The Civil War was a long and bloody four years characterized by major battles between the Union and Confederacy. The Battle of Bull Run was an early Confederate victory due to superior organization that showed the war would not be brief. General Grant later ordered total war tactics destroying Confederate supplies and infrastructure. While the Confederates had victories at Fredericksburg and Chancellorsville, major battles like Shiloh and Gettysburg resulted in massive casualties on both sides, testing whether democracy could survive and reminding Americans of the principles of equality.