Existing comment:
May 1861:
The Anaconda Plan:
The hero of the Mexican War (1846-1848), Winfield Scott -- now 80 years old and weighing 300 pounds -- was an unlikely commander. But the general had not lost his strategic talents. Expecting a lengthy war, Scott crafted for Lincoln's approval what became known as the Anaconda Plan.
Scott would squeeze the life out of the Confederacy First Southern coasts would be blockaded. Then the South itself would be sliced in two, with Northern forces seizing control of the vital Mississippi River. Additional pressure would be applied as Union armies tightened their grip on such important ports as New Orleans and Mobile.
McClellan Assumes Command:
In November 1861, Winfield Scott yielded his command to the young and energetic General George McClellan. But it was Scott's strategic vision that formed Lincoln's battle plan.
May 24, 1861:
The First Casualty:
From his second floor office, Lincoln could observe Confederate activity in nearby Alexandria and on Arlington Heights, just across the Potomac. Early on the morning of May 24, a regiment of New York Zouaves -- colorfully dressed soldiers recruited from that city's fire department -- set sail for Alexandria. Leading the assault was 23-year-old Colonel Elmer Ellsworth, a virtual son to Lincoln, in whose Springfield law office Ellsworth had once clerked.
The Union's First Martyr:
Spying a Confederate flag atop the Marshall House Inn, Ellsworth dashed to the roof of the building and cut down the banner. Coming back down the stairs, he was shot and killed by innkeeper James W. Jackson. At the White House, Lincoln was devastated. "My boy! My boy!" cried the president. "Was it necessary this sacrifice be made?"
At the president's orders, Ellsworth's body was brought to the East Room for a public funeral. The Union had its first martyr. |