A history of the American nation . , recogni;.ed fullv the The blockade. . , • , physical strength and intense mitral earnestnessof the other. It was decided \-ery early in the war to (rKshout the rebellion, and this aim. though dilhcult to carry out,was not abandoned. The main instrument in this crushingprocess, or the Anaconda system, was the na\y, whichwas soon employed in establishing an immense commercialblockade. The enormous task oi preventing any \essel fromentering or lea\ing a Southern port was unilertaken. Beforelong the ports from Chesapeake Hay to CaKeston wereguarded by ships of
A history of the American nation . , recogni;.ed fullv the The blockade. . , • , physical strength and intense mitral earnestnessof the other. It was decided \-ery early in the war to (rKshout the rebellion, and this aim. though dilhcult to carry out,was not abandoned. The main instrument in this crushingprocess, or the Anaconda system, was the na\y, whichwas soon employed in establishing an immense commercialblockade. The enormous task oi preventing any \essel fromentering or lea\ing a Southern port was unilertaken. Beforelong the ports from Chesapeake Hay to CaKeston wereguarded by ships of the United States navy. The natural line of defense of the South was the Ohio andthe Potomac; but as neither ^larylaiul nor Kentucky joined the Confederacy, the Confetlerates were compelled toemiitary j^^^ ,^ jj^^^ ^^^ dcfcuse Considerably south of situation. I these rivers both in the Kast and in the attitude of the Confederate armies was principally one ofdefense, and of the Federals one of attack. U is necessary to. SECESSION AND ( IVIL WAR ISfil 1,S()/) 3S!) keep these salient facts in mind. The defensive attitude of theSouthern armies gave them great miUtary advantage. The mountains, running in a south westerly direction fromnear the source of the Iotomac, (hvided tlie field of war into twonatural divisions. In the East the main purpose of the Northernarmy was to reach the i)olitical center of the Confederacy, Rich-mond. There were two natural m(;thods of approach: one over-land, almost straight southward from Washington; in this coursethe invading force W(juld be endangered and retarded by forests,through which the roads were often ])oor, and by streams, whichwere sometimes swollen by rains and difficult of passage; theother method of approach was by way of the sea to the ])enin-sula between the York and the James Rivers, and thence u|) thepeninsula to Richmond. Each method presented the West the first great purpose was to get ])ossession of the
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