On July 21, 1861, the first major battle of the Civil War was fought. 35,000 Northerners marched to Manassas, Virginia to challenge more than 20,000 Southerners. We'll see how both sides were driven by new-founded pride and politics. By the next day, 5,000 men would be dead and General Stonewall Jackson would earn his legendary nickname.

On December 13, 1862, Union General Ambrose Burnside mounted a massive, yet futile frontal assault on Robert E. Lee's Confederate troops outside of Fredericksburg, Virginia. Wave after wave of Union troops hurled themselves at the Confederates, only to be mowed down in their tracks. In the end, the Federals suffered more than 13,000 casualties, making the Battle of Fredericksburg one of the worst defeats for the Union Army.