The American Civil War lasted 6 years and involved over 2 million men on both sides. This was one of the most bloody events in U.S history; 620,000 people died during the war (about 3% of all Americans at that time). The battles took place mainly in Virginia, Tennessee, Mississippi, Kentucky and Maryland.
The two sides had very different fighting styles: The Confederates were more experienced because they had been fighting against each other for years before the Civil War started; they were also better trained and more organized than their Union counterparts. On the other side were the Union states, made up of 23 northern states.
Participants on both sides fought for what they believed in and for their home states or states they loved dearly; but little did they know that this war would forever change their lives and those around them forever.
The Civil War was fought in several different theaters across the country. It began with a battle at Fort Sumter in South Carolina and ended with Lee’s surrender at Appomattox Court House in Virginia.
Some famous battles include The Battle of Gettysburg (1863), where over 8,000 men were killed or wounded in just three days; Antietam (1862), where General Robert E Lee’s forces suffered their first major defeat; Chancellorsville (1863), which resulted in another victory for Lee.
