McPherson Q and A

Chapter 8: The Counterrevolution of 1861


Q. In December 1860 before his inauguration, which officer did Lincoln send word to prepare to collect customs and to defend or retake Federal forts in seceded states?

A. General-in-chief Winfield Scott (Pg. 250)

Q. On April 9th at a cabinet meeting in Montgomery, which fateful event led to the bombardment of Fort Sumter?

A. The endorsement of Davis' order to Beaurgard to reduce the fort before the Union relief fleet arrived. (Pg. 273)

Q. What percentage of the population in the Confederate States did slaves constitute?

A. 47% (Pg. 255)

Chapter 9: The Upper South’s Dilemma

Q. Which officer did General-in-chief Winfield Scott hope would remain loyal to service of Nation over Section?

A. Robert E. Lee (Pg. 281)

Q. What major connections with the North did the state of Maryland depend on for economic health leading up to the election of all six Union candidates in a special Congressional Election held on June 13 1861?

A. Rail and water connections. (Pg. 287)

Q. What were the Federal counterinsurgency forces tasked with combating the Confederate guerrillas referred to as?

A. "Jayhawkers" (Pg. 292)

Chapter 10: Amateurs Go To War


Q. What theory did the Lincoln Administration fight the war on?

A. That Secession was Unconstitutional (and that the Southern States still lived under the Constitution). (Pg. 312)

Q. Who was tasked with "creating a Navy from scratch", and also authorized the rebuilding of the half destroyed U.S.S Merrimack (later rechristened the C.S.S Virginia)?

A. Stephen R. Mallory (Pg. 314)

Q. What very important aspect of battle was a barrier for the Confederacy throughout the Battle of Manassass (Bull Run)?

A. Logistics (the inability to resupply consistently) (Pg. 321)

Chapter 11: Farewell to the Ninety Days’ War

Q. In December 1861 newspapers published a quote of “Those who make war against the Government justly forfeit all rights of property…It is clearly a right of the Government to arm slaves, when it may become necessary, as it is to use gun-powder taken from the enemy”. What Secretary of War representative was responsible for this quote?

A. Secretary of War Simon Cameron (Pg. 357)

Q. Where does the term Quaker Gun come from?

A. When the Federals moved in on Munson’s Hill, they discovered what resembled a cannon. Upon closer inspection, it was discovered the Quaker Gun was actually a cannon carved out of a log. (Pg. 359-360)

Q. Who made the comment - “Look at Jackson standing there like a damned stone wall!” - that forever after made Jackson known as “Stonewall” and his men the Stonewall Brigade?

A. General Barnard Bee of South Carolina. (Pg. 342)

Chapter 12: Blockade and Beachhead: The Salt Water War, 1861-1862

Q. April 1862 Union soldiers began capturing their first British merchant ship, what was the name of that ship, and what was done to the ship after it was captured?

A. The Bermuda was captured, after its capture it was put to work as a blockade ship. (Pg. 386)

Q. What was the primary naval task of the Union army in 1861?

A. The Blockade. (Pg. 369)

Q. What happened on March 8, that left the whole Union fleet threatened with destruction?

A . The C.S.S Virginia sunk both the U.S.S Cumberland and the U.S.S Congress, killing 240 “Bluejackets” including the Captain of the U.S.S Congress. (Pg. 375-376)

Chapter 13: The River War in 1862

Q. What was the name of the native of Indiana who had created the gunboats for the Union navy?

A. James B. Eads (Pg. 393)

Q. What was one of the main tasks of commanders on both sides of the war after their soldiers had felt the shock of experiencing combat, or “seeing the elephant”?

A. To reorganize their brigades and plug holes in the lines caused by leakage to the rear, and mounting casualties. (Pg. 409)

Q. What battle had a highest amount of deaths and wounded soldiers, more than the battles at the Manassas, Wilson’s Creek, Fort Donelson, and Pea Ridge combined?

A. The Battle at Shiloh (20,000 casualties). (Pg.) 413

Chapter 14: The Sinews of War

Q. In an effort to curb “monopolies” in the confederacy, which general known as “Richmond’s czar of martial law” tried to establish maximum pricing for several categories of food, only to admit defeat three weeks later?

A. General John Winder (Pg. 442)

Q. Which Union political appointee was responsible for taking to market the great war-bond drives and achieved great success selling $400 million in “five-twenty” bonds, as well as nearly $800 Million in “seven-thirties” notes?

A. Secretary of Treasury Salmon P. Chase (Pg. 443)

Q. In August 1861, what revolutionary measure grew from a need to assure the financial community that sufficient revenue would be raised to pay interest on bonds sold by the Union?

A. The first federal income tax (Pg. 443)

Chapter 15: Billy Yank’s Chickahominy Blues

Q. In 1855 Jefferson Davis, then Secretary of War, converted the United States Army to which weapon, that later became the main arm of the Civil War?

A. .58 caliber Springfield rifled musket (Pg. 474)

Q. Which Richmond Volunteer nurse was commissioned by Jefferson Davis as a captain so her infirmary could qualify as an army hospital, also considered to be one of the best hospitals?

A. Sally Louisa Tompkins (Pg. 478)

Q. On June 27th, who did McClellan telegraph that he had been “attacked by greatly superior numbers” on both sides of the Chickahominy when realistically the Army of the Potomac was still in good shape?

A. Edwin M. Stanton (Pg. 468)

Chapter 16: We Must Free the Slaves or Be Ourselves Subdued

Q. On which day did Lincoln call for 300,000 new volunteers to bring the war to a “speedy and satisfactory conclusion”?

A. July 2 (Pg. 491)

Q. Which shifty, uneasy, and sometimes divided new party began to emerge in 1862 that stood for reunion through negotiations, but remained united on one issue: opposition to emancipation?

A. Peace Democrats or Copperheads (Pg. 506)

Q. In an effort to defuse much of the anti-emancipation sentiment that might sink the 1862 elections, Lincoln proposed what plan to a group of black leaders in the White House on August 14th, 1862?

A. Colonization (Pg. 508)

Chapter 17: Carry Me Back To Old Virginny

Q. According to critics, which act may have cut back the Confederate forces, significantly shortening the length of the war?

A. A campaign against Vicksburg (Pg. 512)

Q. Within five days during the Battle of Second Manassass, how many casualties did Union forces suffer?

A. 16,000 ( four times as many that were lost on the Normandy beaches, June 6th 1944) (Pg. 532)

Q. Who replaced McDowell and Pope as sole commander of the Army of the Potomac, charged with the defense of Washington?

A. George B. McClellan (Pg. 533)

Chapter 18: John Bull’s Virginia Reel

Q. In what ways did the American Civil War mirror the issues of Class conflict in Britain?

A. The Union stood for popular government, equal rights, and the dignity of labor. Whereas the Confederacy stood for aristocracy, privilege, and slavery. (Pg. 549)

Q. What did Lincoln consider the character of the war to be after he invoked the Emancipation Proclamation?

A. One of Subjugation (Pg. 558)

Q. Which event ensured that the British would think twice about intervening against the Union forces?

A. The Battle of Antietam (Pg. 557)

(End of final Wiki draft for Q and A assignment)

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