American History Tellers - Civil War | First Blood | 2

Episode Date: August 3, 2022

On April 19th, 1861, an angry mob of Confederate sympathizers in Baltimore tried to stop a regiment of Union soldiers rushing to protect the capitol. Soon, four soldiers and 12 locals lay dead, and dozens more were wounded. It was the first blood spilled in what would become the Civil War.Soon, Union and Confederate soldiers marched into their first major battle. Both sides were confident of a quick, decisive victory. But the bloodiest war in U.S. history was just beginning. Listen ad free with Wondery+. Join Wondery+ for exclusives, binges, early access, and ad free listening. Available in the Wondery App. https://wondery.app.link/historytellersPlease support us by supporting our sponsors!There was a publishing issue when this episode was originally released which we quickly resolved. If you are hearing the incorrect audio, here are some things to try:1. If the episode is downloaded to your app, delete it and re-download2. Try listening in another podcast app, preferably on a different device if you have one available3. Try listening to the episode on our websiteIf you need more assistance, feel free to contact us at help.wondery.comSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Wondery Plus subscribers can binge new seasons of American History Tellers early and ad-free right now. Join Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Imagine it's the morning of April 18th, 1861, in Charlestown, a small community in northwestern Virginia. It's been five days since Confederate forces captured Fort Sumter in South Carolina. And one day since your state, Virginia, seceded and joined the rebellion. Your whole town is caught up in war fever, and the conflict is pitting neighbor against neighbor. You hear the sound of a drum as you walk to your office, where you work as a clerk. As you turn a corner and pass the courthouse, you see a

dozen volunteers assembling, rifles slung over their shoulders. As you approach the men, the sight of your younger brother Jack stops you in your tracks. He holds a musket in his hands. Jack, what are you doing here? That's Father's musket. Haven't you heard? The governor's called up a regiment into service to defend Virginia, and I wanted to be the first to put down my name. You're actually joining this godforsaken rebellion? I never figured you for a traitor. Traitor? There's nothing traitorous about it. I'm fighting to save our home. I'm standing up for the freedom of Virginia. You grab Jack by the elbow, pulling him away from the group. He rolls his eyes and follows reluctantly. Oh, come on. This is foolish. You don't have a stake in this fight. It's those Tidewater aristocrats in Richmond who decided to secede.

They don't give a damn about people like you and me. They're just trying to protect their own power. Sounds to me like you might be a bit yellow. Oh, no, no, no. I'm not against fighting. In fact, join me. I'm volunteering for the Union as soon as the First Regiment is raised. You know that's what Father would have wanted. I'd do no such thing. I won't go to war against Virginia. But why go to war for it? This state spends all our tax dollars on the East. They don't leave anything for us. We need roads and railroad tracks, not a war to defend slavery. No, no, if the North has its way, we're going to end up with a whole population of freed slaves competing with us for jobs.

There's going to be black governors, black legislators, black everything. Are we supposed to stand for that? He hitches your father's musket up on his shoulders and stands up straighter, trying to make himself look older than his 19 years. Look, I gotta return to the group. We're marching to seize the armory at Harper's Ferry. We have to make sure those weapons stay in Virginia's hands. As your brother walks away, you watch as another group of volunteers pulls down the American flag over the courthouse, leaving just the Virginia Standard flying alone. You're infuriated to see your neighbors go to war against the United States. But more than anything, you feel sick to your stomach at the thought that you may have to take up arms against your own brother.

From Wondery comes a new series about a lawyer who broke all the rules. Need to launder some money? Broker a deal with a drug cartel? Take out a witness? Paul can do it. I'm your host, Brandon Jinks Jenkins. Follow Criminal Attorney on the Wondery app, or wherever you get your podcasts. From the team behind American History Tellers comes a new book, The Hidden History of the White House. Each chapter will bring you inside the fierce power struggles, intimate moments, and shocking scandals that shaped our nation. From the War of 1812 to Watergate. Available now wherever you get your books. From Wondery, I'm Lindsey Graham, and this is American History Tellers. Our history, your story. In April 1861, the Battle of Fort Sumter thrust America into civil war.

As men from all walks of life rushed to join the Union and Confederate armies, friends, neighbors, and even brothers found themselves at odds. Both the North and South were wholly unprepared to wage a massive modern war. Leaders on both sides knew that the outcome could be determined by the allegiance of the border states or whether foreign powers decided to get involved. In the critical early days of the conflict, the Union and the Confederacy rushed to mobilize their forces on an unprecedented scale. Tens of thousands of farmers, factory workers, businessmen, and lawyers of all ranks and stripes had to learn to be soldiers. Generals and politicians had to devise complex strategies to fight a familiar enemy on home soil. Americans

on both sides expected a short conflict and hoped for an easy victory. But as soldiers marched to face each other in their first major battle, few could foresee the bitter trials in store for them, in a war larger and more destructive than any that America has ever endured. This is Episode 2, First Blood. In the spring of 1861, the South's attack on the Federal garrison at Fort Sumter stunned the North. Two days after the attack, on April 15th, President Lincoln issued a call to the states to muster 75,000 volunteer militiamen for 90 days, the longest term allowed under federal law. At the time, the United States had a tiny army of just 16,000 troops, mostly scattered in far-flung western outposts. Lincoln declared the rebellion too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings. He knew the courts would be no place to fight the South's rebellion. Instead, he hoped a quick show of force would be

enough to bring the Confederate states back in line and avoid a drawn-out war. And many Northerners were outraged to see Southerners fire on the Stars and Stripes. They flooded the streets for patriotic rallies, vowing revenge with cries of Save the Union and Remember Fort Sumter. The martial spirit transcended political divisions in the North. Even Lincoln's rival Stephen Douglas declared, Every man must be for the United States or against it. There can be no neutrals in this war, only patriots or traitors. By the time of the attack on Fort Sumter, seven slave states in the Deep South had already seceded.

The fate of the remaining eight slave-owning states in the Upper South hung in the balance. These states held most of the South's war resources, so their decisions could determine whether the Confederacy succeeded or failed. And for several states, Lincoln's call for troops proved to be the tipping point. The president was asking the Upper South to take arms against their sister states, a prospect that few relished. Virginia led the way. On April 17th, Virginia leaders voted to secede from the Union and join the Confederacy, declaring that the U.S. government was oppressing Southern slave states. The very next day, Virginia militia marched on Harper's Ferry to seize the federal arsenal there.

And in seceding, Virginia was a major boon to the cause of Southern independence. It was the wealthiest and most populous state in the South, comprising what is now Virginia and West Virginia. And its industrial capacity was almost equal to the seven other Confederate states combined. Virginia was also home to many of America's best military minds, including a 54-year-old veteran of the Mexican-American War named Robert E. Lee. Lee was the son of a revolutionary war hero and the scion of one of Virginia's founding families. He was also a slave owner who managed more than 200 people on three sprawling plantations. He drove his enslaved men hard, doled out harsh punishments,

and ruthlessly separated families. At the same time, Lee decried slavery as a moral and political evil, but not because he was worried about black people suffering in bondage. He declared, I think it a greater evil to the white man than to the black race. The painful discipline they are undergoing is necessary for their instruction as a race. For Lee, white men were doing the difficult but necessary work of enslaving black people for their own good. And Lee's opinions on secession were complicated as well. He initially opposed secession, but Virginia's leaving changed everything. He learned about his home state's decision on the same day he received a letter from President Lincoln offering him the job of commander of Union forces. Lee's loyalty to Virginia outweighed his loyalty to the Union. He resigned from the U.S.

Army, declaring, I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace, my home, my children. He soon became a general in the newly formed Confederate Army. And after Virginia seceded, taking Lee with it, the rest of the Upper South quickly followed. By May, North Carolina, Tennessee, and Arkansas would leave the Union, bringing the total number of Confederate states to 11. The only slave states left were the border states of Missouri, Kentucky, Maryland, and Delaware. In all of them, slavery was much less prevalent, and their populations were divided between allegiance to the North and South. President Lincoln knew how much was at stake. If these border states

seceded, it would completely change the balance of power. They had a population of white men more than half that of the entire Confederacy. They were also key to the Union's control of the Ohio River on Kentucky's northern border and the access it provided to tributaries flowing deep into the South. Knowing their importance, Lincoln declared, I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky. But in April of 1861, the loyalty of Maryland became a matter of urgent importance. Because if Maryland seceded, it would cut off Washington, D.C. from the rest of the North. The fate of the nation's capital rested in the hands of a state where secessionism flourished.

Confederate flags flew throughout Maryland's southern tobacco counties, and in Baltimore, its largest city. And in the frenzied days that followed Lincoln's call for troops, the streets of Baltimore erupted in violence, threatening to bring the Union war effort to a screeching halt. Imagine it's April 19th, 1861. You're a lieutenant with the 6th Massachusetts Regiment, one of the first units to respond to Lincoln's call for troops after Fort Sumter.

You're in Baltimore, trying to make it to Washington to defend the capitol. You've taken your men on foot to try to reach the next train at Camden Station, a mile and a half away. You can feel the tension in the air as you march your men up President Street. Confederate sympathy runs strong in this city. No one cheers or waves as you march past. Come on, steady on, boys. As you continue marching, you see a large crowd of men emerging around a corner up ahead, heading straight towards you. They fall into line, marching with you step by step just a few feet away. One man is carrying a South Carolina flag. He leers at you, and you grip your rifle tighter.

Ah, here comes the army of our black Republican president, on its way to oppress the South. Let's give a cheer for the freedom of the South, for Jeff Davis. You keep marching, trying to set an example for your regiment. But the crowd is blocking your way and slowing your progress. All right, halt. That's enough of this. You stride out of formation, approaching the man brandishing the South Carolina flag. And tear the fabric from its staff.

How dare you. How dare you desecrate that flag. The South will avenge you Yankee invaders. You stuff the flag under your coat and double back to your soldiers. But the angry mob of Confederate sympathizers crowds the street and blocks your path. You think we're just going to let you get away with this? Tear our flag down? March through our town? We'll kill you all. A glass bottle is thrown, shattering in the street. And suddenly, bricks and stones are raining down you and your men. You sprint for cover, but turn to see one of your volunteers is knocked to the ground.

His head is bleeding. You rush back and try to help him to his feet. Come on, soldier, come on. Can't leave you here. You turn around frantically to search for the source of the gunshot and see a man in the crowd waving a pistol. You expected bloodshed in battle, not from civilians in city streets. You're starting to fear you may not make it out of Baltimore alive. On April 19th, Confederate sympathizers in Baltimore

tried to stop a regiment of Union soldiers as they switched trains. The mob built obstacles on the tracks, forcing the soldiers to march on foot between stations, built obstacles on the tracks, forcing the soldiers to march on foot between stations, then attack them with bricks, stones, and firearms. The soldiers retaliated by firing back on the rioters. Local police sympathized with the South and refused to intervene. By the time the 6th Massachusetts Regiment escaped, four soldiers and 12 locals lay dead. Dozens more were wounded. This was the first blood spilled in the war. And it wasn't even in direct action against the Confederates. President Lincoln

was determined to suppress this defiance by the Union's own citizens. Congress was not in session when the war broke out, so the President took matters into his own hands. On April 27th, he suspended habeas corpus in the area between Philadelphia and Washington so that military authorities could arrest and detain anyone deemed a threat to the Union war effort. That same day, he ordered a blockade on southern ports to suffocate the Confederacy. Lincoln's critics accused him of being a tyrant, but he believed the scale of the national emergency justified his actions. He argued that the Constitution conferred him broad emergency powers to quell the rebellion. But with the allegiance of the border states at stake, Lincoln chose his words carefully.

He insisted he was not waging a war to end slavery. His chief purpose was to save the Union. For Lincoln, it was the Union that was sacred and perpetual. To tear it apart was to betray the founders and the sacrifices of the American Revolution. Across the Atlantic, recent democratic revolutions in Europe had failed, making the United States unique among nations. Lincoln would call the Union the last best hope of earth, insisting that secession was an attack on democracy itself and the principle that the will of the people was law. As he settled into the presidency, he was guided by a deep, unwavering belief in his duty to save the Union at all costs.

But Lincoln was a commander-in-chief with virtually no military experience. To give himself a crash course in tactics and strategy, he borrowed books on military science from the Library of Congress and stayed up late studying. Despite his lack of expertise, Lincoln knew that the North held many advantages. The Union held three-quarters of America's wealth and an equal proportion of its railroads. It manufactured 97% of the country's firearms. It also had a much larger population to fill army ranks and power the war effort. More than twice as many people lived in the North as in the South, and the Union also controlled the sea while the Confederacy scrambled to build a navy.

In Counterpoint, unlike Lincoln, Jefferson Davis had a degree from West Point and impressive military credentials. He was disappointed to serve as Confederate president rather than in a purely military role, so he refused to appoint a general-in-chief reserving those duties for himself. Davis looked to the example of George Washington, who defended a young and weak nation from conquest by simply not losing. The Confederacy had the strategic advantage of fighting defense in its own territory. The Union would have to conquer 750,000 square miles to win. Confederacy only had to fight to a draw.

And it could do it with many of America's most talented officers and generals, graduates of the region's strong military academies. The troops they would lead, though outnumbered, were resourceful. Most Southern soldiers were raised riding horses and shooting guns. They were confident they could defeat Yankee shopkeepers and factory workers. But on May 21st, the Confederate Congress made a fateful decision that would change the shape of the war. The rebel lawmakers moved the Confederate capital from Montgomery, Alabama, to Richmond, Virginia. Located just 100 miles south of Washington, Richmond was the second largest city in the South and its biggest manufacturing center.

The Confederate government hoped to gain legitimacy and prestige by centering its rebellion in the cradle of independence and home of founding fathers. The move ensured that Virginia would become the main theater of the war, and soon pressure mounted for the Union and Confederacy to test their strength. In the summer of 1861, northern and southern armies would converge near a creek in Virginia to face off in the war's first full-scale battle, one in which both sides would confront the harsh truth that the Civil War would be long, hard-fought, and bloody. Dracula, the ancient vampire who terrorizes Victorian London. Blood and garlic, bats and crucifixes,

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In the North, the response to Lincoln's call for 75,000 soldiers was so overwhelming that many volunteers had to be turned away. Minnesota was one of the newest states in the Union, and its governor was in Washington when news arrived from Fort Sumter. He immediately rushed to the War Department to offer up 1,000 men. And as word spread, men across his state descended on town halls and village squares to enlist. In St. Paul, the captain of a militia company called the Pioneer Guards posted advertisements asking men to enroll their names at a local saloon. Fathers and sons answered the call. Soon, companies across the state gathered into the 1st Minnesota Volunteer Regiment. By May, 1,000 volunteers boarded riverboats to head east. Similar scenes played out across the North, as families and neighbors enlisted side by side.

Ethnic groups also joined together, like the 79th New York, a unit of Scottish Highlanders who wore kilted dress uniforms. But the South had an earlier start, with militia companies expanding as each state seceded. Georgia's Tallapoosa Grays, North Carolina's Lexington Wildcats, and South Carolina's Palmetto Guards were among the volunteer companies to answer their state's calls for troops. In March, these volunteers were sworn in to the new Confederate Army. But for both sides, the initial mobilization was frantic and messy.

The Union Army had an edge in manpower and resources, but it had no real staff, no strategic plans, and few accurate maps of the South. In July 1861, the Union quartermaster complained, The nation is an extremity. Troops, thousands, wait for clothes to take the field. Men go on guard in drawers for want of pantaloons. Regiments on both sides initially supplied their own uniforms and wore a confusing variety of colors before the Confederacy settled on gray and the Union on blue. The Confederacy mobilized from the bottom up,

with amateur soldiers carrying their own bowie knives and Colt revolvers and cavalrymen riding their own horses. They were also burdened by supply shortages, leaving many soldiers marching barefoot and sleeping with tattered blankets. But the soldiers didn't worry. Most Americans thought the conflict would be over within 90 days. Lincoln, too, envisioned a limited war. He hoped to quickly show the South the error of their ways, win back the loyalty of the Southern people, and put an end to the rebellion. To accomplish this, he counted on the expertise of his general-in-chief,

a distinguished veteran named Winfield Scott. At 75 years old, Scott could no longer ride a horse. He was plagued by vertigo and struggled to walk even a few steps without pain. But his insistence on military discipline earned him the nickname Old Fuss and Feathers. Scott wanted to avoid invading the vast territory of the South. He devised a plan to slowly strangle the Confederacy with a blockade at sea and a fleet of soldiers on the Mississippi River. But newspapers criticized the strategy, dubbing it the Anaconda Plan. The Northern press and public were hungry for bold

and decisive action. When the Confederate Congress scheduled its next session to begin in Richmond on July 20th, a headline in the New York Tribune declared, Forward to Richmond. The press urged Union soldiers to invade Virginia and capture Richmond, ending the war before the Confederate lawmakers could meet. Making things more urgent, the Volunteer Army's 90-day enlistments were almost up, and Lincoln felt he could wait no longer. He bowed to the pressure, deciding to try an attack on a smaller Confederate force at Manassas Junction,

25 miles southwest of Washington. Manassas was an important railroad crossroads beside a small creek called Bull Run. General Scott's field commander, Brigadier General Irvin McDowell, insisted that his soldiers were not ready for battle, but Lincoln urged him onward against the Confederates, declaring, you're green, it's true, but they are green also. In making their battle plans, Lincoln and McDowell hoped they could exploit the element of surprise, but as McDowell prepared to march his soldiers out of Washington in early July, word of his movements was already on its way to the rebel leadership.

Imagine it's July 10, 1861. You've just arrived at Fairfax Courthouse in Virginia on a mission for a Confederate spy with deep connections in the U.S. Senate. She's discovered a Union military secret and is counting on you to deliver the message across Confederate lines. A suspicious soldier is reluctantly leading you to the courthouse to meet with his superior, Brigadier General Milledge Luke Bonham. The soldier continues to eye you warily, watching your every move as he leads you into a small office. There, General Bonham sits behind a large desk, poring over a map.

A handful of aides stand around him. He looks up at you and raises a bushy eyebrow. And who is this? I don't have time to entertain farmers' daughters. Please, General. I must speak with you. Bonham looks over your shoulder at the soldier who escorted you in. I thought I gave orders that no more ladies were to pass through our lines. We can't risk any Yankee spies slipping through. I'm no Yankee, and I'm no farmer's daughter. I insist on speaking with you. If you refuse, I'll ride on and go directly to Beauregard himself.

I doubt that. But fine, spit it out. What do you want? You reach up and pull out a tiny black silk packet you concealed in your hair. It's no larger than a silver dollar. You open up the packet and hand Bonham a slip of white paper. Here you are, General. Bonham puts on his glasses and peers down at the note. It's written in code. He picks up a small wooden cipher disk and begins to read the hidden message. McDowell has been ordered to advance on the 16th.

R.O.G. I suppose this is the lady you work for? Yes. Rose O'Neill Greenhow. She has it on good authority, I swear. Bonham turns to his aides. Our forces are scattered. We have less than one week to come together to head off the Union attack. Forward this information

to General Beauregard at once. And send a courier to President Davis. Bonham then turns to you with a grateful smile. I suppose I must thank you, miss. You nod, thrilled to have taken a small part in fighting for the freedom of the South. You look forward to the rebel armies thwarting the Union invasion, and bringing this war to a speedy conclusion. Confederate forces at Manassas Junction were commanded by General P.G.T. Beauregard, speedy conclusion.

Confederate forces at Manassas Junction were commanded by General P.G.T. Beauregard, the southern hero of Fort Sumter. He was warned about McDowell's movements by a Confederate spy from Maryland named Betty Duvall, who hid a message about the Union plans in her hair. With the help of Duvall's message, Beauregard gathered 20,000 soldiers to wait for the Union advance at Bull Run Creek, a sluggish stream a few miles east of Manassas. As Beauregard assembled his troops, Union forces got ready for their march south. On July 16, 1861, the streets of Washington erupted in cheers as 35,000 Union troops under McDowell set out for Manassas. As excitement rippled through the capital, spectators and congressmen packed picnic baskets

and set out in carriages to watch the battles. Many expected an easy Union victory, but the rookie soldiers straggled, taking three days to march 25 miles. The men were not used to long marches hauling 50-pound packs. And the Union Army's slow advance gave Beauregard time to call for an additional 11,000 reinforcements from the Shenandoah Valley. Beauregard consolidated his men along the south bank of Bull Run. Just after sunrise on July 21, the boom of Union artillery cut through the morning silence.

Union forces began shelling the Confederates across the creek, upriver from where most of Beauregard's men waited. The Battle of Bull Run had begun. In the first two hours of fighting, 4,500 Confederates gave ground to 10,000 Union soldiers. The spectators could see smoke going up from miles away. They celebrated early reports of Union victory. But the battle

was far from over. The Confederates retreated to Henry House Hill, an open hilltop near the home of a bedridden widow named Judith Henry. They found a brigade of reinforcements from the Shenandoah Valley waiting for them, led by Brigadier General Thomas J. Jackson. Jackson was an intensely religious and eccentric general who was fiercely dedicated to the Confederate cause. He wore tattered old uniforms, constantly sucked lemons, and frequently thrust his arm in the air, insisting on a need to balance out his limbs. But on Henry House Hill, Jackson set up batteries,

exchanging fire with McDowell's artillery for several hours. The widow Judith refused to evacuate her home, and she was caught in the crossfire and killed. During the artillery fight, another Confederate general exclaimed, Look at Jackson, standing like a stone wall. And the name Stonewall Jackson stuck. Jackson's men advanced and pushed back the Union soldiers. By the late afternoon, Union troops were exhausted after fighting all day in the blistering heat. At 4 p.m., Beauregard ordered a counterattack, and Jackson urged his soldiers to yell like furies. Their shrill, bone-chilling screams became known as the Rebel Yell, a hallmark of the Confederate Army.

Rushing forward, the Confederates crashed through the Union line. The tired and confused Union soldiers retreated in panic, many dropping their guns and packs as they scrambled back across Bull Run Creek, past even groups of bewildered spectators. It was a decisive victory for the Confederacy. Many Southerners were confident that the war would soon be over and victory would be theirs. Northerners were stunned and humiliated by the defeat.

Bull Run shattered dreams of a quick war, but the initial despair soon gave way to hardened resolve. Lincoln worked with General Scott through the night to make plans for a war that would be much longer than he hoped. In the days after the defeat, Lincoln signed legislation to enlist one million troops for three-year terms, and he replaced McDowell with Major General George McClellan. McClellan was tasked with commanding the new Army of the Potomac,

the principal Union army of the war's Eastern Theater. At 34 years old, McClellan was a stocky, red-haired West Point graduate. He was a skilled organizer and drillmaster, and he threw himself into whipping the Army of the Potomac into shape. As new regiments crowded into training camps around Washington, McClellan injected morale and discipline into the Army. He turned green recruits into skilled soldiers. His troops idolized him, affectionately calling him Little Mac and Young Napoleon. But McClellan had fatal flaws. He had a massive ego, insisting he was the only

man capable of leading the Union to victory. Yet he refused to take risks, and his caution paralyzed him. Months went by without any major fighting. McClellan was also a staunch Democrat who did not try to hide his hatred for Republicans and abolitionists. He privately criticized his commander-in-chief, calling Lincoln an idiot. In a letter to his wife, he declared, the president is nothing more than a well-meaning baboon. But it was McClellan's chronic caution that frustrated Lincoln. Still, the president was willing to patiently defer to the expert, declaring, I will hold McClellan's horse if he will only bring us success. Finally, in October, McClellan led Union troops,

but to another devastating defeat at Ball's Bluff in Virginia, the second major battle of the war. The disaster eroded confidence in Union chances of victory and frustrated Republican leaders. But McClellan convinced the Senate that Winfield Scott was to blame for the Army's problems. When Age forced Scott to retire as General-in-Chief in November, McClellan replaced him. McClellan had three times the manpower and artillery strength of his enemy. But he was convinced he was outnumbered and outgunned, complaining, I cannot move without more means. It looks as if we were condemned to a winter of inactivity.

If it is so, the fault will not be mine. As fall turned to winter, McClellan's continued indecision sent Northern morale tumbling. He had created a formidable fighting machine, but he was afraid to put it at risk. His paralysis had brought the Union war effort to a standstill, and Lincoln's patience would wear thin as he sought a decisive blow against the enemy. American History Tellers is sponsored by BetterHelp Online Therapy. This is controversial for some, but I'm convinced mind-body dualism is not a thing. What is that?

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He wanted to cut off the South's cotton trade from European markets. And the Confederacy was in desperate need of a European ally. Confederate hopes rested on Britain or France breaking the Union blockade, recognizing the Confederacy as a nation and supplying it with arms.

Lincoln was determined to do everything in his power to prevent the Confederacy from gaining diplomatic recognition and access to with arms. Lincoln was determined to do everything in his power to prevent the Confederacy from gaining diplomatic recognition and access to foreign trade. Hoping to strike a bargain, Jefferson Davis sent two diplomats on a mission to Europe. In October 1861, the diplomats left Charleston for Cuba, where they boarded a British mail ship, the HMS Trent. But before the ship could return to England,

a Union admiral intercepted the Trent and forcibly removed the two diplomats. The British were outraged by the insult, and the crisis quickly escalated, with 11,000 Redcoat soldiers being sent to Canada. The British government penned an ultimatum demanding the Confederate prisoners' release and an apology. Lincoln reluctantly complied, declaring, One war at a time. And the war that had already started was not going well. By the winter of 1861 and into 1862, while the Union Navy had won victories,

the Confederacy had won most of the key land battles. In mid-December 1861, Union General McClellan came down with typhoid fever, leaving the Army of the Potomac without a commander for nearly a month. In January of the next year, Lincoln told his cabinet, if McClellan does not want to use his army, I would like to borrow it. Northern leaders were quickly losing confidence in their top general. For more than two centuries, the White House has been the stage for some of the most dramatic scenes in American history.

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Are we excited for this moment? Ah! I cannot believe it. Buy it now. Stream free on Freeview and Prime Video. Imagine it's late January 1862 in Washington, D.C. You're in the downstairs parlor of General George McClellan's private headquarters in Jackson Square. You've just been appointed Secretary of War, and you've left your calling card to meet with the general. You're determined to get him to finally devise a plan of action against Richmond, but you know it won't be easy. He has refused to take the offensive, and your frustration is getting the better of you. You look up to see

a group of aides laughing as they exit the general's office. McClellan's private secretary waves you inside, where you find the general seated at his desk, leaning back in his chair. Mr. Secretary, please have a seat. Sir, I assume there's a good reason you've kept me waiting since 10 o'clock? Well, of course, my daily meeting with staff. Those chortling aides I saw come out of your office? Looks like you're all down to serious business, I'm sure. This is the last time you'll snub me, General. I won't stand for it. McClellan stiffens his shoulders and gives you an incongruous smile. Well, perhaps next time you should make an appointment with my secretary. I had important matters to attend to

this morning. I find that hard to believe, given that your army is completely inactive. You fail to make any serious moves to engage the enemy. Is it so hard to march your men toward Richmond? Mr. Secretary, you know I was down with typhoid fever. Well, you seem well enough now. When I took this job, I promised the President that I would clean up this department and put the Army of the Potomac on the offensive. I intend to keep my promise. Now, you will give me a precise date to pass on to President Lincoln. I couldn't possibly say. My men aren't ready. They're counting on me, and I won't throw them in harm's way. Need I remind you that you're an Army general, not a nursemaid? I know who I am. The American people are calling on me to save the Republic. You can't imagine the responsibility on my shoulders. Yes, I realize you think you're God's chosen instrument to save the Republic,

but you are not. You're President Lincoln's instrument. And if you don't come up with a plan soon, I will start pushing for your removal. This war is bigger than you. Good day, General. You walk out of McClellan's office, anger coursing through your body. You can't believe that the United States is depending on a commander who refuses to take action. You fear that McClellan's arrogance and caution will undermine any chances of winning this war.

In January 1862, Edwin Stanton took up the reins as Secretary of War. He insisted, this army has got to fight. Lincoln agreed. He and Stanton ordered McClellan to finally make a plan of action against Richmond. And at long last, in March, McClellan revealed a scheme to attack Richmond through an indirect route. He wanted to transport his army by water down the Chesapeake Bay, landing on the peninsula between the York and James Rivers.

From there, he would march his soldiers west toward Richmond. Though Lincoln had his doubts, he approved the plan. But before McClellan could move his troops, the rebel ship CSS Virginia appeared on the James River, blocking his path to Richmond. The powerful ironclad ship had originally been called the James River, blocking his path to Richmond. The powerful ironclad ship had originally been called the USS Merrimack. The previous summer, Confederates had captured the Union ship, covered it in heavy iron plating, and rechristened it. On March 8, the CSS Virginia sank two Union ships, stunning U.S. naval leaders. The following day, the USS Monitor arrived on the James River,

coming to the aid of Union troops, and the two ironclad ships fired on each other for hours. Neither was able to inflict serious damage, and both ships soon departed. Though the battle ended in a draw, the great duel of the ironclads signaled a turning point in naval warfare. And finally, on March 17th, McClellan's army began to sail down the Chesapeake Bay. Soon, 120,000 men arrived at Fort Monroe on the tip of the peninsula. By April 4th, the army began its march towards Richmond. As McClellan's army began its slow movements in the east, Union forces were racking up some much-needed wins in the west. Forces under General Ulysses S.

Grant kept Tennessee rebels at bay in the bloody Battle of Shiloh. Now, Northerners hoped a swift victory in the Peninsula Campaign would bring the war to an end. But McClellan's advance up the Peninsula was timid and sluggish. Its critics dubbed him the Virginia Creeper, and his soldiers were hampered by poor roads, heavy rains, bad maps, and McClellan's cautious leadership. Major General John Magruder was in charge of a tiny force of Confederate soldiers on the peninsula. He was tasked with holding McClellan's massive army off at Yorktown to give the main Confederate army time to march to Richmond.

Magruder, who had a passion for amateur theater, concocted a clever plan. To trick McClellan into thinking he faced far stronger opposition, Magruder staged a show. He ordered his troops to march in circles. Men shouted commands to units that did not exist. They built hundreds of campfires and painted tree logs black to look like cannons from a distance. The ruse worked. Fearing he was outnumbered, McClellan delayed attacking Yorktown. Instead, he opted for a tedious, month-long siege instead of a direct attack, which his larger army could have easily won.

Secretary of War Edwin Stanton complained, If McClellan had a million men, he would swear the enemy had two million, and then he would sit down in the mud and yell for three. By the time McClellan finally ordered an attack on Yorktown in early May of 1862, Magruder's forces had already withdrawn. The Army of the Potomac then continued advancing up the peninsula. On May 31st, they reached the outskirts of Richmond. Confederates fought back at the Battle of Seven Pines and blunted the Union advance. During the fight, the head of the Confederate Army,

Joseph Johnston, was badly wounded. The next day, Jefferson Davis replaced Johnston with Robert E. Lee. Union General McClellan was elated when he heard the news, ironically declaring that Lee was likely to be timid and irresolute in action. There was little truth in that projection. Immediately, Lee came up with a plan to defend Richmond by going on the attack. He reorganized the army and ordered his men to dig fortifications around the city. So many trenches were dug that some disgruntled rebel soldiers branded Lee the King of Spades. But the defensive structures served a purpose, allowing a small force to stay behind while Lee planned to take his men out of Richmond,

wait for Stonewall Jackson to arrive with reinforcements from a fresh victory in the Shenandoah Valley, then strike McClellan before he reached the city. Over the next week, Lee fiercely fought McClellan in a series of skirmishes known as the Seven Days Battle. The aggressive, relentless fighting hammered the mighty Army of the Potomac. By July 2nd, Lee had driven McClellan's forces back to the sea. The Peninsula Campaign ended in failure for the Union. But Lee had lost 20,000 men, twice the losses suffered by McClellan, and the casualties set a new precedent for harder and bloodier fighting. But Richmond was saved, and Lee was hailed as a hero. If McClellan had succeeded, the war may have ended that summer with little destruction to the South. The Union likely would have been restored, with slavery still intact. But Lee's promotion and victory

breathed new life into the Confederate war effort, ensuring that the conflict would be long and costly. After the Peninsula Campaign, Lincoln was forced to abandon his vision of a limited war. From now on, Union leadership would take steps to sabotage the Confederate war machine by robbing it of its labor force. Soon, the war to preserve the Union would become something else, a struggle to topple the South's social order by promising slaves their freedom. On the next episode of American History Tellers, tens of thousands of enslaved men and women flee across Union lines, seeking freedom and pushing the United States to fight for emancipation.

And Robert E. Lee makes plans to invade the North, setting the stage for the single bloodiest day in American history. If you like American History Tellers, you can binge all episodes early and ad-free right now by joining Wondery Plus in the Wondery app or on Apple Podcasts. Prime members can listen ad-free on Amazon Music. And before you go, tell us about yourself by filling out a short survey at wondery.com slash survey. American History Tellers is hosted, edited, and produced by me, Lindsey Graham for Airship. Audio editing by Molly Bach. Sound design by Derek Behrens. Music by Lindsey Graham. Voice acting by Ace Anderson and Cat Peeples. This episode is written by Ellie Stanton.

Edited by Dorian Marina. Our managing producer is Tanja Thigpen. Our coordinating producer is Matt Gant. Senior producers Andy Herman. And executive producers are Jenny Lauer Beckman and Marsha Louis for Wondery. Wondery. How did Birkenstocks go from a German cobbler's passion project 250 years ago to the Barbie movie today? Who created that bottle of red Sriracha with a green top that's permanently living in your fridge? Did you know that the Air Jordans were initially banned by the NBA?

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