I'll have to look into getting that book, sounds like it'll go well with my "WWII Facts" and "Vietnam War Facts" books.
LOL! about the "trivia".
Here's an interesting view I've seen in a few places.
There are several different names that have been given to this war that readily identify the personal feelings of the advocate of each name. The most well-known name or term used to identify this war is the "Civil War". The military conflict of 1861-1865 was not a civil war, because it does not fit the definition of that term. By definition a civil war is a 'war between opposing groups of citizens of the same country for the purpose of gaining or retaining control of the ruling government'. The Vice President of the Confederate States of America (CSA) Alexander Stephens said, "The real object of those who resorted to secession was not to overthrow the government of the United States, but instead to perpetuate the principles of law upon which it was founded." Years before he became the president, Abraham Lincoln made the following statement in favor of the constitutional right of secession, yet when several Southern states seceded during his administration, he denied them that right by armed aggression. Lincoln once stated,
"Any people, anywhere, being inclined and having the power have the right to rise up and shake off the existing government and form a new one that suits them better...any portion of such people that can, may revolutionize and make their own of so much of the territory as they inhabit."
The "official" designation by which this war is called in the United States archival records is "The War of the Rebellion." In reading the 'official' records of this war, one must keep in mind that the victor always writes the history in their favor. Therefore, the victor is always the hero and the vanquished is the villain. Another name by which this war is called is "The War Between the States" which is not altogether correct because the States of the North and the states of the South were no longer sister states to one another during the war. The southern states that seceded from the Union did so by lawfully exercising their rights as guaranteed by the United States Constitution. These seceded states then formed a confederation of states and adopted the official name of "The Confederate States of America." Soon after the formation of this new government in Montgomery, Alabama a bloody war ensued in order to retain the right of secession so, therefore, this war is also known as, 'The War of Secession.'
There are two names which can rightfully be used in describing this war. The first one is, "The War Against Northern Aggression," because the majority of the battles were fought on southern soil. The Union troops from the North viciously invaded the countryside, farms, towns and cities of the South with the obvious purpose, to burn, plunder, and declare war not only against the southern army, but also against the southern citizenry. Therefore, it became obvious to the civil and military leadership of the South that they were fighting not only for governmental independence, but for their very physical survival against the brutal attacks of Northern aggression.
The other name by which this war is rightfully called is 'The War for Southern Independence,' because it correctly describes the purpose of the South for which they fought. The purpose of the political and military leadership of the South was not to conquer or to destroy the federal government of the United States, but simply to maintain an independent and sovereign nation in the southland known as the Confederate States of America.