The History of~The American Civil War (Part 3: The Union's Advantages)

The American Civil War; the bloodiest conflict in US Military history. It was a deadly time for the United States, but it gave the nation a new definition for the nation and it's people.

This is part 3 of this 6-part wiki page series about the American Civil War. In this part, we will talk about some of the technological advantages that the Union had over the Confederacy.

## The Union's Advantages

The American Civil War occurred at a crucial time for the history of our species. Industrialization was gripping much of the world (namely the Northern Hemisphere), and now mankind has the ability to make products faster, smaller, and cheaper than things being done traditionally by hand. With the rapid advancement of technology also came new ways to wage war, instead of using old fashioned battle tactics (and I mean what was considered conventional for the time) soldiers can now fight with what was considered "unconventional" and almost make up their own rules. War technology was also advancing, meaning weapons are more accurate, and more deadly. The American Civil War was one of those wars that took full advantage of this new technology.

### Sharps Carbine

Accurate Rifles were introduced long before the American Civil War, rifles with "rifle grooves" on the inside meant that the projectile inside the rifle can spin as it it's propelled out of the rifle, the projectile spinning means it can travel longer, faster, and can increase the chances of hitting the projected target (meaning it can travel more accurately). Introduced in 1850, the Sharps Carbine was one of those newer rifles used in the American Civil War. It has an effective range from either 1,000 to 3,000 yards, making it far more accurate than old-fashioned muskets. It also had a breech loading feed system, what that means is that a projectile can be loaded in the gun's receiver part which also reduces the loading time between each shot unlike the musket which required a time-consuming, and laborious loading process at the muzzle (or front) of the gun. So, a Union soldier can shoot more rounds from his Sharps Carbine than a Confederate solider using his Musket.

### Mini-Ball

This looks like a modern bullet, doesn't it? Only this bullet is much bigger, bigger than even the musket ball. What that means that the Mini-Ball has a tighter fit around the barrel of the gun, which makes for lower chances of ignition gas (from the ignited gunpowder) to escape from the barrel which in turn allows the expanding gases to be concentrated in one area, in the case of the min-ball, it's 2.5 inch depression in the back which also adds to the accuracy of the bullet as it spins out of the barrel of a Sharps Carbine.

The mini-ball is not like the modern 5.56mm (millimeter) bullet used by the modern M4A1 assault rifle fielded by the US Military today as the Mini-Ball does a lot more damage, so if you're talking about getting, say, shot in the arm, you can't just expect a small hole in your arm, as in the case of the Mini-ball, it can tear your entire arm completely off. The Mini-Ball flattens when it hits your skin, and as it travels through your body it also shatters bone and smashes through muscles, causing extensive bleeding. This projectile is one of the main reasons why the American Civil War cost the lives of hundreds of thousands of American Soldiers throughout the conflict.

### Railroads

With the American Civil War relying heavily on industrialization, it's not surprising that America's Railroad system was used a lot. Both sides were able to move troops and supplies in very large numbers, possibly for the first time in the history of Warfare. Before the war, the north had more miles of rail lines than the south as the North embraced industrialization more than the south did, this allowed the Union to send more troops and deliver more supplies to the frontlines and at a faster pace than the Confederacy.

### The Telegraph

Perhaps the most important factor of the Union's advantage over the Confederacy was the Telegraph. Telegraphy (pronounced "tell-le-gri-fy") was invented over several thousand years ago (prior to the American Civil War) but it wasn't until the 19th century when it became an important asset to mankind.

Before the war began, the United States had over a million miles of telegraph wires, sending messages over a wide distance. The American Civil War was the first time in the history of warfare where messages (like commander orders) can be sent to the soldiers and officers on the frontlines from their headquarters. Lincoln was quick to see the potential, and soon after the war began, Union commanders and even Lincoln himself was sending orders to Union troops at a very fast pace. Like rail lines, the north held the lion's share of the mileage of telegraph wires as the Confederacy still resorted to using the old-fashion way to communicate by using message boys and even passenger pigeons to send their orders to their troops.

Even with these advantages, the American Civil War was still a "see-saw" war as neither side is willing to give. But as 1863 came around, several events would occur and help decide the fate of America.

That'll do it for this part. In the next part (click here) we will talk about several events in the year 1863 which will have such an impact, that it'll not just decide the fate of the war, but also the fate of the United States, and what it means to be an American. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.