Why did the north want to attack richmond?

irule_harry · Corporal Joined: 01 May 2008 Posts: 1

I am doing a project for school and i was just wondering why, other than the fact that it was the capital of the Confederate states, the North wanted to attack and take over Richmond, Virginia. Thanks for the help!

kevin · First Sergeant Joined: 19 May 2005 Posts: 31

"The various scenes, movements, and charities of our great civil struggle can be divided into two grand enterprises, each having a widely separated, yet equally important object. The moral objective of the war was the capture of Richmond; the physical objective was to obtain and secure possession of the magnificent valley and river that occupy the centre of the revolted region."

Quote from Women of the War by Frank Moore (published in 1866)

In this case, the second objective refers to the Mississippi river and the Anaconda Plan to divide the South and squeeze the ability of the South to resupply itself and conduct commerce.