What is one of the great ironies of the Civil War?

One of the greatest ironies of the Civil War is that no one died during the first battle of the war, the shelling of Fort Sumter. The fort was shelled for 34 hours and no one died on either side. The first casualty of the war was when a cannon exploded during the surrender ceremony, killing a young private. This ironic bit of history is sad when one considers that this war ultimately killed more...

One of the greatest ironies of the Civil War is that no one died during the first battle of the war, the shelling of Fort Sumter. The fort was shelled for 34 hours and no one died on either side. The first casualty of the war was when a cannon exploded during the surrender ceremony, killing a young private. This ironic bit of history is sad when one considers that this war ultimately killed more than six hundred thousand people over four years.  

Another ironic part of the war is how many family members ended up on opposite sides. Mary Todd Lincoln, Abraham Lincoln's wife, lost two brothers who were in the Confederate army. These family breakups were not uncommon, as people had to decide between loyalty to their state and loyalty to their nation, especially in the South.