The American Civil War lasted four years, from 1861 to 1865. It was and still is the bloodiest war in American history; close to 620,000 soldiers died, millions were hurt, and the south was ruined. President Lincoln viewed this period of battle as a time to maintain the harmony of the Union, instead of ending slavery. He himself did not support slavery, but he kept in mind that if he did ban slavery as a war strategy, northerners would no longer support him because many people in the north still owned slaves. During 1862, thousands of slaves escaped from their masters to join the northern armies. From this, Lincoln realized that the end of slavery was the correct choice, morally and strategically. On September 22, 1862, Lincoln pronounced the Emancipation Proclamation.