Rearing Wolves to Our Own Destruction: Slavery in Richmond, Virginia, 1782-1865: By Midori Takagi, The Richmond Slave Trade: The Economic Backbone of the Old Dominion: By Jack Trammell. Whiskey shops linedMainStreetand furloughed soldierssprawledouton sidewalks in their drunkenstupor. Bermuda Hundred Campaign May 1864 Major General Philip Sheridan aggressively marched up the Valley from Winchester and destroyed "2,000 barns filled with grain and implements, not to mention other outbuildings, 70 mills filled with wheat and flour" and "numerous head of livestock," according to the Official Records. Owned and operated by the Grant hoped to break a stalemate between the Union and the Confederacy by taking the fight directly toRobert E. Lees army. Dubbedthe Siege of Petersburg, the siege itself was a multitude ofbrutal trench warfare battles fought along a line outside of Petersburg, stretching north toward Richmond, and lasting for 292 days. Sign up for our quarterly email series highlighting the environmental benefits of battlefield preservation. Free blacks in Virginia numbered 58,042 on the eve of the American Civil War (1861-1865), or about 44 percent of the future Confederacy's free black population. Battle of Manassas Station Ops. Gallaghers critique finds the prominent, dominant Lee in the story of the Confederacy akin to the military accounts of Jubal Early and Douglas Southall Freeman. Although Northerners had launched an "insane war" against Southern institutions, Frederick citizens regarded slavery "as perfectly consistent with civilization, humanity, and piety." This resulted in a majority of Republican senators voting for the removal of Secretary of State William Sewardthe chosen scapegoat for the battles administrative blunders. "Stonewall" Jackson.[8]. Sheridans Expedition to Petersburg March 1865 Richmond-Petersburg Campaign June 1864-March 1865 In the winter of 18601861, Americans were forced to decide their nations future. However, later that month the firing upon Fort Sumter prompted newly elected President Abraham Lincoln to issue a call for 75,000 volunteers, including a call to Virginia to provide troops. The site of the Civil War's infamous Battle of Bull Run and the Second Battle of Manassas, Manassas National Battlefield Park has electronic battle maps that provides visitors with comprehensive overviews of the battle timelines, as well as displays of military equipment and regularly-scheduled interpretive presentations led by U.S. Park Service. Union troops under Franz Sigel occupy the Shenandoah Valley town of Winchester. Stay up-to-date on the American Battlefield Trust's battlefield preservation efforts, travel tips, upcoming events, history content and more. Stuart, George Pickett, Fitzhugh Lee,andHenry Heth. Tools Confederate Militia mustering in Winchester, Virginia Harper's Weekly, 1861. The Army of Northern Virginia, commonly referred to as "Lee's Army," was the Confederacy's main fighting force in the Eastern Theater of the Civil War. Union troops under Nathaniel P. Banks occupy the Shenandoah Valley town of Winchester. Early. Our FREE Virtual Teacher Institute is the can't miss online educator event of the summer. During the summer of 1862, two major battles were fought in Winchester between Banks and Jackson: During Banks first occupation from (March May 12 to 25, 1862): Following the First Battle of Winchester, Banks retreated down the Valley. This First Battle of Winchester was part of Stonewall Jacksons Shenandoah Valley Campaign, which served to distract Union troops from reinforcing George B. McClellan outside Richmond. Governor Letcher responded on April 15 on behalf of the state refusing Lincoln's request. While some residents remained staunch secessionists or Unionists throughout the war, many became more guarded as the conflict continued. Most notably, Milroy was feared for his rash desire to execute Virginians, and his reputation for this from previous Alleghany campaigning precede him, striking great trepidation in the town, as Milroy set up his tribunals, without constitutional authority, and sentenced townsfolk to execution by firing squad. Crook-Averell Raid on the Virginia & Tennessee Railroad May 1864 Astride Two Worlds: Technology and the American Civil War. Get the latest posts delivered to your mailbox: Virginias Federal or Ratifying Convention, 1820-1883 Antebellum Civil War Reconstruction Era, Click to share on Twitter (Opens in new window), Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window), Click to share on Pinterest (Opens in new window), Click to email a link to a friend (Opens in new window), Click to share on LinkedIn (Opens in new window), Copyright 2023 The Virginia Historian * Site design by, Virginia History for Visitors and Virtual Tours, Continental Congress (Articles of Confederation), 20 Virginia U.S. Jackson evacuated Winchester, retreating up the Valley. The Battle of Gettysburg, fought from July 1 to July 3, 1863, is considered the most important engagement of the American Civil War. Sign up to receive the latest information on the American Battlefield Trust's efforts to blaze The Liberty Trail in South Carolina. Historian Richard R. Duncan (p. xiii) describes the dilemma faced by Winchester citizens: Maier, p.59; Milroy letter dated January 18, 1863, Maier, p. 64. Northern Virginia Campaign August 1862 Virginia saw naval developments both at sea and by river, with ironclads and by sail described in By Sea and By River: The Naval History of the Civil War. Anderson, a former assistant to famed WWII naval historian Samuel Eliot Morison, also touches on navy department politics, comparative abilities of naval commanders and the development of joint naval-military amphibious operations all along the Confederacys coasts. One historian aptly described Winchester as the key that locked the door to Richmond. As much as Winchester was a prized target, it proved especially difficult to keep. One resident recalled, People used to have a basket to carry their money to market in but it bought so little they could carry the provisions home in their pocketbooks. Union occupations magnified this hardship by requiring buyers to take an oath of allegiance to the United States, which many residents refused to do. Black Virginians were pressed into the service of a nation that fought to enslave them, but war also brought opportunity to seize their freedom and join the . Like most of the lower Shenandoah Valley, Winchester was devastated by four years of active warfare. Lee understood mass armies in the 19th century democratic republic, modern national war as opposed to local conflict, and the implications of military operations on civilian morale. ', One of the distinctive aspects of Winchesters Civil War experience was the relationship between its residents and its defenders. Union troops under General Philip H. Sheridan defeat General Jubal A. In the western part of the state, some Virginians never accepted secession and instead began a process that created the new state of West Virginia. Battle of Spotsylvania, Virginia by Kurz & Allison, 1888, Blockade of the Chesapeake Bay May-June 1861 In the town and its immediate surroundings, more than 200 homes were missing at wars end; a hundred more were used as stables and hospitals, suffering considerable damage. What Civil War battle took place in Virginia? The motives and the spirit of 19th century American armies are explored in For Cause and Comrades. Perhaps the most well-known Unionist was Rebecca Wright, who supplied Sheridan with information on Confederate strength and troop positions before his attack at the Third Battle of Winchester. Before the Civil War, Virginia had the largestnumberofenslaved peoplein any Southern state. Their respective cause was a guiding star to which they affixed devotion of duty and honor, with emotional aspects not seen in the letters of modern soldiers. In 1860,much ofVirginiawas originally opposedto secession due to the strong economic ties to the Union through the tobacco industry, its agricultural trade, and themanufacturing powerhouse Tredegar Ironworks that produced iron used in railroads and weapons for the Federal stockpile. At the first major land battle of the war on July 16, 1861 in Virginia at Manassas (Bull Run), two unproven green armies met and effectively slaughtered each other. Milroy arrested Mrs. Logan on charges of possessing contraband, and had her and her daughters escorted to the outskirts of town, without time to even gather medicine for one ill daughter, and "exiled" from Winchester. Today, Winchester provides a wealth of exploration and tourism for Civil War enthusiasts. Neither Winchester nor the Commonwealth of Virginia were particularly fond of secession from the Union. She received her bachelors degree in philosophy and creative writing in 2020 at the University of Iowa. Throughout the siege, Grantattemptedto attack at Petersburg and Richmond simultaneously, which would apply pressure so thatrebel forces could not shiftreinforcementsto threatened points. John Brown was the Union's hero and the Confederacy's villain in the Civil War. In May 1865, they organized the Ladies Memorial Association to collect and reinter the remains of Confederates scattered throughout the region. Peninsula Campaign March 8-July 1, 1862 [13], Many of the local blacks freed in January 1863 under the Emancipation Proclamation fled the area, presumably fearing reconquest by the Confederates (as in fact happened later in the year).[14]. Virginia was the largest state in population and industrial capacity to join the Confederacy, which soon moved its capital to Richmond. Practically,however,Richmond wasthe mostindustrializedcity in the South, as well as one of the few cities in the South with a large railroadnetwork andprovided a greater industrial advantage to the Confederacy than Montgomery could. Theyworked in the industrial sector inTredegarIronworks as more white workerswere neededbythe Confederate army. Men fought for fear of letting down comrades who were also neighbors in the hometown regiments, or disgracing the families left behind, or dishonoring themselves in a moment of cowardice. The lands around Fredericksburg, which is equidistant between the cities, witnessed four major battles: Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville, Wilderness, and Spotsylvania Court House. Nine roads and turnpikes and the Winchester and Potomac Railroad tied the city to the North and a developing national economy, but the presence of slavery linked Winchester to the South. After the war,Richmond rebuilt itself from the ashes of the Confederacy. Read more about: Civil War Widows The resolutions appealed to the North to repeal obnoxious laws regarding fugitive slaves and to suppress abolitionists' activities that led "to invasions of other States, seducing slaves to abscond, harboring runaways, and otherwise disturbing the peace of sister States. To read the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions of use of The Virginia Historian website, click HERE. Virginia provided the following units to the Virginia Militia and the Provisional Army of the Confederate States (PACS) during the American Civil War.Despite the state's secession from the Union it would supply them with third most troops from a Southern state (next to Tennessee and North Carolina) along with the newly created West Virginia totaling at 22,000. While every effort has been made to follow citation style rules, there may be some discrepancies. By the time General Robert E. Lee surrendered in 1865, much of the state had been ravaged by war. However pro-Union sentiment was often conditional. The Civil War in Virginia, for those interested in political and social history, can be introduced with four books from the battlefield, the naval war and amphibious operations, motives of the fighting men, and Lees Army of Northern Virginia. I can anticipate no greater calamity for the country than a dissolution of the Union. Virginia Humanities acknowledges the Monacan Nation, the original people of the land and waters of our home in Charlottesville, Virginia. Major General Robert Milroy, commander of the 2nd Division, entered in force at the beginning of the year in 1863, coincidental with the enactment of the Emancipation Proclamation. Updates? ConfederateVicePresidentAlexander Stephens believed moving the capital would provide Virginians with an incentive to fight for the Confederacy. Milroy was noted for his harsh treatment of women. Mine Run Campaign (November-December 1863) Location: United States Participants: Confederate States of America United States Major Events: Battle of Antietam Fort Pillow Massacre Battle of Gettysburg Battle of the Monitor and Merrimack Battle of Monocacy . Although Union general Philip H. Sheridan has an infamous reputation in the Shenandoah Valley, his occupation of Winchester in the autumn of 1864 brought some much-needed stability to the town. Winchester and Frederick County contributed several companies to the regiments of the Stonewall Brigade. The mid-October 1863 price of flour was $12 per barrel. Corrections? No part of the state escaped, with battles fought deep in the mountains to the Atlantic coast. Few events have shaped Virginia's history more profoundly than the Civil War. Civil War Share Explore Virginia's Civil War History Get hands-on with history in Virginia as you hear stories, read accounts, and see reenactments of life during the Civil War. Gallagher is at pains to consider a variety of viewpoints, using evidence from the Confederates of the time to counter both those who canonize Lee and those who dismiss him. Lee surrendered to Granton April 9th, 1865, with theofficialsurrender ceremonies taking placeon April 12th, 1865. Subscribe to the American Battlefield Trust's quarterly email series of curated stories for the curious-minded sort! With Virginias entry into the Confederacy, it was decided in May to move the Confederate capital from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond, Virginia. A number of factors underlay that resolve. Seeing more major Civil War battles than any other state, Virginia was a prominent part of the Confederate States of America. By the early 21st century Virginia was among the most prosperous states in the . These include compiled service records, pension records, rosters, cemetery records, Internet databases, published books, etc. The Majority of our funds go directly to Preservation and Education. The memory of the war and its aftermath continue to be felt to this day. At the end of 1864, Maj. Gen. Sheridan stated that "The crow that flies over the Valley of Virginia must henceforth carry his rations with him". During the winter of 1861, Banks headquartered his troops of the V Corps in Frederick, Maryland. Recently appointed General Ulysses S. Grant was at the mantle of the siege. Stephens, along withotherConfederatesknew ofPatrick Henrys Give me Liberty or Give me Death speech delivered inRichmond;they also knew that Thomas Jefferson designed the Capitol buildingin Richmond. This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged. Though there are numerous contingent moments where victory or defeat hung in the balance, the North gradually developed both military and industrial superiority. While local historians boast that Winchester changed hands more than seventy times during the war, estimations of full-fledged occupations by either army range from eleven to thirteen. Revolution, Constitution & New Nation, 1750-1824, #3. Milroy, a radical abolitionist, was intent on using Winchester as a place to enforce this new proclamation in the strictest and harshest terms possible. Ties between Winchester and the American Civil War are considered to have begun with the suppression of John Brown's raid in October 1859, in nearby Harpers Ferry. [7] On April 4, the convention voted, and secession was defeated by a vote of 88 to 45. Slaveswere alsoforcedto build fortificationsfor the defenses of Richmond and Petersburg. For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War (2003) by Gary W. Gallagher describes the Civil War fighting mens motives for joining, fighting and persisting in the four years long conflict. Many slaves took advantage of Union military occupation to escape bondage, and even those who remained enjoyed increased autonomy when Union forces were present. Others criticized the competence of Lincolns cabinet choices. General Robert E. Lee at Fredericksburg, Virginia by Henry A. Ogden. It is difficult to determine how many of Virginia's Civil War soldiers who died in the conflict left widows. Hill Monument, Richmond, VA. And while he rejects dismissive analysis by revisionist historians, Gallagher also cautions that Lost Cause distortions of slavery and other matters cannot be swallowed whole. The bodies of a son of John Brown and three other raiders, one white (Jeremiah Anderson) and two Blacks (John Anthony Copeland and Shields Green), were taken to the Winchester Medical College for use in medical education. Unionists in Virginia: Politics, Secession and Their Plan to Prevent Civil War. McClellans Operations in Northern Virginia October-December 1861 With less than 150 miles separating the two capital cities of Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia, Northern Virginia found itself in the center of much of the conflict of the American Civil War. The American Battlefield Trust is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. On April 2nd, 1863, the Richmond Bread Riot took placedue to the rising cost of food and other necessities. In the South the victory boosted morale after the near disaster of Antietam. Richmondsproximityto Washington,D.C.,would rally Virginians tofight for the newly formed Confederacy. Jubal Early Drive snakes around south of downtown Winchester, along the central location for many of the battles. The firecould notbecontainedby the fire departmentdue to abreezethatcarried the fires across the city. The bloodiest battles of the Civil War were: Gettysburg: 51,116 casualties; Seven Days: 36,463 casualties; Chickamauga: 34,624 casualties; Chancellorsville: 29,609 casualties; Antietam: 22,726 casualties ; Note: Antietam had the greatest number of casualties of any single-day battle. Approximately 42 kilometers (25 miles) into . For The Virginia Historians 12-steps to your personal library on Virginia history, click here. The Union had suffered nearly 13,000 casualties, while the Confederates suffered approximately 5,000. Buy Lee and His Army at Amazon.com here. McClellan had failed to capitalize on the costly Union victory at Antietam and was then replaced by Burnside, one of his corps commanders. Located in the Winchester-Frederick County Visitors Center, this is a wonderful starting point for those seeking an overview of Winchester's Civil War experience.
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