WAR OF SECESSION 



614S 



WAR OF SECESSION 



Proclamation of Emancipation. The war was 

 given a different character by action of Pr< si- 

 dent Lincoln before the close of th 

 After the nominal victory at Antietam Lincoln 

 issued a proclamation declaring it to be his 

 intention in 100 days to free the slaves in all 

 seceded states which had not by the end of 

 that period laid down their arms. This an- 

 nouncement, made public on September 22, 

 expressly stipulated that slavery would not be 

 disturbed in the states which decided to return 

 to their former place in the Union. 



The South rejected the overtures, and on 

 January 1, 1863, the final proclamation was is- 

 sued, freeing, so far as was in the power of the 

 Federal government, nearly 4,000.000 slaves. 

 The immediate effect was to solidify both 

 North and South and make the great issue 

 clear. Lincoln had entered the war with no 

 intention of destroying slavery, but after two 

 years he declared such a military measure to be 

 necessary. The majority of the negroes re- 

 mained on the plantations. 



Events of 1863. In May the Federals, now 

 commanded by Hooker, again started to ham- 

 mer their way towards Richmond. At Chan- 

 cellorsville (May 2-3) they were decisively de- 

 feated, but the victory cost the Confederates 



TE N N E SS E E 



THE REGION AROUND VICKSBURO 



"Stonewall" Jackson, who was killed. Em- 

 boldened by his success, Lee again invaded 

 the North, and at Gettysburg, one of the "fif- 

 teen decisive battles of the world," Meade met 

 him and in a memorable three-days' conflict 



drove him back. This defeat marked the turn- 

 ing point of the war. 



Farragut did not complete the task of open- 

 ing the Mississippi in 1862. In the next year 

 there was concerted action by water and land 

 against Vicksburg and Port Hudson, the two 

 remaining river strongholds. Grant defeated 

 Pemberton, drove him into Vicksburg, then 



SHERMAN'S MARCH TO THE SEA 

 The shaded area shows the width of the path 

 cut through the heart of the Southland. 



besieged the city. For seven weeks the city 

 resisted, with such suffering as probably did not 

 occur elsewhere during the war. On July 4, 

 the day following the Union victory at Gettys- 

 burg in the East, the city surrendered; five 

 days later Port Hudson was taken, and the 

 Union was master of the Mississippi. 



In July Rosecrans captured Chattanooga, 

 then pursued Bragg to Chickamauga, a little 

 to the south, in Georgia, gave him battle and 

 was defeated. Here, Thomas, the "Rock of 

 Chickamauga," saved the Union army from de- 

 struction; its survivors returned to Chatta- 

 nooga and were besieged by Bragg, who held 

 Lookout Mountain and Missionary Ridge. In 

 three memorable battles in November the Con- 

 federates were driven from these strongholds, 

 and they retreated into Georgia, Sherman. 

 under Grant, made it impossible for the Con- 

 federates to return to the attacks around Chat- 

 tanooga by raiding across Mississippi and de- 

 stroying their lines of communications at. Me- 

 ridian. The successes of the year raised Grant 

 to the post of general-in-chief early in 1864. 

 Sherman was his efficient second in command. 



In the summer the ranks of the- Union army 

 needed additions, that the plans of the leaders 

 should not fail. Volunteers did not respond 

 in sufficient numbers, and conscription was re- 

 sorted to. This was so unpopular that in 

 numerous places, New York City, especially, 

 draft riots occurred. 



The Year 1864. The decisive victories at 

 Gettysburg and Vicksburg in 1863 had encour- 



