Why did the confederates defend petersburg so fiercely?

the answer is: the sesquicentennial of the american civil war is an occasion to consider the legacy of that great conflict. this legacy is our inheritance, and despite many indelible features, we continue to negotiate the resolution of that conflict. the civil war was fought over slavery, but not always on behalf of slaves

lincoln presided over the union victory in the american civil war, which dominated his presidency. a former whig, lincoln ran on a political platform opposed to the expansion of slavery in the territories. his election served as the immediate impetus for the outbreak of the american civil war.