The Civil War, on the other hand, led to an unprecedented demand for embalming. This consisted of a chemical injection (usually through a femoral artery) after which the embalmer would ship the ...

Before the Civil War, embalming was not commonly practiced in the United States. Most Americans handled death and burial at home, relying on refrigeration, ice, or swift burial to delay decomposition.

Even though the Civil War has been thoroughly studied for over 160 years, new discoveries are still being made. Last spring, a Civil War-era cannonball was found in the backyard of a Virginia home.