This article was written with the assistance of A.I. technology, and has been edited and fact-checked by Melly Alazraki.
The Civil War was the bloodiest and most destructive conflict in American history. It began only months after Southern states seceded from the Union, when Southern troops attacked and captured the federally held Fort Sumter in Charleston, South Carolina.
Over the next four years, the 11 Confederate states were pitted against armies from the Northeast, Midwest, and Western states and territories, dedicated to preserving the Union, and battles raged in many areas. However, more civil war battles were fought in Virginia than any other state.
Virginia was the site of more than 100 battles, according to historical data from the National Archives Catalog. Some of the most significant battles of the war were fought in the state, including the First and Second Battles of Bull Run, the Seven Days Battles, and General Lee’s surrender at Appomattox.
The war took a heavy toll on Virginia. More than 150,000 Virginians served in the Confederate military, and many of them were killed or wounded. Much of the state was left in ruins, and its economy was devastated.
In 1865, after a long siege, Union troops finally succeeded in capturing the state’s capital, Richmond, which also served as the capital of the Confederate states. The Confederacy surrendered soon afterwards.
Click here to see which states had the most battles during the Civil War.
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