The American Civil War Podcast

Three weeks into command of the Army of Northern Virginia, General Robert E. Lee embarked on a daring, do-or-die assault on the Army of the Potomac. Though not without failure and mistakes, he successfully drove his foe away from the very gates of Richmond in a brutal seven-day struggle of nearly-constant battle. By the end, he proved he might very well be the champion the Confederacy sorely needed - and McClellan was not the man the Union required. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

After routing Banks at Winchester, Confederate General Thomas J. Jackson found himself exposed and vulnerable to total destruction - and Abraham Lincoln most certainly intended just that. Fortunately for him, Jackson had assistance in form of Union General John C. Fremont’s complete failure. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

By the end of May, 1862, Confederate Gen. Joe Johnson knew he must attack. A crucial Union strategic choice gave him room to pick his preferred point. But a key failure sent the entire battle spinning out of control.As a side note, Union sources at the time called the battle “Fair Oaks”. However, most of the fighting was around the crossroads of “Seven Pines”. The two locations are not far distant, and either name is correct. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

McClellan’s advance upon Richmond proved an uneven, start-stop affair instead of a Napoleonic stride. Nonetheless, he managed to finally get himself to the gates of Richmond. Once there, however, he proved curiously unwilling to fight a battle, always waiting for reinforcements that never quite arrived. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Starting May 19th, General Thomas J. Jackson launched a campaign turned the entire union strategy in the Shenandoah Valley on its head. Within seven days he fought three battles and cleared the Union from nearly the entire Valley, undoing six months of northern effort. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Today we approach a question regarding the slave economy. Was it profitable? Was it economically efficient? How did slavery affect the US economy? And if slavery wasn’t good for the country, why did slaveholders keep it? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

The tiny Battle of McDowell represented only a skirmish in the larger Civil War, but it represented a key step in allowing General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson to unite all the Confederate forces in the region. To do this, he rapidly marched all over the place. For once, however, he met his match in aggression in the person of Brigadier Robert H. Millroy. Side note: I didn’t describe Brigadier Robert C. Shenck very closely. He was however a interesting man who previous served as Ambassador to Brazil, would later serve as such in Britain, and literally wrote the book on poker (well, one form of it anyhow). This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

The Civil War would be fertile ground for weapons development, including the widely-successful use of naval explosives. Confederate “torpedoes” proved more than capable of sending Union ships to the bottom of rivers, harbours and seas alike. But The Union learned to strike back with a few of its own. So what is a torpedo, where did they come from, and why did anyone use them? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

On March 4th, 1862, the Confederates abandoned the Yorktown line and began retreat up the Virginia Peninsula towards the Richmond defences. On March 5th, McClellan’s forces caught up to the rear guard outside Williamsburg. But the Union command was confused, uncertain and hesitant to commit to attack.Plus: Joe Hooker becomes Fighting Joe, and Lincoln undertakes an extraordinary role in the field. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

General Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson’s Valley Campaign of 1862 began with failure after failure. Through fortune or skill, he would endure and learn, while the dance of armies left opportunities. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Thomas J. Jackson’s journey both began and ended in Virginia. An unusual man at the best and worst of times, he harbored both great ambition and ruthless self-will. Yet his path did not begin with glory, and much like several other Civil War legends, success began with great failure. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Throughout April of 1862, Gen. Henry Halleck pulled together nearly all the major field forces in the western armies, while Beauregard awaited him at Corinth. Halleck’s delayed attack ranks among the slowest and least aggressive military campaigns in history. Halleck intended to avoid bloody battles and in this, he succeeded. But the Union would learn the hard way that you can capture a town without fighting, but you can’t win a war that way. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In May of 1862, the Union and Confederacy vied for control over the Upper Mississippi. Strangely, the stage was set for a mountain-dwelling bridgebuilder to attain immortal martial glory. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In the last months of 1861, Gideon Welles found himself in need of a leader to take the fight to the very gates of New Orleans. He had few options, few naval leaders with the skill, daring and reputation to undertake this task. in the end, he finally selected David Glasgow Farragut. Join as we explore Farragut’s history, his own family’s tangled legacy with New Orleans, and the battle that reshaped the war along the Mississippi River. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

This episode offers a final look at Shiloh, covering the immediate aftermath of the battle, the repercussions in the press and Washington, and a look at some controversies related to the battle.Shiloh is very well-preserved today if you would like to visit, with good paths explaining the battlefield. Also you can visit the Cherry Mansion in nearby Savannah. It served as Grant’s headquarters and hosted W.H.L. Wallace and C.F. Smith during their final days.https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cherry_Mansion This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

On April 6th, General Albert Sidney Johnston launched an all-out assault against the Union army camped around Pittsburg Landing. The armies would battle over three miles of earth in a contest that stretched over two days and shattered the existing notions of war. Generals to Privates alike found glory, death or both in the Devil’s Own Day. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In the weeks before the Battle of Shiloh, both Union and Confederate generals fought different kind of battles. Their decisions, wise and foolish alike, would shape the coming campaign. Happenstance, stupidity, and cunning worked together to forge the deadliest day in American history to that date. And came to pass that the little church of Shiloh would receive a baptism of blood. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In March of 1862, General George Brinton McClellan launched his Peninsula Campaign. Intended as a lightning-strike, it would stretch on for six weeks. In a way, the campaign showed McClellan’s strengths and weaknesses in stark clarity. By the end, he would achieve the position he sought - but a cost in time the Union could ill afford. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In early 1862, General-in-Chief George Brinton McClellan embarked on a new campaign - a political one. But while he kept getting his way, he also failed to realize how tenuous his position had become. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

This episode explains some of the practice and consequences of how forced labor and Conscription were applied to free African-Americans, slaves, and free white men in the Confederacy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In early 1862, Joe Johnston began to plan a withdrawal before he fell to a planned Union attack. This he did, but at the cost of worsening his relationship with Jefferson Davis. But Davis had many other problems, including an ineffectual Secretary of War, leading to a rapid change in the Confederate Cabinet. And finally, the new Secretary of War had not only to quickly find problems to pressing matters, but manage a new institution, never used before in the war: Conscription. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Today’s episode covers some of the related stories around the events we’ve discussed in the fight for New Mexico between the Union and Confederacy. In the process, I acquired some tales that didn’t quite fit into the overall narrative but still felt worth telling. In this episode we discuss the incredibly silly and tragic spark that set off the Apache Wars in 1861, the violence of John Baylor, and the twists and turns of the lives of John Chivington and John Slough - and more!As explained in the episode, I tried to mostly keep these related to the Civil War instead of completely branching out into the worthwhile, but deeply complicated exploration of great tribal leaders such as Mangas Coloradas or Cochise, or later figures such as Geronimo. However, if you’re interested in hearing that as well, drop a comment and I will look at adding that to the series. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

After the Battle of Valverde, Confederate General Henry Sibley advanced into new Mexico and seemingly captured its most important towns. Yet he soon discovered that the Union was far from beaten, and a mixture of amateur and professional Union soldiers would meet the Confederates in the tight confines of Glorietta Pass. This clash promised to decide the fate of New Mexico forever.Note: Some of the officers in this episode may have held different ranks than described. It’s somewhat unclear to me, for example, whether William Scurry was a Lieutenant Colonel or a full Colonel at the time of these events. I regret any errors I may have made. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

On March 8th and 9th of 1862, ironclad warships would emerge onto the pages of history. The USS Monitor and Merrimack (or CSS Virginia) weren’t the first ironclads, nor even the first into battle. Yet the legendary Battle of Hampton Roads would overturn centuries of naval doctrine in a matter of hours. Success and failure, calamity and courage, and a few remarkably coincidences would combine to reshape both the war and the world. Listen now to the story of the men, the material, and the moment.Link to map of showing the ships’ movements in the channel: https://www.battlefields.org/learn/maps/hampton-roads-mar-9-1862 This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In early 1862 General Samuel Curtis began a march on Confederate Arkansas. With ten thousand he drove Sterling Price’s eight thousand out of Missouri; but he then had to face a much larger combined army under Earl Van Dorn. General Van Dorn arrived on March 2nd and immediately went on the offensive. The resulting clash at Pea Ridge would shape the situation in Missouri and Arkansas for the rest of the war. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In early 1862, the Confederacy advanced into the New Mexico territory with a new force and fresh leadership. Brigadier General Henry Sibley wanted to make his mark by claiming all New Mexico (including modern Arizona) for the rebel cause. The problem, he would soon discover, was that to win battles was not the same thing as to establish control. Opposing him was a friend and comrade of several years, Colonel Edward R. S. Canby. And Canby understood the realities of war in the desert very well. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Forts Henry and Donelson were not the only Confederate strongholds under assault in the early days of February. On the east coast, General Ambrose Burnside took the fight and delivered a severe blow to the Confederacy ambitions at Roanoke Island. Jefferson Davis’s rebels could only hope to hold the island with a great struggle. The complete failure at Roanoke stemmed directly from increasing power of the Union military on land and sea, while the Confederacy merely delayed. The result was the loss of a huge stretch fo coastline, and an ongoing threat to Richmond’s strategic rear. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In February of 1862, a Confederate force held out against a much larger Union army under General John Pope. The place? Island Number 10 in the Mississippi River. Although they prevented his Union forces, as well as Admiral Foote’s gunboat fleet, from advancing any further, the Confederates ultimately faced a crushing defeat. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Today we present an hour-long episode on the life and times of William Tecumseh “Cump” Sherman, up to the time when he really becomes important in our ongoing story of the Civil War. Sherman was a rather unique individual who experienced nearly everything our country had to offer in his time, from great success to crushing failure. A study in paradoxes, we have a banker who hated bankers, a lawyer who hated lawyers, and a soldier who went his entire militry career without actually fighting anybody. Or at least, that’s how his story would have gone if not for the Civil War. Join us for the story of Sherman: the most human, most fallible, and perhaps most American of the great leaders of the war, a man who somehow kept finding himself at the center of action whereever he went. Thank you for reading The American Civil War Podcast. This post is public so feel free to share it.Thanks for reading The American Civil War Podcast! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support my work. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

When Albert Sidney Johnston accepted a commission in the Confederacy from his old friend, Jefferson Davis, he did not expect to immediately face so desperate a crisis. Pressured by four separate Union forces of considerable size on the Tennessee-Kentucky front, Johnston took as many chances as he dared. Yet it was not enough to prevent the fall of Nashville. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

At Fort Henry, General Grant still fought with a little of the amateur soldier in him. At Fort Donelson, he learned what it meant to command, and what it meant to create victory in the face of seeming disaster. Though Confederacy put up a stern defence of the last link in their strategic lines, U. S. Grant earned a new nickname on a snowswept winter morning: Unconditional Surrender. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In February of 1862, Ulysses S. Grant led a lightning strike into Tennessee, resulting in the first successful Union advance into Confederate territory. It all happened because Henry Halleck became jealous of General Buell’s success at Mill Springs.Also appearing in this episode: submarine fortresses and the world's first floating tanks. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In early January of 1862, General George Thomas marched on an advance Confederate position in Kentucky at Mill Springs. Confederate General Felix Zollicoffer unwisely placed his command in a trap formed by the curve of the Cumberland River, forcing him to fight where Thomas wanted. However, it would fall to Confederate General Crittenden to try the fortunes of war and face the consequences. Note: As detailed in the episode, the Battle of Mill Springs is also called “The Battle of Logan’s Cross Roads.” This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

As we end our exploration of 1861, let us take a moment to look at the conflict brewing within the Indian Territory, land given over to tribes expelled from their homes east of the Mississippi. Although we can only cover just two specific examples of the tribal conflicts here, these events would affect the war in Missouri and beyond in the war years. Their consequences would live on for decades after. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Who were the Knights of the Golden Circle, and what was their ultimate importance? And also, how did a conman create them, and then go on to become a Confederate General after failing to launch an invasion of Mexico? This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Cavalry played a massive role in the Civil War, frequently depicted in art yet often forgotten in the accounts of great battles between infantry and artillery. However, cavalry performed their difficult duty daily across the country, from the coast of Virginia into the midwest and even to the far-flung southwestern deserts. In this episode we explore the elements which defined this branch of the military. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Today’s episode is a short explanation of the strategic layer of the Civil War, breaking down many of the basic challenges that the Union and Confederacy faced. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

General McClellan managed to blame all his woes on General-in-Chief Winfield Scott, leading to his swift takeover of that very rank. Yet when given a chance to lead, McClellan quickly proved unequal to the task.Of the course, the task would have tested the mettle of even the greatest of men, but McClellan’s behavior in the fall and winter of 1861 raise serious questions about his ability and character. Join us for an exploration of a man rapidly making enemies where he ought to have made friends. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Tennessee politician John Bell opposed Secession until he didn’t. He discovered, however, that other men were made of sterner stuff. And also, his old friend William “Parson” Brownlow was evidently made from spite and vinegar. Secession and the summer of 1861 divided the two, as it divided Tennessee. And no matter what happened in politics or the papers, other men quietly gathered guns and torches, dead-set on fighting the Confederacy by any means. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In the span of a few months, Ulysses S. Grant went from the Colonel of a regiment marching after shadows to a General launching an attack of his own design against a powerful Confederate fortress. It would take time to grow into the role of the Union’s premier general, but at Belmont, he proved the potential was there.This remarkably change came due to the support of Major General John C. Fremont and Congressman Elihu Washburne. If nothing else, the United States owes both of those men a debt of gratitude for their perception.In addition, the nation owes Confederate General Leonidas Polk a small debt for occupying parts of Kentucky and thereby practically gift-wrapping the state for Abraham Lincoln. Before 1861 ended, the entire border region lay in Union hands, with dire consequences for the Confederacy. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In July of 1861, a small detachment of Texans decided to conquer half of the New Mexico territory… on paper, anyway. They did manage to conquer the town of Mesilla and defeat a larger Union force in an embarassingly one-sided fight. Lieutenant Colonel John Baylor got to declare the creation of the Confederate Territory of Arizona. Yet he failed to also create the foundation of future success, and set himself on a course of mayhem and murder. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In 1861, Abraham Lincoln declared a blockade against the Confederacy. This was extremely simple in concept and far more difficult in practice. To explain the blockade and blockade-runners, we need to explore law, history, international politics, and even economics. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In 1861 Confederates believed, as an article of faith, that if cotton did not flow across the Atlantic then Great Britain would rush to their aid. As it turned out, the British government disagreed. Confederate envoys could get no more than brief, private hearings. While William Seward and Lord Palmerston fumed at one another, the Confederacy ultimately gained little from its diplomatic efforts. Even the Trent Affair turned barren. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Join us as we explore the economics of slaveholding. Although the matter of money might seem trivial compared to moral questions, the economic view of slavery helps explain many of the choices and problems of Southern society in the Antebellum era. This episode also helps setup our next major topic, the Confederacy’s Cotton Diplomacy strategy, and the Union blockade.Show notes: I apologize as my voice seemed on the brink the entire episode. This show also includes experimental transcript generated by Substack. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

From 1852 to 1861, Ulysses Grant experienced near-constant failure and hardship. Even his limited successes seemed to be allowed only so that he would have something more to lose. He saw friends and fellow officers, women and children die in Panama. He lost his money in California, then his Army commission, and perhaps even his self-respect.Yet he never gave up, never quit, and did whatever he found necessary to provide for his family. At the same time, Ulysses Grant never lost his fundamentally good view of human nature and never became embittered by his tough times. He could always sympathize with a friend, and those willing to take advantage of his kindness found it easy.In ten years of failure, he endured more than most. In the end Grant had been tempered enough to lead men into battle, humble enough to know he must improve, and wise enough to accept his own faults. This is the story of a ten years of failure, yes, but years that led to undimmed glory. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

Lieutenant Grant accompanied Winfield Scott’s invasion of Veracruz. In the following year he found himself doing every job imaginable except fighting, until the battles at Molino del Rey and Garita de San Cosme. For his effective and inventive decisions under pressure, he received two promotions. Upon returning to the United States, Ulysses rushed off to get married - and that was only the beginning of his troubles… This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In 1846, young Acting Second Lieutenant Grant found himself swept up in the great war of American expansion with Mexico. The boy, who never meant to become a soldier, became a man who never meant to become a fighter. Yet in the early battles under General Taylor, Grant found himself in the thick of the fight more than once. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

This is part 1 of a three-part series on the life of Ulysses S. Grant.Hiram Grant didn’t start life with his more famous name. And unlike many other famous commanders from the war, he found himself driven by events rather than driving them. Join us as we explore the humble origins of a legendary leader. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

The ever-erratic John C. Fremont, Pathfinder of the West, created for himself one of the wildest careers in American history. When he came to lead the Union efforts in the key theater of Missouri in 1861, he changed not one bit. The result was an intricate story of political tennis culminating in another strange episode of a life filled with strange episodes. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com

In the late summer and fall of 1861, Joe Johnston confronted a host of problems. Few of them involved the Yankees in McClellan’s rapidly-growing army across the river. Instead, his often-difficult relationships with Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, General Beauregard, and other men under the Confederate flag took center stage. This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit uscivilwar.substack.com