One of the many ironies of the Civil War:
Because the First Battle of Bull Run, fought on July 21, 1861, took place on Wilmer McLean's farm about 120 miles (190 km) to the north in Virginia, it can be said that the Civil War started in McLean's backyard in 1861 and ended in his parlor in 1865.
Welcome, RickZ!
You forgot to include a link, but I remember hearing that in Ken Burns' series. Hell, that's not just one of the greatest ironies of the Civil War, it's one of the greatest ironies in all history.
Thanks.
It was from wiki, the quickest quote I could find that backed up what I learned from the great Civil War historian, Dr. James Robertson, at Virginia Tech; his Civil War class, held in a 560 seat auditorium, was always 'sold out'. (You may have seen him giving snippets of commentary on various Civil War documentary shows/series. He headed the Civil War Centennial back in 1961.)
The Civil War was full of ironies, and I really do not have one that stands out above all the others, though the story of Wilmer McLean and his houses is certainly among the top. Then there is the story of the Kentucky Breckinridge brother fighting for the Union capturing in battle his brother fighting for the Confederacy. That border-state family personified the 'brother against brother' attribute of that war.
Another irony, this time about the commander of Fort Sumter and the commander of the Confederate batteries in Charleston which opened fire and began the war. Confederate Gen. P.G.T. Beauregard was instructed in artillery as a cadet at West Point by none other than the commander of Fort Sumter, Maj. Robert Anderson.
From wiki, more irony:
[Anderson] served in the Black Hawk War of 1832 as a colonel of Illinois volunteers, where he had the distinction of twice mustering Captain Abraham Lincoln in and out of army service.
The country was smaller back then, the military moreso.