Lincoln Finds his General

                Vicksburg

1.       Grant knew that gaining full control of the Mississippi River required taking Vicksburg Mississippi.

2.       For 6 weeks Grant laid siege to the city preventing reinforcements from assisting.

3.       July 1863 Confederate forces under Gen Pemberton surrendered to Grant thus giving the Union Army complete control of the Mississippi River.

Summer of 1864

1.       Following the victory at Vicksburg Lincoln promoted Grant to General of all Union Forces.

2.       Grant began to use the advantages the North had over the South to his own benefit.

a.       Planned a war of attrition, to continue fighting until the South ran out of men, supplies, and the will to fight.

3.       Grants strategy however slow was very effective at devastating Lee’s army, his forces steadily dwindled along with their ability to supply themselves.

Sherman’s March to the Sea

1.       Union General William Tecumseh Sherman was named the commander of the Army of Tennessee and shared the same fiery nature of General Grant.

2.       Sherman set out to destroy the southern railroad lines

3.       Sherman continual outmaneuvered the Confederates under General Johnston and capture the railroad city of Atlanta, forcing the civilians to evacuate it and then burning to the ground.

4.       He then continued on to Savannah where he took anything he thought would be useful to his army and left the town in ruins.

a.       His strategy was to fight a total war, on that not only destroyed the army, but destroyed the economic resources of the Confederacy.

b.      He tactics although brutal helped to bring a swift end to the war, but left deep scars between the North and South that would last for generation.