| The American Civil War was a trying period for the United States, as it was torn apart by the differences among its people. When the war broke out in 1861, men quickly enlisted in the Army, envisioning one grand battle where the opposing side would be swept away in a quick and bloodless encounter. At the First Battle of Bull Run, both sides realized that they were in for a long and bloody war. That war, the Civil War, lasted for 4 years, until 1865, when the Confederate States of America were finally defeated. The Civil War pitted Brother against Brother, Father against Son, families against families, in a battle that was waged everywhere in our Nation. | Did you know that at least 400 women, disguised as men, fought in the Civil War? Learn what camp life was like for these daring women, as well as for those who nursed, washed clothes, sewed, cooked and spied to support themselves as the Civil War raged around them. |