In 1861, a blast of artillery aimed at Fort Sumter started four years of the most horrendous period in American history. On the morning of April 12th, forty three Confederate cannons opened up on the fortress. Miraculously, no one on either side had been killed or seriously wounded – a battle conclusion with these results would rarely happen again. The Confederacy had to struggle to place artillery and ammunition in the field. While the Union had 163 field guns on hand, the Confederacy had only 35 when the war began. Also, most of the gunpowder mills were located in the North. Take a trip through time beginning with the infancy of artillery during the American Revolution until the final shots were fired at Appomattox. Most of the major battles are visited, along with some lesser engagements, and the role that the artillery played regarding their outcome. With over 550 photographs, (many previously unpublished), the reader will get a real feel what it was like to serve with the artillery during the Civil War.