The Civil War marks a turning point in the history of the American republic. Not only did it forge a united nation but it also facilitated the Industrial Revolution that made the United States a world power and leader by the early 20th century. This massive work contains more than 2,500 detailed biographies of participants in the Civil War. It concentrates on the characters' actions during the Civil War, giving researchers the basic career data of the participants. Pre- and postwar activities are covered briefly. Of course, when an individual played a role in bringing about secession and the war itself, much more attention is given to his prewar actions. The author has included those persons who most affected the conflict, with a balance between North and South, military and civilian, and, heroes and rogues. Two appendices augment the biographies: Appendix A, a chronology which spans November 1860 through November 1865; and Appendix B, "Officers Receiving the Thanks of the U.S. Congress." A wealth of portraits, historic photographs, and other illustrations; a bibliography; and an index to full-names, places and subjects add to the value of this work. (