The Civil War was a total war, one that involved civilians as well as soldiers on both sides. Families throughout the North could no longer farm or carry on business in the usual way, as their every action and decision was measured by its effect on the war effort. Northerners, thanks to efficient communications, were able to follow events closely. Newspapers carried dispatches that arrived directly from the fronts via telegraph. Illustrators depicted the battles and other incidents of the war in magazines, and photographs taken by Matthew Brady and others created a graphic and authentic record of the death and destruction wrought by armed conflict.

In this war, there were no neutral parties. Every civilian took a stand, either for or against the war, and as the conflict dragged on through 1864 and 1865, the disruption and bitter feelings between opposing sides grew worse...