History That Doesn't Suck - 46: The Civil War Begins: Fort Sumter, Secession, & Raising Armies

Episode Date: September 2, 2019

“I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky.” This is the story of the last, bare thread holding the Union together snapping. This is the start of the Civil War. US President Lincoln is giving Confederate President Jefferson Davis a difficult choice: let a peaceful, unarmed boat deliver supplies to Fort Sumter (and be seen as weak); or attack the unarmed boat (and be seen as the aggressor). Jeff chooses the latter. More states secede. Regiments form by the thousands on both sides. Blood flows in Missouri and Baltimore. And amid all of this, US Colonel Robert E. Lee faces the most important and difficult decision of his life: does he raise his sword against his nation? Or his home state and family? The Civil War has begun. ____ Connect with us on HTDSpodcast.com and go deep into episode bibliographies and book recommendations join discussions in our Facebook community get news and discounts from The HTDS Gazette  come see a live show get HTDS merch or become an HTDS premium member for bonus episodes and other perks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

What did it take to survive an ancient siege? Why was the cult of Dionysus behind so many slave revolts in ancient Rome? What's the tragic history and mythology behind Japan's most haunted ancient forest? We're Jen and Jenny from Ancient History Fangirl. Join us to explore ancient history and mythology from a fun, sometimes tipsy, perspective. Find us at ancienthistoryfangirl.com or wherever you get your podcasts. From the creators of the popular science show with millions of YouTube subscribers comes the MinuteEarth podcast. Every episode of the show dives deep into a science question you

might not even know you had, but once you hear the answer, you'll want to share it with everyone you know. Why do rivers curve? Why did the T-Rex have such tiny arms? And why do so many more kids need glasses now than they used to? Spoiler alert, it isn't screen time. Our team of scientists digs into the research and breaks it down into a short, entertaining explanation, jam-packed with science facts and terrible puns. Subscribe to MinuteEarth wherever you like to listen. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and as in the classroom, my goal here is to make rigorously researched history come to life as your storyteller. Each episode is the result of laborious research,

with no agenda other than making the past come to life as you learn. If you'd like to help support this work, receive ad-free episodes, bonus content, and other exclusive perks, I invite you to join the HTDS membership program. Sign up for a seven-day free trial today at htdspodcast.com slash membership, or click the link in the episode notes. Welcome to History That Doesn't Suck. I'm your professor, Greg Jackson, and I'd like to tell you a story. Pierre-Gustave Toutant Beauregard, or simply Beauregard as he's often called,

is not enjoying his current situation. As of last month, this 42-year-old French-blooded Louisianan became the first and thus far only general of the newly established Confederate States of America. Now it's April 11th, 1861, and he's in Charleston, South Carolina, charged with making the U.S. forces still holding on to their island fortification out in the harbor, the star-shaped multi--level Fort Sumter leave. As he and his superiors see it, South Carolina seceded from the U.S. nearly four months ago.

And still, those U.S. troops won't budge. They have to go if the Palmetto State, and now the Confederate States of America, or CSA, are going to assert their sovereignty. As such, Beauregard has orders to destroy Fort Sumter. But he doesn't want to do it. I mean, the commander out there is his old West Point professor and friend, Major Robert Anderson. Beauregard even sent Robert a box of cigars and a case of fine whiskey a few days back. Robert refused them,

but the gesture underscores the point. Beauregard does not want this fight. That's why he sent three of his aides to the island fort this afternoon with generous terms. If Robert and his men are willing to leave Fort Sumter, Beauregard will not only permit them to do so, but he'll provide support and let them take the U.S. flag. They can even salute the stars and stripes as they lower it. But how will the major respond? Well, Beauregard's aides are returning to Charleston's shore right now. Let's see what they've got. The three aides, local plantation owner Colonel A.R. Chisholm, former U.S. Senator, Colonel James Chestnut, and the young captain, Stephen Dill Lee, give their report. It's a no. Robert and his men can't forget their honor as soldiers.

That means Beauregard has to attack. But the trio also reports that, as they were getting back in their boat, the Kentucky-born U.S. Major casually stated, If you do not batter us to pieces, we shall be starved out in a few days. Wait, that's something. If Robert's troops at Fort Sumter are nearly starved out, maybe they'll be forced to leave before U.S. President Lincoln's promised provisions arrive. Beauregard telegraphs this news to Confederate Secretary of War Leroy Walker. Leroy soon responds, if Robert will provide a promised time and date by which he and his men

will leave, and further, if they promise not to fire on Confederate forces, Beauregard doesn't have to attack. Okay then, joined by the still-seated, pro-secession Virginia U.S. Congressman Roger Pryor, our trio of messengers row the four or so miles back out to Fort Sumter. Bearing a white flag, they arrive at the fort after midnight. Congressman Pryor awkwardly stays in the boat as the three official Confederates proceed to deliver Beauregard's last effort to spare bombardment. Robert confers with his officers. It's a heavy decision.

Their choice could start or avoid, well, at least defer, civil war. The U.S. officers talked for hours, finally giving an answer to the Confederate messengers at 3 a.m. Out of food, they will leave in three and a half days at 12 noon on April 15th. Okay, that works, but here's where things get sticky robert and his men agree they will not fire on the confederates first but if beauregard's forces fire on them or anything american in other words those en route peaceful supply ships that could show up before april 15th then they will return fire the three messengers confer and agree they don't have the authority to accept Robert's counteroffer. Despite Beauregard's last attempt, the attack will

have to move forward. In the gentlemanly fashion of 19th century warfare, James Chestnut forewarns the U.S. major that bombardment will begin in one hour. Robert looks at his pocket watch. 3.20 a.m. I understand you, sir, then that your batteries will open in an hour from this time, he asks. Yes, sir, in one hour, James responds. The loyal Unionist Robert walks the three Confederates, his fellow Southerners, back to their boat. He shakes each one of their hands as they stand in the dark morning's light rain. If we never meet in this world again, God grant that we may meet in the next.

And with that, they part ways. The messengers don't return immediately to Charleston. Instead, they must initiate the attack plan. The men row just over a mile to the west to James Island's Fort Johnson and awake Battery Commander Captain George S. James. He's ordered to fire at exactly 4.30 a.m. George snaps into action and has the guns prepared at 4.15. He then offers longtime pro-secession congressman Pryor the honor of firing. No. The still-seated congressman replies, shaking. I could not fire the first gun of the war. Ah, yes, it's one thing to talk secession.

Firing on your countrymen? That's another. He and his three officially Confederate companions return to their boat and push off for Charleston. George looks at his pocket watch, awaiting 4.30 a.m. sharp. Fire! The mortar shell flashes brilliantly as it cuts across the still dark sky then explodes in flashes of orange and red

right above Fort Sumter. And that's it. That's the signal. Confederate batteries on all sides of the fort opened fire. After years, if not decades, of buildup the American Civil War. It's a big day and we've got a lot of ground to cover. I'll start by giving you a little more background and the final outcome of the Battle of Fort Sumter. The fallout from it will lead to violent secession crises in the Upper South and blood will be spilt in Maryland and Missouri.

In fact, Missouri almost gets into its own civil war. We'll see if John the Pathfinder Fremont can stop the bleeding there. In the middle of that mess, Lincoln and Jeff Davis have armies to raise. But that proves to be a big headache for the understaffed, underprepared war departments in Washington, D.C. and Richmond, Virginia. Then we'll see these green, untested troops prepare for battle. Ready? We start in March 1861 as Jefferson Davis first begins to shoulder our responsibility for what's happening at Fort Sumter. Rewind. Stepping into his new role as president of the Confederate States,

Jefferson Davis needs to appoint military commanders. Particularly, he's got to appoint someone to head to Charleston and deal with the situation at Fort Sumter. In making this appointment, the Mexican-American war vet turns to one of his war buddies. Pierre-Gustave Touton-Bourgar. Look, we're all thinking it, so I'll just say it. How the hell did he get out of the first grade with a name like that? Well, the name is actually fairly cool in his neck of the woods. He's a Louisiana Creole. But the new general also makes life easier on himself and I assume Starbuck baristas, you know, for all those Starbucks in 19th century America, by answering to his two middle initials, GT. So GT readily accepts Jeff's rank-bumping

offer to join the Confederate Army. GT already has a chip on his shoulder after not receiving enough credit for his military contributions during the conflict with Mexico. Further, the Louisianan has given over a decade of faithful service to the U.S. Army since then, and he's still only a captain. So when Jeff offers G.T. this brigadier general commission, the suave Creole doesn't hesitate. Well, he has to stop off at the tailor and get a general's uniform custom made, but after that, G.T. is off like a shot. Sporting his slick new uniform in a general's uniform custom made, but after that, GT is off like a shot. Sporting his slick new uniform and a freshly trimmed goatee, the well-coiffed 42-year-old swaggers into Charleston, South Carolina on March 3rd, 1861. With his hint of a French Creole accent,

GT didn't learn English until he was 12. Plus his high rank and political connections, Charlestonian socialites are drawn to him like a moth to a flame. GT uses this to his advantage and soon has several military aides. And he puts them to work. GT may spend an inordinate amount of time on his sleek, dark hair every morning. Not joking, that's true. But he is an experienced, professional, and capable military commander. Right away, he can see storming the heavily armed stone-walled fort would be a terrible call. Instead, GT plans to shell it into oblivion. While his 9,000 eager men build 13 batteries aimed at Fort Sumter around the perimeter of Charleston Harbor, political leaders of both the United States and the Confederacy try to get the other to flinch.

Now, you heard a lot about this back and forth in episode 44, but I didn't tell you Jeff Davis's side of the story. From his perspective, Secretary of State William Seward's covert interactions with the Confederate commissioners is a ploy to throw the rebellious states off the scent of a sophisticated plan to resupply and reinforce the fort. Remember that William consistently promises that Fort Sumter will be peacefully evacuated, and a few other U.S. emissaries promise the same thing. These rogue agents in the Lincoln administration are not only making Honest Abe look like a liar in Jeff's eyes, but they're causing the Confederate president to

second-guess the U.S. president's very sincere, very public promise to resupply the fort's hungry men with food only. On April 6th, Lincoln sends a message to the governor of South Carolina. Yeah, he's not going to acknowledge the Confederate government by communicating with them. Anyway, the Illinois rail splitter notifies them of his plan to supply Fort Sumter with provisions only and that if such an attempt be not resisted, no effort to throw in men, arms, or ammunition will be made without further notice. Ah, you see what he's done, right? Lincoln just put Confederate leaders in a lose-lose situation. If Jeff and his boys attack the innocent relief mission, they'll be the aggressors starting the war.

Of course, if they don't attack, they'll look weak. Basically, if Lincoln and Jeff were playing chess, Lincoln just pulled off a night fork. Jeff's losing a piece. All he gets to do is pick which one. Well played, Mr. Lincoln. But enough talk. Let's put this brilliant plan into action. The author of Operation Sumter, Gustavus Fox, originally wanted to focus on Fort Sumter. But Lincoln revises the plan to incorporate a way to also get food and men to Fort Pickens, an island stronghold in Florida, in a similar situation. Unfortunately, as is becoming a real habit in the Lincoln White House, there's a miscommunication. And this time it's not some out-for-personal-glory White House staffer's fault. No, the blame for this lands squarely on Lincoln's shoulders.

As he's signing the orders for the resupply missions, Honest Abe fails to notice that the ship Powhatan is assigned to both missions. He could point fingers, but taking a the buck stops here attitude, linking cops to his quote-unquote carelessness in the whole affair. When Gustavus Fox reaches Charleston Harbor a few days later, he expects to have three ships at his disposal, but the Palatine is already in Florida. Without the guns and men of that ship to back up his supply boats, Gus is missing a vital piece of the operation. And that's when the cannon fire begins. After 34 hours of bombardment and thousands of shells fired by both sides, Robert surrenders.

None of his men have died in the firefight, but he knows he can't hold out against GT's guns and men. Before they lower the tattered, smoke-stained U.S. flag, Robert's exhausted, defeated men fire a 50-round salute to honor the Stars and Stripes. But a fluke explosion of gunpowder kills one man and injures a few more during the salute. The poor guys manage to survive the battle just to be taken down by a simple flag ceremony gone bad. One of the injured passes away from his wounds soon as well. Yep, those are the two deaths from the Battle of Fort Sumter. Out of respect for his friend and former comrade-in-arms, G.T. waits until Robert leaves Fort Sumter

before marching into the partially destroyed Concord Stronghold. It would be an unhonorable thing to be present at the humiliation of my friend. Late in the afternoon on April 14th, the Confederates raise the stars and bars over the fort. Contrary to what some of you might think, this isn't the battle flag. It's the first Confederate flag. A silk banner with a blue square in the corner acting as a background for seven white stars. The remainder of the flag consists of three thick stripes, two red, one white. Now what does this change in flags at the fort mean for the eight upper southern states

still sitting on the fence about staying in the Union or joining the Confederacy? G.T. Beauregard firing on Fort Sumter before supply ships could reach it marks a shift in the secession debates of these border states, especially Virginia. Virginia secession convention goers have been debating whether or not to leave the Union since February. The battle for Fort Sumter just turns up the heat on this pressure cooker. Even though they've been meeting staunch resistance from Southern Unionists, plenty of speech makers have been trying to persuade the old Dominion to join the Confederacy. Like convention delegate John Preston, who asks his fellow Virginians, to step forth and keep the ancient glory of your name. But John has correctly guessed all along that the home state of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and James Madison would, quote,

not take sides until she is absolutely forced, close quote. That force comes one day after GT's men raise the stars and bars over Fort Sumter. On April 15th, Lincoln issues a call for 75,000 militiamen to put down the Confederate rebellion. Anti-secession Southerners who want to stay in the Union and firmly believe that the President would never invade the South, known as Southern Unionists, see this as a total slap in the face. The proclamation appears in papers all over the country on April 15th and reads, Now, therefore, I, Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States, in virtue of the power in me vested by the Constitution and the laws, have thought fit to call forth, and hereby do call forth,

the militia of the several states of the union to the aggregate number of 75,000 in order to suppress an insurrection too powerful to be suppressed by the ordinary course of judicial proceedings. Gauntlet thrown. Virginia responds to this call for soldiers with a firm hell no. The Virginia Convention passes a secession resolution on April 17th. Arkansas, North Carolina, and Tennessee follow suit without batting an eye. Former presidential candidate and unionist, Tennessee Senator John Bell switches sides and throws in with the Confederacy, citing the, quote, unnecessary, aggressive, cruel, unjust, wanton war which is being forced upon us. Close quote.

This is a huge shot in the arm for the Confederacy. These four states bring a ton of resources to the table, like large populations, manufacturing centers, horses, men, and productive farmlands to feed them. Virginia also claims the experienced military genius, Colonel Robert E. Lee. But will the son of a revolutionary war hero, Light Horse Harry Lee, who spent his entire adult life in service to the United States of America, choose to join the Confederacy? Ah, Bobby. Yeah, we've interacted with Robert a few times before, so I'm calling him Bobby, just like his close friends do. Bobby faces the biggest decision of his life. Let me give you some background on him to help

you understand just how serious this is. You might recall that we first met Bobby back in episode 36. He got pinned down behind enemy lines on a scouting mission and had to hide under a log near a watering hole all day while Mexican soldiers filled their canteens. Then he landed the assignment to put down John Brown's rebellion at Harper's Ferry in episode 43. But despite all appearances, Bob has a life outside of the army. When he's not winning the respect and loyalty of men by crushing it on the battlefield, he lives on a productive plantation near Arlington, Virginia. The army officer is a blue-blooded Virginia gentleman, all right, but he grew up in relative poverty. His dad, Light Horse Harry, lost the family fortune, plantation, and home in a series

of, ahem, questionable life decisions. Harry died when Bobby was only 11, leaving the dark-haired boy, his siblings, and his mom to fend for themselves. With the encouragement of his mom and the help of his extended family, Bobby graduated from West Point and joined the army as a junior officer. In 1831, he convinced somewhat spoiled, wealthy, only child Mary Anna Custis to marry him despite his modest circumstances. Hold up, Custis, where have we heard that name before? Ah, right. Martha Custis Washington. Mary Ann Custis is her great-granddaughter and the only living child of George Washington Park Custis. Mary's dad, George, didn't just have patriotic parents.

He is the step-grandchild turned adopted son of the first president, George Washington himself. Talk about marrying up, Bobby. Mary, Custis, Lee, and Bobby have seven kids together. His family spends most of their time at Mary's inherited family home in Arlington, while Bobby slowly climbs the ladder in the U.S. Army. So when Virginia secedes in April 1861, Bobby has gone from a handsome young lieutenant

with dark wavy hair and neatly trimmed sideburns to a slightly weathered, highly respected colonel with a grain beard. And you can be sure that General-in-Chief Winfield Scott knows Bob's value. The general calls Bobby, quote, the very best soldier I ever saw in the field, close quote. High praise. Winfield urges Lincoln to offer Bobby a promotion and a field command in the Union Army. Meanwhile, Virginia Governor John Letcher has plans to do the same thing. But neither man can pressure Bob onto their team. This is a decision that the brilliant colonel has to make for himself. And he has a lot to consider as he weighs his options. Plenty of Southern military officers, like Louisiana Creole G.T.,

have no problem switching their allegiance to the Confederacy. However, men like Virginian Winfield Scott choose to stay with the Union despite their home state's secession. Bob has a complicated Gordian knot to untangle before he can choose a path forward. As he tells a friend, I must side either with or against my section. I don't think a simple pros and cons list is going to help Bob here. Here's the thing. Bob has three strong and somewhat conflicting loyalties to consider. First, he identifies with his fellow slaveholding southerners. While he doesn't defend slavery, Bob actually calls it, quote, a moral and political evil in

any country. He despises the fiery, controversial tactics of abolitionists. Second, beyond his affinity for his slave-owning neighbors, blue-blooded Bob is a native Virginian with a pedigree as long as his arm. And finally, he's a loyal U.S. citizen who believes that nation trumps section, just like his idol and great-grandfather-in-law, George Washington. Which bond will prove the strongest? To whom will Bob pledge his allegiance? His southern brothers? His fellow Virginians? Or his beloved country? Being the efficient army man that he is, Bob won't leave us or anyone else in suspense for long. On April 18th, Bobby meets with Francis Blair Sr., one of Lincoln's advisors in Washington, D.C., and receives a formal offer to head up the Union Army.

Francis says, I come to you on the part of President Lincoln to ask whether any inducement that he can offer will prevail on you to take command of the Union army. Command of the entire army. This is a serious step up. But the colonel turns it down. He leaves the meeting and goes straight to Winfield's office. Off the record, Bob pretty much tells Winfield that he's going to turn down the position. According to legend, Winfield sadly replies, Two days later, Bob formally resigns in writing. He apologizes for not writing sooner, explaining the delay is the fault of, quote, The struggle it has cost me to separate myself from a service to which I have devoted all the best years of my life. Close quote.

Damn. After a severe internal struggle, Bob has chosen his state over his nation. He tells his sister, quote, I cannot raise my hand against my relatives, my children, my home. I have therefore resigned my commission in the army and save in defense of my native state. I hope I may never be called upon to draw my sword, close quote. That hope will be dashed immediately. On April 23rd, he becomes the commander of Virginia's army and begins preparing to fight for his state and his new country. Want to learn how you can make smarter decisions with your money? Well, I've got the podcast for

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it's nothing compared to the violent debates raging in Maryland, Kentucky, and Missouri. Quick aside, I need to mention Delaware. This small slave-holding state has a few pockets of secessionists, sure, but unionists in Delaware's government win the day. The first state to ratify the Constitution quickly decides to stay the course and remain in the Union. Okay, now back to the action. Let's start in Maryland. After Lincoln issues his call for soldiers, regiments come flying into the capital city from all over the north. It helps that Lincoln's former rival, Democrat Stephen Douglas, goes to bat for him. The little giant pulls out all the stops, arguing, quote,

In this hour of trial, it becomes the duty of every patriotic citizen to sustain the general government. Close quote. He goes on to urge, quote, Every man to lay aside his party bias. Give up small prejudices and go in heart and hand to put down treason and traitors, close quote. Within two days of the call for volunteers, Massachusetts Governor John Andrews sends this telegram to the White House, quote, two of our regiments will start this afternoon, one for Washington, the other for

Fort Monroe. A third will be dispatched tomorrow and the fourth before the end of the week. Close quote. These guys are not messing around. The Bay Staters are definitely ready to fight. But their first brush with enemy fire comes sooner than anyone anticipated. See, the 6th Massachusetts Regiment has to take a train through Baltimore, Maryland, to reach Washington, D.C. Now, that might not be a big deal if there wasn't an itching-for-a-fight secessionist movement in Baltimore. See, the only thing standing between Maryland and secession is its uncompromising Unionist governor. His firm stance

leads to a building frustration among Baltimore's pro-Confederacy residents, turning this town into a powder keg. And the blue-clad, fresh-faced Union Massachusetts soldiers arriving on April 19th in Maryland's largest city are lit matches. The violence starts when the soldiers change trains. If you think it's a nightmare to run across a busy airport to catch your international connecting flight, that is nothing compared to what these guys are facing. The Bay State Regiment has to detrain on the east side of town and schlep their gear all the way across the city to another station where they can board a southwest-bound steam engine to D.C. As the men march through the streets, passing buildings, proudly waving the Confederate stars and bars, they meet an angry mob of secessionists. The rioters, barely

contained by a mostly sympathetic to the South Baltimore police force, start hurling insults like, quote, n***a thieves, close quote. Then they start throwing bricks. The Greenhorn soldiers lose their nerve and fire into the crowd. And now all hell breaks loose. The militiamen fight their way to the station, but the mob fights back.

Using knives and revolvers, in addition to loose stone pavers, the mob attacks the regiment relentlessly. The Baltimore Sun newspaper reports, The scene while the troops were changing cars was indescribably fearful. By the time the soldiers make it to the safety of their D.C.-bound train, four of them are dead and dozens more lay wounded. Worse still, they have killed at least nine Baltimoreans in the melee. More than one witness of this violent scene notes how ironic it is that the first action a Massachusetts regiment sees happens on the 86th anniversary of the Battles of Lexington and Concord.

The regiment gathers its wounded men and hightails it to Washington. But the violence continues in Baltimore. Rioters cut telegraph lines, tear up train tracks, and even burn railroad bridges, effectively cutting off nearby Washington, D.C. from the north. How will the stranded from his supporters president respond? That evening, Lincoln meets with the mayor of Baltimore and the governor of Maryland. Since D.C. is surrounded on three sides by Maryland, Lincoln has to walk a razor-thin line. He can't afford to anger these guys, which may push them over to the Confederacy, but he needs

to get some assurance that his soldiers can safely travel through their state. In the end, the president agrees to, quote, make no point of bringing further troops through Baltimore. Close quote. The next day, another delegation of Marylanders demand that all Union troops avoid not just Baltimore, but the entire state. Huh, Lincoln flat out refuses. I must have troops to defend this capital. Geographically, it lies surrounded by the soil of Maryland. Our men are not moles and can't dig under the earth. They are not birds and cannot fly through the air. There is no way but to

march across, and that they must do. But that's as far as Lincoln pushes it. Some members of the cabinet suggest arresting rioters, but the level-headed president decides that, quote, it would not be justifiable, close quote. Good call, Abe. While secessionist mob violence flares up now and again for the next several months, Maryland stays in the union. Which is great and all, but what about the torn up railroad tracks? How are the rest of the Washington DC- bound regiment supposed to get to the Capitol now? Well, newly appointed Massachusetts Brigadier General Benjamin Butler knows how to make things happen for himself. Oh, and the soldiers under his command too.

Yeah, he's definitely focused 100% on their well-being. I trust you pick up on my sarcasm by now. Anyway, while Ben's heading to DC with the Massachusetts 8th, he hears about this complete clusterf*** in Baltimore and quickly changes course. He and his men detrain north of Baltimore and commandeer, nautical term, a steamboat. They sail down the bay, pass burning Baltimore and disembark at Annapolis. Perfect. Now they can just catch the five o'clock express to DC, right? Almost. Riders have traveled south and torn up the rail lines and vandalized the trains that could get the regiment into the capital. But Ben finds several skilled men in his ranks who make the necessary repairs. One private with train building experience volunteers, quote,

that engine was made in our shop. I guess I can fit her up and run her. Close quote. Within a few days, the lines and trains are repaired, allowing thousands of northern troops to reach the capital without incident. So now that we've got things mostly under control in Maryland, let's head west to see how Kentucky is handling its divided loyalty crisis. The bluegrass state has a long history of moving heaven and earth to keep the fault lines in the United States from rupturing. Remember that the great compromiser Henry Clay hailed from Kentucky. But how will the people of this border state react when Lincoln asks them to provide troops to put down the rebellion in the South? Will they follow secessionist neighbors Tennessee and Virginia? Or will unionist politicians win out as they are doing in Maryland? Actually, neither. Kentucky plays its Switzerland card and declares neutrality.

I mean, this state is the birthplace of both Presidents Abraham Lincoln and Jefferson Davis. There's just no way Kentuckians, who are almost perfectly evenly divided between their sympathies for the North and the South, can pick a side. In May 1861, the legislature issues a statement that reads, quote, this state and the citizens thereof shall take no part in the Civil War now being waged, but will occupy a position of strict neutrality, close quote. The decision is crucial for both sides of this conflict. Kentucky lays claim to significant portions of the Ohio, Cumberland, and Tennessee rivers. Whichever side controls those waterways totally

has the upper hand when it comes to moving men and munitions into crucial battlegrounds. So while Lincoln could call their bluff and force Kentucky to pick a lane, he doesn't. In fact, rumor has it that Lincoln tells his cabinet, I hope to have God on my side, but I must have Kentucky. In the end, the president promises that if the state, quote, makes no demonstration of force against the United States, I will not molest her, close quote. He turns a blind eye to the Confederate benefiting traffic of men and goods through the state, accepting that neutrality is as good as it's going to get in his birth state. This clever maneuvering allows our good friend Major Robert Anderson to return from the destroyed Fort Sumter to his home state of Kentucky and set up a successful Union Army recruiting station just over the border in Ohio. Through his and other recruiters' efforts,

about three-fifths of the Kentuckians who served in the war march under the stars and stripes. Nice footwork, Lincoln. Delaware's sticking with you, you've managed to keep Maryland on your side, and you're letting well enough alone in Kentucky. But it can't all go this smoothly. Not with Missouri in the mix. Yeah, if Missourians were ready to throw down when their neighbor Kansas hinted that it might want to become a free state back in 1854, what are they going to do now that there's an actual war between the North and the South?

This is not going to be pretty. The newly elected pro-slavery Southern Democrat, border ruffian turned governor of Missouri, Claiborne Fox Jackson, called a secession convention in February. Then he publicly refused to answer Lincoln's April 15th call for troops. The gruff Westerner boldly declares his state won't send a single man, quote, to subjugate her sister states of the South, close quote. Don't hold back now, Claiborne. Tell us how you really feel. But the vocal angst stream Claiborne is not in the majority of Missourians and faces strong opposition within his own government. That convention he called actually rejects a secession

bill by a vote of 98 to 1, becoming the only state to hold a secession convention and remain in the Union. The governor also has to grapple with a powerful, well-connected Unionist congressman. Missouri State Representative Francis Blair Jr., whose brother is Lincoln's postmaster general and whose dad is the Lincoln advisor who offered an army commission to Bobby Lee, has the support of loyal U.S. Army Captain Nathaniel Lyon, currently stationed at the St. Louis Arsenal. Nathaniel already commands a couple of regiments of regulars and musters four more volunteer militia units. Yeah, Missouri is sending out a pretty strong unionist vibe. Nonetheless, the openly secessionist governor is willing to go toe-to-toe with this secession-rejecting convention, a Republican congressman,

and several hundred soldiers. He and the few supporters he has in his cabinet organize a pro-Confederacy, 700-strong militia and ask Jeff Davis to send up some artillery and guns. Klabe, I know it's the worst nickname ever, but he actually answers to it. Klabe promises to arm his men and take the arsenal at St. Louis for the Confederacy. Nathaniel is one step ahead of him, though. Realizing the 60,000 weapons in the army aren't safe, the Wiley commander hatches a plan to smuggle a big chunk of the arms out of Missouri. On April 25th, Nathaniel leaks a story that he will move thousands of guns across the Mississippi River to Illinois.

Nathaniel even gets an Illinois militia captain to hang out on a docked steamboat pretending to wait for a delivery. An excited mob buys the whole story and gathers at the docks. To sell this ruse even more, Nathaniel actually sends a few crates of crappy old flintlock muskets to the dock and the awaiting Illinoisan. Thinking they've hit the motherlode, the mob carries off the guns while the Illinois militia captain perfectly plays his part of the outnumbered, outwitted fool. That night, upriver a few miles and under cover of darkness, Nathaniel's guys load 21,000 surplus muskets from the arsenal onto a different steamboat. The guns make it across the river without incident, while the bamboozled Missourians open their crates to find a bunch of rusty, outdated arms.

A few days later, Claib and his militia station themselves at what they call Camp Jackson in a grove near St. Louis. On May 8th, the guns that Claib requested from Jeff arrived in several large crates. In a cartoonish attempt to throw Unionists off the scent, the wooden boxes, which contain four cannons and a ton of ammunition, are labeled marble. Yes, marble. If Bugs Bunny pulled this stunt, even his buffoon of an enemy, Elmer Fudd, wouldn't fall for it. The Confederate War Department is going to have to step up its game if it wants to keep up with Nathaniel. Anyway, Nathaniel's not

going to sit around and wait for Klabe's guys to use the cannons that so obviously just showed up. On May 9th, Nathaniel scouts out Camp Jackson. The committed to a win captain dresses up like a woman, complete with a bonnet and veil over his face, and pretends to sell eggs to the Missouri militiamen in order to get a good look at the camp's defenses. Nice move, Nathaniel. Of course, some historians point out that Nathaniel's epic Eric the Red type of beard probably would have given him away, even with the veil over his face. Then again, since laser hair removal and facial wax don't exist yet,

maybe the army man's egg-selling stunt could have worked. We'll never know for sure. But no matter how he gathered his intelligence, Nathaniel readies his men to attack Camp Jackson on May 10th. They surround the camp at dawn and all 700 of Klabe's volunteers surrender without firing a shot. So far, the loyal to the Union army has had a pretty easy time managing the secessionist movement in Missouri. But it's about to get ugly. Here's the thing. Most of Nathaniel's militiamen are German immigrants. For the last couple of decades, the U.S. has harbored a pretty strong anti-immigrant undercurrent,

and German and Irish immigrants have taken the brunt of it. It's no different here in Missouri. So the secessionist militia bristles at being arrested, not just by unionists, but by German immigrant unionists. As Nathaniel marches the, for all intents and purposes, POWs through St. Louis, an angry crowd starts shouting, damn the Dutch, and hurrah for Jeff Davis at the German guards. Just like in Baltimore, this crowd is not content to hurl insults. Stones, bricks, and anything else the angry mob can grab start flying at Nathaniel's moon. But they stay the course until a shot rings out. It wasn't actually aimed at the soldiers,

but came from two men jockeying for a better view of the prisoner parade. Within the growing crowds, one man elbowed another, trying to move him aside. The second man defended his position and shoved the first man down hard. The humiliated and frustrated fallen man pulled his pistol out and fired. Great idea, buddy. Fire your gun into an angry crowd surrounding well-armed soldiers and just see what happens. Unsurprisingly, the soldiers react immediately. They can handle a little verbal abuse and some flying rocks, but they aren't going to get shot at without defending themselves. Unit Commander Henry Bornstein orders his men to return fire. A fierce firefight ensues. When the dust settles,

two soldiers and at least 28 civilians are dead, including a baby who was shot from his mother's arms. Good God. And following that, Nathaniel manages to get most of his 700 prisoners into the cramped quarters at the St. Louis Arsenal. But the violence doesn't end. The St. Louis mayor closes all of the city's saloons, correctly guessing that adding liquor to this mess would be like pouring gasoline on a fire.

That night, a mob of angry St. Louisans kill several lone German-Americans and attack a local Republican-leaning newspaper office. Instead of convincing Claiborne to back down, this violence only galvanizes the Missouri governor, and he appoints Sterling Price as commander of the growing pro-Southern militia. This has got to end before Missouri devolves into its own civil war. So, on June 11th, Claib and Sterling meet with Congressman Francis Blair and Nathaniel to work out a truce. And you can see how this meeting is going to go, right?

Hot-headed Governor Claib and loyal to his nation Nathaniel mix about as well as oil and water. After four hours of fruitless, heated debate, Nathaniel stands up. Before storming out of the room, he yells at Claib, Quote, out of the room, he yells at Klabe, quote, rather than concede to the state of Missouri for one single instant the right to dictate to my government in any matter, I would see you and every man, woman, and child in the state dead and buried. This means war. Close quote. Whew, talk about bringing the heat. I would not want to be on the receiving end of Nathaniel's anger. The experienced military leader backs his threat with action. Four days later, he and his army occupy Missouri's capital, Jefferson City. This forces Klabe's truncated but loyal cabinet

to take refuge in the southwest corner of the state. Eventually, they get driven out of the state entirely. What are the citizens of Missouri supposed to do for a government now? Well, the secession-rejecting convention steps up to the plate. They reconvene in July and set up a provisional government. So for the remainder of the war, Missouri has two governments. The Confederacy recognizes Claiborne's exiled administration and welcomes Missouri in as its 12th state, while at the same time the provisional government in Jefferson City sends congressmen to Washington. This quagmire of

confusion and polarization leaves a power vacuum that allows guerrilla warfare to flourish in Missouri. More than any other border state population, Missourians experience the horrors, destruction, and bloody violence of unorganized family-on-family, neighbor-on-neighbor hostilities. The president can't and won't just ignore the mess in Missouri, but he's got several other irons in the fire at the moment. To hear about everything else on Abraham's plate and see what he'll come up with to help beleaguered Missourians, let's head east to D.C. and back

to April 21st, 1861. Rewind. The week after calling for volunteer troops, Lincoln decides to set up blockades on southern ports. Okay, this is actually old Winfield's plan. The aging, a little out of step general wants to avoid a land war by starving out the Confederacy. Of course, Winfield's plan requires patience and a long-range outlook, which are two things that the American public is short on right now. People want action. So yes, Lincoln dispatches several ships under the command of Gustavus Fox, you know, the Fort Sumter resupply mastermind. And the blockade does cause a little bit of pain in Confederate port towns. But Lincoln also employs the eager land forces that have been arriving from all over the North. One of these guys is Henry Clay Bunting, who's my third great uncle. He joins

Pennsylvania's Fayette Guards. And yes, I may have to mention what he and his other enlisted brother are up to as we move through this war. Anyway, these young, untrained, untried troops don't just want to shoot the Rebs. Okay, some of them probably do. But they have a higher purpose in joining this fight. And so does Lincoln. In early May of 1861, he tells his personal assistant, John Hay, I consider the central idea pervading this struggle is the necessity that is upon us of proving that popular government is not an absurdity. We must settle this question now, whether in a free government, the minority have the right to break up the government whenever they choose. If we fail, it will go far to prove the incapability of the people to govern

themselves. Well, they can't have that. Union soldiers are fighting for the sacred nation established by the now nearly sainted George Washington. That capital F founding father said in his presidential farewell address, quote, it is of infinite moment that you should properly estimate the immense value of your national union to your collective and individual happiness. Close quote. Basically, George called on every American to prioritize the nation over any sectional interest and cling to it like a drowning man would cling to a life preserver. And that is just what these union soldiers are going to do. Okay, wait. Preserving the Union sounds great, but what

about slavery? Isn't that hot-button issue what brought on this fight in the first place? Well, there are a few outliers who hope that the war will bring an end to slavery. Secretary of State William Seward's anti-slavery wife, Frances, sees a bigger and nobler cause for what she believes will be a long and bloody fight. Not one to bite her tongue, Francis tells William, quote, The true, strong, glorious North is at last fairly roused. The enthusiasm of the people, high and low, rich and poor,

all enlisted at last in the cause of human rights. No concession from the South now will avail to stem the torrent. No compromise will be made with slavery will avail to stem the torrent. No compromise will be made with slavery of black or white. Close quote. But Francis is definitely in the minority. In his first address to Congress on July 4th, 1861, Lincoln keeps slavery entirely out of the rhetoric. He promised not to mess with slavery where it already exists, and he's sticking to that. Only abolitionists like Francis and the indomitable Frederick Douglass notice the glaring absence of any mention of slavery in Lincoln's speech. Frederick writes a critique

of it in his newspaper, quote, no mention is at all made of slavery. Anyone reading that document with no previous knowledge of the United States would never dream from anything there written that we have a slave-holding war waged upon the government, while all here know that that is the vital and animating motive of the rebellion. Close quote. Well, Francis doesn't have the position to publicly voice her opinion, and Frederick doesn't have the power to put his opinion into policy. But one government official does, John the Pathfinder Fremont. Let's see how this turns out.

In order to bring some much-needed peace and quiet to Missouri, Lincoln appoints that Western explorer and former military man as general over the whole army in the Department of the West. But John only has minimal army experience, which you heard about in episode 34. So the first thing that the Pathfinder does is declare martial law in Missouri. Yeah, getting bossed around by an egotistical Union general and his cronies will definitely call him Southern sympathizers in the area. Again, sarcasm, my friends, sarcasm. To make matters worse, the acting without the backing of the White House general gives his soldiers permission to confiscate and emancipate the

slaves of any pro-Confederacy Missourian. It's one thing to hope that the war will end slavery, but John takes it about 10 steps further by promising to do it himself. Lincoln's been walking a freaking knife's edge trying to keep Missouri, Kentucky, and Maryland in the Union, and the first thing John does is threaten to emancipate any slave he wants? Oh hell no. Lincoln is pissed. He's playing the long game here and doesn't appreciate a military subordinate enforcing an extreme political policy. In a letter, the president berates John for initiating a scheme that only fans the flames of sectarian violence in the state. He then rips John a new one, pointing out that this emancipation stunt will, quote,

alarm our Southern Union friends and turn them against us, perhaps ruin our rather fair prospect for Kentucky, close quote. So much for containing the wildfire in Missouri. John's F-up eventually leads to his termination, proving how committed Lincoln is to the cause of the Union and only the Union at the start of the war. While Lincoln has been trying to keep border states on his side, raise an army, and give them a cause worth dying for, Jeff Davis has been dealing with a few issues of his own. The Confederate president also keeps slavery out of his war rhetoric, instead asking his countrymen to fight for, quote, the sacred right of self-government, close quote. They don't want to be pushed around by their northern neighbors anymore. One North Carolinian army recruiter tells his men, quote, submission to the yoke of despotism would mean servile subjugation and ruin. Close quote. This call to action against an aggressive and oppressive North brings thousands of Southern men into the

newly formed Confederate army. In fact, by the time Lincoln makes his first call for 75,000 three-month enlistees, the Confederate government already has 60,000 soldiers on its rosters. And that sounds like a good problem to have, right? But Jeff's infant, inexperienced government has some serious problems with which to contend. The biggest of these is supplying the eager new recruits. Some soldiers are able to bring their own horses, weapons, and uniforms. Even with that leg up, Jeff's War Department has a hard time getting enough food, blankets, and tents to the soldiers at the front lines. Many Confederates, including the preeminent Civil War diarist, Mary Chestnut, have no problem blaming one man for these problems.

Mr. Commissary General Lucius Northrup was the most cussed and vilified man in the Confederacy. He is held accountable for everything that goes wrong in the army. He may not be efficient, but his having been a classmate and crony of Jeff Davis at West Point points the moral and adorns the tale. Close quote. Okay, so I guess they are blaming two men. Jeff gets dragged into it as well, since he seems to be employing an old friend despite the cost to his soldiers. But even with an established war department, Lincoln's administration isn't doing much better than Jeff's. Congress approves three year enlistments for one million men, which seems like a good idea until the woefully understaffed

war department has to outfit them. Secretary of War Simon Cameron later remembered, quote, we were entirely unprepared for such a conflict, and for the moment, at least, absolutely without even the simplest instruments with which to engage in war. We had no guns, and even if we had, they would have been of little use, for we had no ammunition to put in them. Close quote. But the Union public doesn't care about these problems. They want to see action. Since the Confederate government has recently set up shop in Richmond and their Congress will meet on July 20th,

U.S. Senator Lyman Trumbull puts forward a resolution that calls for, quote, the immediate movement of the troops and the occupation of Richmond before the 20th of July, close quote. On June 29th, 1861, Lincoln approves a plan to attack G.T. Beauregard's troops defending the Virginia Railway Junction, known as Manassas. Two underprepared war departments, Two green, untested armies. Two generals with deadly aim. What could go wrong? History That Doesn't Suck is created and hosted by me, Greg Jackson. Research and writing, Greg Jackson and C.L. Salazar. Production and sound design, Josh Beatty of J.B. Audio Design.

Musical score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill. For a bibliography of all primary and secondary sources consulted in writing this episode, visit historythatdoesntsuck.com. Join me in two weeks, where I'd like to tell you a story. HTDS is supported by premium membership fans. You can join by clicking the link in the episode description. I gratitude you kind souls providing additional funding to help us keep going, and a special thanks to our members whose monthly gift puts them at producer status. Donald Moore, Donna Marie Jeffcoat, Ellen Stewart, Bernie Lowe, George Sherwood, Gurwith Griffin, Henry Brunges, Jake Gilbreth, James G. Bledsoe, Janie McCreary,

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