Civil war in its generic outlook implies a war between citizens of the same nation or a war within a nation. This article is a reflection on the American civil war in its origins, nature, scope and aftermath. The thesis in the paper conflicts with the label (American Civil War) given to the violent upheaval that featured between the Southern and Northern states of America in the 1860s. It posits that the label emanated from a facile outlook;that a more in-depth and critical analysis of the occurrence will occasion the birth of a healthierdepiction of the event. The paper therefore, clinches within the premises of the aforementioned that the label- American Civil War is a misnomer; it suggests that a more befitting term could be ‘American Pugnacious.