The Civil War - Episode 2: A Very Bloody Affair (1862)

By 1862, both sides had one million men in uniform across a 1000 mile battle front ranging from Manassas, Virginia to Missouri. Battles had taken a horrendous toll in human lives on both sides. Lincoln and his Cabinet were frustrated by the slow pace of the war and with General George B. McClellan who had no desire to engage the enemy. The eventual attack on the Confederate capital, Richmond was met by stiff resistance from a force one-tenth its size. McClellan dug in at Yorktown and the battle dragged on. Meanwhile, the South had a new weapon in the form of the Merrimack, the first ironclad ship, far more powerful than anything the North had immediately available, until they eventually responded with the Monitor, which won the epic battle of iron ships in which the Merrimack was forced to withdraw. In the West, Union General, Ulysses S. Grant won two crucial victories and enhanced his reputation by demanding the enemies unconditional surrender. Although the Battle of Shiloh in April 1862 resulted in a Union victory, the success of the Union army was by no means guaranteed at the end of the first day. Admiral David Farragut then sailed down the Mississippi and took New Orleans, splitting the Confederacy in two.