Former United States Senator Jefferson Davis was elected as the president when the Confederacy formed their government. In addition, they chose Richmond as their capital. As we all know, Virginia is the neighbor of Maryland, where the US capital, Washington DC, is located, which are only roughly 100 miles apart from one another. If this army looks bored to you, it’s because they most certainly are.
There were two attempts to take Richmond at the beginning of the war, but they were unsuccessful. At this point, they just watched their neighbors to the south until they were weak and tired enough to invade. It took a total of three years for the Union to make its way into the South. It’s apparent that these soldiers didn’t have much to do until then.
A Very Smart Man With A Very Bad Plan
The photograph below is a picture of an observation balloon that is being fueled with hydrogen gas. The name for this balloon is called the Intrepid and was invented by Thaddeus Lowe. These air balloons had been around for decades by the time the Civil War began, and Lowe insisted that they be used to aid the Unions. This was truly a new concept in North America. To sell the idea, Lowe, although smart, came up with a rather foolish plan to fly to Washington, D.C., and land on the White House lawn.
His plan did not go as planned, seeing as he caught a “rebel” wind, which caused him to land right in enemy territory. He was arrested and escaped from being lynched. Afterward, he returned to Washington to demonstrate all the advantages soldiers would have if they were to use it as a way to observe.
Taking Credit
This photo below was taken by a man named Andrew Russell. He was then published incorrectly as “Sherman’s Neckties” in reference to the Union General, William Tecumseh Sherman. This photo makes this block look rather harmless; however, it was an effective method used by Southerners to destroy Union railroad lines. The ties would be used as fuel, and the fire would produce a very high heat when it was against the steel.
Once the steel was hot enough, soldiers would stand on each side and twist the metal to the best of their ability so that it wouldn’t be able to be used for railroad tracks. “Sherman’s Neckties” ended up sticking because the Union general at the time thought the tactic was very effective.
The President Was Under Fire
Abraham Lincoln is known for being one of, if not the tallest president there ever was. To make himself look even taller, he wore a top hat. However, the smaller you are, the more advantage you have if you’re in the Civil War. Being very tall almost cost Abraham his life in 1864.
The story goes on to Lincoln visiting the soldier lines in the midst of a Union army attack on Fort Stevens. There was Confederate rifle fire coming in extremely close. Colonel Oliver Wendell Holmes yelled at Lincoln, telling him to lower his head and get down. Had Lincoln not listened, there is a good possibility that he would have died that day.
No Good Deed Goes Unpunished
What a cool and clear picture this is. The man who is sitting in the middle is Matthew Harrison Brady. He is considered to be the inventor of photojournalism and the main reason why we have such a broad collection of Civil War photographs today. Brady wanted people to be able to experience warfare like they never had before. To do this, he put up roughly $100,000 of his money to finance said project.
Little did he know that he would live to regret making that decision. While the war was going on people were very intrigued and wanted to see his work. Following the war, people were incredibly devastated and didn’t want to see all that had happened. He ended up selling his work to Congress for a small fraction of the price. Mr. Brady died in 1895 up to his eyeballs in debt.