Contains "approximately 220 articles, organized thematically for easy browsability, provide a wealth of reference and historical information on the battlefield and homefront experience and the political, economic, social, and cultural life of the North and South during the War. Primary source documents in the form of first-person accounts, letters, diaries, journals, newspapers, and literature bring to life the experiences of the Union and Confederate participants and the people they left behind. Photographs, drawings, political cartoons, and maps augment the text, while sidebars further explore people, primary sources, and specific topics. Additional features include a chronology, annotated bibliography, and index."