The Civil War of 1861-1865 is rightly considered a turning point in the history of the United States of America. It was the beginning of establishing the United States as a state that has influenced and still influences world politics. This war is also considered to be in some ways unique and unlike any other civil war – it had features of both an internal war and a war between states. It was not just a clash between two differently equipped and trained armies – it was a kind of clash of civilizations. The mutual cruelty of the two warring parties, who had previously been citizens of the same state, reached unimaginable levels. As a result, the Civil War became the bloodiest military conflict for the United States in the country’s history, with 650,000 Americans killed, according to historians. No wonder the famous American historian Shelby Foote described it: “…It was the crossroads of our existence, and it was a hell of a crossroads”.