Leslie Jensen

March 1997

Pre Collage Writing

Outline: Southern Leadership

When the Ameican Civil War began in 1861 the North was sure of an early and quick victory. The North had a greater military potential with a population of 22 million people. The South only had a population of nine milloin with one third of tose being slaves. The North also possessed claer material advantages in mony,credit, factories,muntions, food production, mineral reasources and two times more railroads than the south. With all that the South lacked, it made up with its strong military leadership and its undying faith in its cause.

Introduction:

a. What advantages did the North have over the South?

b. What did the south have to counterbalance this ineqality?

The North military Situation at beginning of the war.

a. Overview of Northern Leaders.

b. Age factor, most of the northern leaders were elderly and perhaps senile.

c. Size of army at wars start.

d. Would people volunteer or was conscription immediately necessary?

3. The southern Military situation at beginning of conflict.

a. Principal defectors were Robert E. Lee, Stonewall Jackson and many talented young west pointers.

b. West Points role in the conflict.

c. Volunteerism or conscription immediately necessary

4. what makes a great leader militarily?

a. Can it be quantified?

b. What should be the standards?

c. Can standards be made?

5. The Confederacy

a. How it was set up.

b. Who was in charge.

c. Did Europe have Confederate leanings?

6. Abraham Lincoln and his Generals.

a. Did frequent changing of his mind affect the war in any way?

b. Did he have what it takes to be a strong leader?

c. Why did he care if the Confederate states left the union.

7. Ussyless S. Grant

a. Why was he chosen?

b. Was he a failure in life?

b. Military background

8. Northern plans for suppressing the insurrection.

a. Military theories

b. Problems with troops

c. Faith in their cause, or did they have one?

9. Jefferson Davis

a. Background as a Senator and West Pointer.

b. His views on accepting the Presidency.

c. The faith in the cause.

10. Robert E. Lee

a. Strong background in military tactics.

b. Distinguished solider and strong tactician.

c. Could victory ever been his?

d. Improvisation

11. Military Theories of the Day.

a. Henri Jomini

b. Were Jomini's theories out of date, considering the technical advances?

c. Being out of date why were they clung to so strongly?

12. Support in the South.

a. Support in the South was strong.

b. Many had faith in their cause.

c. What could cause them o lose faith?

13. Loss of Faith after the War had hardened them.

a. Deserting problems faced by south

b. hardy followers diminish.

c. Robert e. Lee's Decision to end it.

The war was finally over after four long years of horredouse fighting and hundres of thousands of deaths. By no ones estimation was it thought that the war would streach out to be this long. The North had so many advantages over the South that hte north was confident that he war would be a very short one. What the North failed to relaize was the power of the Sothern Military Leadership and the will and the faith of the Confedate people.