History That Doesn't Suck - 47: Bull Run, Trent Affair, the Merrimack, & Fort Donelson: The Early Days of the Civil War

Episode Date: September 16, 2019

“There is Jackson standing like a stone wall! Rally behind the Virginians!” This is the story of violence on land and sea. Of violence unlike anything America has ever known. Tens of thousands of Union and Confederate forces clash near Virginia’s Bull Run River and Manassas railroad junction. Naive, young soldiers quickly learn their romantic notions of war are a farce, Thomas Jackson defends “like a stone wall,” and Yankees hear a horrific sound: “the rebel yell.” Things are calmer on the sea. Lincoln wants a blockade to hem in Confederate ships. The result is one international, diplomatic nightmare (the Trent Affair), and the most devastating attack in US naval history. The carnage and destruction wrought on the US Navy by the CSS Virginia (the Merrimack) won’t be matched or exceeded until 1941. Lincoln’s despondent. He has setbacks, on the field, turnover from General-in-Chief Winfield Scott to George B. McClellan, and a dying son. It seems nothing can go right. There is one exception though. Welcome back to the story young Ulysses S. Grant. ____ 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

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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. 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. July 21st, 1861. Tens of thousands of Federal and Confederate soldiers are in the heat of battle just north of northeastern Virginia's strategically crucial railroad junction between the Orange and Alexander Line and that of the Manassas Gap. Lacking in skill but having the numbers, the inexperienced Union troops have forced their southern opponents

back from Bull Run River and up Henry Hill. Confederate General Bernard B. is trying desperately to get his men to hold their ground to no avail. True, his men have fought admirably for men who've never seen battle, but they are no more battle-hardened than their New York or Rhode Island adversaries. So as thousands upon thousands of federal forces bring a rain of artillery and bullets down on them, puncturing and shredding human flesh, it's hardly surprising that the outnumbered Confederates are taking flight. It's in this state of pandemonium that General B sees one column of Virginians marching toward rather than running from Henry Hill. He rides up to its commander. Ah yes, he knows that face. Bee

crossed paths with him at West Point and on the battlefields of the Mexican-American War. It's the Virginia Military Institute professor turned Confederate General Thomas Jackson. General, they are driving us, B exclaims. Not one to mince words, Jackson's response is as simple as it is crazy. Sir, replies the 30-something bearded Virginian with receding brown hair, we will give them the bayonet. Jackson springs into action. He instructs the frustrated Virginian, Officer John D. M. Bowden, to keep firing his 4.6-pounder almost out of ammo guns at the Federals across Bull Run on Matthew Hill. As he does so, Jackson forgoes higher ground to bring his own artillery and men to Henry Hill's

southeastern edge. It seems an odd choice, but the wisdom is soon apparent. Here, on the backside of a plateau, Jackson's batteries can fire at Union forces while generally staying out of view. Brilliant. Commanding generals Johnston and Beauregard soon arrive, giving more support to Jackson. Artillery duel under the hot afternoon summer sun as the Confederate forces make a comeback. Shrapnel strikes Jackson's left hand, ripping a hole between the bones leading to his middle and index fingers. Hot red blood flows freely as the general quickly ties a handkerchief around his somewhat mangled appendage. Only a scratch.

A mere scratch, he assures concerned artillery officer in Bowdoin. Jackson will worry about this later. Right now, he has a job to do. Virginia infantry exchange fire with Union forces as General B tries to gather his still fleeing troops. Having reformed 100 men, he points to Jackson on Matthew Hill. There's disagreement on his exact words and meaning, but he now says something to his men along these lines. There's Jackson standing like a stone wall. Rally behind the Virginians. And with this almost final utterance of his life, General B will be dead

within an hour. The South Carolinian commander has christened the straight-laced Virginia Military Institute professor with a new and badass nickname, Stonewall Jackson. The artillery now gives way to rifles as Union troops try to charge Confederate lines. The sheer carnage is mind-blowing as 58 caliber Mini-A bullets and cannons do their work. The Federals make three such charges. The reward for their bravery is death, and their lines start breaking. Can you imagine being one of these Union soldiers? You're a volunteer, seeing your first battle, coming to grips with how the romanticized ideas of war you might have held just this morning

are a far cry from reality. Considering that militias are formed from towns, how many friends and family have you just seen die in these three futile charges at those rebels? And to think, you barely even slept last night, if at all, thanks to a nearly all night long march. The death and fatigue are overwhelming. Then you hear it. What it is exactly, you don't know, but it's something like a dog, only meaner. No, more primal, feral, truly animalistic. It's some sort of scream like a pack of ravenous

wolves making a blood-curdling howl before devouring its prey. Except the pack's numbers are in the thousands, and as the ear-piercing war cry draws nearer, the smoke clears and you see its source. Thousands of Confederate soldiers sprinting towards you with bayonets fixed. As one northern soldier will later say, quote, There is nothing like it on this side of the infernal region.

The peculiar corkscrew sensation that it sends down your backbone under these circumstances can never be told. You have to feel it. Close quote. That sound, that scream, which will terrify Yankees at many a battle yet to come, that, my friends, is what we call the Rebel Yell. That's right. Today, the gloves really come off as we see action all over the place. First, we'll circle back and get more of the details on this battle, which the Federals will call Bull Run after the river, and the Confederates will call Manassas after the railroad junction. It's going to cause numerous deaths,

well, numerous by early Civil War standards, and have big psychological effects. Then we'll stay in Virginia, but head a little farther west, where we'll find some Virginians who are so adamant about staying in a union, they're going to break off and make a new state altogether. Following that, we'll meet the Union forces' soon-to-be new general-in-chief, George B. McClellan, get a taste of international politics as two Confederate diplomats are taken at sea in something we now call the Trent Affair, and witness as the CSS Virginia, aka the Merrimack, inflicts the highest losses the U.S. Navy will see prior to World War II. Finally, we'll end with a depressed Lincoln being buoyed up by a rising star in his forces whose only gift seems to be warfare, Ulysses S. Grant. I know, that's a ton of stuff, but that's 1861.

So we want to get a move on, but briefly, let me also note that HTDS is fast approaching its two-year anniversary. Whether you've been listening for two years or are binging two years worth of material, thank you for being a part of this. We're celebrating with some bonus episodes dropping later this week, 10% off HTDS merch, and with a little NPR style Patreon drive. In other words, we'd like you to join the HTDS Patreon family. We share ideas and form friendships with our patrons. And as we hit two years, we'd love to see this group grow to 200 members or about 2% of you good people, our listeners. So come grow our community at patreon.com forward slash history that doesn't suck. Just a buck a month gets you into our discussions.

Thanks again and enjoy the bonus episodes coming out later this week. All right though, enough NPR-ness. Let's take this battle we got a taste of in the opening, the Battle of Bull Run slash Manassas, from the top. In the last episode, I explained that President Lincoln approved General Irvin McDowell's battle plan to attack the railway station at Manassas on June 29th. Easy, right? Well, Irvin's plan would have been great for an experienced army with an organized war department backing it up, but that wasn't the case. This is a green U.S. Army and its supply line sucks. So troops didn't even leave Washington, D.C. until two and a half weeks later.

Then it took three days for the out-of-shape, unruly, undisciplined men to march 25 miles. Seriously, I've seen Boy Scout troops move faster. Anyway, by the time these Union troops were positioned to attack on July 21st, Confederate General G.T. Beauregard had received reinforcements from Joseph Johnston. Now, Union General Robert Patterson was supposed to keep this from happening by pinning Johnston's men down in the Shenandoah Valley north of the main battle, but he failed. Johnston maneuvered right around Robert's men and met up with Beauregard without breaking a sweat. Okay, he probably sweat a little. It's

July in Virginia after all. But now that U.S. General Irvin McDowell's had his army in position, he moved in on Beauregard and Johnston's armies, starting the first major battle of the Civil War. And that's what you heard about in the opening of the episode. By late afternoon on July 21st, the Union lines are crumbling. One by one, regiments begin to retreat, and this soon turns into a full-on race for the safety of Washington, D.C. And it's not an organized, thought-through, every-man-accounted-for kind of retreat. No, this is an every-man-for-himself,

mad-dash, adrenaline-driven flight. Civilians who had come to watch the battle get caught up in the stampede. I know, who is taking a Sunday picnic to watch a civil war unfold. Crazy, but that's the case. One battle observer, Congressman Albert Riddle, tries to stop the fleeing soldiers. We called to them. We tried to tell them there was no danger. Called them to stop. Implored them to stand. But all in vain. A cruel, crazy, mad, hopeless panic possessed them. You're damn right they are moving in a hopeless panic. Confederate shells are panic possessed them. Close quote. You're damn right they're moving in hopeless panic. Confederate shells are still hitting them. Rhode Islander Samuel J. English later writes to his mom that, quote, as I crossed the bridge on my hands and knees, Captain Smith, who was crossing by my side at the same time, was struck by a round at the same time, and completely cut in two.

Close quote. While the smoke clears and the dust settles, let's talk numbers. By Civil War standards, the Battle of Bull Run is pretty middling. Without the benefit of hindsight, though, both sides are shocked by the size of the armies and the monstrous loss of life. About 18,000 men total actually fired their weapons during the battle. Remember, the biggest army founding father George Washington ever commanded was 13,000 strong, and that was during the actionless Whiskey Rebellion. So at this point, Americans see this as an enormous battle. On the Confederate side, about 400 men die, 1,600 are wounded, though about 225 of those later die from their wounds. In the Union lines, 625 men die, 950 are

wounded, and 1,200 are captured. A quick note about these figures. Every number I give you, and throughout the war, will be an estimate. Union records are faulty, and after the war, Confederates will destroy many of their battle reports. Many historians have pieced together the battle figures as best as they can, but they are still just estimates. Got it? Good. Back to the action. The victorious Confederates don't pursue the Union army, but why not? They just crush those damned Yankees, so why not chase them down and occupy Washington DC? That's a great question, and depending on whom you ask, you'll get a different answer. Johnston says, quote, our army was more disorganized by victory than that of the United States in defeat. Close quote. Beauregard

agrees with Johnston, adding that the Confederates don't have the supply lines needed to support a pursuit. And Jeff Davis blames those two generals for failing to get it together in the hours after battle. I agree with Beauregard. The Confederates just don't have the resources to support an attack on DC. So even though Union General Irvin McDowell manages to form a defensive line a few miles out from the US Capitol on the evening of the 21st, no rebel troops are coming. The federal Capitol is safe. But in the days following the battle, the Union spirit plummets. This was supposed to be an easy to win, one and done war.

Now that dream has died. One northerner tells his diary the day after the battle, quote, Today will be known as Black Monday. We are utterly and disgracefully routed, beaten, and whipped. Close quote. Lincoln can't sleep. In these first dark hours of the war, author Walt Whitman will beautifully summarize the president's current predicament. Quote, he endured that hour, that day, bitterer than gall, indeed a crucifixion day, that it did not conquer him, that he unflinchingly stemmed it and resolved to lift himself and the Union out of it. Close quote. And he does indeed lift out of it. Within two days, Lincoln writes up improved war strategies. Furthermore, Union soldiers and citizens alike galvanize their patriotic resolve to see this thing through.

As one New York Tribune editorial puts it, quote, reverses those stunning at first by their recoil stimulate and quicken to unwanted exertion. Let us go to work then with a will, close quote. Understandably, the Confederate reaction to their stunning success is a little different. Most people are ecstatic and can you blame them? Their side won, but peerless Civil War diarist Mary Chestnut, out of whose journal I'm going to quote a ton, so I'll just call her Mary from here on out, writes the following, quote, this victory will be our ruin. It lulls us into a fool's paradise of conceit at our superior valor, and the shameful farce of their flight will wake every inch of their manhood. It was the very Philip they needed.

Close quote. Mary is spot on. A month later, another Confederate journalist observes, quote, We are resting on our oars while the enemy is drilling. Close quote. But you and I can't rest on our oars. There's too much going on at the same time. Now, I don't want

to lose you as we cover the same period of 1861 from a few different angles, so we're going to rewind a few times in this episode. Ready? Excellent. Let's head back a few months and over to Northwest Virginia. Here we go. Rewind. Simultaneous to the Battle of Bull Run, political and military forces are vying for control of the Trans-Allegheny area. Yeah, okay, we'll stick with Western Virginia. Anyway, this region of the Old Dominion, which has few slaves, dense forests, and remote mountain towns, is home to small farmers who are more economically connected to nearby Ohio and Pennsylvania. They don't want to secede from the Union, and so they figure out a way to get back into it. They'll secede from Virginia. But a huge constitutional roadblock stands in their way.

Article 4, Section 3 of the U.S. Constitution specifically says that a state must give its permission for a new state to be formed out of its current territory. Now I'm just spitballing here, but I'd bet most Confederate Virginian legislators would rather kiss a portrait of Lincoln while seeing the star-spangled banner than let the western part of their state join the Union. But that sucks for them. Unionists in Western Virginia hold a conference on June 11, 1861, and find a workaround that would make even the most crooked lawyer proud. Across the next couple of months, they, one, declare the Virginia government is an illegal rebellion. Two, form their own quote-unquote

restored Virginia government, which gives them the power to, number three, vote for an ordinance of dismemberment, close quote, allowing the northwest counties of the state of Virginia to form a new state. I dare any current state legislature to be as productive. That ordinance will get ratified by Western Virginian voters on October 24, 1861. Now, it will take Congress quite a while to finalize the paperwork because, well, it's Congress, but these are the birthing pains of the soon-to-be state of West Virginia. None of this lightning-quick state formation would be happening withoutthing pains of the soon-to-be state of West Virginia. None of this lightning-quick state formation would be happening without the help of the Union Army expelling Confederate forces from the area.

Yeah, while politicians have their strategy sessions to figure out how to form a new state, three capable Union generals are keeping the Confederate military threat at bay and controlling this valuable to the Union region. After all, the B&O Railroad runs right through it. And this rail line isn't just a lucrative rental property in Monopoly. It also connects D.C. to the productive farmlands of the Midwest. Confederates have already cut the vital B&O rail line and control the main train station at Grafton. Union forces want him back. Enter George B. McClellan. This West Point graduate and Mexican

American war vet has a stellar resume, rocks a killer mustache, and has an ego the size of his home state of Pennsylvania. Seriously, his nickname, Young Napoleon, totally fits. At any rate, in late May 1861, George marches his forces of Ohio and western Virginia volunteers from Wheeling, Virginia, south toward Grafton. Without firing a shot, the Confederates retreat southward to Philippi. So George and his men take control of the railroad, restoring service between the east and west portions of the Union. But that's not good enough for young Napoleon. He spends June and July chasing the 4,500 poorly armed Confederates out of northwest Virginia. After a series of small battles, Rebel General Robert Garnett's men make a stand at Cork's Ford,

30 miles east of Philippi. During the fight on July 13th, Robert is shot and killed, becoming the first general to die in the Civil War. After this loss, the Confederate troops retreat and regroup. Union forces now control all of what will become the state of West Virginia. It's up to Robert Lee, commander of Virginia's entire army, to retake the vital area. But with sick men, an overly complicated plan, and 45 days of near constant rain that turns the Appalachian mountain passes into mudslicks, Bobby fails. He and his forces retreat on September 15th. The Southern press crucifies the general, of whom they expected miracles. The Richmond Examiner declares that Bobby was, quote,

outwitted, outmaneuvered, and out-generaled, close quote. Ouch. For the rest of the war, Union forces managed to hold the area despite intermittent guerrilla warfare. Okay, that wraps up the action that I'm going to cover in Virginia for today. Don't worry, we'll be back in another episode. But for now, we need to hear about Lincoln's blockade of southern ports. And to do that, we have to travel back a few months and out to sea. Kick off an exciting football season with BetMGM, an official sportsbook partner of the We have to travel back a few months and out to sea. And as an official sportsbook partner of the NFL, BetMGM is the best place to fuel your football fandom on every game day. With a variety of exciting features,

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that can help you make the smartest financial decisions for your life. Listen to NerdWallet's Smart Money Podcast wherever you get your podcasts. Rewind. Ah, Lincoln's blockade. It technically started in April, but as you heard in the last episode, it hasn't been that effective. I mean, how are three dozen U.S. Navy ships supposed to patrol 3,500 miles of Confederate coastline? Now, the Navy does beef up its forces across the war, but blockade runners still find ways to evade the patrols. Sailing fast, shallow draft ships painted gray so they blend into the ocean fog and mist. Profit-minded runners managed to bring military supplies and luxury goods into Confederate port cities. The hope of

turning a high profit and gaining a reputation that rivals the heroic, roguish, dashing blockade runner, Rhett Butler, makes the risk worth it. Okay, okay, Rhett's fictional, so I guess these guys are just in it for the money. Anyway, even with enterprising blockade runners sneaking past the ever-strengthening U.S. Navy patrols, Southerners feel the sting of the blockade. By July, one Charleston shopkeeper will report, quote, blockade is still carried on and every article of consumption, particularly in the way of groceries, are getting very high. Close quote. Only a few months later, the same guy will write, quote, business perfectly prostrated, everything enormously high, dry goods of every kind running out. Close quote. Damn. Time for reinforcements. Like a kid in an elementary school playground fight asking his older brother to back him up, Confederate emissaries in Britain

ask for help in May 1861. They want the Royal Navy to declare the blockade illegal and intervene in order to open the trade routes between the countries. But two things are working against this. One, the Brits really don't want to get involved in this war. At all. British Foreign Minister Lord Russell tells Prime Minister Palmerston, quote, for God's sake, let us if possible keep out of it. Close quote. Two, if the British do intervene, it would create a new legal precedent and blockade warfare, which might curtail any future British blockading scheme. The forward-thinking Brits aren't about to limit their naval activities in a future war. So Southerners decide to apply some leverage. To continue my analogy, this is like the brawling

kid threatening to stop helping his big brother with yard work chores unless he promises to have his back. In the Confederacy's case, Southern cotton growers keep their 1861 cotton crop in warehouses instead of shipping them to Britain. They assume this will hurt British textile manufacturers' bottom line and force the british to step in on the confederate side but this self-imposed cotton embargo backfires see the south has shipped out a ton of cotton for the past three years so british mills are already sitting on more raw cotton than they can possibly use in a year in fact they're probably pretty stoked that they won't

have to spend money on the raw material. It's like that big brother refusing to throw a punch because he doesn't really need help from the younger sibling. In the end, the Brits refuse to get involved. So lacking British intervention, Southerners are stuck with their own cotton in this damned blockade. But there is a consolation prize. Britain does grant the confederacy recognition as a, quote, belligerent power, close quote. For those of you who don't speak 19th century international legalese, this status lies in between insurgent and independent nation. Here's the thing. Lincoln has been referring to the South as a bunch of insurrectionists, but then he went and imposed a blockade,

and technically that's an act of war. So no matter what the White House may say, the British know what's up. Lord Russell bluntly states, quote, the question of belligerent right is one not of principle but of fact. Close quote. It's not full diplomatic recognition,

but it's still a big deal for Jeff's government. Now they can, under international agreements, buy arms and get loans from neutral nations. So returning to our strained analogy, the kid might not have his big brother's help, but his big brother's friends offer a few fighting lessons. It's better than nothing. But it's too much for Secretary of State William Seward. He's pissed at the Brits for giving the Confederacy belligerent power status. Sitting in a meeting with Senator Charles Sumner, William gets so riled up he thrusts his foot in the air and yells,

God damn them, I'll give them hell. On May 21st, 1861, the angry Secretary of State sends a nastily worded note that threatens to break off all trade and diplomatic ties with Britain. William passes this on to the U.S. Minister to Britain, Charles Francis Adams. Yes, as in that Adams. He's not just the grandson of Declaration of Independence signee and second U.S. president John Adams. He's also the son of sixth U.S. president John Quincy Adams. At any rate, William instructs Charles to read the note word for word to that scumbag, his sentiments, not mine, Lord Russell. Now Charles Francis practically learned international diplomacy in the womb. The elite New Englander basically has more experience dealing with European nations in

his pinky than Lincoln's entire cabinet combined. He recognizes that reading Williams' insult-infused letter might not be the best way forward. After all, it threatens that if the Brits grant diplomatic recognition to the Confederacy, quote, we from that hour shall cease to be friends and become once more, as we have twice before been forced to be, enemies of Great Britain. Close quote. Yeah, Charles isn't going to say that. Instead, the suave, well-mannered diplomat meets Lord Russell and just gives him the gist of the message. You know, please don't recognize or aid the South.

It could lead to some hurt feelings and heated debates. Sincerely, your friends and lucrative trade partners, the United States of America. Okay, that's not exactly what he says, but you get my point. And Charles' kid-gloved approach works. Lord Russell admits that he's been meeting with Confederate emissaries, but promises that he, quote, had no expectation of seeing them anymore. Close quote. Problem solved. The Confederates can get a little foreign aid. The United States can maintain its relationship with its biggest trading partner, everyone's happy. And then the Confederate government puts two diplomats on a Havana-bound ship.

In late October 1861, Confederate emissaries James Mason and John Slidell set off on their assignments to London and Paris, respectively. And yes, this is the Spanish-speaking John Slidell that we met in episode 33 when he tried to get Mexico to sell out to California to the U.S., but I digress. Their ship gives the U.S. naval blockade the slip and makes it to Cuba. Sure, 9 out of 10 blockade runners make it through the riddled-with-holes naval guard, but the fact that this ship got through is pretty embarrassing. So U.S. Captain Charles Wilkes decides he's going to single-handedly put a raw stake on the Union Navy's black eye. His ship, the USS San Jacinto, catches up to the Confederate diplomats. James and John are now on a British mail steamer called Trent, waiting to cross the

Atlantic. To get everyone's attention, Charles fires a warning shot across the Trent's bow and boards the not-so-enemy ship. Without orders or firm legal footing, Charles searches the British steamer and seizes the Confederate diplomats James and John as, quote, contraband diplomatic dispatches, close quote. The proud as hell U.S. Naval officer then sails directly to Boston and puts these two guys in jail. Northerners are stoked. Boston throws a big bash for Charles, and down in Washington, D.C., Secretary of War Simon Cameron toasts the bold officer. Three cheers for Captain Wilkes! Even Lincoln is on board with the arrests, but this national drunken euphoria soon comes crashing

down. Like a college freshman waking up after that first frat party of the year, regret and anxiety comes crashing into the United States collective psyche. When Britain hears that its ship was boarded and searched, and two of its legitimate passengers were forcibly removed, the gloves come off. On December 19th, British Minister to Washington, Lord Lyons, tells Lincoln the whole affair is, quote, an affront to the national honor, close quote. He demands a suitable apology for the aggression or else. William Seward fears that or else means war with Britain. We may have kept them at bay in two previous wars, but now's not really a good time for getting involved in a shootout

with anyone. And Lincoln agrees, simply stating, one war at a time. But does that mean he should apologize to Britain? William brilliantly finds a way out of this mess without the president having to humiliate himself through an empty apology. In a December 26th letter to Lord Lyons, William argues that brash Captain Charles should have taken his two prisoners to a prize court where their legal status could have been decided by a neutral judge. William goes on to point out that this practice was set up between the U.S. and Britain decades ago, and he is simply, quote, defending and maintaining not an exclusively British interest, but an old, honored, and cherished American cause. Close quote.

The secretary ends by cheerfully offering to hand the prisoners over to Lyons. The British minister accepts Williams' explanation and offer, even without a formal apology, and the messy incident quietly dissipates. The Trent Affair, as it comes to be known, may have fizzled out, but the war for control of the Confederacy's eastern shore is just ramping up. Across the winter of 1861 to 1862, Colonel Ambrose Burnside of Rhode Island cobbles together a fleet of passenger steamships, coal scowls, and makeshift gunboats. He and 12,000 men take over North Carolina's ports, giving the Union blockade more supply stations. Colonel Burnside gets promoted to Major General for his efforts. But maybe the credit should go to his stellar mutton chops.

Seriously, these things are so fantastic. The men renamed this style of facial hair in his honor, anagramming Burnside to give us the new word, sideburns. Anyway, Burnside's capture of North Carolina's coast and the strengthening Union blockade induced the South to unleash its secret weapon, the ironclad CSS Virginia. Actually, there's nothing secret about it. The Union and Royal Navies are developing their own versions of ironclads too.

But the Confederates win this arms race and get the Virginia in the water and working first. Now some of you may be screaming at your car speakers right now, telling me that this first ironclad is actually called the Merrimack. You can stop shouting. You're right. Okay, we're both right. The Virginia was built from the captured USS Merrimack, and history has never fully let go of calling this ironclad by its earlier name. Kind of like how your family still calls you Slugger, even though you have a freaking MBA now. You and the Merrimack can commiserate together. So the Merrimack, and yes, the Merrimack, not even Southerners call it the Virginia, has 10 guns and an iron ram on her prow.

She sets out for a test run from Norfolk, Virginia on March 8th, 1862. Let me give you a little geography to orient you. Norfolk sits just south of where the James River empties into the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay. However, the U.S. Navy controls Hampton Roads, the port right across the James from Norfolk. So when the Merrimack sets out, she runs smack into five U.S. ships with 219 guns pointed right at her. Time to see what this ironclad is made of. Without missing a beat, the Merrimack heads straight for the USS Cumberland, a 24-gun sailing ship. The ironclad blows several shells into the

ship and tears a seven-foot hole in the hull. The Cumberland sinks in minutes. The Merrimack, whose weak engines and clunky design make her difficult to maneuver in the water, targets the USS Congress next. Sailors on the Congress send shell after shell at the slow approaching ironclad, but according to one observer, the shells, quote, struck and glanced off, having no more effect than peas from a popcorn, close quote. Meanwhile, the Merrimack's guns blow holes in the sides of the Congress and start fires all over the ship. In no time, the blazes reach the powder magazines

and the Congress explodes. Two down, three to go. The USS Minnesota does the Merrimack a favor and runs herself aground while trying to help her sister ships. Due to her 22-foot draft, the Merrimack a favor and runs herself aground while trying to help her sister ships. Due to her 22-foot draft, the Merrimack can't get close enough to do any damage to the beached U.S. ship. So the victorious ironclad steams away, leaving the rest of the U.S. fleet for tomorrow. Overnight, the U.S. Navy totals its losses.

Two ships at the bottom of the sea, along with at least 240 sailors and one naval captain. The U.S. Navy won't see these kind of losses again until 1941. Furthermore, their naval base at Hampton Road, which is the keystone to the blockade, is under serious threat. But help is on the way. The USS Monitor, the North's version of an ironclad, steams into the bay before dawn on March 9th. Now I'm going to be straight with you. This ship is not much to look at. It's like the ugly stepsister of the Merrimack. Seriously, northerners who watched your test run called this flat decked ship with a revolving

turret on top a quote, tin can on a shingle, close quote. But she does have a shallower draft, more speed, and more maneuverability than the Merrimack. As the Merrimack steams out into the water to finish what she started yesterday, her crew spots the monitor. One sailor quips, quote, we thought at first it was a raft on which one of the Minnesota's boilers was being taken to shore for repairs. Close quote. Before the Merrimack can figure out what in the hell is going on, the monitor fires at her. One monitor sailor brags, quote, you can see surprise in a ship just as you can see it in a man.

And there was surprise all over the Merrimack. Close quote. The two ironclads are soon locked in a dogfight. The monitor shoots a 175-pound shot from its two 11-inch guns while circling the cumbersome Merrimack. But the Confederate vessel answers back, nearly shot for shot for two hours, and the Merrimack runs aground. Her crew is sure she's done for, but the captain manages to break her loose from the sea bottom

and attempts to ram the monitor. Though she lacks a ram herself, the monitor attempts the same thing, hoping to disable the Merrimack's rudder. The monitor misses, but puts herself dangerously close to the Rebel ship. Within minutes, a shell from the Merrimack makes a direct hit on the Monitor's pilot house, injuring ship commander John Warden's eye. When Secretary of War Edwin Stanton hears that John might lose the eye, he respectfully remarks, then we will fill the other with diamonds. After this shot, the badly damaged ironclads eye one another warily and, as if by mutual consent, steam away from the fight.

The battle is a draw, though both sides claim victory. However, as a result of the fight, the Union hangs on to Hampton Roads. The innovative, powerful Ironclads never see action again. In May 1862, the CSS Virginia, aka the Merrimack, will end up stranded behind Union lines and her crew will blow her up off the coast of Virginia. Meanwhile, the USS Monitor will sink in a storm off the coast of North Carolina in December 1862. It's fascinating, isn't it? These two sides share a continent. Yet, as the blockade, the Trent Affair, and this ironclad throwdown demonstrate, their navies aren't getting left out. And even with all that, we still have more to cover in the year 1861. Lincoln is facing plenty of political and personal battles in the White House. So let's travel up to Washington DC and back in time once more. Here we go. Rewind. On November 1st, 1861, General-in-Chief Winfield Scott resigns his post. After 20 years

at the head of the U.S. Army, the War of 1812 and the Mexican-American war hero essentially got muscled out by the young, energetic, incredibly organized George McClellan. Yeah, after his screaming success in Western Virginia in the spring of 1861, Lincoln promoted George Young Napoleon McClellan to commander of the Army of the Potomac. But anytime George ran into a supply or logistical problem, he blamed aging old fuss and feathers Winfield. Eventually, the president bends to the will of George and Washington's politicians who want action,

allowing Winfield to resign, quote, for reasons of health, close quote. Lincoln praises Winfield's long and brilliant career in his public response to the general's retirement. The president then asks George to fill the position of general-in-chief. Whoa, commander of an army and general-in-chief? What is Abe thinking here? Well, he knows he's asking a lot of young Napoleon, but George and his ego are up to the task. In response to the job offer, George states,

quote, I can do it all. Close quote. Damn, that is confidence. We'll find out mcclellan performs in the next episode though right now we need to stay focused on lincoln after replacing the general in chief lincoln realizes he has a serious problem in the war department in december the president complains that war secretary simon cameron is, incapable either of organizing details or conceiving and advising general plans, close quote. And Lincoln is not exaggerating. Simon's record system is a jumble

of notes scribbled on scraps of paper, and his accounts payable file looks like Lloyd and Harry's briefcase full of IOUs in the classic movie Dumb and Dumber. Then in December, Simon advocates for arming slaves to fight in the war. That's the straw that breaks the camels, or the presidents, back. Lincoln is just not ready to make such a politically extreme move as arming escaped slaves. He makes up his mind and sacks Simon on January 11, 1862. Lincoln appoints Democratic Pennsylvania lawyer Edwin M. Stanton as the head of the War Department only a few days after Simon leaves. In a whirlwind appointment process, Edwin is sworn in on January 20 and makes immediate

improvements to the disaster of a War Department. In fact, Edwin becomes Lincoln's right-hand man, and we will get to know him really well as the war progresses, but not just yet. I need to tell you about a few crazy new innovations that Congress is cooking up. Here's the thing. The northern economy is in the toilet.

Things weren't great before the war, but they're getting worse. Early Union military losses, the Trent Affair, and the complicated system for getting gold and silver specie from banks into the government's coffers don't exactly create high demand for government war bonds. But the government needs to raise some cash quickly. On February 3rd, 1862, Treasury Secretary Salmon Chase sums up the situation. Quote, immediate action is of great importance. The treasury is nearly empty.

Close quote. So Salmon works with a banker friend to come up with a way to sell bonds directly to people, not just to banking institutions and investment groups. Congress also passes new taxes, including the first income tax in U.S. history. But most important of all, New York Congressman Elbridge Spalding Congress also passes new taxes, including the first income tax in U.S. history. But most important of all, New York Congressman Elbridge Spalding introduces the Legal Tender Act. This bill would create a new treasury note, or legal tender, that everyone, banks, businesses, people, government officials, all across the country, would be required to accept. These greenbacks, as they come to be known, become lawful payment and phase out state and local banknotes. This could be a dangerous idea since issuing notes like this is linked to inflation. Don't believe me? Just ask Jeff

Davis. The Confederate dollar is experiencing a 12% inflation rate every month right now. So should the U.S. go down the same path? Yes, and here's why. First, this isn't the only way the U.S. is financed in the war. They also have tariffs, taxes, and bond sales to balance out the inflationary effects of notes. The Confederacy has such high inflation because it doesn't have enough of these other measures in place. Second, the U.S. has a historically strong economic system in place. Sure, it needs a boost right now, but overall the American economy is sound. And third, these bills are going to hit the market just as the Union Army wins a few battles,

creating a general feeling of confidence in the government and its quote-unquote greenbacks. Okay, Congress doesn't know about that third reason yet, but with just the first two, it passes Elbridge's bill and Lincoln signs it on February 25th, 1862. And frankly, the president could use this little morale boost. February 1862 is one of the darkest months ever in his personal life. Let's leave politics and military action behind for a minute while I tell you about it. In the first days of February, his 11-year-old son, Willie Lincoln, comes down with a fever, a severe headache, and a mild cough. A few days later, little eight-year-old Tad starts displaying the same symptoms.

It's soon apparent the boys have typhoid fever with its cramps, vomiting, internal hemorrhaging, and delirium. Mary wears herself thin, caring for both boys, and Lincoln's secretary, John Nicolay, reports that the president gives, quote, pretty much all his attention, close quote, to his six sons and his worried wife. In his delirious state, Willie calls out for his best friend, Bud Taft. Bud comes over and sits by the side of his deathly ill friend, not willing to leave his playmate for more than a minute. In fact, one night, as Bud holds vigil at Willie's bedside, the president comes in and suggests that Bud go rest in a guest room. Bud refuses. Quote, if I go, he will call for me. Close quote. A few hours later, Lincoln finds the devoted friend asleep in his chair and carries Bud to a guest bed himself. Despite Mary, Lincoln, Bud, and several doctors' care, Willie dies on Thursday, February

20, 1862 at 5 p.m. A few minutes later, Lincoln enters John's office and exclaims, Well, Nicolay, my boy is gone. He is actually gone. The president, who has stoically endured lifelong symptoms of depression, political losses, and waging a war on his own countrymen, collapses and sobs on John's chair. Lincoln tells a friend, That blow overwhelmed me. He and Mary and Tara their second child, and Lincoln gets back to work. But each Thursday afternoon for weeks to come, he'll finish his work,

shut himself in his office, and privately give in to his grief. Lincoln is struggling. Politically, personally, militarily, you name it. He needs a win. He needs someone in his Union forces to take some damned initiative. Thankfully, there is someone who's up to the task. Ladies and gentlemen, it's time for us to catch up with an old friend of ours from the Mexican-American War episodes, Brigadier General Ulysses S. Grant. Now before we dive into his battlefield awesomeness, let's bond a bit with Ulysses by dispelling a few rumors and getting to know his backstory. I'll begin with his name. Hiram Ulysses Grant was born in Ohio in 1822. Because his initials

H-U-G spelled hug and the serious-minded stoop-shouldered Ulysses didn't need another reason for kids to tease him. He rearranged his name to be Ulysses H. Grant. So what's up with the S? Well, in 1839, when Ulysses entered West Point, a clerk got his name wrong and registered him as Ulysses S. Grant. When fellow cadet William Tecumseh Sherman saw U.S. Grant on the roster, he dubbed Ulysses Uncle Sam Grant, and the boys called him Sam Grant while he was at the academy. Sam Grant was hardly the worst student in his class, as you may have heard. He graduated in 1843, 21st out of 39, and entered Army service. He was stationed in Missouri and soon met Julia Dent.

Julia possessed a joie de vivre and light-spirited warmth that Ulysses found refreshing after his austere childhood in St. O.S. Point. They were engaged while he fought in the Mexican-American War and were married on August 22, 1848. After several far-flung post-war army assignments, lonely Ulysses developed a drinking problem. He was not a full-blown alcoholic, that's another rumor, but his commanding officer, Robert Buchanan, told him, quote, you had better resign or reform, close quote. Ulysses, determined to avoid the shame of a court-martial, replied, I will resign if I don't reform. True to his word, Ulysses resigned on April 11, 1854,

after being caught drunk once again. Despite a productive military career with several bright spots, Ulysses entered civilian life. Although Ulysses made a good commander and quartermaster in the army, he sucked at everything else. He tried farming near his father-in-law's property in Missouri and failed miserably. Desperate for money to feed his wife and four kids, Ulysses sold firewood on street corners in St. Louis, dressed in his fading U.S. Army jacket. In 1860, he and Julia moved north to Galena, Illinois, where Ulysses joined his brothers and dad as a clerk in their leather goods store. Yep, he was 38 and deeply in debt with four kids. So when the war breaks out, the West Point grad enlisted despite his distaste for battle. In June 1861, he was appointed colonel of an Illinois regiment.

Within a few months of re-entering military service, Ulysses had been promoted to brigadier general and was ready to move on the Confederate Northwest lines. All right, now that we know where Ulysses is coming from, we can follow him into battle. Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston has set up a perimeter of small armies and forts to defend the northwest border of the Confederacy, and Ulysses finds a hole in that fence. See, in January 1862, Grant is camped at Cairo, Illinois, at the confluence of the Mississippi and Ohio rivers. He realizes that if he sails east up the Ohio, he'll reach first the Tennessee River, then farther east, the Cumberland River. Both of these Ohio River tributaries flow north, parallel to one another for several miles, and both have crucial

but vulnerable Confederate forts on them. So here's Ulysses' plan. He and U.S. Navy flag officer Andrew Foote will sail down and attack Fort Henry on the Tennessee River in a joint land and water assault. Then Ulysses will march his army overland 12 miles to Fort Donaldson on the Cumberland River while Andrew sails his fleet to their next target. After knocking out these two forts, 80 miles downriver Nashville, Tennessee will be vulnerable to Union occupation. Sounds doable, right? On January 30, 1862, Andrew and Ulysses get permission to put this plan into action. So let's do this. On February 2, the large flotilla of four ironclads, three wooden gunboats,

and enough transport barges to hold 23 regiments steams up the Ohio River. When they reach the Tennessee River, the fleet has to watch out for Confederate booby traps. The ingenious quote-unquote torpedoes, or infernal machines, are dangerous devices tethered to the river bottom and filled with 75 pounds of black powder. One of these babies could easily take out an ironclad. Luckily, near constant rainfall swells the river and allows the Union ships to safely sail right over the mines set by Confederates. On February 5th, Ulysses unloads his 15,000 men at a spot three miles below his first target, Fort Henry. Now it's not like the soldiers guarding Fort Henry can't see them coming. As one Confederate says, quote, far as the eye could see, the course of the river

could be tracked by the dense volumes of smoke issuing from the flotilla, close quote. Fort Commander Lloyd Tillman knows his post is doomed and sends his 2,500 men 12 miles east to Fort Donaldson, remaining with just one artillery company to delay Ulysses and Andrew's combined forces. At 11 a.m., all seven of Andrew's gunboats unleash a hailstorm of fire on the earthen walls of Fort Henry. The rebels respond in kind, firing nine guns into the Union formation and scoring at least 80 hits. Andrew's flagship has to bow out of the fight due to damage,

but he orders his other boats to stay in it. They fire on the five-sided, soaked, muddy, poorly situated Fort Henry for over an hour. With half of his men dead or wounded, and most of his guns disabled, Lloyd finally raises the white flag. Upon entering the fort, one of Andrew's men reports that there are, quote, mangled bodies, arms and legs and brains scattered all around, close quote. I apologize. I didn't realize you were eating. Moving on. By the time Ulysses' land forces arrive at three, there's nothing left for them to do. One disappointed infantryman complains that he, quote, felt really sore at the sailors for their taking of the fort before we had a chance to help them, close quote. Well, I'm sure this guy will see action in part two of the plan. Ulysses reports to Henry Halleck after the battle, quote, Fort Henry is ours. I shall take and

destroy Fort Donelson on the 8th, close quote. As Ulysses marches toward Fort Donelson, Confederate General Albert Sidney Johnston, not to be confused with Joseph Johnston from the Battle of Bull Run, could be reinforcing the hell out of the Confederate stronghold. But almost unbelievably, that's not what Johnston does. He sends only 12,000 men under the command of incompetent John Floyd to reinforce Fort Donaldson. Ulysses launches his attack on February 14, 1862, with around 23,000 men, plus Andrew's four ironclads and two wooden gunboats. But Andrew positions his flotilla too close to the high-walled, well-positioned fort on the Cumberland River. His cannons all overshoot the stronghold, while the Confederate guns start knocking

off Union boats one by one. By the end of the day, all of Andrew's fleet is out of commission. Then it starts snowing. While his men shiver through the storm, Ulysses meets with Andrew on his ship about seven miles downriver from the army camps. They make plans to attack the fort the next day. Here we see Ulysses' biggest weakness. He's great at making battle plans, but he fails to notice or even consider his enemy's plans for him. So while he and Andrew sit in a warm, dry captain's quarters, Ulysses failsed around the fort on three sides. The river boarded the fort.

So Confederate commanders John Floyd, Gideon Pillow, and Simon Bolivar Buckner position almost all of their men to punch a hole in the right side of Ulysses' lines and escape to Nashville. The half-frozen, surprised Union line buckles and Confederates stream through the hole in their lines. But the rebels have taken too many casualties in the firefight to continue their march to Nashville. Floyd and Pillow instruct their men to retreat back to Fort Donaldson's trenches. This is a fatal error. At noon, a Union messenger reaches Ulysses, looking, quote, white with fear, close quote, and tells the general what has just gone down back at the fort. Ulysses, a graceful and

well-trained horseman, gallops the seven miles back to his men and finds his lines in a state of total confusion. The general takes stock of the situation and calmly tells his soldiers, Gentlemen, the position must be retaken. Galloping across the battlefield to encourage and instruct his men, Ulysses leads them in recapturing all of their lost ground. Nearly 1,000 Yankees and rebels have lost their lives in the fight. Seeing the carnage and hopelessness of the situation, Floyd and Pillow make a run for it in the middle of the night. They leave Simon Bolivar Buckner as sole commander. Real courageous guys.

As February 16th dawns, Buckner decides to surrender. He sends a note to Ulysses asking what terms of surrender the Union General will accept. Ulysses responds in writing, quote, Sir, no terms except an unconditional and immediate surrender can be accepted. I propose to move immediately on your works. Close quote. Damn. Buckner doesn't like him, but he doesn't have any other options. With this hard-won Confederate surrender, Ulysses gets a new nickname. U.S. Grant goes from Uncle Sam Grant to Unconditional Surrender Grant. Oh, and he gets promoted to Major General. That's important too. Fort Henry and Fort Donaldson now lie in Union hands. Albert Johnson's defensive line is broken.

He evacuates Nashville on February 23rd, leaving all of Kentucky, most of Tennessee, and the most important resources in Nashville in Northern control. But the Confederacy won't let this stand. A Richmond newspaper editor declares, quote, Days of adversity prove the worth of men and of nations. We must go to the work with greater earnestness than we have yet shown, close quote. And that's just what Johnston and Beauregard intend to do. These generals have a plan to retake Tennessee. They're preparing to meet Major General Grant's army near a small Pittsburgh-landing Tennessee Methodist meeting house known as Shiloh. Production and sound design, Josh Beatty of J.B. Audio Design. Musical score, composed and performed by Greg Jackson and Diana Averill.

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