by Maurice Sassoon

Created on: November 05, 2008

The American Civil War, which lasted from 1861 to 1865 was considered as the biggest civil war of all time. It took the lives of more than 600,000 Americans. There were the Abolitionists whose objective was to end slavery once and for all. Their movement was established in northern cities. In 1860, Abraham Lincoln was elected as President of the new Republican Party which was opposed to slavery. On the other hand, people of the south felt that Lincoln's presidency would dangerously affect their lives, as a result of which, all of the southern states seceded (broke away) from the United States. The first shots of the Civil War were fired at Fort Sumter, South Carolina, a Federal Army fort on an island in the harbor of Charleston. Southerners demanded that the troops in the fort surrender. Their refusal served to ignite the war. Both sides were under the impression that it would be a short war. In July, 186l, the army advanced toward Richmond, Virginia. It met an army of southerners at Bull Run Creek, a few miles south of Washington The Union forces made steady gains. The Mississippi town of Vicksburg was captured. The Confederacy was split in two, at which time, their soldiers began experiencing hunger.

In March, 1864, Grant became the commander-in-chief of the Union forces. After a long and hard battle, the Army of the Potomac advanced toward Richmond again. Grant's soldiers circled around the city and besieged Petersburg. Meanwhile General Sherman drove into Georgia and captured Atlanta on September 1, 1864. The south had far fewer soldiers and far less supplies for their army. This was partly why they lost the war. Their soldiers suffered from lack of food, clothing, shoes and blankets. By the end of the war, they were weakened by starvation while Union gunboats cruised up and down the Mississippi, cutting their supplies.

The Confederate soldiers were tired and hungry, in spite of which, they put up a strong fight until the very end. On April 2, 1865, the Northern army broke into Petersburg. General Lee of the Southern army realized that he would be trapped if he chose to keep his army around Richmond, and, therefore, headed west. Before long, Grant's army surrounded the weary southerners. Two days later, Lee and Grant met in a farmhouse near the village of Appomattox Courthouse, Virginia, where the Confederate commander surrendered the remnants of his army. The Union Army were better trained and better equipped to continue the struggle, the tragedy of which. however, was so unprecedented.

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