Civil War Advantages

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The Civil War, lasted from 1861 to 1865, divided the nation. From the emancipation of slaves to indifference between North and South. It was fought on many grounds; Gettysburg, Vicksburg, and Bull Run. Once picturesque views, were forever altered. Orchards, hills, fields, and forests were left unrecognizable. Artillery pocketed and stripped the landscape leaving it barren and devoid of vegetation. Trees that stood tall, became shattered and riddled by bullets. Countless bodies laid strewn across the battlefield. Over 600,000 lives were claimed which accounted for 2% of the population. Till this day it remains the largest loss of in any American engagement. Both the upbringing of the industrial revolution, and the advent of technology; made …show more content…

The train allowed both sides; to transport troops, armaments, and supplies to where they were needed. Powered by coal or wood, trains were extremely effective as the momentum of the trains propels itself. This cut travel time greatly and allowed for faster deployment. The North had a significant advantage and benefitted when it came to locomotive power. “By 1861, 22,000 miles of track had been laid in the Northern states and 9,500 miles in the South” . The South lacked the infrastructure and ability to build at the rate that the North was building. But perhaps the most prominent reason for the downfall of southern railway infrastructure, was Sherman’s March to sea. Sherman’s March to Sea; was the implementation of Scorched Earth Policy . This proved to be a major blow to not only the economy and infrastructure but the confederate moral. In 1864, the months of November to December Sherman and his army of roughly 60,000 strong, swept through Georgia, on the path to destruction. While on the war path, Sherman’s army destroyed cotton fields, buildings, as well as burning Atlanta to the ground. More specifically was Sherman’s swift incapacitation of railroads. “From the outset, Sherman’s men destroyed tunnels and bridges, expending particular effort to make railroad tracks unusable. The approach was backbreaking, but simple: rails were torn from the ties, which were stacked to make a bonfire beneath them. Once the rails became red hot, they were twisted into what came to be known as “Sherman’s neckties” or “Sherman’s hairpins”3 (Railroads of the Confederacy-Civil War

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