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Sometimes an issue is so important that a man will die for it. Other times, an issue is so important that many men will die for it. The American Civil War was fought over such an issue. The Civil War was a battle between a divided United States, which lasted from 1861 until 1865. It began when eleven Southern slave states declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America, led by President Jefferson Davis. The Union, led by President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party, opposed slavery and rejected any right of secession. Fighting began on April 12, 1861, when Confederate forces attacked a federal military installation at Fort Sumter in South Carolina, and ended when General Lee surrendered for his Army in Northern Virginia on April 9, 1865, at Appomattox Court House (American Civil War 1). During the war, there were many gruesome battles fought, including the Battle of Fort Sumter, the Battle of Antietam, and the Battle of Gettysburg. Since both sides were American forces, this war had the highest number of American casualties. In the end, there were about 618,000 men killed, and another 275,000 plus injured (American Civil War). Although only one of those men died at the battle of Fort Sumter, it is remembered because everything began at the military fort off the coast of South Carolina.
Although the Battle of Fort Sumter was a minor battle casualty-wise, it was a major battle in the fact that it began the bloodiest war in American history. Fort Sumter is a military camp that was held by Union forces in which they trained their forces to fight. Fort Sumter is located on the coast of South Carolina in the Charleston Harbor. The battle took place on April 12, 1861 and lasted only until April 13, 1861. At 3:20 a.m., Confederate commander P.G.T. Beauregard informed Union commander Robert Anderson that they would attack in one hour. In precisely one hour and ten minutes, Beauregard led his force of 500 men to attack Fort Sumter, thus beginning the Civil War. The bombardment of Fort Sumter continued for 34 hours (Sumter Falls 8). At 2:00 p.m. on April 13, General Anderson agreed to a truce. After the truce, the Union surrendered the Fort to Confederate personal on April 14, signifying a Confederate victory, and hope for the South (Kent 5-11). During the encounter only nine men were injured, but afterwards, during the 100-gun salute, one Union officer was killed. Robert Anderson lowered the Fort Sumter Flag and took it with them on their northward march. The flag became a rallying point for Union supporters. From August 17 until September 9, 1863, a second Battle of Fort Sumter was fought. The Union forces attempted to recapture the lost stronghold, but failed. The naval attack was easily defended but the new inhabitants of the repaired fort.
After the Confederate victory at the Second Battle of Bull Run, General Robert E. Lee led his troop of 45,000 men into Maryland, hoping to find new recruits. At this time, General George McClellan of the Union army decided to pursue Confederate forces into Maryland, leading to the bloodiest single-day battle in American history (Battle of Antietam 4). On September 17, 1862, near Sharpsburg and Antietam Creek, the first major battle to take place on Northern soil began. At the end of the battle, nearly 23,000 men were either wounded or killed (Kent 52-54). George McClellan, having little success up to this point, decided to launch an offensive. Robert Lees army set up in a great defensive position behind Antietam Creek (Battle of Antietam 4-5). Despite having greater numbers, McClellans men failed to achieve concentration of mass, which resulted in a three part battle that Lee was able to counter (Battle of Antietam 5). Although McClellan ultimately fails to destroy Lees army, he was able to put an end to Lees invasion of Maryland. The battle was tactically inconclusive, but the Union strategic victory gave President Lincoln the confidence to announce his Emancipation Proclamation. The Battle of Antietam is recognized as a major battle of the Civil War because more Americans died on September 17, 1862, than on any other day in the nations military history. It is also remembered because it was a significant strategic victory