How Did Congregating At Fort Monroe Lead Up To The Civil War

Congregating at Fort Monroe, before heading north, General McClellan and his troops moved slowly toward Richmond. Along the sluggish march toward the Confederacy’s capitol, runaway slaves filled Union camps and provided the Union with valuable intelligence on enemy fortifications, geography, and troop count. Although some information given by the slaves may have been elaborated, the significant assistance slaves provided the Union did not go unnoticed. Abolitionists were using this narrative as a call to arms. They argued that if the Confederacy was using slaves to their advantage, the Union should do the same. By freeing slaves, the Union would weaken the south by dismantling their treasured institution. Furthermore, many public figures urged
Radicals like Senator Charles Sumner said the Union would not again have the “opportunity,” to free slaves during peace time. Most pro-emancipationists believed that they could only free the slaves during the war. The Second Confiscation Act was an attempt to do just that. It would allow the Union to Confiscate slaves in any area of rebellion if the owners did not surrender to the Union. Critics of the bill argued that it would inspire more Southerners to join the Confederate forces and encourage the border states to secede from the Union. There were also warnings that slaves would “flood northern communities.” Nevertheless, if slavery were to be preserved, Republicans argued, the issue would once again overwhelm the nation after the war. It would be a “never ending controversy.” Additionally, Republicans believed that ending slavery would be an act of fairness to the slaves who aided the Union. Republican newspapers and politicians pointed out the assistance provided by slaves to the Union. They noted how the slaves were, “faithful, and useful.” To pro-emancipationists, it was an injustice that slaves were offered no reward for their loyalty on the
Following the army’s disappointment, it was widely accepted that the rebellion would not be suppressed easily. As the “discouraged” soldiers made the retreat down the Peninsula, there were mixed rationales among the troops as to why their operation failed. What was universally accepted, however, was that the American fighters were fatigued. The American public understood that their army did not have the same labor support the Confederacy had sustained with slaves. McClellan’s defeat at Richmond helped to guide the United States toward emancipation. Inspiring the north to take a more aggressive stance with the rebels, the use of black labor by the Union seemed to be a necessity. To relieve the overworked soldiers, the employment of slaves as laborers was essential for the North. After a lengthy debate, the stalled Second Confiscation Act was eventually passed. Politicians rationalized that if the south used slaves as “instruments of war,” they should be “liable for confiscation.” In fact, all property was liable for confiscation. However, the bill had its weaknesses. Tricky loopholes that required court mandated approvals stripped some teeth of the law. Regardless, a few days following the bills passage, Lincoln had decided he would issue his famous proclamation, that declared all slaves in a state of rebellion, “forever free.” All he needed was a decisive victory to present his