"The Confederates surrendered at Appomattox more than five generations ago, but the Civil War continues to capture the American imagination. Millions fought in the conflict, and nearly 650,000 died. No event in the history of the United States has been as traumatic or as influential. Not only did the war wreak untold damage - destroying cities, ruining farmland, and leaving Americans with decades of social, political, and economic struggle - it also...