Formation of The Confederate States of America, the first major secession in North American history. A large number of the survivors (from both the Union and Confederate sides) of The Battle of the Bull Run start to show strange signs of fever of an unknown nature. It starts to spread extremely quickly through the ranks of soldiers, incapacitating large numbers and leading to hundreds of fatalities. The virus is dubbed the Veteran Fever. Its rapid spread cripples both armies, causing a gradual ceasefire. Some states start to barricade themselves in order to contain the epidemic, including Texas.