History 103: US History I

In 1862, the Union put its Anaconda Plan into action, resulting in several critical events: the Peninsular Campaign, the Battle of Hampton Roads between the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (Merrimack), the Battle of Shiloh, the capture of New Orleans, and the Battle of Antietam.

Implementing the Anaconda Plan in 1862

Following the embarrassing rout in the first Battle of Bull Run (also called Manassas), the Union devised a long-term strategy, dubbed the Anaconda Plan, to attack the Confederacy from all sides. Lincoln was ready to win, and in 1862, all four parts were implemented. It was a terrible year in American history, and the following battles are just a few of the major events of the American Civil War in 1862.

First of all, Lincoln was ready to go after Richmond, but General George McClellan was dragging his feet. In March, Lincoln demoted him to a field commander and ordered him to get moving. This launched the 5-month long Peninsular Campaign, and it ended with another humiliating defeat. Despite some victories, McClellan was as slow on the battlefield as off, allowing for a change in Confederate command. Confederate President Jefferson Davis' highest military advisor, Robert E. Lee, took charge of the battlefield, and his aggressive leadership changed the war for good.

The Battle of the Ironclads

Meanwhile, the Union blockade had effectively reduced cotton exports by 95% in 1861, and Southern forces decided to challenge the Union's naval superiority. One of their strategies was to hire blockade runners typically operated by British citizens. Five out of six blockade runners safely shuttled between the Confederacy and the Bahamas and Bermuda, importing critical war supplies. But the Confederacy also needed to start exporting again, and they didn't have the resources to build a traditional navy, so they started experimenting with the latest in naval technology: armor-plated ships powered by steam engines. They raised the sunken USS Merrimack, rebuilt the decks with iron plating, and outfitted her with the best guns. The ironclad warship was renamed the CSS Virginia. The Confederacy hoped to break the blockade in strategic positions, beginning with Hampton Roads, Virginia. On March 8, 1862, Virginia steamed into the harbor, destroyed two U.S. ships, and was poised to sink the rest of the blockade fleet in the morning.

Little did they know that the North had built its own ironclad. The USS Monitor rested just above the water line. Instead of having several small guns, it boasted just two giant 11-inch guns in a rotating turret. Just after midnight on March 9, Monitor slipped into the Union line. When dawn broke, and Virginia sought out a wooden Union ship for conquest, the tiny Monitor ran between them, swiveled its guns, and pounded away. The Confederates sneered at what they called the Union 'cheese box,' but they were unable to penetrate its hull or contend with its technology. At last, Virginia fled the scene. The Battle of Hampton Roads, sometimes called the Battle of the Ironclads Monitor and Merrimack, has become one of the most memorable naval battles in American history.

The War in the West

A critical - and ultimately successful - part of the Anaconda Plan was winning the West. In early 1862, U.S. General Ulysses S. Grant was doggedly making his way down the Tennessee River. After capturing Forts Henry and Donelson, he decided to wait for reinforcements before launching an offensive against the South's main east-west railroad connection. Confederate forces decided to attack before the reinforcements arrived on April 6. At first, the Battle of Shiloh looked like it would be a Confederate victory. But the South's commander was killed, and Union reinforcements arrived just in the nick of time. Confederate forces retreated, and Grant did not pursue them. Looking back, this was a mistake, but his men were too exhausted at the time to see that. The casualty rate at Shiloh topped all previous battles combined: 23,746 Americans dead, wounded, or missing in just two days - a quarter of the troops involved on both sides.

New Orleans Falls

The Anaconda Plan also involved controlling the Mississippi River, not only to keep the Confederacy from moving west to the Pacific but also to allow the Union to transport troops and supplies into the South. To do this, they had to capture New Orleans. First, the Northern navy took possession of a small outpost on Ship Island without firing a shot. But it took two fleets to pass the heavily armored Forts Jackson and St. Philip, where the Union could finally land troops. Flag Officer David Farragut then led nine ships up the Mississippi River towards New Orleans. As he approached, Confederate troops fled, money was withdrawn from banks, cotton burned, and citizens evacuated. New Orleans was captured on April 25 and remained under martial law for the rest of the war.

The Battle of Antietam

As the Peninsular Campaign drew to a close in the East, Confederate leaders decided to keep up the momentum and push north. On September 17, they were stopped by General McClellan at Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, Maryland, and all hell broke loose. The Battle of Antietam was a 12-hour bloodbath in which the Union pushed back the entire Southern line but, due to leadership errors, never broke through.

Darkness finally brought the rampage to an end, and Lee withdrew his army back to Virginia that night. 100,000 soldiers saw action that day, with a casualty rate of 23%; the 1st Texas Infantry regiment lost more than eight of out ten men. The Battle of Antietam still ranks as the bloodiest day in American history, with 23,000 casualties, including three generals on each side. Twenty Congressional Medals of Honor were awarded for service at Antietam, including the one earned by Private Johnny Cook, who had enlisted at the age of 13 as a bugler but was serving as a gunner at Antietam now that he was 15. Antietam holds another sad honor: it was the first time an American battlefield had ever been photographed before the dead were buried.

Though the Battle of Antietam had no clear winner, it convinced the British and French not to recognize the Confederacy. It also prompted President Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation, declaring that, as of the following New Year's Day, all slaves held in rebel territory would be free.

These weren't the only important battles in 1862, but they all helped pursue the great Anaconda Plan and marked important milestones for American history.

Lesson Summary

Let's review. The Union's Anaconda Plan had four main goals that were pursued in 1862. First, Lincoln sent McClellan on the Peninsular Campaign to try and capture Richmond. He failed when Confederate General Robert E. Lee left the office and joined the battlefield. The blockade was more successful and led to the legendary Battle of Hampton Roads between the ironclads Monitor and Virginia (formerly called Merrimack) as the South tried to break free. The North won. Out west, General Ulysses S. Grant was working on the Tennessee River Valley when he was surprised at the Battle of Shiloh. He won, but with heavy casualties. The navy successfully captured New Orleans and opened the Mississippi River. But back in the East, the Battle of Antietam was a setback. The bloodiest single day in American history ended in a draw, convincing France and England to distance themselves from the conflict and prompting Abraham Lincoln to issue the Emancipation Proclamation.