From 1861 to 1865, The Union faced secessionists in 11 Southern states grouped together as the Confederacy and waged war against America. It was the bloodiest conflict in U.S. history.

North vs. South

Civil War

We&rsquo;re ranking the best and most memorable Civil War characters in film and TV. As the bloodiest battle ever fought on American soil, an estimated 620,000 soldiers lost their lives. What&rsquo;s more, some historians predict roughly 40% of those deaths were never actually verified.

With some of history&rsquo;s greatest characters taking center stage during the Civil War, modern entertainment has also given way to a cast of unique and <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/most-famous-fictional-character-from-each-state/matthew-lavelle?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">interesting fictional characters</a>. In Gangs of New York, Amsterdam Vallon (played by Leonardo DiCaprio) is an unlikely hero who takes on Bill the Butcher, a ruthless gang leader in Manhattan. You also have memorable characters like First Lieutenant John Dunbar in Dances With Wolves, who is so tired of fighting he leaves the comfort of his home to rough it in the wild. These heroic soldiers and brave individuals have fought for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Which character is your favorite?

While you won&rsquo;t see <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/captain-america-vs-iron-man/ranker-comics?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Captain America or Iron Man</a> on this list (though Wolverine does make an appereance), you will find the best fictional Civil War characters of all time. Vote up the ones you would want fighting for your side.

The Best Fictional Civil War Characters

Fictional Character

The 20+ Best Fictional Civil War Characters, Ranked

Ranker Entertainment

Whoa Facts

The American Civil War <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/collections/the-u-s-civil-war">is an immense topic</a>. You can study it your whole life and still not know more than a fraction of what there is to know about this epic conflict. That, of course, is part of its fascination: studying it is like reading a great novel that goes on for millions of pages.You might fancy yourself well-versed on the topic - you know your Gettysburg from your Antietam, your Jackson from your Longstreet, your Seward from your Stanton. You might be able to quote Lincoln's Second Inaugural from memory or hold forth on the unique properties of the rifled musket and the Minié ball. Still, inevitably, <a target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/whoa-civil-war-facts/pierce-nahigyan">there's more to learn</a>. Here are the answers to some questions even Civil War buffs may be scratching their heads about.

Civil War Questions Even History Buffs Don't Know The Answers To

General

Gordon Cameron

Weird History

It&#39;s one thing to read about history in books, but it&#39;s something else to get <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/touching-grandparent-ww2-stories/gordon-cameron" target="_blank">stories and folklore</a>&nbsp;from people whose ancestors were there.

Whether receiving stories and private papers from their forebears, or chasing down their own genealogy, these folks from Reddit shine an intimate light on the experiences of their great-great-great-grandparents (plus or minus a &quot;great&quot; or two) in the US&nbsp;Civil War.

People Share Their Ancestors’ Civil War Stories

People Share Ancestors’ Civil War Stories

For centuries, fugitive slaves in the Great Dismal Swamp <a href="http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/deep-swamps-archaeologists-fugitive-slaves-kept-freedom-180960122/" target="_blank">hid from slave catchers,</a> masters, and those who wished to return them to their forced&nbsp;position in society. The Great Dismal Swamp maroon community served as a refuge for escaped enslaved people, indentured servants, and displaced <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/native-american-history-facts/setareh-janda?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">Native American tribes</a> from the 1600s up through the end of the Civil War. The name &quot;maroon&quot; comes from the French, and it is used to describe groups of escaped slaves who <a href="https://www.nps.gov/subjects/ugrr/discover_history/maroon-slave-societies.htm" target="_blank">formed their own societies</a>&nbsp;on the outskirts of towns, Native American reservations, and deep in wooded or swampy areas where no one would find them – and they could stay protected. Little is known about these communities of escaped slaves, mostly due to historians' focus on the Underground Railroad, although that narrative is changing.&nbsp;The community in the Great Dismal Swamp, which encompasses parts of modern-day Virginia and North Carolina, remained there for centuries, although barely any records exist of their time there. Thankfully, historians have pieced enough together that contemporary readers can begin to understand what their marooned existence might have looked like.&nbsp;

The Unknown Band Of Escaped Slaves Who Abandoned Society To Live In A Swamp

The History of the Great Dismal Swamp and the Slaves Who Lived There

Amanda Sedlak-Hevener

Lists about the period of United States history that allowed for human enslavement, from early colonial days until the ratification of the 13th Amendment to the Constitution in 1865.

American Slavery

Many enslaved people escaped the North Star to freedom, crossing hundreds of dangerous miles until they reached Canada. But thousands&nbsp;also traveled the underground railroad to Mexico, swimming across the Rio Grande to earn their freedom. Mexico outlawed slavery in 1829, declaring that anyone who reached Mexican soil was automatically free. For enslaved people in the Deep South and Texas, reaching Mexico was often easier than traveling to Canada -&nbsp;though both routes promised danger to those who were caught.

Mexico actively helped&nbsp;slaves who escaped, refusing to sign a fugitive slave agreement with the United States.&nbsp;Angry slaveholders ignored the law and hired bounty hunters to cross the border into Mexico to hunt down former slaves. Just like the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/escaped-slave-maroons-in-great-dismal-swamp/amandasedlakhevener" target="_blank">fugitive slaves in the Great Dismal Swamp</a>, escapees made a new life in Mexico. One former slave even became a millionaire and moved back to the US, claiming to be Mexican.&nbsp;

Brave Americans and Mexicans shepherded escaped slaves&nbsp;across the southern border. <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/how-did-the-freeing-of-the-slaves-work/kellen-perry" target="_blank">Enslaved people</a> risked their lives to float across the Rio Grande on bales of cotton. And one former enslaved person even joined the Mexican military to defend his freedom.

The Other Underground Railroad Where Freed Slaves Escaped To Mexico

History Of The Underground Railroad To Mexico

Genevieve Carlton

US History

The United States has endured many&nbsp;different battles, terrorist attacks, and conflicts throughout the decades. But there is one day that has held the title for&nbsp;the bloodiest day in US history for nearly 159 years: the Battle of Antietam.&nbsp;

The day was September 17, 1862. In just 12&nbsp;hours, <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/american-civil-war/battle-of-antietam" target="_blank">close to 23,000 soldiers were wounded</a> or killed.&nbsp;

So, why did the Battle of Antietam happen in the first place? It boils down to an (attempted)&nbsp;sneak attack by the Confederate army, only to be thwarted by secret plans found by Union soldiers.&nbsp;This discovered information led&nbsp;Union General George McClellan to face his troops off against&nbsp;Confederate General Robert E. Lee&#39;s army&nbsp;along Antietam Creek near Sharpsburg, MD.

According to Battle of Antietam eyewitness accounts, the battle began at dawn and was relentless for hours, <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/staged-photos-from-civil-war/nicky-benson" target="_blank">with bodies covering the ground</a> of the cornfield they fought in.&nbsp;

But the soldiers fought gallantly, as they knew the significance of the Battle of Antietam. If&nbsp;the North lost, they could lose control of Congress, and other nations&nbsp;could begin to side with the Confederates. If the South lost, they would lose their progression and fail to win a&nbsp;battle on Northern soil.&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

While many soldiers gave their lives fighting for their cause, many others were left remembering the horrors of the day. The Battle of Antietam quotes are heartbreaking and haunting, telling of a day many of them would rather forget.&nbsp;

Eyewitness Accounts From The Bloodiest Day In US History That Still Haunt Us

Battle of Antietam Eyewitness Accounts That Still Haunt Us Today

Emily Mast

Military

In 1859, Congressman Daniel Sickles shot and killed the man sleeping with his wife. After escaping a prison sentence,&nbsp;Sickles disobeyed orders in the Civil War and lost a leg. After the war, General Dan Sickles donated the leg to the Army Medical Museum. And that&#39;s just the start when it comes to the wildest general in the Civil War.

Born in 1819 to a wealthy family, Sickles rose to political power thanks to Tammany Hall, the political machine in New York City. Just like the <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/north-south-spy-stories/setareh-janda" target="_blank">Civil War spies</a>&nbsp;who changed the course of the conflict, Sickles risked his life for the Union. But Sickles didn&#39;t have any military training -&nbsp;he only became a general because of his political connections.

At 33 years old, Sickles married a 15-year-old girl -&nbsp;and later shot her lover. Sickles didn&#39;t hold himself to the standard of monogamy, though. He asked a famous brothel madam to accompany him overseas on a diplomatic assignment, and later had an affair with Queen Isabella II of Spain. Throughout his life, scandals&nbsp;followed Sickles everywhere - even into his 90s.

Meet Dan Sickles, The Wildest General From The Civil War

Graveyard Shift

The Civil War was the bloodiest conflict in American history. The extreme violence between the Northern and Southern states sent a shockwave&nbsp;of sorrow and fear throughout America. It was traditionally estimated that&nbsp;<a href="http://www.pbs.org/wnet/historyofus/web06/segment1.html">620,000 soldiers died </a>fighting on the battlefield between 1861 and 1865. However, contemporary historical research&nbsp;suggests&nbsp;that the death toll number is<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4790547/"> closer to 752,000</a>. In addition to the number&nbsp;of deaths, over 800,000 men went missing or were severely wounded.At the time of the Civil War, battlefield medicine was still in its infancy. This led to many injuries becoming <a href="http://www.civilwar.org/education/civil-war-casualties.html">severely infected</a>&nbsp;and many of the injured receiving hasty, dangerous surgeries. In fact, Civil War battlefield surgery was a major cause of death during the war. Many surgeons cared for the wounded right on the battlefield, and many Civil War medics performed amputations and open surgeries during the heat of battle. Furthermore, because field doctors were under massive amounts stress, they had to perform speedy&nbsp;surgeries that would never meet today’s medical standards.Still, many worthy surgeons didn’t get the recognition they deserved and were ridiculed for their services. This led to tall tales and false details being reported about what exactly&nbsp;took place. Discover what really happened with these grisly facts about Civil War battlefield surgery.&nbsp; &nbsp; &nbsp;&nbsp;

14 Grisly Facts About Civil War Battlefield Surgery

Nida Sea

Lists about real and fictional spies, agents, operatives, and the very exciting, deceitful, and dangerous lives they lead.

I Spy

The American Civil War was not fought only on battlefields -&nbsp;Civil War spies also waged a secret war of intelligence and covert activities in North America and abroad. Espionage in the Civil War was neither formal nor centralized, and both the Union and the Confederacy relied on networks of amateur scouts, couriers, and secret agents to gather information about enemy plans and movement.&nbsp;In the North, General George McClellan hired Allan Pinkerton, founder of a successful Chicago detective agency, to head the Union's secret service in 1861. But as the war progressed, different generals hired their own spymasters who developed separate networks of agents. In the South, the Secret Service Bureau focused much of its energies on obtaining intelligence in Washington, D.C.Men, women, soldiers, freedmen, and slaves fought this secret war and risked their lives on a daily basis. Civil War spy stories are filled with colorful characters who enlisted their wit, grit, and intelligence in the war effort. Though the identities of many agents were so well guarded that they have since been lost to history, these badass Civil War spies nonetheless made their mark on the war.

13 Cunning Civil War Spies Who Played Huge Roles in the War

Person

13 Badass Civil War Spies Who Played Huge Roles in the War

Setareh Janda

Celebrating and going deep in black culture, people, and experiences in the US and beyond.

Black History

The Underground Railroad was neither underground nor a railroad - it was a network of people dedicated to freeing enslaved men and women from bondage.

The Underground Railroad developed during the early to&nbsp;mid-19th century in the United States,&nbsp;with routes that traversed America&nbsp;and reached far&nbsp;into Canada. The <a href="https://www.pbs.org/black-culture/shows/list/underground-railroad/stories-freedom/underground-railroad-terminology/" target="_blank">language of the Underground Railroad</a> came to resemble that of railroads themselves, with guides called &quot;conductors,&quot; helpers called &quot;agents,&quot; and &quot;passengers&quot; comprised of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/shocking-posters-for-escaped-runaway-slaves/amandasedlakhevener" target="_blank">enslaved individuals fleeing to safety</a>. &quot;Stations&quot; were homes and other safe places along &quot;tracks&quot; and &quot;Freedom Trails,&quot; locations that ultimately led to what was known as &quot;heaven&quot; or the &quot;Promised Land.&quot;&nbsp;

To have a role in the operation of the <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/black-history/underground-railroad" target="_blank">Underground Railroad</a> was dangerous, especially in the American South. Helping a fugitive slave could result in a myriad of punishments, while the enslaved people risked their lives to try to get to freedom. Famous Underground Railroad figures like <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/harriet-tubman-facts/mike-rothschild" target="_blank">Harriet Tubman</a> and Frederick Douglass attest to the success of the network, while simultaneously demonstrating how many of the individuals who used the Underground Railroad became conductors and agents once on the other side.

Tubman and Douglass are well-known, but the stories of countless others remain untold. Many of their tales are inspiring and heartwarming - testaments to the strength of the human spirit and cooperation alike. Here are 10 of those triumphant tales from the Underground Railroad.&nbsp;

10 Inspiring Stories From The Underground Railroad

Melissa Sartore

Portraits

During the Civil War, many men received draft letters and they joined a battle&nbsp;that promised to change&nbsp;America. Photographers captured these soldiers via snapshot, and some of the resulting&nbsp;<a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/colorized-photos-of-the-us-civil-war/kellen-perry" target="_blank">Civil War portraits</a> were oddly attractive. In fact, the hottest Civil War soldiers might make you&nbsp;thankful for the invention of the camera.&nbsp;

So the next time you&nbsp;flip&nbsp;through an old&nbsp;US history book, you don&#39;t have to feel&nbsp;bad about lingering on certain pages. It&#39;s okay to look at the&nbsp;photographs of the&nbsp;men who served.

20 Weirdly Hot Civil War Soldier Portraits

20 Attractive Civil War Soldiers

Bailey Brown

What Was The Civil War Like From A Horse’s Perspective?

Civil War Horses: What War Was Like From Their Perspective

This is a list about the best novels about the Civil War; this list answers the question, &quot;What are the <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/best-historical-novelists/book-keeper?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">best historical fiction books</a> about the Civil War?&quot; Also known as the War Between the States or the American Civil War, this battle lasted from 1861 – 1865 in the United States. This list of the best Civil War novels includes classics set during the war, like Little Women, to antebellum novels like Gone <a class="edS-cl" href="https://www.ranker.com/list/dark-tales-from-behind-the-scenes-of-gone-with-the-wind/erin-mccann?ref=internalCrossLinking_keyword">with the Wind</a> and The Sound and the Fury. The issue of slavery caused several Southern states to succeed from the union and form the Confederate States of America, also known as the “Confederacy” or the “South”. The states that remained a part of the union were called the “North” or “Union”. After four years of combat and 600,000 slain soldiers from the battlefield, the process of Reconstruction to restore national unity and guarantee rights to freed slaves began. Some of the most popular war stories of all time were formed during this time, including: “Gone with the Wind”, “Cold Mountain”, “Little Women” and the “Red Badge of Courage”. Each novel depicts a time when families had to pull resources together to survive; communities had to watch each other’s back; a nation divided took its toll on every resident of the United States. The Civil War remains the deadliest war in American history; an estimated 10% of all Northern males and an estimated 30% of all Southern males died in the battlefield.&nbsp;Vote on this list of the best novels about the Civil War to move your favorites to the top.&nbsp;

Grant Comes East

The Best Novels About the Civil War

Book

Best American Civil War Novels

Ranker Books

Old Stuff

When the United States was embroiled in war between 1861 and 1865, men from all over the country fought for the identity of the nation. Men from all walks of life fought in the US Civil War to defend the values so ingrained into them, but what is often forgotten is that many of the <a href="/list/age-of-actors-vs-real-actors/mallory-weiler" target="_blank">young men weren&#39;t men at all</a> but <a href="/list/ww2-photos-of-child-soldiers/gordon-cameron" target="_blank">child soldiers</a>. Children made up <a href="https://allthatsinteresting.com/civil-war-children" target="_blank">20 percent</a> of the military population, and though they weren&#39;t all in combat, they played necessary roles in the war effort they would barely comprehend as scouts, messengers, musicians, and &#39;powder monkeys&#39;.

Many of these young children have been forgotten or unidentified, leaving behind only a brief understanding of their experience through gilded portraits. They serve as tokens of history, reminding viewers of the very personal toll of the American Civil War and demonstrate President Herbert Hoover&#39;s old quote, &quot;Older men declare war. But it is youth that must fight and die.&quot;

Civil War Soldiers Who Were Clearly Just Kids

Brenden Donnelly

The coolest guns, most destructive weapons, and best, most iconic, most reliable firearm brands and manufacturers since the beginning of war and civil unrest.

Guns & Ammo & Weapons

Guns of the Civil War tend to fall into two categories: mass produced weapons used in huge numbers by both sides, and experimental or small-run weapons made in limited numbers. But weapons manufacturing was much easier for the Union, as virtually every major foundry and factory was north of the Mason-Dixon Line. Those that weren't had trouble getting raw materials due to the Union blockade of the South.So the Union was able to crank out over 1.5 million of the iconic Springfield 1861 and 1863 model rifle muskets, along with hundreds of thousands of Colt and Remington revolvers, and smaller numbers of more sophisticated weapons like the Henry and Spencer repeating rifles. But the Confederacy had to make do with rifles imported from Europe, converted flintlocks, cheap knockoffs of the Springfield, and small batches of their own designs. Both sides also experimented with early versions of the weapons that would dominate 20th century battlefields - quick-firing carbine rifles, machine guns, and grenades. All of this added up to massive firepower, and hugely swelling numbers of dead and wounded. Peruse the weapons of the US Civil War on this list and upvote the guns and other devices that were most influential during America's war with itself.

The Most Iconic Civil War Weapons

Civil War Guns | List of Weapons Used in the Civil War

Mike Rothschild

Battle of Gettysburg

Of all the Civil War ghost stories, the tales from Gettysburg, PA, are some of the scariest and most intense. Considering the site housed one of the worst battles of the war, it makes sense that thousands of lost, angry, and hurt souls may have been left behind.The Battle of Gettysburg lasted from July 1-3, 1863,&nbsp;and pitted Confederate General <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-all-robert-e-lee-battles/reference" target="_blank">Robert E. Lee</a>&nbsp;against Union General <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/list-of-all-george-meade-battles/reference" target="_blank">George G. Meade</a>. More than 50,000 soldiers&nbsp;lost their lives, and countless more were injured or went missing during&nbsp;battleWhile&nbsp;it gave the Union a victory that many historians consider to be the great&nbsp;turning point in the war,&nbsp;the area was left with a rather&nbsp;haunted reputation and is now home to&nbsp;plenty of <a href="https://www.ranker.com/list/creepy-civil-war-ghost-stories/stephen-tompkins" target="_blank">Civil War ghost</a> tours.Today, the haunted history of Gettysburg isn't limited to the area now protected as a National Park. Macabre vibes run all&nbsp;through the town, including buildings where fighting and death took place.

Is Gettysburg Haunted To This Day? There's Compelling Evidence That It Is

Is Gettysburg Haunted To This Day? There’s Compelling Evidence It Is

Erin McCann

Civil War lists at Ranker - The ultimate source for hundreds of civil war lists and rankings