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Explore Lansing's role in the war to preserve the Union and end slavery When war erupted between North and South, the capital of Michigan was ready to serve. The population of Lansing in 1860 was only 3000, but by the spring of 1865, over 500 men from the Capital City had enlisted to fight. These citizen-soldiers left the farms, factories, shops and schools of their youths to fight to uphold the Union and end slavery. Many of these boys would be wounded, captured, or killed, and those fortunate enough to return, came home changed, permanently maimed, and often haunted men. Using primary sources, including letters and personal diaries, author Matthew J. VanAcker unfolds the story of uncommon valor that offers a glimpse into the lives of the soldiers, their families, and the city they left behind.

More than 3,000 Kalamazoo County men served in the Union forces during the Civil War. They fought in the most horrific battles from Blackburn's Ford to Appomattox, and 396 did not return home. The war tested the area not just on the battlefield but in its collective back yard and, at times, its front yard. A "peace rally" held by local Democrats was interrupted by Lincoln supporters who viewed the Democrats as traitors. Residents reacted jubilantly to the capture of Richmond, the Confederate capital, and mourned the assassination of Lincoln, who had visited the village of Kalamazoo before the war. As veterans, the former combatants left behind indelible reminders of their sacrifice. Local historian Gary L. Gibson uncovers long-lost stories, many never before told, of Kalamazoo County during and after America's bloodiest conflict.