Sometimes called "America's darkest hour,"

Sometimes called "America's darkest hour," the Civil War killed almost three percent of the U.S. population in four short years.


 Not only was this conflict the bloodiest in American history, but it was also one of the first to be documented in photos, showing the reality of warfare to ordinary civilians for the first time — and many people were horrified by what they saw. 
From dead bodies littering the battlefields to emaciated prisoners of war to grieving generals to once-glorious cities left in ruins, it was immediately clear to the public how devastating the Civil War truly was. 

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