and have a right to when they think they have reason was the southern view of the matter you are a part of the union which forms but one nation and to break up the union is rebellion was the northern view but the passions excited by the long and bitter debate over questions relating to slavery lay at the bottom of the struggle neither side dreamed of the weary and bloody conflict which was to follow each expected to settle the matter history of the united states in two or three battles both of them found out what stubborn work it was to fight against americans the were naturally more military than the northern people they were generally accustomed to the saddle and the use of fire arms many of the northern men especially those of the eastern states had to learn to load and fire a gun after they went into the army for a long war the north had several advantages money trade and the mechanical for producing arms ships clothing and other military necessities belonged in a superior degree to the north it had also the advantage of numbers the south the advantage of fighting in of its own ground and of moving on shorter lines the divided sympathies of the people in the border states and the quick sending forward of from the north by many prevented and from in the western part of virginia where the slaves were few the union sentiment was strong and this region in separated itself from virginia and formed a new state which took the name of west virginia several battles though of no great magnitude were fought to secure control of west virginia the union armies here commanded by general george b a small battle at was won by the union troops and a more considerable engagement at rich mountain bull � first western campaign june ii lasting about an hour and a half gave the possession of west virginia to the government the failure to secure the border region was a ous loss to the for this was a land of indian corn most valuable for feeding of armies the south thus lost also the and rivers � the best line of the war had opened with several small actions such as the of ports and navy yards by the the attack on union troops by a mob in several in different parts of the country and battles in the mountains of virginia the had moved their capital from to virginia and the first important battle ground would lie between the two so sure were the people of a short war that battle of bull most of had been called out for only three months and it was thought necessary to fight a battle before their time should the people and newspapers at the north were for a forward movement and the were despised for their caution general moved toward and on the ist of july the battle of bull run was fought chiefly by raw troops on both sides joseph e and commanded the battle was a se bull run � first western campaign were re enforced at the right moment and the union army was at length entirely and fled back to washington in confusion the early struggle in eastern was a little e� � war by itself besides minor colonel afterward president defeated the leader in the little battle of on the th of january another sharp conflict took place at mill spring two days in which general george h thomas was victorious over the general who was killed in the engagement the battles in and proved a side aw i� d in campaign that had for its aim the securing of this state in which opinion was much divided for the union or the the governor of took sides with the in the battle of s creek august general of the united states army was killed and his troops retreated after the fight the general price attacked on the th of september following and captured nearly three thousand union soldiers in november follow ing general pope of the united states army by several movements and captured large bodies of on their way to join the army a severe battle fought at ridge in on the th of march finally pall of history of tub united states secured to the union by preventing the forces from re entering that state the first important movement after bull run was the campaign which broke the line at the west and gave the river above to the control of the government s grant who had already begun to show good military abilities moved against fort henry on the river i v in co operation with the fleet under grant and captured fort henry february the river here runs near to the river on the only about twelve miles from fort henry was the fort after a stubborn battle in which the union loss was hundred men this fort was also surrendered and with it fifteen thousand troops this broke the of the line of in the west and forced them to fall back from and other points general pope supported by now moved against the who blocked the at new and island no new was but in order to capture island no pope who was on the west side of the river must cross below the island and cut off its supplies as the on the island commanded the channel he had to dig a canal across a bend in the river in order to get transport boats below the island so as to across the it took nineteen days to cut this canal could not get through it and the bull run � first western campaign could not cross without their protection two were run past the of the island at night cut off on all sides the island was compelled to surrender with nearly seven 