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The American Civil War (1861‑1865) was a titanic clash between the United States, preserved as the Union, and the secessionist traitorous Confederacy, fought over the survival of the nation and the abolition of slavery. Though Wisconsin entered the war only three years after achieving statehood, it quickly became one of the Union’s most prolific contributors, sending more than 90,000 men—about one‑quarter of the state’s male population—into the ranks of the United States Army. Wisconsin volunteers formed entire regiments, most famously the 2nd, 7th, 8th, and 30th Infantry Regiments, as well as the 1st Wisconsin Cavalry and the famed 19th Wisconsin Volunteer Infantry, which earned a reputation for steadfastness in the Western Theater. These troops fought in pivotal engagements from the bloody fields of Antietam and Gettysburg to the protracted campaigns in the Mississippi Valley, including the Siege of Vicksburg and the Battle of Prairie Grove. Their presence was felt not only on the battlefield but also in the logistical backbone of the Union war effort, as Wisconsin supplied artillery, rifles, and a steady stream of skilled engineers and medical personnel. The bravery and sacrifice of Wisconsin soldiers helped tip the balance in favor of the Union, contributing directly to the eventual surrender of Confederate forces at Appomattox Court House and the preservation of the United States as a single, indivisible nation.