The Civil War Centennial Handbook Part 2

At the Battle of First Bull Run or Mana.s.sas, it has been estimated that between 8,000 and 10,000 bullets were fired for every man killed and wounded.

The campaign against Petersburg, the longest sustained operation of the war, began in the summer of 1864 and lasted for 10 months, until the spring of '65. The fighting covered an area of more than 170 square miles, with 35 miles of trenches and fortifications stretching from Richmond to the southwest of Petersburg. During September, 1864, nearly 175 field and siege guns poured forth a daily average of 7.8 tons of iron on the Confederate works.

The greatest cavalry battle in the history of the western hemisphere was fought at Brandy Station, Virginia, on June 9, 1863. Nearly 20,000 cavalrymen were engaged for more than 12 hours. At the height of the battle, along Fleetwood Hill, charges and countercharges were made continuously for almost three hours.

The greatest regimental loss of the entire war was borne by the 1st Maine Heavy Artillery. The unit saw no action until 1864, but in the short span of less than one year, over half of its 2,202 men engaged in battle were hit. In the a.s.sault on Petersburg in June, 1864, the regiment lost 604 men killed and wounded in less than 20 minutes.

The largest regimental loss in a single battle was suffered by the 26th North Carolina Infantry at Gettysburg. The regiment went into battle with a little over 800 men, and by the end of the third day, 708 were dead, wounded, or missing. In one company of 84, every officer and man was. .h.i.t.

Of the 46 Confederate regiments that went into the famous charge at Gettysburg on July 3, 1863, 15 were commanded by General Pickett.

Thirteen of his regiments were led by Virginia Military Inst.i.tute graduates; only two of them survived the charge.

The heaviest numerical loss during any single battle was at Gettysburg, where 40,322 Americans were killed or wounded. On the Union side 21 per cent of those engaged were killed or wounded, in the Confederate ranks 30 per cent--the largest percentage of Confederates. .h.i.t in any battle.

The largest percentage of Union soldiers. .h.i.t in battle was at Port Hudson in May 1863, where 26.7 per cent of those engaged were killed or wounded.

During May and June 1864 the Armies of the Potomac and the James lost 77,452 men--a greater number than Lee had in his entire army.

Union Army hospitals treated over 6 million cases during the war. There were twice as many deaths from disease as from hostile bullets. Diarrhea and dysentery alone took the lives of 44,558 Union soldiers.

From 1861-1865 the Quartermaster Corps of the Union Army made 116,148 burials.

In the 79 National Civil War cemeteries, 54 per cent of the graves are those of unknown soldiers. The largest Civil War cemetery is at Vicksburg, where 16,000 soldiers rest; only 3,896 are known. At the Confederate prison site in Salisbury, North Carolina, where 12,126 Union soldiers are buried, 99 per cent are unknown.

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THE COST OF WAR

_Nor deem the irrevocable Past As wholly wasted, wholly vain, If, rising on its wrecks, at last To something n.o.bler we attain._

--_HENRY WADSWORTH LONGFELLOW_

From 1861-1865 it cost the United States Government approximately 2 million dollars a day to prosecute the war; the Second World War cost more than 113 million dollars a day.

In 1880 the Secretary of the Treasury reported that the Civil War had cost the Federal Government 6.19 billion dollars. By 1910 the cost of the war, including pensions and other veterans benefits, had reached 11.5 billion dollars. World War II was three months shorter than the Civil War, but from 1942-1945 approximately 156 billion dollars was spent on the military establishment.

The total cost of the war to the South has been estimated at 4 billion dollars.

The public debt outstanding for an average population of 33 million rose from $2.80 to $75 per capita between 1861 and 1865. In mid-1958 the per capita debt stood at $1,493 for a population of 175.5 million.

In 1958 the government was providing pensions for 3,042 widows of Union veterans. In June of that year, as a result of special legislation, 526 widows of Southern soldiers and the two surviving Confederate veterans became eligible for Federal pensions. The last Union veteran, Albert Woolson, had died in 1956, leaving the two Confederates, John Salling and Walter Williams, to draw the highest Civil War pensions paid by the United States Government. The last Civil War veteran, Walter Williams, died in December 1959 at the age of 117. Since then, William's claim as a veteran has been disputed in the newspapers, but sufficient evidence does not exist to positively prove or disprove his military status.

The pursuit and capture of Jefferson Davis at Irwinville, Georgia, cost the Federal Government $97,031.62.

From 1861-1865 it cost the Federal government, in millions of dollars:

$727--to clothe and feed the Army 18--to clothe and feed the Navy 339--for transportation of troops and supplies 127--for cavalry and artillery horses 76--for the purchase of arms 8--to maintain and provide for Confederate prisoners

Soldiers and sailors of the United States received 1.34 billion dollars in pay during the war.

In 1861 an infantry private was paid $13 per month--compared to a private's pay of $83 today. A Civil War colonel drew $95 per month and a brigadier general $124. Their counterparts today are paid a monthly base rate of $592 and $800.

During the 1860's the average cost of a musket was $13 as compared to $105 for an M1 Garand in World War II.

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NUMBERS AND LOSSES

North South[1]

Population 22,400,000 9,103,000[2]

Military Age Group (18-45) 4,600,000 985,000 Trained Militia 1827-1861 2,470,000 692,000 Regular Army January, 1861 16,400 0 Military Potential 1861 2,486,400 692,000 Total Individuals in Service 1861-1865 2,213,400 1,003,600

Total Strength July, 1861 219,400 114,000 Total Strength January, 1863 962,300 450,200 Peak Strength 1864-1865 1,044,660 484,800 Army 980,100 481,200 Navy 60,700 3,000 Marines 3,860 600

Total Hit in Battle 385,100 320,000 Total Battle Deaths 110,100 94,000 Killed in Battle 67,100 54,000 Died of Wounds 43,000 40,000 Wounded (not mortally)[3] 275,000 226,000 Missing in Action 6,750 --- Captured[4] 211,400 462,000 Died in Prison 30,200 26,000 Died of Disease 224,000 60,000 Other Deaths 34,800 --- Desertions[5] 199,000 83,400 Discharged 426,500 57,800 Surrendered 1865 174,223

[Footnote 1: Confederate figures are based upon the best information and estimates available.]

[Footnote 2: Includes 3,760,000 slaves in the seceded states.]

[Footnote 3: A number of these were returned to duty. In the Union Army, those who were not fit for combat were placed in the Veteran Reserve Corps and performed administrative duties.]

[Footnote 4: An undetermined number were exchanged and returned to duty.]

[Footnote 5: Many deserters returned to duty. In the Union Army, where $300 bounty was paid for a 3-year enlistment, it was not uncommon to find a soldier picking up his bounty in one regiment and then deserting to join another unit just for the additional bounty.]

CIVIL WAR ROUND TABLES

CALIFORNIA (3)

La Jolla--Ezra J. Warner, P.O. Box 382.

Los Angeles--(Southern California CWRT), Col. Paul "Reb"

Benton, 466 South Bedford Drive, Beverly Hills, California.

Torrance--Peter A. LaRosa, 4240 West 178th Street.

COLORADO (1)

Denver--(Colorado CWRT), Hubert Kaub, 740 Steele Street, Zone 6.