[BroJoeK]

The Battle of Barboursville, KY, brings the total to 49 engagements "to date", producing over 15,000 casualties including nearly 1,900 battle deaths.
Of the 49 engagements, 30 (61%) were in Union states & territories, 19 in the Confederacy, the Union has 20 victories (nearly all in Union states) Confederates 23 victories (13 in Union states & territories), 6 were inconclusive.

Summary of Civil War Engagements as of Sep 19, 1861:
Engagements in Confederate states:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
South Carolina	0	1	1	2
Virginia	3	9	4	16
North Carolina	1	0	0	1
Total Engagements in CSA	4	10	5	19

Engagements in Union states/territories:

State	Union Victories	Confederate Victories	Inconclusive	Total Engagements
Maryland	1	0	0	1
West Virginia	8	2	0	10
Missouri	7	8	1	16
New Mexico	0	2	0	2
Kentucky	0	1	0	1
Total Engagements in Union	16	13	1	30
Total Engagements to date	20	23	6	49

[jeffersondem]

“Of the 49 engagements, 30 (61%) were in Union states & territories, 19 in the Confederacy, the Union has 20 victories (nearly all in Union states) Confederates 23 victories (13 in Union states & territories), 6 were inconclusive.”

It was claimed early by Lincoln the war would be fought to collect taxes. When that proved to be insufficient to justify the increasing casualties, Lincoln said he was fighting to save the union. Later the war took on a moral tone - Lincoln was said to be “fighting to free the slaves.”

At Gettysburg, Lincoln went further and suggested that from the beginning, the war was fought for racial equality.

Comes now Brother Joe, setting the stage for an even more preposterous claim. In due time Brother Joe will cite the St. Albans Raid and make the argument the real reason Lincoln attacked the South was to prevent Vermont from being forced into the Confederacy.

Wait for it.