Civil War

Civil War. Concord Township American Hero Memorial. , (1861-1865) The American Civil War was a cultural conflict, born out of the westward expansion of the US. The issue of extending slavery into new territories served to divide the nation, as did the debate over state rights vs. federal authority., In 1861, 11 southern states seceded from the union, led by South Carolina. When cannon fire was directed at union troops holding Fort Sumter, a war between countrymen started. The contest pitted the strong economy of the North against the defensive tactics of the South., The Confederate States of America had capable leaders like General Robert E. Lee, whose loyalty to his native Virginia caused him to turn down an offer to command the Union Army. The North initially suffered from poor leadership, until General Ulysses S. Grant emerged to lead the union to victory, albeit at a terrible cost., Union President Abraham Lincoln created a higher purpose for the war on January 1, 1863, when he enacted the Emancipation Proclamation, freeing every slave in the South., In July 1863, union troops turned the tide with victories at Vicksburg, on the western frontier, and Gettysburg, the northernmost penetration of the rebel armies. Lee surrendered in 1865 and the Confederacy collapsed, allowing reconstruction of the south and healing to begin. , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , In honor of those individuals who willfully accept the , responsibility to serve and defend this nation, Dedicated November 14, 2004.