Richmond, Virginia, was chosen as the capital and Jefferson Davis
was made President of the Confederacy, which included eleven states.
In the west of Virginia, however, the people were loyal to the Union
and it was here that the first great battles of the war were fought.
Life in this part of Virginia which lay beyond the Alleghenies was
very different from life in Eastern Virginia. Western Virginia was
not a land suitable for slaves, and for a long time the people had
desired to part from Eastern Virginia. Now during the war they had
their wish, and West Virginia became a separate state. In June,
1863, it was admitted to the Union as the thirty-fifth state.
The war which had now begun was the most terrible ever fought on
American soil. For far more even than the War of Independence, it
was a war of kindred. It made enemies of comrades and brothers. Men
who had been dear friends suddenly found themselves changed into
ruthless enemies, families even were divided against each other.
For four years this bitter war lasted, and counting all battles
great and small there were at least two thousand, so we cannot
attempt to follow the whole course of the great struggle.
The first blood was shed, strangely enough, on the anniversary
of the battle of Lexington. On that day, 19th April, 1861, some
Massachusetts soldiers were passing through Baltimore, when they
were attacked by the mob.
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