 Ramba uchinyora ndima iyi - Achitevera Sumter, Lincoln akarayira nyika kuti dzipe varwi 75 000 kwemwedzi mitatu kuti vatorezve nhare dzeCharleston Harbor nezvimwe zvinhu zvose zvehurumende. Ikoku kwakasimbisa vazviparadzanisi muVirginia, Arkansas, Tennessee neNorth Carolina kuti vazviparadzanise panzvimbo pokupa mauto kuti afambe achipinda mumatunhu okuSouth akavakidzana. Muna May, mauto eFederal akayambukira munharaunda yeConfederate kumuganhu wose kubva kuChesapeake Bay kuenda kuNew Mexico. Hondo dzokutanga dzakanga dziri kukunda kweConfederate paBig Bethel Bethel Church, Virginia, First Bull Run First ManassasmuVirginia muna July uye muna August, Wilsons Creek Oak Hills muMissouri. Muzvikamu zvose zvitatu, mauto eConfederate aisakwanisa kutevera kukunda kwavo nekuda kwekusagutsikana kwakakwana uye kushomeka kwemauto matsva kuti vashandise kubudirira kwavo. Pashure pehondo imwe neimwe, maFederals akaramba aripo muchiuto ndokugara muWashington, DC; Fort Monroe, Virginia; uye Springfield, Missouri. Ose ari maviri Maodzanyemba neChamhembe akavamba kurovedza mauto nokuda kwehondo huru gore rakatevera racho. Mauto aMukuru weUnion George B. McClellan akawana nzvimbo yakawanda kuchamhembe kwakadziva kumadokero kweVirginia pakati pa1861, achiisa pfungwa mumataundi nemigwagwa; nzvimbo yemukati yakanga yakakura kwazvo kudzora uye ikava nzvimbo yezviitiko zvevapanduki. General Robert E. Lee akakundwa paCheat Mountain muna September uye hapana kufambira mberi kwakakomba kweConfederate kumadokero kweVirginia kwakaitika kusvikira gore rakatevera. 