The Civil War is so important for countless reasons. We could do a whole year's worth of blogs and never completely cover every aspect. Some people love to study the battles. Others like how it affected women, slaves and free blacks. Others focus on Jefferson Davis vs. Abraham Lincoln. Still others study the music and poetry of the time. Etc. Etc.
So for this week's blog I am going to give you a list of things you can research concerning the Civil War. You must pick three (3) and write 100 words on each of your choices. That is a total of 300 words for this week's blog. Consequently, this week's blog will be worth 150 points rather than the usual 50. Choose wisely and enjoy exploring this topic!
Options:
*Clara Barton/Field Nurses
*Women as spies/soldiers
*Massachusetts 54th Regiment
*Civil War Poetry
*Civil War Songs
*Baseball & The Civil War
*Monitor & The Merrimack
*Lincoln's problems with his generals
*Battles: Antietam, First Bull Run, Second Bull Run, Gettysburg, Shiloh, Sherman's March to the Sea
*Andersonville Prison
*Grant's Wilderness Campaign
*Lincoln's growing war-time executive power
*Copperheads
*Appomattox Courthouse
1st Topic: The Massachusetts 54th Regiment-
ReplyDeleteWell for starters, the North was very smart to let African Americans fight for them in the war. The South was stupid because a ton of their population was slaves who could fight. Now, the Massachusetts 54th Regiment was one of the first all-black regiments. For the inspection, you had to be extremely healthy to get in. They had to have a white leader too. They gained recognition on July 18, 1863 when they assaulted Fort Wagner in South Carolina. 272 out of 600 of the men who charged the Fort were killed, wounded, or captured. They have monuments and memorials built for them around the country. (104)
2nd Topic: Baseball and the Civil War-
I thought this was so interesting! People are confused and divided on who invented baseball but they know it was before the Civil War. Apparently the president at the time loved it! Sometimes between battles the soldiers would all get bored. So they started playing baseball! They wrapped yarn around a walnut until it was a ball and carved bats from trees. They didn't have gloves either. The men from New York were most familiar with it so they taught it to the other Northern soldiers. Southerners learned it when they were prisoners of war. They would often have games of North vs. South that got very competitive as you might think. (109)
3rd Topic: Andersonville Prison-
Andersonville Prison (aka Camp Sumter) held more prisoners than any other Confederate military prison. Over the 14 months it existed, 45,000 Union soldiers were kept there. Around 15,000 of those died from disease, malnutrition, etc. It kind of reminds me of a concentration camp. Anyways, There was a wooden wall around the place 15-17 feet tall. The prison was only made to hold 10,000 people but held way more than that at a time. The largest amount of people there at one time was 33,000. Since the South had almost no transportation or ways to get food anymore, they didn't have proper food, housing, or medical care for the soldiers there. It was built in early 1864 and ceased to exist when the war ended in April of 1865. (115)
1st Topic: The Battles
ReplyDeleteThe battle of Antietam is the bloodiest day in American history and has even more than 9/11, D-day, and Pearl Harbor. The Confederate general John Brown Gordon was shot five times that day, but he survived. At the battle of Shiloh, Grant was going into Mississippi and got caught by Johnson who cut through Grant's lines. Grant came back the next day with 20,000 more troops and defeated the army who had no leader because Johnson died on the first day. The bloodiest battle of the war was Gettysburg that lasted three days. The Union finally won the battle. (103)
2nd Topic: The Massachusetts 54th Regiment
The regiment didn't come into play until 1863 after the Emancipation Proclamation. This let African Americans in the South be "Free." Then the government let Africans serve in the army. The 54th Regiment was led by Robert Gould Shaw. He and his family were strong abolitionists and Shaw was injured in the battle of Antietam. The South's congress said that every black soldier captured would be sold into slavery and white officers commanding them would be executed. On July 18, 1865, the regiment attacked a fort in Georgia and had mis-calculated how many people were in the fort and almost half were wounded or killed that night. (113)
3rd Topic: Appomattox
On April 9, 1865, Robert E. Lee surrendered his army to Ulysses S. Grant. The surrender happened in Appomattox, Virginia. This was very different in some ways from other surrenders because Grant was very kind to Lee and respected him and his army. They both knew each other and they were reminisced about past their experiences in the army before they did the surrender. Grant let the officers keep their horses and their side arms. The starving army would be given the Union's rations. The surrender took place in the home of Wilmer McLean’s home. This put an end to all hope of the Confederacy prevailing. (109)
Topic 1: Baseball and the Civil War
ReplyDeleteBaseball was invented in America before the Civil War. People credit different people for inventing it, but no one knows for sure. Most of the Northerners knew how to play baseball but the Southerners did not. The south did learn eventually from prisoners. Southerners would be taken prisoner and they would learn baseball up north. They would wrap yarn around walnuts to get their balls and make bats out of trees. The game was so loved that it expanded to the battlefronts. Sometimes they would get fired upon while they were playing. I like baseball but not that much. (106)
Topic 2: Andersonville Prison
This prison started out as a stockade to hold some Union prisoners the Confederates captured. It was only supposed to hold 10,000 as the maximum, but it later held 32,000 at one time. Around 45,000 prisoners were there in total. Almost 13,000 died. Most of them died from disease but some still died from starvation or battle wounds. They had terrible conditions. The prison was 16.5 acres at first but expanded to 26.5 acres. It had a rectangle shape and two entrances. It was around for 14 months. Obviously, it is located in Andersonville, GA. (101)
Topic 3: Women as spies/ soldiers
There were an estimated 400 to 750 women who fought as soldiers in the Civil War. They had to disguise themselves to do so because they were not allowed. Among the dead bodies at the Battle of Gettysburg, Union soldiers found a dead woman dressed up as a Confederate private. This made people wonder how many women fought in the bloody battles. Most women that were discovered were just sent home but a few had to go to prison or something. Some women were discovered when they were getting their wounds treated like Mary Galloway. (108)
Topic 1: Clara Barton/field nurses
ReplyDeleteBefore she went to become a Civil War nurse, Clara sent supplies to the troops, and became moral support. She also read to soldiers, prayed with soldiers, and cared for them. She even called them "her boys" because she felt so involved with them. She was often considered an angel because of all of the times she helped people. Before the Civil War, most nurses were male. When the war started, people knew that they would need lots of help taking care of the soldiers, so they started accepting women. The nurses provided medical care, fed patients, wrote letters to families, did laundry, and much more. The women were a motherly figure to the men. (115)
Topic 2: Civil War Songs
Robert E. Lee said that without music, there would have been no army. Music was a big part of the war both on the battlefield and at home. It was a source of entertainment and a way to express feelings and emotions in a way that words cannot. Songs of that day included My Old Kentucky Home, Wait for the Wagon, Old Black Joe, Camptown Races, and more. Songs of the Union included Battle Hymn of the Republic, Always Stand on the Union Side, Marching through Georgia, and more. Songs of the Confederacy included God Save the South, Yellow Rose of Texas, Bonnie Blue Flag, and more. (107)
Topic 3: Civil War Poetry
The thoughts and emotions of people involved in the war were easily expressed through poems. The poems were also a modern way to see what people thought about certain events or issues. Poems were also important because most of the people that read them could easily relate to the storyline or concept. Some poems include A Message, Civil War, Oh Captain! My Captain!, and more. People wrote poems about battles, death, the war, loosing a loved one, and even the death of the president. Authors include Walt Whitman, William Winters, William Taylor, and more. The great thing about poems is anyone can write them, even everyday citizens.(107)
first topic:
ReplyDeletethe first topic I chose was the battles. There were many small the little battles that took place. They were a huge impact during the Civil War. The Gettysburg Battle in Pennsylvania was a big one. The dates of the battle were July 1-3, 1863. This day there were more causalities than any other day of fighting in the Civil War. This was too because it was America fighting against each other. the Union knew the land very well. Most of the time during the battle the Union hid in trenches and that was one of their ways of attacking. The Confederates brought the war to the North by going through Shenandoah valley. After all of the fighting was over the President went to Gettysburg. He spoke for two minutes. The battle ground is now a cemetery. (139)
Secoond topic:
For the second topic I chose baseball and the Civil War. The North loved baseball. The south did not know how to play baseball. Someone invited baseball. No one knows who started the game of baseball though. some people think they know who invited baseball. no one has evidence of anyone though. The way the south learned was from being in prison in the North. if men from the south were imprisoned in the north they would learn how to play baseball. Most of the time for the ball the would take yarn and wrap it around a walnut. for the bat they would use a part of a tree. (105)
Thrid topic:
for the third topic I chose women as spies during the war. During the war there were many times women would dress up as men just to be able to spy on them. There were many people who were a part of this. at least, 500 people if not more were spies.. disguising during the war was a big part. you had to look like a guy. Girls were not allowed during the war. Spies were a big part of the war though. after all the damage at Gettysburg someone found a dead woman. it was probably very shocking to the one who found the woman after she was killed. the woman found was dressed as a confederate solider. many women that were found just got sent home or got some very minimal prison time. (137) (381)
The 1st topic I chose was the monitor and the Merrimack. These were 2 ironclad ships the North and the South used against each other in the battle of Hampton Roads. The USS Monitor was an iron-hulled ship built during the Civil War. It was the first ironclad warship commissioned by the United States Navy. Monitor is most famous for its central role in the Battle of Hampton Roads on 9 March 1862, where, under the command of John Worden, it fought the confederate ironclad CSS Merrimack. CSS Merrimack was the first steam-powered ironclad warship built by the Confederate States Navy during the first year of the Civil War. The captain of the Merrimack was Josiah Tattnall. The Battle of Hampton Roads ended in a stalemate and both ships went their way.
ReplyDeleteThe second topic I chose was the First Battle of Bull Run, also known as First Manassas (the name used by Confederate forces). It was fought on July 21, 1861, in Prince William County, Virginia, near the city of Manassas, not far from Washington, D.C. It was the first major battle of the Civil War. The Union forces were slow in positioning themselves, allowing Confederate reinforcements time to arrive by railroad. Each side had about 18,000 poorly trained and poorly led troops in their first battle. It was a Confederate victory followed by a disorganized retreat of the Union forces. This is also the battle were Gen. Stonewall Jackson got his nickname because his forces saw him defending like a stone wall.
The third topic I chose was Sherman’s March to the Sea. It was the most destructive campaign against a civilian population during the Civil War. It began in Atlanta on November 15, 1864, and concluded in Savannah on December 21, 1864. Union general William T. Sherman abandoned his supply line and marched across Georgia to the Atlantic Ocean to prove to the Confederate population that its government could not protect the people from invaders. He practiced psychological warfare; he believed that by marching an army across the state he would demonstrate to the world that the Union had a power the Confederacy could not resist. This tactic is known as scorched earth which means to destroy everything in order to cripple your enemy.
377
Topic 1: Clara Barton/Field Nurses
ReplyDeleteClara Barton was involved with the war in many ways. Before she became a nurse who actually worked on the field, she would send supplies out to the battle fields. She was so involved and cared for them so much, that she would read with them, and even prayed with them. They were not all just some people she had to take care of, they were like friends to her. She even called them her boys! I think that it is important for the nurses to at least feel close with patients and bond with them. I also think that if they feel closer to the patients that the nurse would take better care of them, opposed to not knowing them at all. If they did not know someone as well, then they might not be as motivated to take really good care of them.(150)
Topic 2: Women as Spies
Several women, about 400 to 750 would dress up and disguise themselves as men so they could go to war and see what it was like. When they found all of the dead bodies at one of the battles, they discovered that one was a woman, and as you can imagine, people started to wonder how many more women were there. I do not know about you, but I would not want to pretend to be a guy so I could go to war! Most of the women were just sent home, but an unlucky few had to go to prison!(106)
Topic 3: Andersonville Prison
Andersonville Prison stared out at a small size, or at least small compared to what it eventually became. It started out that it was supposed to hold about 10,000 people. It also started out holding some captured union prisoners. The size eventually grew from 16.5 acres to 26.5 acres, because it was holding about 45,000 prisoners! And as you can imagine with all those people in there, a lot of them died from sickness. The prison had horrible conditions, which also was a factor in germs, and people getting sick, and sickness spreading. Some people died from battle wounds and injuries, but maybe if the conditions were better, people with battle injuries could have been cleaned(116).
For my first topic i am going to do baseball in the great american civil war.
ReplyDeleteThis was very interesting to me, because i have always loved baseball. Regardless of who made baseball, it happened a lot in the civil war. It was mostly in New York. The president even missed a meeting because he was playing. He would say something like this, " you will have to wait. I am up to bat next." many people in prison also loved to play. they would teach themselves how to play the game. when the war ended the soldiers would bring baseballs home with them. (104)
The next topic i will do is the nurses in the field/ Clara Barton. when i was searching for this topic i found a great/ awesome poem by clara barton called the women who went to the field. i read it and it is amazing. The women who went to the field you say he women who went to the field and pray. Is probably my favorite line in this,i know that this is the first line but i am just glad that the women were praying for the soldiers. i don't know if Clara wrote this at battle but it sounds like he did.(105)
For my third thing i will do is well lets see... the Andersonville prison it sounds cool. The Andersonville prison was the biggest prison they had in confederates states. the had like 45,000 people in 4 months. it was located in Georgia away for the railroads and from the front lines of the war. Andersonville was built to hold 10,000 men, but within six months more than three times that number were incarcerated there.The 41-year-old Wirz was one of the few people convicted and executed for crimes committed during the Civil War.(101)
Topic Number One: Baseball and the Civil War
ReplyDelete--
(When I saw this, I had to pick it. I’m not into baseball, but no one else picked it even though it’s “America’s Favorite Pastime”- so, I’m just being ironic over here, I guess)
--
Abner Doubleday, famous for firing the first shot of the Civil War, commanding the 1st Corp at the Battle of Gettysburg after General John Reynolds was killed, and.... baseball? The theory is shrouded in mystery, but most believe that he invented the sport. Well, first let’s clarify that some also credit Alexander Cartwright to its invention in 1845.This is because Walt Whitman wrote,“I see great things in baseball. It’s our game, the American game,” in the following year, after the first recorded baseball game.
Enough about them, though! During the Civil War, imprisoned soldiers learned the game of baseball. They got very intense, and took their games with them to the battlefield! As the soldiers returned home, they took the game with them, spreading the classic game of baseball.
(131)
--
Topic Number Two: Grant’s Wilderness Campaign
--
(Why others didn’t pick this, I’ll never understand. I mean, a bunch of Yanks ambushed the Feds from the woods! At least, that’s what I remember off the top of my head.... research time!)
--
General Grant was a man with a plan. This one particular plan involved 118,00 mean, wild and tangled woodlands, and an unaware opposing army. Unfortunately, this army was the Confederate army- unfortunate for the Union, at least. Grant was intending to clear the wilderness and then destroy the smaller Confederate Army of Northern Virginia. But Lee attacked, and Grant attacked back. This lead to a horrible, bloody battle. The Union lost 7,000 in a few hours, and 60,000 in the campaign. The Confederate army lost 20,000 but kept their spirit alive.
And, with that, I understand why most didn’t pick this.
(101)
--
Topic Number Three: Civil War Poetry
--
(Anyone who knows me knows why I picked this... or, at least, they should)
--
For this one, I’m going to pick a specific poem and go off of that. In fact, I’ll use a poem with some insight. It’s called “Shiloh.” And, yes, it’s about the Battle of Shiloh.
It reads:
Skimming lightly, wheeling still, The swallows fly low Over the field in clouded days, The forest-field of Shiloh -- Over the field where April rain Solaced the parched one stretched in pain Through the pause of night That followed the Sunday fight Around the church of Shiloh-- The church so lone, the log-built one, That echoed to many a parting groan And natural prayer Of dying foemen mingled there -- Foemen at morn, but friends at eve -- Fame or country least their care: (What like a bullet can undeceive!) But now they lie low, While over them the swallows skim, And all is hushed at Shiloh.
This poem alone shows the very spirit of the war. It shows how, no matter how bloody everything was, the spirit never dies. Yes, everything is hushed at Shiloh, but that’s because the troops moved on. They forgave, forgot, then fought again.
It’s truly a beautiful poem too. I can see the imagery and feel the air around the place that I have never visited, yet this poem alone lets me visualize it.
Now down to the facts. “Shiloh” was written in April, 1862 by Herman Melville. It’s full title is “Shiloh: A Requiem.”
(237)
The game of baseball was invented in 1839 and it became very popular during the civil war, starting in the north. The president knew baseball and really enjoyed it as well as his soldiers. The game originated in the New York area and spread around the north. The soldiers enjoyed playing it to get their mind off of the war and some generals started encouraging it because it boosted the soldiers’ spirits. They would improvise as best they could and make a baseball from a walnut, string, and horsehide and would make bats from oak limbs. The southern soldiers learned to play baseball from the northern prisoners. I like that they still got to play sports and have fun during the war. (122)
ReplyDeleteThe Andersonville prison was so awful. It was over-packed at times, where the max capacity was 10,000 and it held 32,000 at one time. The prison existed for a year and two months. All together there had been about 45,000 prisoners there and 12,920 died there. This prison was the largest in the south during the war and was built in 1864. I found this part really interesting about the prison: there was a deadline. It was a simple fence that ran 19 feet away from the walls all the way around the prison. The prisoners were not allowed to pass that fence, so they wouldn’t even get to the wall and attempt to climb over it. Sentry boxes ran along the top of the wall and soldiers were to shoot anyone who crossed the fence. (136)
Belle Boyd was a famous confederate spy, and Harriet Tubman was a famous union spy. Boyd was young and beautiful and charmed her way into getting information from the union. Harriet Tubman was a spy for the north who went into the south to save hundreds of slaves. She went on many expeditions, being the first woman in the country to lead a military expedition. Many women also disguised themselves as men to fight. Some men were great fighters, and apparently good actors too because they turned out to be women. Some women would swear, chew tobacco and smoke to fit in with the guys, but their identities were revealed when they had a serious injury. (116)