Posted: September 5th, 2022

Evaluating the war at the end of 1863

Evaluating the war at the end of 1863
The American civil war that began in 1861 to 1865 was one of the deadliest battles. The southern part consisted of the Confederacy that seceded from the Union Army. Confederacy was battling with the Union Army of the Northern part of the United States. Southern states felt that the federal government was taking away their state rights; they overlooked their opinions. They also were not in support of the abolition of slavery; they needed slaves for agricultural production.
There are significant events that occurred in 1863 during the war. The major one was the Guttenberg war that left close to 23000 soldiers dead, injured, or missing. It was the first attack of the Confederacy on the Northern Territory under the leadership of General Lee. Apart from that, President Abraham Lincoln gave the Emancipation Proclamation. It declared that the federal government considered all slaves, even those in rebelling areas free. The Union Army also gained control of the entire Mississippi River.
Although the Confederacy had established numerous gunpowder mills and they had well-trained officers, the Union had more advantages over them that led to their success. The Union Army depended heavily on industrial production, and they had a large population. They perceived that as a stepping stone to wartime success. While the Southern states had only nine million people and 3.5 slaves, the northern states had 23 million people. Also, the Union Army was in charge of the seas, and most elements of gunpowder were from other countries. That means that they could barricade the south from accessing them. The northern states manufactured 97% of the firearms in the 1860s, while the south did not have a single industry that constructed firearms.
The Union Army had emerged victorious in various wars in the west, which prompted them to think that they would prevail in the civil war. Also, it had resourceful political leaders who were excellent decision-makers, such as Abraham Lincoln. Their industrial-strength enabled them to construct weapons that they used during the war.
1863 was a turning point in the civil war. The Union Army ceased its efforts to reform the army and focused on abolishing slavery. Also, the Emancipation Proclamation offered by President Abraham Lincoln led to the freeing of several slaves. The Union Army forced out the Confederacy from the North during the Gutenberg war. The battle around Vicksburg Mississippi led to the division of the Confederacy as General Pemberton gave up the city and surrendered 30 000 men.

References
Parish, Peter J. The American Civil War. New York: Holmes & Meier Publishers, 1975.
Ayers, Edward L. In the Presence of Mine Enemies: War in the Heart of America, 1859-1863. WW Norton & Company, 2003.

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