History: The American Civil War: Home

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The American Civil War

"The United States Civil War was a brutal war that lasted from 1861 to 1865. It left the South economically devastated, and resulted in the criminalization of slavery in the United States. Confederate General Lee surrendered to U.S. General Grant in the spring of 1865 officially ending the war. The Confederacy dissolved and the country was reunited".

National Geographic: Civil War

Key terms and definitions are taken from the Merriam-Webster Dictionary

General: Commanding officer of an army 

Casualty: a military person lost through death, wounds, injury, sickness, internment, or capture or through being missing in action

Musket: a heavy large caliber muzzle-loading usually smoothbore shoulder firearm

broadly : a shoulder gun carried by infantry

Siege: a military blockade of a city or fortified place to compel it to surrender

Battle: a hostile encounter between opposing military forces

Unit breakdowns:

• company – one hundred men, commanded by a captain
• regiment – ten companies, commanded by a colonel
• brigade – four to six regiments, commanded by a brigadier general
• division – three to four brigades, commanded by a brigadier general or major general
• corps – several divisions, commanded by a major general
• army – several corps, commanded by a major general or lieutenant general
• department – the bureaucratic overseer of armies in the field; Union departments were often, but not always, named for rivers, Confederate departments for states or regions. 

The History: The American Civil War is a research guide for educational purposes. The goal of the guide is to provide resources and basic information to undergraduate students on the American Civil War. This guide contains resources, like books, eBooks, website links, and database links to resources pertaining to the American Civil War. 

Dr. Robert "Bob" Smith 

Chairman of the Department of Arts and Sciences

 Distinguished Professor of History