The first major battle of the Civil war was fought at Manassas, Virginia known as the "First Battle of Bull Run". The Welmer McLean family had their home there. Many skirmishes and troop movements occurred in and around the McLean's house. After the battle, which was a decisive victory for the Confederates, Welmer McLean decided to move his family to an area of relative safety known as Appamatox Courthouse, Virginia. Four years later on April 9, 1865 Union Commanding General U.S. Grant and Confederate General Robert E. Lee met in Welmer McLean's home there to discuss the terms of surrender of Lee's forces that effectively ended the Civil War.

Thus, in his efforts to avoid the ravages of war, the McLean Family became directly involved in the beginning and the end of the war!

At the beginning of the war, Robert E. Lee was asked by Abraham Lincoln to be the Commanding General of the Union Army. Although Lee was against secession and for the preservation of the Union, he couldn't bring himself to fight against the citizens of his beloved home state of Virginia. He declined and offered his resignation from the Union Army and went home to Virginia. When Virginia seceded from the Union he became a minor officer in the struggle, but ultimately rose to become the Commanding General of the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia and the most important General in the Confederate Army!

Confederate General George Pickett, who led the ill fated "Pickett's Charge" at Gettysburg, was a native of Virginia. He received his appointment to the United States Military Academy though from the State of Illinois. John Todd Stuart obtained the appointment for him at the request of his law partner, Abraham Lincoln!

New England poet Albert Pike commanded the Confederate Department of Indian Territory. He wrote the stanzas of the popular southern song "Dixie", a tune which originated not in the south, but in New York during the 1850's!

President Abraham Lincoln, Commander-In-Chief of the Union Army, had four brothers-in-law in the Confederate Army, and three of his sisters-in-law were married to Confederate Officers!

Abraham Lincoln, President of the United States of America and Jefferson Davis, President Of the Confederate States of America were both born in Kentucky, the only state that has ever had two of its sons serve as President at the same time!

Of the 2.3 million men enlisted in the Union Army, seventy percent were under 23 years of age. Approximately 100,000 were sixteen and an equal number were 15. Three hundred lads were 13 or less, and the records show that there were 25 no older than 10 years!

Of the 600,000 Americans who died in the Civil War, more than two thirds died not on the battlefield, but in camp and hospitals of diarrhea, dysentery and other diseases.

At the first battle of Bull Run or Manassas it's estimated that somewhere between 8,000 and 10,000 shots were fired for every man killed or wounded.

During May and June 1864 the Armies of the Potomac and the James lost 77,452 men.

A greater number than Lee had in his entire army!

It's been said that those who fail to remember the events of the past are doomed to repeat it.

It cost the Union 2 million dollars a day to fight the Civil War.

It cost the United States of America 113 million dollars a day to fight World War II.

We wouldn't be able to afford World War III!!! Let's make sure it doesn't happen!!!

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