Union assaults were repulsed at Fredericksburg, and then tragedy struck at Chancellorsville. The unplanned, unexpected epic Battle of Gettysburg comes next, which turns the tide of war. After a long, agonizing siege, there is a Union victory at Vicksburg. The heroism of the all African-American 54th Massachusetts regiment in the attack on Fort Wagner in South Carolina also helps lead to the beginning of the end. There is a blind, ruthless man-to-man fighting in the Battle of the Wilderness, and eventually Petersburg is besieged. The quiet, dignified surrender by the South and Robert E. Lee at Appomattox Courthouse leads to the end of the war. The nation is left bleeding, but preserved.

Originally released by New Dimension Media, 2010. Streaming video file encoded with permission for digital streaming by Infobase on April 16, 2021.