Confederate soldiers sometimes fought because they feared Union victory would result in a society where black people were placed on an even footing with whites.

Later in the war, increasing numbers of Federal soldiers fought to abolish slavery, if for no other reason than to end the war quickly.

Union soldiers fought to preserve the Union the common Confederate fought to defend his home. Men on both sides were inspired to fight by patriotism, state pride, the chance for adventure, steady pay. Over 426,000 Confederates were captured, of which some 248,000 were paroled in the field imprisoned in the North, and 26,000, or 12% of those sent to POW camps, died in captivity. Roughly 211,000 Union soldiers were captured 17,000 were paroled in the field 30,000, or about 15.5% of those sent to prisoner of war camps, died there. Some recent estimates claim the totals were actually higher. The South lost over 260,000 men, 95,000+ in battle and 165,000+ to other causes, primarily disease. Over 360,000 died in service to the North, 110,000+ in battle and 250,000+ of other causes, primarily disease. A Rebel faced a 1 in 5 chance of succumbing to disease and a 1 in 8 chance of dying in combat. A Yankee stood a 1 in 8 chance of dying due to illness and a 1 in 18 chance of dying in battle. Of every 1,000 Feder-als, 112 were wounded 150 of every 1,000 Confederates were hit. In the Confederate army, 75 percent of the men served in the infantry, 20 percent in the cavalry, and 5 percent in artillery. In the Union army, 80 percent of the men were in the infantry, 14 percent in the cavalry, and 6 percent in artillery. Southerners who had not farmed included carpenters, mechanics, merchants, machinists, lawyers, teachers, blacksmiths, and dentists. Union rosters contained references to more than 300 different careers, including accountant, surveyor, locksmith, teacher, carpenter, shoemaker, black- smith, painter, mason, teamster, and mechanic. The majority of soldiers North and South had been farmers before the war. Most soldiers were between the ages of 18 and 39 with an average age just under 26. Wiley, who pioneered the study of the Civil War common soldier, the average Yank or Reb was a ‘white, native-born, farmer, protestant, single, between 18 and 29.’ He stood about 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed about 143 pounds. Union Cavalry Soldier Who Was the Common Soldier of America’s Civil War?Ībout 2.75 million soldiers fought in the Civil War - 2 million for the North and 750,000 for the South.Īccording to historian Bell I.

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