Horrific and unforgettable battles like Gettysburg, Antietam, and Shiloh are well documented, but many other lesser-known events litter the American Civil War as well. Some of them are strange, unusual, or obscure, yet they are all equally important. History-hungry individuals curious about a homegrown conflict that harvested more than 700,000 lives will find ample sustenance here to appease their appetites. For instance, in this volume can be found a Union and Confederate conflict that occurred in the English Channel, while another engagement that predates Bull Run holds the distinction of being the first significant land battle of the Civil War, and still another involves a land fortification which surrendered solely to the inland navy-it would not happen again throughout the war. Numerous photographs, additional illustrations, bibliographies, and index to full names and places enhance the value of this work.