The Civil War was a conflict that affected millions of people in the United States of America and the Confederate States of America. The affects were far-reaching and varied in nature. It can be argued that no city, town, or village was left unaffected by the war. Among the towns changed by the war was Cedar Falls, Iowa. The changes wrought upon Cedar Falls were both positive and negative in nature. On the positive side, Cedar Falls would grow as a result of the war. On the negative side, many of her young men would die in the war. This essay will examine a few of the many occurrences of the Civil War that had an effect on Cedar Falls. Cedar Falls provided the Union army with a large number of soldiers during the war. One of the better known soldiers was John Rath (see illustration No. 1). Rath is fairly well-known because he kept a detailed account of his involvement in the war that survives to this day. Men from Cedar Falls fought in many different units during the war, but this essay will focus on the two in which men from Cedar Falls figured most prominently, the 3rd Iowa and the 31st Iowa. When examining the Cedar Falls connection to the Civil War, it is also important to look at where the soldiers went and what they endured during the fighting. Also of interest is how the town itself was affected. What kind of efforts were made on the home front to help the Union cause? Did every citizen of Cedar Falls support the war?