The Civil War Rages | America: The Story of Us (S1, E5) | Full Episode | History

Summary

The video script delves into the American Civil War, highlighting the pivotal role of technology, logistics, and communication in shaping the conflict. It details the devastating impact of the Minié ball, the transformation of warfare post-Industrial Revolution, and the strategic use of railroads and telegraphs by the North. The script also explores the medical advancements born out of necessity, the political struggle over slavery, and the Union's eventual victory, symbolizing a new era of American industrialization and unity.

Takeaways

• 🇺🇸 The American Civil War was the bloodiest in the nation's history, with technology and logistics playing a pivotal role in the conflict.
• ⚔️ The introduction of the Minié ball, a new kind of bullet, increased the lethality of warfare, causing unprecedented levels of casualties.
• 🔨 The Civil War marked the first modern war, taking place after the Industrial Revolution began to transform the country, with the North leveraging its industrial capacity for military production.
• 🚂 Railroads became a critical component of the war effort, with Lincoln using them to rapidly deploy troops and supplies, giving the North a strategic advantage.
• 📡 The telegraph revolutionized communication during the war, allowing for instantaneous transmission of messages and a centralized command-and-control system under Lincoln's direction.
• 🔫 The improved muskets with rifling allowed for greater accuracy and range, contributing to the high kill rate and the war's deadly nature.
• 🏥 The war led to significant advancements in battlefield medicine due to the scale of injuries, with innovations in amputation techniques and hygiene standards.
• 📸 The widespread use of photography and mass media brought the realities of war into homes, influencing public opinion and the perception of war.
• 🔗 The war highlighted the importance of logistics and supply lines, with the North's superior infrastructure leading to victory over the South.
• 🕊️ Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation not only changed the war's objectives but also galvanized support for the Union and the abolition of slavery.
• 🗣️ Lincoln's Gettysburg Address became a defining moment in American history, encapsulating the ideals of freedom, equality, and the sacrifices made by soldiers.

Q & A

What was the significance of the Minié ball in the American Civil War?

The Minié ball was a new type of bullet that greatly increased the lethality of warfare during the American Civil War. It was more accurate over longer distances and could be reloaded faster than traditional weapons, leading to unprecedented levels of casualties.

How did the Industrial Revolution impact the Civil War?

The Industrial Revolution had begun to transform the country, making the Civil War the first modern war. It influenced the production of weapons like the Minié ball, the speed of troop deployments, and the overall logistics of the war, giving the North a significant advantage.

Why was the telegraph crucial to the Union's war effort?

The telegraph provided almost instantaneous communication across long distances, which was vital for coordinating troop movements, sharing intelligence, and issuing orders quickly. Lincoln used it to maintain a strategic overview of the war and to exert direct control over military operations.

How did the Civil War change the practice of battlefield medicine?

The scale of injuries and the number of amputations performed during the Civil War necessitated a complete rethink of traditional battlefield medicine. Innovations such as embalming, improved hygiene standards, and the use of anesthetics like ether and chloroform were introduced, greatly increasing the survival rates of wounded soldiers.

What was General Robert E. Lee's strategy during the Second Battle of Bull Run?

General Lee leveraged the local knowledge and determination of his troops, who were fighting on their home turf. His forces, despite being outnumbered, demonstrated superior fighting capabilities and inflicted heavy losses on the Union Army, marking one of the South's greatest victories.

How did the railroad play a role in the Union's advantage during the war?

The extensive railroad network in the North allowed for the rapid movement of troops and supplies to the front lines. Lincoln's decision to put the railroad network under government control turned it into a powerful weapon of war, giving the Union a strategic advantage over the South.

What was the impact of the Emancipation Proclamation on the Union Army?

The Emancipation Proclamation not only abolished slavery in the rebellious Southern states but also allowed Black American soldiers to enlist in the Union Army. This added a significant number of troops who fought for both the Union and the cause of freedom.

How did the war influence the rituals surrounding death?

The Civil War led to a fundamental shift in the rituals surrounding death due to the large number of soldiers dying on the battlefield. The introduction of embalming allowed bodies to be preserved for transport back home, and the war also saw the rise of professional undertakers and new burial techniques.

What was the significance of the Battle of Antietam in terms of casualties?

The Battle of Antietam was one of the bloodiest single-day battles in American history, with approximately 6,000 soldiers killed and 17,000 wounded, a casualty rate that was over four times higher than that of the D-Day landings during World War II.

How did General William Sherman's tactics contribute to the Union's victory?

General Sherman's tactics of total war, including a scorched-earth approach and the destruction of the South's supply lines and infrastructure, weakened the Confederate Army significantly. His successful march to the sea demonstrated the effectiveness of the Union's industrial and logistical capabilities.

What was the long-term impact of the Civil War on the United States?

The Civil War had a profound impact on the United States, leading to the abolition of slavery and the reunification of the nation. It also marked the rise of the United States as a modern industrialized economy and set the stage for its future global influence.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 The Impact of Minié Ball and Industrial Warfare

The Civil War is depicted as a pivotal moment in American history, marked by the introduction of the Minié ball, a bullet that drastically increased the lethality of warfare. The script discusses the technological advancements of the time, such as the Minié ball's production and its impact on the battlefield, leading to unprecedented levels of casualties. The war is characterized as the first modern conflict, influenced by the Industrial Revolution, with technology, communications, and logistics playing crucial roles in shaping the outcome. The narrative also touches on the psychological effects of the war, with soldiers facing the horrors of modern weaponry and the fear of dying anonymously on the battlefield.

05:01

🏰 The Tragedy of Modern Arms and Traditional Tactics

This paragraph delves into the devastating effects of the Minié ball on the human body and the tragic combination of modern weaponry with outdated military tactics. Despite the increased accuracy and range of the Minié ball, armies still used traditional formations that led to high death rates. The narrative describes the experiences of soldiers and civilians during the war, highlighting the scale of the slaughter and the emotional toll it took. The paragraph also discusses the cultural and economic factors that fueled the conflict, particularly the South's reliance on cotton and the institution of slavery, which were under threat from the North's political changes.

10:02

🚂 The Strategic Use of Railroads in the Civil War

The role of railroads as a critical strategic asset during the Civil War is the focus of this paragraph. It details how President Lincoln leveraged the railroad network to rapidly deploy troops and supplies, giving the North a significant advantage. The script contrasts the North's extensive and centrally controlled rail system with the South's smaller, privately controlled network, which ultimately hindered their war efforts. The paragraph also touches on the industrial capacity of the North, which was mobilized to support the war, and the innovations in communication and technology that were pivotal in managing the war effort.

15:03

📞 The Telegraph: A Revolutionary Communication Tool

The invention and utilization of the telegraph during the Civil War are highlighted in this paragraph. It describes how the telegraph revolutionized communication, allowing for near-instantaneous transmission of messages across vast distances. The script explains how Lincoln recognized and exploited the telegraph's potential as a command-and-control tool, giving him a strategic overview of the war and enabling direct command of his generals. In contrast, the South failed to harness the telegraph's capabilities, which contributed to their inability to coordinate effectively.

20:05

🩺 The Evolution of Battlefield Medicine

This paragraph discusses the revolution in battlefield medicine brought about by the Civil War's massive casualties. It details the gruesome nature of injuries inflicted by modern weaponry and the high volume of amputations performed by surgeons. The script describes the horrific conditions in which these surgeries took place and the race against infection and gangrene. The paragraph also highlights the innovations in medical care, such as the use of anesthetics, the prioritization of wound treatment, and the contributions of nurses like Clara Barton, which laid the foundation for modern battlefield medicine.

25:07

📸 The Role of Photography and Media in Shaping Public Perception

The impact of photography and mass media on public perception of the Civil War is explored in this paragraph. It describes how the widespread distribution of battlefield photographs and extensive news coverage brought the realities of war into homes, making the violence and suffering tangible for the public. The script discusses the shift in societal attitudes towards death and mourning, the introduction of embalming, and the changes in funeral practices that emerged as a result of the war. It also touches on the political implications of this newfound public awareness, as it influenced the support for the war effort and the abolition of slavery.

30:13

🏆 Lincoln's Emancipation and the Union's New Purpose

This paragraph focuses on President Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation and its effects on the war. It details how the proclamation not only changed the dynamics of the war by making the Union Army a force for liberation but also galvanized black American soldiers to enlist in the Union cause. The script discusses the transformation in the soldiers' sense of self-worth and dignity, as well as the broader implications of the proclamation for the abolition of slavery and the redefinition of American values. The paragraph also highlights Lincoln's Gettysburg Address, which became a defining moment in American political rhetoric and a symbol of the nation's commitment to freedom and equality.

35:15

⚔️ The North's Industrial Might and Total War Tactics

The paragraph examines the North's use of its industrial capacity and total war tactics to secure victory in the Civil War. It describes General William Sherman's relentless march through the South, his scorched-earth strategy, and the logistical operations that sustained the Union Army. The script details the destruction of the South's infrastructure, the cutting of supply lines, and the psychological impact of the Union's relentless advance. The paragraph concludes with the surrender of the Confederate Army and the end of the rebellion, marking a new era of unity and industrial growth for the United States.

Keywords

💡Civil War

The American Civil War, a pivotal event in U.S. history, was fought between the Northern states (the Union) and the Southern states (the Confederacy) from 1861 to 1865. The war was primarily over the issues of slavery and state rights. In the video script, the Civil War is depicted as the bloodiest conflict in American history, with new technologies and tactics leading to unprecedented levels of death and destruction.

💡Minié ball

The Minié ball was a type of bullet used during the Civil War, known for its lethality. It was invented in France and was characterized by its ability to flatten upon impact, causing extensive damage to the human body. The script mentions the Minié ball as a primary reason for the high casualty rates in the war, illustrating its role in the new era of warfare where technology increased the deadliness of weapons.

💡Industrial Revolution

The Industrial Revolution was a period of significant industrialization that began in the late 18th century and continued into the 19th century, transforming economies and societies. The script refers to the Civil War as the first modern war because it occurred after the Industrial Revolution had begun to transform the United States, influencing the production of weapons, the movement of troops, and the overall conduct of the war.

💡Rifling

Rifling refers to the spiral grooves cut inside the barrel of a gun, which imparts a spin to the projectile around its long axis. This increases the range and accuracy of the weapon. The script describes how the new muskets with rifling were much faster to reload and more accurate, contributing to the deadly effectiveness of the Minié ball and the high casualty rates.

💡Logistics

Logistics in the context of warfare refers to the management of the movement and supply chain of troops and military resources. The script highlights the importance of logistics in determining the outcome of the Civil War, with the North's superior logistics, including the production of Minié balls and the use of railroads, playing a crucial role in their victory.

💡Robert E. Lee

Robert E. Lee was a Confederate general who commanded the Army of Northern Virginia during the Civil War. Known for his military prowess, Lee is mentioned in the script as a brilliant tactician who led his forces to significant victories, such as at the Second Battle of Bull Run, despite being outnumbered by Union forces.

💡Railroads

Railroads played a critical role in the Civil War, especially for the North, as they allowed for the rapid movement of troops and supplies. The script discusses how President Lincoln utilized the railroads as a strategic weapon, moving troops quickly to the front lines and providing a significant advantage over the South, which had a smaller and less coordinated rail network.

💡Telegraph

The telegraph was a key communication technology of the 19th century, allowing for the rapid transmission of messages over long distances. In the script, the telegraph is portrayed as a revolutionary tool in warfare, providing President Lincoln with real-time information from the battlefield and enabling him to issue orders directly to his generals.

💡Emancipation Proclamation

The Emancipation Proclamation was an executive order issued by President Abraham Lincoln in 1863, declaring that all slaves in Confederate-held territory were to be set free. The script describes the Proclamation as a turning point in the war, transforming the conflict from a battle for Union to a fight for human freedom and equality.

💡Total War

Total war refers to a warfare strategy where all resources of a nation are mobilized for the war effort, often including civilian infrastructure and resources. The script discusses General William Sherman's implementation of total war during his March to the Sea, where he aimed to break the Confederacy's will to fight by destroying its infrastructure and resources.

💡Gettysburg Address

The Gettysburg Address was a speech delivered by President Abraham Lincoln during the Civil War, dedicating a national cemetery for Union soldiers who had fallen in the Battle of Gettysburg. The script highlights the address as a seminal moment in American history, encapsulating the ideals of liberty, equality, and the importance of the war in preserving the Union.

Highlights

The Civil War was the first modern war, shaped by technology and logistics post-Industrial Revolution.

The Minié ball, invented in France, revolutionized warfare with its increased accuracy and lethality.

The North's production capacity for Minié balls and muskets demonstrated the impact of industrialization on war.

Rifling in musket barrels improved accuracy and range, changing the dynamics of the battlefield.

The Minié ball's impact on the human body was devastating, often resulting in death or severe injury.

Traditional military tactics were rendered obsolete by modern weaponry, leading to high death rates.

The Civil War saw the use of railroads as a strategic asset for rapid troop and supply movement.

Abraham Lincoln's use of the telegraph for real-time communication transformed war command and control.

The North's superior logistics, including the extensive rail network, became a decisive factor in the war.

The war led to innovations in battlefield medicine, including new techniques for amputations and hygiene.

Clara Barton's pioneering work in nursing and first aid laid the foundation for modern battlefield care.

The introduction of embalming allowed for the preservation and transport of soldiers' bodies, changing funeral practices.

Lincoln's Emancipation Proclamation redefined the war's purpose, adding the abolition of slavery to the Union's goals.

The enlistment of Black American soldiers post-Emancipation Proclamation diversified and strengthened the Union Army.

Lincoln's Gettysburg Address became a defining moment in American political rhetoric, emphasizing the principles of liberty and equality.

William Sherman's 'March to the Sea' exemplified total war tactics, demonstrating the North's overwhelming logistical power.

The North's victory in the Civil War set the stage for a modern industrialized economy and the end of slavery.

Transcripts

A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS

( narrator ) The North against South.

Brother against brother.

The Civil War

is the bloodiest in American history.

Victory will take far more than brute firepower

on the battlefield.

Technology.

Communications.

Logistics.

It's what happens behind the front line

that will ultimately decide this battle

for America's future.

We are pioneers... and trailblazers.

We fight for freedom.

We transform our dreams into the truth.

Our struggles will become a nation.

Fire !

1862.

The Civil War is at its height.

North and South locked in a bitter conflict

for the future of America.

A new kind of bullet has brought this war

to a terrible deadlock.

Bringing death on a scale

never previously seen in warfare.

( horse neighing )

( iron clanking )

Here at a metalworks in Springfield, Illinois,

molten lead is beginning its journey...

to becoming a lethal instrument of destruction:

the bullet known as the Minié ball.

This crude piece of lead

is the primary reason

for the unprecedented levels of slaughter in this war.

Invented in France, just an ounce in weight

and half an inch across,

one person can cast 3,000 Minié balls an hour.

Each one of these simple bullets

can rip through a man's body in a fraction of a second.

( horse neighing )

The Minié ball is used by North and South alike.

Demand for this killer bullet runs so high...

that an entire industry springs up,

supplying Minié balls to the front line.

In total, the North makes over half a billion Minié balls

ready to be fired from the 2 million muskets

it supplies to its men.

In many ways, the Civil War was the first modern war,

because it was the first war

that took place after the Industrial Revolution

had begun to transform our country.

It will take over 33 hours for a bullet in this box

to travel the 800-plus miles to the battlefield,

ready to find its target.

The new musket is much faster to reload

than traditional weapons.

Load the gunpowder...

ram down the bullet...

and it's ready to fire.

Imagine warfare where

your ability to load a musket

faster than the guy with the other musket

would determine if you lived or died.

Grooves on the inside of the barrel, rifling,

spin the ball toward its target.

The improved accuracy and range

are a deadly combination.

One second, everything's great,

the next second,

your guy's-- your buddy's head's gone,

or his arm's flying off.

( Brian ) You don't wanna know

what a soft-metal musket ball does

when it enters the human body.

On impact...

the bullet flattens out.

Bone shatters and splinters...

causing further damage to muscle and tissue.

More often than not,

the result of a direct hit-- death.

But for all the Minié ball's technological edge,

the army still uses traditional military tactics.

( James ) What made it particularly tragic

was modern technology meeting much more ancient tactics,

so the death rates were truly appalling.

( men shouting )

The troops still face one another openly

in lines across the battlefield.

But the Minié ball is accurate

over a range of 600 yards...

easily spanning this distance.

And it can be reloaded eight times faster

than a traditional weapon.

The effects are catastrophic.

The kill rate increases dramatically

compared to previous wars.

Across the battlefield, the results are carnage,

blood and death on a previously unseen scale.

They killed each other in droves,

in lines and in piles.

( men shouting )

Soldier Alexander Hunter writes:

( "Alexander Hunter" ) One lay on his face with his body almost in two parts.

Another was shot just as he was taking aim.

One eye was still open while the other was closed,

and one arm extended in a position of holding his rifle,

which lay beside him on the ground.

The troops on both sides

must live in the middle of this untold death and suffering.

Horatio Chapman records the experience in his diary.

( "Horatio Chapman" ) The dead in some places were piled upon each other

and the groans and moans of the wounded

were truly saddening to hear.

Some were just alive and gasping,

but unconscious.

Others were mortally wounded

and were conscious of the fact that

they could not live long.

By the time of the North's final victory,

over 600,000 men on both sides are dead--

some 2% of the entire US population.

In current population terms,

that's the equivalent of 6 million people.

Almost half of the dead remain unidentified.

The fear of dying forgotten on the battlefield

leads soldiers for the first time

to begin pinning their names and units

on their uniforms.

These crude, early versions of the dog tag

will make it possible to identify their bodies

after they're killed.

For the first time, America's growing postal service

means soldiers can write to their loved ones from the front.

With none of today's military censorship,

it allows soldiers like Robert Stiles to relay

the terrifying realities of life on the front line.

( "Robert Stiles" ) The sights and smells that assailed us

were simply indescribable.

Corpses swollen to twice their original size.

Some of them actually burst asunder

with the pressure of foul gases and vapors.

Fueling this carnage

lies the deep political animosity

that has led to this war.

In a bitter conflict that has pitted brother against brother,

the South is determined to defend its independence

and its system of slavery.

But the North will not allow it to leave

the Union of States.

We fought and lost hundreds of thousands of men

on both sides,

fighting for what they believed was right.

The unholy alliance of new weapons

and outdated battle tactics

means a body count on an industrial scale.

The war is locked in a bloody stalemate.

Neither side can land a decisive blow.

In this bitter war of attrition...

victory will come to the last man standing.

( narrator ) August 1862,

over a year into the war.

General Robert E. Lee's Confederate Army

is readying to launch a wide-ranging assault

against Union forces in Virginia.

Highly motivated,

these men are fighting on their home turf

and are ready to die for Southern independence,

its traditions, and its rural way of life.

Its prosperity is built around a simple crop.

Cotton.

Known as "white gold,"

the South accounts for 2/3 of the world's supply of cotton.

It brings extraordinary wealth to the Southern states.

But it is wealth built on the backs of slaves.

Now Lincoln's victory at the ballot box

threatens this traditional way of life

and the slavery it is built on.

Rather than submit to Northern rule,

the South decides to fight.

They want a separate nation.

General Robert E. Lee takes command

at the head of the newly formed

Army of Northern Virginia.

Lee, a brilliant graduate of the elite West Point Academy,

is already a veteran of the Mexican War...

and highly regarded for his effectiveness

on the battlefield.

( man ) Lee could intuit the battlefield

in a way that almost resembles Rommel in World War II,

or Patton, and as a result,

he could-- he could sort of almost sense

where the place would be to take the gamble

and where to hit.

( horse neighing )

Manassas, Virginia, 1862.

Confederate troops gather ahead of

The Second Battle of Bull Run.

Lee's forces are heavily outnumbered.

But this Virginia woodland

is home territory these volunteer troops

know like the back of their hand.

Rigid training and strict discipline

have turned them into a formidable fighting force.

( man ) If you'd been a betting man back then,

you'd have bet the South would've won.

The South only had to hold its territory.

The North had to come and take it away.

The North had to be the occupying force,

which is far harder to do.

( man ) Fire !

( men shouting )

At Bull Run, Lee easily demonstrates

his forces' superiority.

( men shouting )

In one engagement lasting just ten minutes,

the Yankee 5th New York Regiment

loses more men than any other regiment

during the entire Civil War.

( horse neighing )

All told, Lee's men kill over 1,700 Union soldiers.

( men shouting )

Determination and local knowledge give the South

their greatest victory in the war to date.

But Lee and his commanders

have underestimated the nature of this conflict...

and of their opponent, President Abraham Lincoln.

Because Lincoln is fighting a totally new kind of war,

and his Southern adversaries just don't get it.

( whistle blowing )

A packed train speeds on its way south,

ready to replenish the Union Army

with fresh troops and supplies.

Lieutenant George Benedict writes home.

( "George Benedict" ) We were stowed away in freight cars

and started out of the city.

The train took 600 other troops besides our regiment

and numbered 34 heavily loaded cars.

( whistle blowing )

The railroad, one of Lincoln's hidden weapons in this war.

In one key operation ordered directly by the president...

25,000 fresh troops

are sent on a 1,200-mile journey to the South.

( man ) Fire !

By road, it would take over two months.

By rail, it will take these men just seven days.

Following its introduction in the 1830s,

America's rail infrastructure

has gradually spread its tentacles across the country.

Lincoln realizes it can revolutionize

the speed of troop deployments.

( whistle blowing )

He strikes a deal with the rail owners,

to put the North's railroad network

under government control.

It turns the railroad into a weapon of war.

Instead of armies being limited to the speed

at which they could march,

all of a sudden, you had armies

being able to move to the front by rail,

and more importantly, supplies.

Supplies and troops pour out of the North

towards the battlefront.

Some busy lines carry 800 tons of supplies a day,

the equivalent of 80 railroad cars.

In Lincoln's hands,

the 24,000 miles of rail track in the North

becomes an arm of his war machine.

But the South has a far smaller network,

just 9,000 miles at the start of the war,

and it remains under private control.

In the four years the war lasts,

the North adds 4,000 miles of new track to its network,

against just 400 miles in the South.

This inability to coordinate rail supplies

will prove disastrous for the South.

Even though they're just 30 miles

from their capital in Richmond,

in the winter of 1863,

poor rail links mean Southern troops in Virginia starve.

For all their brilliance and determination in battle,

the South simply lack the logistics

to deliver a decisive blow.

And it isn't simply rail.

Lincoln realizes that victory depends on mobilizing

the entire industrial might of the North

behind the war effort.

Production of clothing in the North

doubles during the conflict.

Pitchfork manufacturers start making swords.

While the number of patents

doubles in the course of the war.

Manufacturing, technology, infrastructure.

It will change the face of America.

For the first time in history,

industry is put behind the war effort...

an approach to conflict

that America will exploit in the First and Second World Wars.

It is the beginning of a new, integrated economy

that will be the hallmark of the modern age.

( narrator ) In a building just across the road from the White House

is a small room.

It will become Lincoln's nerve center in this war.

And at its heart,

a simple device that will transform

how this war is fought and won:

the telegraph.

The invention of Morse code in 1844

turns the telegraph into America's first tool

of mass communication.

Quickly encoded, the basic system of dots and dashes

is ideal for brief messages.

Like Twitter today,

it needs just seconds to send them and transcribe them.

Where messengers previously took days,

on horseback, over hundreds of miles

and across every kind of terrain,

now the country's 50,000-mile telegraph network

means communication is almost instantaneous.

As telegraph poles snake out alongside the railroad lines,

this vast country begins to shrink.

It will transform the nature of this war,

as information and decisions

can flow backwards and forwards at lightning speed.

( man ) It became kind of the early version of e-mail.

Suddenly it was possible to get a message

to somebody from St. Louis to get a message to New York

in a shockingly short amount of time.

Lincoln immediately realizes the telegraph's potential

as a weapon of war.

He insists on the installation of telegraph lines

directly into the War Department.

And he quickly acts to place all telegraph facilities

in the Union under military control.

The Telegraph Office becomes the central hub

of Lincoln's war operation,

his command-and-control center.

He even takes to sleeping here at busy times.

The Telegraph Office manager, David Homer Bates,

describes how Lincoln obsesses over

every scrap of news from the front,

sometimes reading dispatches word by word

as they are deciphered.

( "David Homer Bates" ) Lincoln's habit was to go immediately to the drawer

each time he came into our room...

and read over the telegrams, beginning at the top,

until he came to the one he had seen

on his previous visit.

The North's telegraph network

spreads its tentacles far and wide,

sucking information back to

Lincoln and his commanders in Washington.

It gives him a vast strategic overview,

providing him an unrivaled insight

into his commanders' tactical thinking.

( James ) Lincoln himself was able to stay on top of,

literally, hour-by-hour developments in--

in the course of individual battles.

That had never happened before.

To the irritation of his generals,

it even allows him to issue his own direct orders,

telling them how to fight.

In one campaign, with General Lee's forces

threatening Washington,

Lincoln responds by telegraphing direct orders

to his generals.

( man ) The exposed position of General Banks

makes his immediate relief

a point of paramount importance.

You are therefore directed by the president

to move against Jackson at Harrisonburg.

This movement must be made immediately.

In the course of the war,

Lincoln sends almost 1,000 telegrams

from this small office.

But the South never grasps the potential

of the telegraph in creating

a centralized command-and-control system.

It means Southern generals like Lee must plan their battles

without that kind of strategic overview.

As the war continues,

Lincoln brings down the hammer of his war machine.

Industry, lines of communication and supplies,

manpower and firepower are all marshaled

to deliver blow after blow to the Confederate Army.

But the South,

bolstered by the belief in the rightness of its cause,

doggedly refuses to give in.

As a result, the death toll just keeps rising.

At Antietam in 1862,

6,000 are killed...

17,000 wounded.

Over four times as many as during

World War II's D-Day landings.

( man screaming )

The carnage will trigger a revolution

in battlefield medicine.

( man screaming )

( narrator ) 3/4 of all operations conducted by army surgeons

during the Civil War are amputations.

Letters from surgeon William Watson

record what these battlefield ERs were like.

( "William Watson" ) Day before yesterday I performed 14 amputations

without leaving the table.

I do not exaggerate when I say I have performed,

at the least calculation, 50 amputations.

There are so many severely wounded through the joints.

There are so many operations yet to be performed.

Surgeon Theodore Dimon describes the hideous wounds

left by weapons like the Minié ball.

( "Theodore Dimon" ) The shattering, splintering,

and splitting of a long bone

by the impact of the Minié ball

is both remarkable and frightening.

An experienced surgeon can hack off a limb

in just ten minutes.

Ether and chloroform are used as anesthetics.

If a bullet doesn't kill you,

an infection can.

Gangrene is the greatest killer.

Deprived of oxygen,

wounds become an ideal breeding ground for clostridium...

a bacteria that releases a poisonous toxin,

destroying tissue.

Death can follow quickly.

Approximately 60,000 amputations

are performed during the Civil War,

more than in any other war America has fought in.

Twice as many soldiers die

from infected wounds and disease

as on the battlefield.

This unprecedented carnage forces a complete rethink

of traditional battlefield medicine.

Looking after the well-being of soldiers

becomes as central to the war effort

as the supply of guns and ammunition.

Large numbers of women sign up as battlefield nurses.

One of them is Clara Barton.

Help me, please.

A saw ?

Clara Barton is untrained and unpaid.

When she starts, most nurses are men.

It is a menial occupation.

The remedies she proposes for the care of the wounded

are simple,

but revolutionary in their effect.

( "Clara Barton" ) They want food, clothing, shelter, medicines,

and a few calm, practical persons to administer them.

She insists the injured have a ready supply

of clean bandages.

First aid.

The sorting of the wounded

to put the most serious cases first.

The Civil War brings in a series of innovations

that form the basis of

battlefield medicine to this day.

20,000 women sign on as nurses during the war.

Clara Barton herself

goes on to found the American Red Cross.

Standards of hygiene begin to dramatically improve

with the discovery of bromine.

This caustic chemical is effective against

the bacteria that cause gangrene.

As a result, nearly 3/4 of amputees survive surgery,

and gangrene becomes rare by the war's end.

With the war dragging on without a clear end in sight...

Lincoln is increasingly forced to fight

on a very different front.

The war for public opinion.

The spread of portable cameras

means, for the first time,

gory images of the battlefield

can now reach every home.

While these simple cameras rule out

dramatic action scenes,

they are ideal for capturing

the gruesome aftermath of battle.

As many as 1,500 photographers

flood the battlefield.

Their images are sold widely to members of the public

for as little as 25¢.

( Steven ) There was war photography coming back from

the Civil War that captured it in a way,

made it real and made people recognize

the really extraordinary unprecedented violence.

America's growing newspaper mass media

reproduces simple woodcuts of the images.

More than 200 correspondents cover the war,

filing over 100 million words of copy.

This deluge of information about the war

ensures the grim reality of this conflict

is seared into the public consciousness.

Never again will politicians

be able to fight wars without public support.

The war means a soldier is five times more likely to die

than a civilian.

Where families used to grieve for the dead at home,

now men die on the battlefield.

It forces a fundamental shift

in the rituals surrounding death.

Nat Bowditch dies on a battlefield in Virginia.

Yet his family in Boston

can still say good-bye to their son,

killed 500 miles away.

Are you ready, Mrs. Bowditch ?

Even though it has taken a week for his body

to travel from the battlefield,

his father describes how it is free of any signs

of decomposition.

( man ) Though the marks of closely contested battle

were still upon the face,

the features were placid, as if he was sleeping.

That's because of the new technique

known as embalming.

Chemicals like arsenic and zinc chloride

are injected into the corpse

to halt the natural process of decay.

The business of death

and the preservation of bodies

turns undertakers into overnight millionaires.

One undertaker boasts:

( man ) I would be glad to prepare private soldiers.

They were worth a $5 bill apiece.

But Lord, bless you, a colonel pays 100.

And a brigadier general, 200.

If you've got the money,

all sorts of new techniques are available.

Airtight coffins and embalming are most popular.

And for the wealthiest,

even elaborate refrigerated coffins packed with ice.

The war drags on.

Lincoln is determined to end it

and abolish slavery.

In September 1862,

he gives the South an ultimatum.

Rejoin the Union.

He threatens to forcibly liberate their slaves

if they refuse.

But the South, having tasted independence,

does not want to rejoin a Union

where slavery would be at risk.

They reject the ultimatum.

Lincoln is in no mood to negotiate.

If the South won't free their slaves,

he will do it himself.

( woman ) For white Southerners, it was a confirmation

that their thoughts about Lincoln all along,

that he was in fact somebody who was

bent on destroying what they thought

was the Southern way of life.

In the North, in a sense,

it gave people a different understanding

of what the war was about.

On January 1, 1863,

Lincoln issues a proclamation abolishing slavery

in the rebellious Southern states.

Thanks to the telegraph, the news quickly spreads.

( man ) On the first day of January

in the year of our Lord,

1863...

Lincoln had totally grown

to where he said that not only should blacks not be slaves,

they should be treated as equal citizens

with full enfranchisement--

right to vote, right to participate.

( man ) All persons held as slaves shall be then,

henceforth...

and forever free.

( cheering )

( gunshot firing )

( men shouting )

( narrator ) In the wake of Lincoln's emancipation of the slaves,

Black American soldiers rush to enlist for the Union.

( men shouting )

Almost 200,000 sign up by the end of the war.

General James Blunt describes their skill as fighters.

( "James Blunt" ) I never saw such fighting as was done by

the Negro Regiment.

They make better soldiers in every respect

than any other troops I have ever had under my command.

The Emancipation Proclamation

changes the dynamics of the war.

The Union Army becomes a force for liberation,

now fighting to end slavery.

They understood that saving the Union

would give them some sense of freedom,

some sense of dignity.

It was the dignity that

"I'm a soldier, I'm not just a servant, I'm a soldier,

"I have a uniform, I have stripes.

I'm somebody."

Lincoln follows the Proclamation with his masterstroke.

His address in 1863

dedicating America's first National Cemetery

for soldiers at Gettysburg

is perhaps the single most famous piece

of political rhetoric in history.

( man ) "Four score and seven years ago,

"our fathers brought forth upon this nation...

"Conceived in liberty

"and dedicated to the proposition...

"That all men are created equal.

( man ) "That we here highly resolve

"that these dead shall not have died in vain--

"that this nation, under God,

"shall have a new birth of freedom--

"and that government of the people, by the people,

"and for the people

shall not perish from this earth."

( Annette ) It is an emotional thing to think about

people sacrificing, giving their lives,

for an ideal,

and it's Lincoln at his absolute best--

the genius, the simplicity that conveys a great amount.

( man ) It's spiritual in a way.

It's a hymn to America,

and it's the hymn to the possibilities

and the great sacrifices of this country.

But in 1864, the war remains deadlocked.

( gunshots firing )

( men shouting )

( horse neighing )

( whistle blowing )

With an election looming

and a challenge coming from those who want to

negotiate a peace with the South,

Lincoln knows he needs to land a decisive blow.

At some point, somebody gets tired.

Somebody blinks.

Somebody makes a mistake.

And when you're talking about war,

that mistake-- that's everything.

Lincoln puts the North's entire industrial might

behind one final push.

The man who will lead the charge from Chattanooga to Atlanta:

William Sherman.

His orders: to stop for nothing.

( "William Sherman" ) I would make this war as severe as possible

and show no symptoms of tiring

'til the South begs for mercy.

Advancing under the cover of night,

Sherman's march is sustained

by one of the greatest logistical operations

yet seen in this conflict.

( whistle blowing )

Sherman knows he needs to throw everything he's got

at the Confederate Army.

While he uses his own supply lines to maximum effect,

he destroys those of the South,

ripping up their railroad

and bending it beyond use.

In one day, the North's supply lines

replace 200,000 bullets.

( gunshots firing )

While the South is left scavenging on the battlefield

for spent rounds, food, even old boots.

Sherman calls it total war--

a scorched-earth approach

that becomes the trademark of modern warfare.

Finally, with Atlanta under siege,

Confederate forces set fire to their own munitions stores...

before abandoning their city to the Union soldiers.

( all screaming )

Sherman's tactics of total war have won out.

His victory helps secure Lincoln's election in the fall.

With Atlanta in ruins, he just keeps going,

now launching what will be his final assault:

The March to the Sea.

In a 19th-century equivalent of Shock and Awe,

62,000 Union soldiers wreak a 60-mile-wide path

of destruction across Georgia,

from Atlanta to the coast at Savannah.

( all screaming )

Supply lines are cut.

Villages are sacked and crops torched.

Anything of military value is destroyed.

Within six months,

General Lee has tendered the Confederate Army's surrender.

The rebellion is over.

The South will have to submit to the Union

and bring an end to slavery.

By the act of winning,

the North both validated freedom

and validated the industrial model,

and so you have an American confidence,

an American sense of achievement,

an American willingness to go out around the world.

For all the Confederacy's commitment,

its inferior logistical infrastructure

has been no match for the North's

unstoppable war machine.

Its industrial heartland,

its growing network of railroads,

its telegraph network,

all bring victory to the North.

Within a week,

Lincoln lies dead from an assassin's bullet,

but America has pulled back from the brink.

The nation is once again united,

and out of that unity

now grows a modern industrialized economy

that will reach right across this great continent.

( whistle blowing )

Captioning presented by A&E TELEVISION NETWORKS

Captioned by Soundwriters™