Adam IP Smith charts the events of the American Civil War in 32 key moments, beginning with the rising tensions between the North and South and ending with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln...

An illustration showing the effects of the Fugitive Slave Act,  passed by Congress in 1850. The law aimed to make it easier for slaveholders to reclaim runaway ‘property’ in the free states, and contributed to rising political tension. (Universal History Archive/UIG via Getty images)

<h4>When was the American Civil War?</h4>Between April 1861 and April 1865 – still the bloodiest four years in the country’s history – the states of the North (known as the Union) and South (re-named as the Confederate States of America) fought bitterly for their separate ways of life.

A scene from the first battle of Bull Run, between Union and Confederate forces, during the American Civil War, c1861. (PhotoQuest/Getty Images)

<h4>The American Civil War: key generals </h4><h6>Union generals in the field</h6><ul><li>ULYSSES S GRANT</li></ul>The Union’s most successful commander. Following his successes in the western theatre, Grant was made General-in-Chief in 1864. In him, Lincoln had found the man who shared his drive, even if he was prepared to endure heavy casualties to achieve victory. After the war, he served two terms as President.<ul><li>WILLIAM T SHERMAN</li></ul>Sherman declared total war on the South with his effective but devastating March to the Sea in 1864, which broke the enemy’s spirit once and for all. When criticised for targeting civilians, Sherman replied: “War is cruelty and you cannot refine it”.<ul><li>GEORGE B MCCLELLAN</li></ul>Trained and equipped the Army of the Potomac in the first year of the war, but McClellan was arguably overly cautious in battle. He was replaced by a string of ineffectual generals, before Grant was appointed.<ul><li>GEORGE G MEADE</li></ul>A key figure in the Union’s victory at the Battle of Gettysburg, 1863 – a pivotal moment in the war. He was Commander of the Army of the Potomac for two years, but was overshadowed by the influence and success of Grant.<ul><li>AMBROSE BURNSIDE</li></ul>One of the Army’s short-serving commanders. He resigned from duty after the catastrophic defeat at the 1864 Battle of the Crater. His biggest claim to fame is giving his name to a distinctive kind of facial hair – sideburns.<h4>Confederate generals in the field</h4><ul><li>ROBERT E LEE</li></ul>When war broke out, Lee resigned his commission in the US Army and became the Confederate’s top general – despite opposing secession. He achieved stunning victories with limited resources and men, but he was too willing to sacrifice huge numbers to go on the o ensive. Lee surrendered to Grant on 9 April 1865.<ul><li>THOMAS JACKSON</li></ul>Lee’s right-hand man and one of the South’s best tacticians, Jackson earned his nickname ‘Stonewall’ for his defensive stand at the First Battle of Bull Run (1861). He was so highly thought of that Union prisoners once saluted as he rode past. Stonewall died in a friendly-fire incident in 1863.<ul><li>BRAXTON BRAGG</li></ul>As a chief Confederate general in the western theatre, Bragg was given command of the Army of Tennessee in 1862. He was a keen military organiser but poor in the field – his nervous actions made enemies among his subordinates.<ul><li>JAMES LONGSTREET</li></ul>Longstreet was a vital leader at the First and Second Battles of Bull Run (1861 and 1862), the Peninsular Campaign, Antietam, Fredericksburg (all 1862), Gettysburg and Chickamauga (both 1863) before being injured in the 1864 Wilderness Campaign.<ul><li>NATHAN BEDFORD FORREST</li></ul>The South’s most gifted cavalryman, with the mantra, “Get there first with the most men”. He personally killed 30 enemy soldiers, it is claimed. After the war, he served as the first Grand Wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.

The siege of Petersburg, which lasted from June 1864 until March 1865. (The Print Collector/Print Collector/Getty Images)

<h4>Why did the South lose the American Civil War?</h4>In the end, the Confederate army was simply overwhelmed by larger forces, claimed General Lee. But that’s not the whole story, as Adam IP Smith argues. <a href="https://www.historyextra.com/period/victorian/why-did-the-south-lose-lost-american-civil-war-robert-e-lee-confederate-army/">Read more here</a>

Adam IP Smith charts the events of the American Civil War in 32 key moments, beginning with the rising tensions between the North and South and ending with the assassination of Abraham Lincoln...

The story of the American Civil War: 32 key moments in the landmark conflict

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The American Civil War: Causes, Timeline, Dates, Battles &amp; Generals

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