AllMovie

Through photographs, writings, and live action, this series offers a detailed and intimate glimpse at the real lives of those persons who fought and died for their side in a series of short vignettes. Volume one profiles Oscar Jackson, a soldier shot and left for dead in a battle, who went on to recover and become a state senator. It discusses the perils of being a troop Color Guard, whose members were targeted in battle because they carried bright upright flags. How were blue and grey uniforms standardized? At the Battle of Bull Run, the Federal and Confederate uniforms proved to be indistinguishable, and many soldiers lost their lives from friendly fire. Two letters give first-hand accounts of the battle violence, and a Civil War wife expresses her grief over the death of President Lincoln.