Living next to Antietam- the bloodiest single day of the Civil War, I am always reminded of the men who were claimed from an orderly violence performed to reunite a nation. I screened this in 1996-97 as a student who knew next to nothing about the war and my ancestors. I've been to most museums and parks and reenactments in my area, but to take in a recreation of the voices of the actual figures of the war gives the documentary a realism so strong it can be riveting. "It was not war-it was murder," begins a segment on the futile charges ordered by U.S. Grant at Cold Harbor in 1864, where 7,000 men were killed in 7 minutes. Following that, we come to the details of the failed crater attack of the Petersburg defenses where the Federals were fair game in a deep pit blasted through the defensive breastworks. The blend of narration and period photography is unique mix of media.