More Facts
About the
Civil War
The American Civil War was the
FIRST war in which:
Railroads were extensively used for
the rapid movement of military sup¬
plies and of large bodies of troops
from one theatre of operation to an¬
other.
Aerial reconnaissance was first ef¬
fectively used from anchored balloons
in military operations.
The electric telegraph was used in
the strategic control of military opera¬
tions in widely separated theatres and
in the tactical direction of troops in
battle.
A multi-manned submarine sank a
surface vessel.
Opposing ironclads engaged in naval
battle.
Naval "torpedoes" (mines) were
widely used.
Medical care of the wounded was
systematically organized.
Participants, sites and equipment
were photographed on a large scale.
Nationwide conscription was used
to raise armies in North America.
A practical machine gun was de¬
veloped.
Voting by soldiers and sailors in serv¬
ice was provided for by national laws.
Rifled artillery came into general
use.
Mobile railroad artillery was used.
Large-scale coverage was carried on
by recognized news correspondents at
the front.
The repeating rifle was used by
large troop units.
Wire entanglements in field fortifi¬
cations were used.
The Medal of Honor was awarded.
THE STARTING LINE-UPS
Armies
The United States (Regular) Army
consisted of five regiments of cavalry,
four of artillery, ten of infantry, the
Corps of Hnginccrs and Topographical
Engineers, and administrative depart¬
ments. Its strength was 16.367 offi¬
cers and men. Of 198 line companies,
183 were scattered on the Western
Fort Fuher. NorlK Caroling, under 8ombardmen« ncor the end of wor
frontier and the remaining 15 were in
garrisons along the Canadian border
and on the sea coast. No striking force
was available.
The active officer corps numbered
1,080. Of this number 286 resigned
or were dismissed, and entered the
Confederate service. West Point gradu¬
ates on the active list numbered 824.
Of these, 184 were among the officers
who went over to the South. Of the
approximately 900 graduates then in
civil life, 114 returned to the colors,
while 99 others went into the Con¬
federate service.
Enlisted men of the Regular Army,
having contracted to serve for a speci¬
fied length of time, unlike the officers,
could not resign.
The Confederate Army, at the start
of the war, consisted of some 36.000
volunteers and militia already mustered
and in the field; in addition, active
recruiting went on after March 6 to
obtain the full quota of 100,000 men
authorized by the Confederate Con¬
gress at that time.
Navies
The United States Navy consisted of
90 wooden craft of various categories,
of which 42 were in active service;
52 of the total were sailing vessels.
Immediately available were but four
ships out of a home squadron totalling
12 ships on paper. Personnel strength
totalled 8,900. Of 1,300 active officers.
322 resigned or were dismissed and
entered the Confederate service. An¬
napolis graduates in active service
This information is reprinted from a book¬
let entitled “Facts About the Civil War,”
published by the Civil War Centennial Com¬
mission.
numbered 287; sixty of them went
South.
Navy enlisted men, like those in the
Army, did not have the privilege of
an honorable resignation. Only a hand¬
ful of sailors descried.
A Confederate Navy did not exist,
except for those officers who had left
the U. S. Navy. Ships were purchased
and built as the war progressed. By
February 1862, 47 vessels of various
categories were in service — 1 4 under
construction, and others planned. Per¬
sonnel strength by April 1864 num¬
bered 753 officers and 4,460 enlisted
men. At least six large ironclads and
ten ocean-going sea raiders actually
operated at various times during the
war. but the number of improvised
gunboats and armed river craft —
Confederate Navy, the various State
navies and privateers — cannot be
accurately enumerated.
Due to the vast inferiority of Con¬
federate naval strength, the scope of
its activities was confined to attempts
to break the blockade, and to defen¬
sive rivers and sounds, and the ex¬
tensive use of commerce destroyers
preying on unarmed Northern com¬
merce. Some naval engagements of
note were the attack of the Confederate
ironclad "Virginia” (ex-"U.S.S. Merri¬
mack") on a Union blockading squad¬
ron. which ended in an indecisive
singlcship action with the “U.S.S.
Monitor." the engagement between
"U.S.S. Kearsarge" and "C.S.S. Ala¬
bama." ending in the sinking of the
latter, and the "C.S.S. Tennessee's" ac¬
tion with Admiral Farragut’s force at
Mobile Bay.
The United States Navy, on the
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THE STATE. NOVEMBER 12, 1960
