

CHAPTER XXVIII. 



ii 



The American Civil War. 1861 — 1865. 



At this period, before rifled firearms had been fairly 

 and thoroughly tested, a great civil war broke out in 

 the United States of America, in which the Southern, 

 or sk.ve-holding states, endeavoured to separate them- 

 selves from the Northern and Western States, and esta- 

 blish an independent republic, free from the control of 

 the Union. This war, which was most hotly contested, 

 was carried on with great determination on both 

 sides for over four years, the theatre of war extending 

 almost across a continent, and the numbers engaged 

 reaching an enormous figure. 



The details of this conflict are very interesting and 

 instructive, for the circumstances under which the war 

 broke out, and the manner in which it was carried on, 

 were peculiar to the continent. From 1812 until 1861 

 the United States had only had but few wars, the 

 Mexican campaigns being the most important, the others 

 being merely frontier conflicts against the Indians of 

 the plains. 



The standing army was consequently very weak in 

 numbers, and not sufficient to have impressed upon the 

 people the rigid rules and prejudices of the professional 

 soldier. The newness of the country, the struggle that 

 the whole population, for one or two generations, had 

 been carrying on in striving to carve out homes for 

 themselves in the wilderness, the experience gained in 

 clearing up homesteads, while surrounded by wild beasts, 



