The Civil War took place from 1861 to 1865 in the United States of America. It was the North versus the South and was one of the deadliest wars in the country’s history. This was also one of the first wars to ever be photographed. Photography had come out just two decades earlier and was ready to capture some scenes from the Civil War.
Ulysses S. Grant
Ulysses S. Grant was a one of the most prominent figures from the Civil War. He served in the military and attended the United States Military Academy at West Point.
Haxall’s Mills
This photo is of the remains of Haxall’s Mills, destroyed by the Confederate army in Virginia. It was one of the largest flour mills in the world.
Sudley Springs
Photojournalist, David Levene, did a photo series that compared Civil War photos to their present day location. This photo shows the first major battle of the war at Sudley Springs.
Abraham Lincoln
President Abraham Lincoln visits the Antietam, Maryland battlefield during the war. It was this battle that influenced Lincoln to start writing the Emancipation Proclamation.
Antietam Dunker Church
The battle at Antietam was one of the first major battles of the war and proved to be the deadliest. It took place in Union territory in Sharpsburg, Maryland, and surrounded this church.
Pine Cottage
Pine Cottage was built as shelter for the soldiers during cold winter months. During the summer and warmer months, soldiers would typically sleep in canvas tents. While this cottage seems pretty sturdy, not all shelters were this uniform. Sometimes they were made from trees and mud.
Council
General George Thomas led the council of war in Georgia in this photo. The council of war would plan how their side would proceed in the middle of a battle.
Diplomats in New York
A group of diplomats pose beside a waterfall in New York in 1863. Among these diplomats are the Secretary of State, William Seward, and the ministers of Italy, Great Britain, Russia, Sweden, and France.
Railroad Mortar
This mortar was known as the “Dictator” and had to be transported on a flatcar and pulled by a train because it weighed 17,120 pounds. It could also launch a mortar shell over 2.5 miles.
Fort Sumter
The battle at Fort Sumter may have been the beginning of the Civil War. It took place over two full days before the soldiers in the fort finally surrendered to the Confederates.
Devereux Station
Railroad workers build the Orange and Alexandria Railroad tracks leading to Devereux Station. This was eventually controlled by the Union, forcing the Confederate army to withdraw from the area.
Firefly Engine
The Firefly Engine was a train that would travel the Orange and Alexandria Railroad. Here you can see it crossing a rickety wooden bridge. This railroad was the only connection between Washington D.C. and Richmond, Virginia.
Christian Commission
Located in Germantown, Maryland, the United States Christian Commission (USCC) would provide social and religious services to the soldiers. They also provided medical supplies.
Religious Gatherings
On Sundays, religious worship gatherings would take place wherever soldiers were stationed. This specific gathering took place on a warship, U.S. Passaic.
USS Patapsco
The USS Patapsco is another warship involved in the Civil War. It helped in many battles, including the attack on Fort Sumter. It sank in 1865 after hitting a mine.
Slave Auction House
Alexandria, Virginia was the second largest slave center in the United States, right next to New Orleans. This is a picture of an auction house in Alexandria.
Brompton Oak Plantation
The Brompton Oak plantation served as a hospital for soldiers wounded during battle. It was created after the bloody Spotsylvania, Fredericksburg battle.
Devil’s Den
This photo was taken after the battle of Gettysburg at a location called Devil’s Den. The giant boulder is still there to this day for tourists to climb and admire.
Evergreen Cemetery
Just a decade before the infamous battle of Gettysburg, the Evergreen Cemetery was built. You can also see the cemetery in the background of pictures of Abraham Lincoln giving his Gettysburg Address.
Arlington House
Confederate General Robert E Lee lived in Arlington House before the war broke out. It has since been turned into a museum as a memorial to him.
Sister M. M. Joseph
Catholic nun M.M. Joseph worked with wounded soldiers in the Hammond Hospital. She was personally asked, along with eight other nuns in her convent, by Edwin Stanton, the Secretary of War for the Union, to come and help.
US Capitol
The US Capitol in Washington DC hasn’t changed much during the Civil War. This photo shows the execution of Confederate captain, Henry Wirz, in front of the capitol.
Ford’s Theater
Ford Theater is where President Abraham Lincoln was assassinated while watching a play one night. After being closed for a century, the theater was reopened in the 1960’s.
Cumberland Landing
The Union set up an encampment in Cumberland Landing, Virginia before launching a massive attack on the Confederate army in Richmond.
Mary Todd Lincoln
Mary Todd Lincoln was Abraham Lincoln’s devoted wife. Fun fact, she dated his political opponent before getting involved with Lincoln.
26th U.S. Colored Infantry
Camp William Penn in Pennsylvania was home to one of the country’s first colored infantries. Black soldiers trained at the camp and were all volunteers.
Log Hut Kitchen
This log hut was used as a kitchen by the soldiers. Huts similar to this would be put up and taken down when the troops moved to new locations.
Refugees
Over 200,000 refugees were displaced from their homes in the South. These refugees would have to flee from their homes with everything and anything they could carry.
Norfolk Navy Yard
Confederate soldiers occupied Norfolk Navy Yard until the Union pushed them out in 1862. Before the Confederate army left the area, they destroyed as much as they could, leaving the Union with almost nothing to work with.
Rodman Gun
The Union had a fair weapon advantage when it came to the Rodman Gun. Developed by Thomas Jackson Rodman for the Union army, it came in various sizes and could do some major damage.