Included: U.S. Gen. William Tecumseh Sherman (1820-91) captures Atlanta on Sept. 1, 1864, then begins his celebrated March to the Sea across Georgia. Also: the re-election of Abraham Lincoln. Producer: Ken Burns.
Included: the Confederate Congress issues the first national draft in U.S. history in April 1862. Also: England and France consider recognizing the Confederacy when the South decides to withhold cotton from the world market. Producer: Ken Burns.
Included: in 1865 the Confederacy begins to crumble as the Union Army lays siege on Richmond, Va. Also: Congress passes the 13th Amendment abolishing slavery; and Gen. Robert E. Lee surrenders to Gen. Grant at Appomattox. Producer: Ken Burns.
Included: the role of women during the Civil War. Also: President Lincoln issues the first federal draft call; forms the first black regiment, the 54th of Massachussets; and delivers the Gettysburg Address on Nov. 19, 1863. Producer: Ken Burns.
Through the words of diarists and letter-writers the program describes the surrender of Fort Sumter in April 1861 and the victory of Gen. Thomas J. “Stonewall” Jackson at the First Battle of Manassas on July 21, 1861. Producer: Ken Burns.