but jefferson davis, like lincoln, is under pressure to attack his enemy s capital. an ambitious plan to engage the union troops is fueled by a southern attitude of confidence and superiority. any man from alabama s worth at least three yanks. we ll be home in a week. now, what the rebel troops may lack in numbers and equipment, they make up for with a rebel pride, a fierce determination to hold on to their southern way of life no matter the consequence. [ chuckles ] with the confederate army rallying just 30 miles from washington and union troops s enlistments ending soon, lincoln is forced to take immediate action. i ll implement this immediately. we will begin building up. but the union s top general, irvin mcdowell, is reluctant to move on the rebels. forward to richmond? you want me to attack richmond within a month? i want you to attack manassas within a month. [ clears throat ] mr. president, with my plan, we will cut off the confederacy
being sort of beneath him. while mcclellan stalls the union offensive in d.c., another general is on the attack in western tennessee. after capturing fort henry, ulysses s. grant pushes toward fort donelson, a vital confederate outpost. for grant, this is the first step toward redeeming his past disgraces. at the beginning of the american civil war, ulysses s. grant is a has-been, kind of a loser. this guy had had a promising military career. kind of whittled it away at the bottom of a whiskey jar. as the civil war escalated and the army discovered it
cost him and the union greatly. with his army on the march to manassas, lincoln faces another threat from inside washington, d.c. confederate spies have infiltrated every corner of the capital, from saloons to bedrooms. are the soldiers finally going to be attacking the rebels? yes, indeed. rose o neal greenhow was a matron of washington, d.c., society. she was very wealthy, very connected. how many soldiers are going to be risking their lives for us, henry? i want to pray for every one of them. [ laughs ] 35,000 prayers. [ gasps ] [ both laugh ] rose used her connections prior to the war to sort of cultivate her sources and use that information for the confederacy going forward. thanks to rose greenhow s
the end of the united states of america. general scott, if you find it necessary to suspend habeas corpus, you may do so. mr. president, you cannot just get me my troops. lincoln said, well, congress is not in session, so i have to do it, because i can t preserve one part of the constitution and let the whole constitution go down. as secessionists are jailed, the railroads clear, and more union regiments begin arriving in washington. troops camp on the white house lawn, in the east room, and in the house chamber in the capitol. [ birds squawking, indistinct conversations ] bolstered by the arrival of troops, the public outcry is for
being sort of beneath him. while mcclellan stalls the union offensive in d.c., another general is on the attack in western tennessee. after capturing fort henry, ulysses s. grant pushes toward fort donelson, a vital confederate outpost. for grant, this is the first step toward redeeming his past disgraces. at the beginning of the american civil war, ulysses s. grant is a has-been, kind of a loser. this guy had had a promising military career. kind of whittled it away at the bottom of a whiskey jar. as the civil war escalated and the army discovered it