The National Civil War Museum

The National Civil War Museum is proud to present an expansion of its Women at War Exhibit, offering visitors a deeper understanding of the courage, resilience, and impact of women during the American Civil War. The newly added interpretive panels will expand on the many ways women contributed to the war effort, often at great personal risk and against societal expectations. The expanded exhibit explores the diverse roles of women in the Civil War, including: In the Hospitals, In Secret, On the Homefront, In the Camps, and On the Battlefield.

COMING MAY 3, 2025

Newly promoted Lieutenant General Ulysses S. Grant, in command of all Union Armies swiftly led Northern forces into the Wilderness of Spotsylvania County, Virginia, where they confronted Confederate forces under General Robert E. Lee. The Battle of the Wilderness was the first in a series of battles beginning May 4, 1864, and culminating on June 24, 1864, with the Battle of Saint Mary’s Church at Charles City, Virginia, and the Union Army advance across the James River. The Overland Campaign was a tactical victory for the North, ultimately leading to the surrender of General Lee’s army at Appomattox Court House on April 9, 1865.

Pieces of History ~ The exhibit covers the early attempts to abolish slavery in the United States and actions that ultimately ended slavery with the 13th Amendment, but only after a devastating Civil War. Abolitionist leaders such as Frederick Douglas, Sojourner Truth, and John Brown will be highlighted. Also featured will be Abolitionist newspapers such as William Lloyd Garrison’s The Liberator. Political compromises between slave and free states temporarily kept the nation from tearing itself apart Still, legislation such as the Fugitive Slave Act, Supreme Court rulings Like Dred Scott, and insurrection