| dc.description.abstract | Despite the vast amounts of research done on the Civil War, the Department of the South, made up of South Carolina, Georgia, and Florida, and the operations within it are relatively understudied and not well understood. Although historians portray the department as a stagnant and unimportant section of the conflict, it was marked by innovation in military tactics, use of Black troops in combat, and the use of combined arms. The department is a case study of how military innovation can still lead to stagnation. General David Hunter, the first general to lead Union armies in the department, was a radical abolitionist who applied his belief to the way he fought the Confederates. When General Hunter began operations, he raised Black regiments such as the 1st South Carolina Volunteers under Col. T. W. Higginson, which immediately began raiding Rebel towns and freeing slaves up and down the coast. These men were trained to become formidable troopers, promised the pay of a white soldier, and were even given an education by the Union army. Innovative combined arms support with the Navy also occurred during the raids and expeditions. Gunboats and at times ironclads would accompany the raiding troops, sometimes with the vessels under the direct command of Army officers. However, operations stagnated under Hunter as the troops only took part in some small battles which ended in defeat. The troops were then primarily relegated to raiding and digging earthworks. Because of this and the struggle for equal pay morale became an issue, with some of the men even deserting their posts. The Army and Navy also could never coordinate on a large enough scale to make a true difference, despite seeing great success on a small scale. The Department of the South is a case study that shows that an army with innovative ideas is not guaranteed success and can still stagnate when innovation is not applied properly and capitalized upon. | |
