9781422285947

The Civil War

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In July 1861, the Union and Confederate armies clashed near Manassas Junction, Virginia. Union leaders had confidently expected an easy victory, but the Confeder- ates fought hard and routed the inexperienced federal troops.

won. He was mistaken. The heat, the smoke, and the confusion were all indications of what the war would become: a terrible meat-grinder.

The Two Theaters Right from the beginning, there were two theaters in the Civil War. The Eastern Theater centered on the 110 miles (177km) of countryside between