The document summarizes key events at the start of the Civil War, including President Lincoln calling for troops after the attack on Fort Sumter, additional states seceding from the Union, and the divided loyalties in border states like Kentucky and Maryland. It also outlines early military strategies between the North and South, including the South's defensive strategy and the North's goal of gaining control of the Mississippi River. The First Battle of Bull Run resulted in the first major defeat for the Union and showed both sides the challenges of the war.