Chapter 141: The immediate aftermath.

With the war underway, Virginia secedes on April 17 by an 88-55 vote, and the Confederacy reaches to 11 states when joined by Arkansas (May 6, 1861), North Carolina (May 20) and Tennessee (June 8).

Lincoln calls the fight an Insurrection, an internal struggle rather than a War to be fought by two independent nations. In this way he hopes to avoid formal recognition of the Confederacy, and possible support from Britain or France.

He initially calls up 75,000 troops for 3 months of duty believing that the Union will win quickly.