North and South

North and South Ronald D. Wells American History to 1877

North and South The North had many advantages during the Civil War. One of the main advantages was

their ability to produce all of the materials they needed for the war. The amount of men fighting for the Union Army was far greater than the number of men fighting for the South. The North also had large numbers of immigrants coming into cities such as New York City, which were an easy source of soldiers. Better ship yards, port facilities and more ships were a great benefit as well as having more railroad lines allowing them to transport goods and supplies faster and easier. More raw materials such as coal and having the Springfield firearms manufacturing plant were other major advantages. Perhaps one of the greatest advantages of the North was having a strong political leader in this time of crisis. The women in the north worked farms, industrial jobs and served as nurses during the war. Some consider this a disadvantage but fighting the majority of the battles in the South was an advantage for the Union because the Norths cities were not being destroyed or having their economies damaged and interrupted due to the battles. The North also had the benefit of the slaves revolting and running to free territories, leaving farms and crops unworked. The South had a major advantage in the fact that the majority of their citizens were hunters and well trained in the use of firearms. They had better horsemanship as well. The Confederate soldiers had more survival knowledge and knowledge of the wilderness, knowing what plants can and cannot be eaten. The South also was fighting a defensive war, fighting on land they were familiar with. They were fighting to preserve their way of life, which gave the Confederates a greater bond and created more unity between fellow soldiers than the North had. The South had some of the best and brightest in military leadership. General Robert E. Lee, General Alexander, General JEB Stuart, General Beauregard, General Stonewall Jackson and General George Pickett were a few of the greats who had graduated from the U.S. Military

North and South Academy at West Point, New York. Also, many of the enlistees already had some military experience from fighting in the Mexican-American War. The North should have been able to stop the South at the onset of the secession and

prevent a long an bloody war right? Wrong. The North was fighting in land and terrain that was unfamiliar to them. All the southern states had to do was cause enough damage to the attacking forces to damage their morale and cause the politicians to lose their support and the will to fight. The South had shorter distances to travel to resupply and as stated earlier, they had a better knowledge of the terrain. Eventually the Souths supplies and resources ran out and they could not continue to fight against the better-equipped and supplied North.