Indian Mutiny. General disaffection from a variety of real or supposed grievances had been for a long time smoldering amongst the Sepoys, who were the flower of the British East India Company's forces, but when a report spread that cartridges smeared with cow and pork fat were to be used by the native soldiers, open mutiny, attended with great cruelty, broke out. The war which may be said to have commenced in March 1857, raged until June 1858. It was marked by a succession of romantic, pathetic, and heroic incidents - the siege of Delhi, the massacre of Cawnpore, the relief and capture of Lucknow - but was suppressed in the latter year, when the East India Company ceased to exist, and the government of India was assumed by the British crown. A cruel vengeance was taken on the mutineers, hundreds of whom were strung together and blown to pieces at the mouths of cannon.

The Abyssinian War arose out of the imprisonment of Consul Capt. C. Cameron, Rev. H. Stern, a missionary, and others by King Theodore, in consequence of a supposed slight by the British Government, 1864. Mr. Rassam was sent on a mission to Abyssinia for their release. On the refusal of the king to surrender the prisoners, an English army, some 12,000 strong, under Sir Robert (afterwards Lord) Napier, defeated the Abyssinian forces at Arogee, April 10, 1868, and three days later stormed the fortress of Magdala. In consequence of this King Theodore committed suicide, the prisoners were released, and the war terminated.

American CiviL War. This began April 13, 1861, with the capture of Fort Sumter, Charleston, by the Confederate forces. The North prepared for the contest with energy, and blockaded the Southern ports. Throughout the war the Confederates chiefly acted upon the defensive, the Federals or Northern forces, being the attacking party, and possessing the advantage of superior forces, money and war material. The principal generals of the South were Lee, "Stonewall" Jackson, Hood, Albert Sidney Johnston, Longstreet, Bragg, Beauregard, Stuart, Joseph E. Johnston; and of the North, Grant, Sherman, Sheridan, McClellan, Thomas, Rosecrans, Pope, Butler, Halleck, Baker, Burnside, Fremont, Meade, Banks and McDowell. In the campaign of 1861 the advantage was chiefly on the side of the Confederates who were victorious at Bull Run (Manassas, Va.) and Ball's Bluff, Va. (October 21), but suffered a reverse at Springfield, Mo. (Aug. 10), and lost Fort Hatteras, N. C, captured by Butler (August 29). During 1862 the Confederates were successful at Bull Run (August 20) and in Virginia (June) at Fredericksburg, Va. (Dec. 10-15), but sustained severe defeats at Mill Springs, Ky. (January 19), Pea Ridge, Ark. (March 6-8), Winchester, Va. (March 23), Williamsburgh, Va. Great battles were fought at Shiloh, Tenn. (April 7), Fair Oaks, Va. (May 31, June 1), on the Chickahominy (June 25-July 1) and Antie-tam Creek, Md. (September 17), in none of which either party could claim a victory; but the battle of Antietam Creek obliged Lee to abandon his invasion of the North. During this year the naval operations of the Federals were generally successful, Admiral Farragut running past the forts of the Mississippi and seizing New Orleans (May). The memorable conflict between the"Merrimac" (Confederate) and the Federal "Monitor" resulted (March 9) in the repulse of the former, the "Merrimac" being burnt by the Confederates on the capture of their arsenal at Norfolk, Va. (May 11). The war during 1863 was decidedly in favor of the Federal forces, although the Confederates, under "Stonewall" Jackson, defeated Hooker at Chancellorsville (May 2-4), Jackson subsequently dying from his wounds (May 10) and Lee invaded Maryland and Pennsylvania. At Gettysburg, Pa. (July 1-3), Lee was defeated, and retreated into Virginia, while at Chattanooga, Tenn. (Nov. 24-25) the Confederates, under Bragg, sustained a severe repulse.

Grant made a successful campaign in Tennessee, gaining several battles and capturing, Vicksburg, Miss., which after a gallant defence, surrendered (July 4). In August the siege of Charleston began, and Fort Sumter was destroyed (August 21-22), but the city was not taken until 1865 (February 18). With the appointment of Grant as commander-in-chief, in the early part of 1864 (March 3) and his vigorous reorganization of the army, the power of the North was greatly strengthened. Taking the command of the army of the Potomac, Grant opposed the Confederates under Lee, while Sherman operated against Joseph E. Johnston. In the Virginian campaign, after two days severe fighting (May 3-6) at the Wilderness, the result was indecisive, and Grant's attempt to cut off Lee's army from Richmond was unsuccessful. At Atlanta, Ga., Sherman, in three battles (July 20, 22, 28), defeated the Confederates under Hood. In the Shenandoah valley the Federals were victorious in several engagements (August) and under Sheridan at Winchester (September 9) and Cedar Creek (October 19). In November General Sherman marched through Georgia to Savannah, which was entered December 21, while at Nashville, Tenn., the Confederates under Hood were defeated (December 14-16) by the Federals under Thomas. Among the incidents of this year were the sinking (June 19) by the Federal corvette "Kearsarge" of the Confederate steamer "Alabama" commanded by Captain Semmes, which had caused great devastation among the Federal shipping, and the destruction (August 5,) by Admiral Farragut, of the Confederate flotilla at Mobile. The war closed in 1865 by the defeat of Lee at Five Forks, Va., (March 31-April 2) by Sheridan, who again defeated Lee at Sailor's Creek (April 6). Lee subsequently surrendered (April 9) his army to Grant who had occupied Richmond, the capital of the Confederate States (April 2) on its evacuation by the Southern forces.

The other Confederate armies soon afterwards surrendered. An amnesty, with certain limitations, was proclaimed (May 29) by President Andrew Johnson (1865-69), who, as vice-president, succeeded Abraham Lincoln, assassinated in Ford's Theatre, Washington, by J. Wilkes Booth (April 14) Lincoln having but newly entered on his second term of office.