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fandomhigh2017-03-13 06:08 am
wefindintheashes) wrote in fandomhigh2017-03-13 06:08 am
Entry tags:
Hands On History of the American Civil War, 2nd Period (3/13)
Once again, there was no movie for the class. It was like your teachers were getting the hang of this thing!
Or something.
Probably something else.
"Now, last week we talking about Lincoln and the yankee side of things for the end of the war," Goody said. Because of course he had to say it like that. "Now today we'll be discussing the fall of Richmond--which had been the Confederate capital, a mere hundred miles away from the Union capital--and the surrender of General Lee."
Which probably warranted a little back story. Because Lee was somewhat important and all that.
"Now, Lee had been the first pick for both sides of the war as a commander, only ending up in the Confederacy after his home state of Virginia seceded."
"Lee was something of a patriot," Nathan added. "Not to any one nation, but to Virginia in particular. Everything he did, he did with his home state in mind, doing everything he could to defend it. Which really didn't leave great prospects for the other Confederate states, once focus was pulled so strongly into protecting Virginia in particular."
"But with a war dragging on for so many years, the defense of Richmond had started to nag at him," Goody continued. "He was held at Petersburg to the south by sieging Union forces, led by Grant. Supplies were rapidly dwindling as ports were falling to Union control and rail lines cut…"
"Hard to keep an army going without supply lines," Nathan said, helpfully, "never mind a nation. Confederate civilians were starting to feel the effects of the war themselves, as food became harder and harder to find. After all, armies from both the North and the South were taking whatever food they could find from the countryside as they went. You all remember our talk about rations."
That hardtack had been traumatizing.
"As we mentioned last week, when Sheridan had whipped Early into submission, he headed south to continue the pursuit. The incoming reinforcements for Grant's army was the final straw, causing Lee to finally abandon both Petersburg and his dogged defense of Richmond," Goody said. "He sent a telegram on to President Davis, alerting him to the move and strongly suggesting a abandoning of the city to retreat further south to safety."
Which ended well for everyone, right?
How could it not, right?
"In government offices, official documents started to burn," Nathan continued. "Hard to miss that, though the citizens of Richmond didn't hear anything officially for hours to come. People kept asking each other what was going on, and it wasn't until official word went out in the early evening that they actually learned of the call to evacuate. Have you ever witnessed the evacuation of an entire city? Trains, horses, carriages, skiffs and barges. Every vehicle available was put to use getting officials and prominent citizens out."
"Which tended to leave the common folk a bit… put out if you will," Goody continued. Because this was A Story, kids. "Once they realized how much food and clothing had been hoarded away by the gentle folk of the Richmond elite, they were… a mite perturbed?"
Sure. That was a way to put it.
"Meaning they looted whatever they could find. And there was nothing the small Confederate military force left behind could do to stop them."
"Richmond's officials had heard stories about how poorly Columbia, South Carolina had fared when Union soldiers had discovered their stores of whisky," Nathan said, because this absolutely was storytime now, yes. "So they ordered all of the liquor to be destroyed. They were a bit rushed, however, what with the incoming army, so they simply smashed bottles and poured barrels into the streets." Nathan raised his eyebrows. "So, now there was the stench of free alcohol, attracting crowds."
To drink it right off the streets, yes. Look, free was free.
Goody nodded like that made perfect sense to him. "They also didn't want to give anything to the Union army that could be useful, so the cotton and tobacco that had been accumulated in the city to sell should the opportunity arise were placed in what the military believed to be most flammable buildings that could be kept from spreading and set alight."
A beat.
"Now ya'll go and guess how well that worked out for them while at the same time there were drunk, angry looters rampaging around the city."
"So," Nathan raised his eyebrows a little, "the streets were paved in whisky, buildings were on fire, people were looting whatever they could while others were desperately trying to leave before, well, we showed up," the cavalry force that had been on the way was indeed a mighty one, "and everything was chaos." He waved a hand toward the class. "How would you have done things differently? Hindsight makes your job a little easier, I suppose, but say you need to evacuate a city in a hurry. How would you go about it?"
Maybe less free alcohol for the desperate masses?
Goody glanced over at the clock, raising his eyebrows. "And don't worry, we'll be covering the surrender at Appomattox next week. This lecture ran mite bit longer than expected."
Or something.
Probably something else.
"Now, last week we talking about Lincoln and the yankee side of things for the end of the war," Goody said. Because of course he had to say it like that. "Now today we'll be discussing the fall of Richmond--which had been the Confederate capital, a mere hundred miles away from the Union capital--and the surrender of General Lee."
Which probably warranted a little back story. Because Lee was somewhat important and all that.
"Now, Lee had been the first pick for both sides of the war as a commander, only ending up in the Confederacy after his home state of Virginia seceded."
"Lee was something of a patriot," Nathan added. "Not to any one nation, but to Virginia in particular. Everything he did, he did with his home state in mind, doing everything he could to defend it. Which really didn't leave great prospects for the other Confederate states, once focus was pulled so strongly into protecting Virginia in particular."
"But with a war dragging on for so many years, the defense of Richmond had started to nag at him," Goody continued. "He was held at Petersburg to the south by sieging Union forces, led by Grant. Supplies were rapidly dwindling as ports were falling to Union control and rail lines cut…"
"Hard to keep an army going without supply lines," Nathan said, helpfully, "never mind a nation. Confederate civilians were starting to feel the effects of the war themselves, as food became harder and harder to find. After all, armies from both the North and the South were taking whatever food they could find from the countryside as they went. You all remember our talk about rations."
That hardtack had been traumatizing.
"As we mentioned last week, when Sheridan had whipped Early into submission, he headed south to continue the pursuit. The incoming reinforcements for Grant's army was the final straw, causing Lee to finally abandon both Petersburg and his dogged defense of Richmond," Goody said. "He sent a telegram on to President Davis, alerting him to the move and strongly suggesting a abandoning of the city to retreat further south to safety."
Which ended well for everyone, right?
How could it not, right?
"In government offices, official documents started to burn," Nathan continued. "Hard to miss that, though the citizens of Richmond didn't hear anything officially for hours to come. People kept asking each other what was going on, and it wasn't until official word went out in the early evening that they actually learned of the call to evacuate. Have you ever witnessed the evacuation of an entire city? Trains, horses, carriages, skiffs and barges. Every vehicle available was put to use getting officials and prominent citizens out."
"Which tended to leave the common folk a bit… put out if you will," Goody continued. Because this was A Story, kids. "Once they realized how much food and clothing had been hoarded away by the gentle folk of the Richmond elite, they were… a mite perturbed?"
Sure. That was a way to put it.
"Meaning they looted whatever they could find. And there was nothing the small Confederate military force left behind could do to stop them."
"Richmond's officials had heard stories about how poorly Columbia, South Carolina had fared when Union soldiers had discovered their stores of whisky," Nathan said, because this absolutely was storytime now, yes. "So they ordered all of the liquor to be destroyed. They were a bit rushed, however, what with the incoming army, so they simply smashed bottles and poured barrels into the streets." Nathan raised his eyebrows. "So, now there was the stench of free alcohol, attracting crowds."
To drink it right off the streets, yes. Look, free was free.
Goody nodded like that made perfect sense to him. "They also didn't want to give anything to the Union army that could be useful, so the cotton and tobacco that had been accumulated in the city to sell should the opportunity arise were placed in what the military believed to be most flammable buildings that could be kept from spreading and set alight."
A beat.
"Now ya'll go and guess how well that worked out for them while at the same time there were drunk, angry looters rampaging around the city."
"So," Nathan raised his eyebrows a little, "the streets were paved in whisky, buildings were on fire, people were looting whatever they could while others were desperately trying to leave before, well, we showed up," the cavalry force that had been on the way was indeed a mighty one, "and everything was chaos." He waved a hand toward the class. "How would you have done things differently? Hindsight makes your job a little easier, I suppose, but say you need to evacuate a city in a hurry. How would you go about it?"
Maybe less free alcohol for the desperate masses?
Goody glanced over at the clock, raising his eyebrows. "And don't worry, we'll be covering the surrender at Appomattox next week. This lecture ran mite bit longer than expected."