Introduction

When South Carolina militiamen fired the first shot of the Civil War at Fort Sumter on April 12, 1861, the United States was already deeply divided. Of the 34 existing states, South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Georgia, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, Tennessee, Arkansas, and Florida would ultimately join forces and form the Confederate States of America. In addition, Delaware, Kentucky, Maryland, and Missouri, slave states, would become war torn between separatists and Union loyalists. West of the Mississippi, all of the organized territories favoring admission to Union as free states, would ultimately become involved in a catastrophic conflict.

The men of the North and South had fought over 10,400 major and minor engagements and had suffered over a million casualties. Aside from the dead, over 360,000 for the North and 258,000 for the South, countless thousands bore the marks of the War.

In 1866, only a year after Appomattox, the women of Columbus, Mississippi, placed flowers on the graves of a few Federal soldiers who had died in a nearby Union hospital. By the mid 1870's, veterans of both sides held joint reunions. In 1875, Brig. Gen. William Bartlett, a Union hero, attracted attention by declaring that he was "as proud of the men who charged so bravely with Pickett's Division on our lines at Gettysburg, as I am of the men who so bravely met and repulsed them."

The world will never see their like again.

The twilight of a new dawn for the North American continent. A new nation, forged in the heat of battle and tested in the hearts of men. A strong and vigorous nation, indivisible, the United States of America.

To commemorate the heroic effort of the thousands of Americans involved in the War Between the States and to the significance of the lasting peace, brotherhood, and national identity of the United States, nationally recognized historical sculptor, Gary Casteel, will create a memorial in stone and bronze, depicting the complete four year struggle in bas-relief and three dimensional form. The memorial will be a lasting tribute to America's past and provide a tangible journey to future generations of young Americans. The art and text of the memorial will deliver the recognition its historical significance merits.

Gary Casteel in conjunction with the National Civil War Memorial Commission, a Virginia based nonprofit corporation, seeks individual and corporate sponsorship to make this exciting concept a reality. In the past, almost every other war the United States has participated in has been memorialized nationally. Yet, currently, there is no National Civil War memorial in existence. Therefore, this is a clear opportunity to participate in an exciting project and assist in establishing and maintaining our proud American heritage.