
As he led his troops into thefray, reynolds was struck down
by a Confederate bullet.
As he led his troops into thefray, reynolds was struck down
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by a Confederate bullet,becoming one of the
highest-ranking officers killedin the battle.
Despite the loss of Reynolds,union forces continued to pour
into Gettysburg, taking uppositions on the ridges south of
the town.
The fighting raged throughoutthe day, with both sides
suffering heavy casualties.
By evening the Confederates haddriven the Union forces back
through the town of Gettysburg,but the Union still held the
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high ground on Cemetery Hill,culp's Hill and Cemetery Ridge a
formidable defensive position.
As night fell, general GeorgeMeade arrived on the scene.
He quickly assessed thesituation and made the crucial
decision to stand and fight.
Meade ordered his men tofortify their positions on the
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high ground, preparing for theinevitable Confederate assault.
He knew that Lee would not giveup easily.
If the Union was to holdGettysburg, they would have to
endure some of the fiercestfighting of the war, old
Gettysburg.
They would have to endure someof the fiercest fighting of the
war.
Lee, on the other hand, wasconfident that his army could
(17:18):
deliver a decisive blow to theUnion forces.
Despite the day's heavyfighting and the strong Union
position, he believed that histroops could break through.
Lee's plan for the day wasambitious he would attack the
Union flanks, hoping to collapseMeade's defensive line and
seize the high ground.
If successful, it could spelldisaster for the Union army and
(17:39):
open the road to Washington DC.
July 2nd would prove to be a dayof brutal close-quarter combat.
Lee's generals James Longstreet, on the right and Richard Ewell
on the left were tasked withcarrying out the assaults on the
Union flanks.
But as the morning gave way tothe afternoon, it became clear
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that things were not goingaccording to plan.
On the Union left, at a placecalled Little Round Top, a
brigade of Union soldiers fromMaine, led by Colonel Joshua
Lawrence Chamberlain, foundthemselves at the center of the
action.
Little Round Top was a smallrocky hill at the extreme
southern end of the Union lineand it was crucial to the
(18:23):
Union's defense.
If the Confederates couldcapture it was crucial to the
Union's defense.
If the Confederates couldcapture it, they could enfilade
the entire Union line from thesouth.
Chamberlain, a former collegeprofessor with no formal
military training before the war, understood the stakes.
As waves of Confederatesoldiers charged up the hill,
chamberlain's men held theirground, repelling attack after
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attack.
Hill Chamberlain's men heldtheir ground, repelling attack
after attack.
But as the afternoon wore on,his soldiers were running low on
ammunition and anotherConfederate assault was imminent
.
In a desperate move,chamberlain ordered a bayonet
charge down the slope of LittleRound Top.
The unexpected attack caughtthe Confederates off guard and
Chamberlain's men were able todrive them back, securing the
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hill and saving the Union flank.
It was a heroic stand thatwould become one of the most
famous actions of the battle,earning Chamberlain the Medal of
Honor and cementing his placein Civil War history.
While the Union left held firm,the Confederate assault on the
right was met with equallyfierce resistance.
Ewell's men attempted to stormCulp's Hill, but the Union
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defenders, entrenched behindstrong fortifications, repelled
the attack.
By the end of the day, theUnion line had held, but the
cost in lives was staggering.
The fighting of July 2nd hadbeen fierce, but the battle was
far from over.
Lee was not ready to give up.
He believed that a concentratedattack on the center of the
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Union line could still carry theday.
The next day would see theclimatic moment of the battle,
the infamous charge that wouldgo down in history as Pickett's
Charge.
But for now, as the sun set onGettysburg on July 2nd, both
armies were battered andexhausted.
The outcome of the battle hungin the balance and the fate of
(20:20):
the nation was still very muchin doubt.
The morning of July 3rd 1863dawned with a sense of grim
anticipation.
Both the Union and Confederateforces knew that the day would
bring a decisive conclusion tothe Battle of Gettysburg.
General Robert E Lee,undeterred by the brutal
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fighting of the previous days,was convinced that one final
massive assault could break theUnion line and secure a
Confederate victory.
This belief set the stage forwhat would become one of the
most infamous and tragic momentsin the Civil War.
Pickett's Charge.
Lee's plan for July 3rd wasstraightforward yet daring.
(21:03):
He believed that the Unioncenter, positioned along
Cemetery Ridge, had beenweakened by relentless fighting
of July 2nd.
If Confederate forces couldpunch through this center, they
could split the Union army intwo, leading to its collapse.
Lee entrusted this pivotalattack to General George Pickett
(21:24):
, a division commander underJames Longstreet.
Pickett, known for hisflamboyant personality and
impeccable grooming, was eagerto prove himself in battle,
having missed much of theearlier fighting.
However, longstreet, who wastasked with overseeing the
assault, was far less confident.
He had already voiced hisconcerns to Lee about the
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feasibility of such a frontalattack, especially against a
well-entrenched enemy.
Longstreet knew that the openfield between Seminary Ridge,
where the Confederate forceswere positioned, and Cemetery
Ridge, where the Union forcesawaited, would offer little
cover.
The men would be marchingdirectly into a storm of
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artillery and rifle fire.
Longstreet's hesitation waspalpable, but Lee's decision was
final.
Pickett's men would lead thechart.
Around 1 pm, after a massiveartillery bombardment intended
to soften the Union defenses,which in reality did far less
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damage than intended, pickett'sdivision, along with troops from
other divisions, began theirfateful advance.
Approximately 12,500Confederate soldiers stepped out
of the tree line on SeminaryRidge and started their march
across the open fields towardsthe Union center.
And started their march acrossthe open fields towards the
Union center a distance of aboutthree-quarters of a mile.
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As they marched, the Unionartillery positioned on the high
ground of Cemetery Ridge,opened fire.
The cannons unleashed a deadlybarrage of shell and canister
tearing through the Confederateranks.
Soldiers fell by the dozens,but the line pressed on.
The sound of the battle wasdeafening a cacophony of cannon
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fire, the crack of muskets andthe shouts of men trying to
maintain their formation underthe withering fire.
As the Confederates drew closerto the Union line, union
infantrymen added their fire tothe deadly mix From behind stone
walls and hastily constructedbreastworks.
The Union soldiers unleashedvolleys of rifle fire.
(23:32):
The Confederates continuedforward, but their ranks were
rapidly thinning.
The open field became a killingground, with entire companies
being cut down in minutes.
Despite the horrific casualties, some Confederate soldiers
reached the stone wall thatmarked the Union line In what
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was often referred to as thehigh-water mark of the
Confederacy.
A small group of men led byBrigadier General Louis Armstead
actually breached the Uniondefenses.
Armstead, with his hat on thetip of his sword, urged his men
forward, but the breakthroughwas short-lived.
Union reinforcements quicklyclosed the gap and the
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Confederate assault faltered.
Within moments, what was leftof the Confederate forces began
to retreat.
The field was littered with thedead and the dying, a grim
testament to the futility of thecharge.
Pickett's division, which hadstarted the day with around
5,000 men, was nearlyannihilated.
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When Pickett himself returnedto Lee, the general asked him to
rally his division for anotherattack.
Pickett's heartbreakingresponse was General Lee, I have
no division.
The failure of Pickett's chargemarked the end of the Battle of
Gettysburg.
Lee, who had been so confidentin the success of the assault,
(24:57):
now faced the reality of adevastating defeat.
He rode out to meet hisretreating troops, taking full
responsibility for the failure,saying it's all my fault, boys.
His men, however, still heldhim in high regard and many
would go on to fight under hiscommand until the very end of
the war.
(25:18):
For the Union, gettysburg was asignificant victory, but it had
come at a tremendous cost.
Both sides suffered staggeringcasualties, over 50,000 in total
, making Gettysburg thebloodiest battle of the Civil
War.
General George Meade, who hadonly recently taken command of
(25:39):
the Army of the Potomac, hadsuccessfully repelled Lee's
invasion, but he was criticizedfor not pursuing the retreating
Confederate army moreaggressively.
The Battle of Gettysburg was aturning point in the Civil War.
It marked the last time thatLee would attempt a major
offensive operation in the north.
The defeat at Gettysburg,coupled with the fall of Bixford
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on July 4th, dealt a severeblow to Confederate morale and
made it increasingly difficultfor the South to continue the
fight.
We've reached a pivotal momentin the Civil War.
The twin victories atGettysburg and Vicksburg
stripped the Confederacy of itsmomentum, shifting the tide
decisively in favor of the Union.
(26:25):
From this point forward, itwould be the Union setting the
terms of the conflict.
While the bloodshed of 1863 and1864 was far from over, the
Union had once again been sparedfrom the brink of defeat.
Next time, on Double Helix,we'll explore the aftermath of
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Gettysburg and the rest of 1863.
We'll also explore the finaland most brutal phase of the war
.
We'll dive into the relentlesscampaigns of 1864, the rise of
General Grant and the Unionstrategy of total war.
We'll also bring light to thepivotal role of African American
soldiers as they fight not justfor the Union, but for their
(27:08):
freedom and the future of thenation.
The stakes are higher than everand the war's end is within
sight, but the path there willbe one of the most difficult yet
.
Thank you for listening.
We will see you soon.
Glory, glory, hallelujah.
(27:30):
His truth is marching on.
Glory, glory, hallelujah, glory, glory, hallelujah, glory,
glory, hallelujah.
His truth is Washington,washington.
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