View Poll Results: Did The North Win The Civil War Because Of Trains?

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  • Yes, the North won the Civil War because of Trains.

    6 20.69%
  • No, the North did not win the Civil War Because of Trains.

    18 62.07%
  • I do not know or maybe the North won the Civil War because of Trains.

    5 17.24%
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Thread: Did the North win the Civil War because of Railroads?

  1. #11

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    BloodBeag's Avatar
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    didn't New York have more industry than the entire confederacy?

  2. #12

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    Very good points. I agree that because telegraph communication was infrequent at best railroad crews often did not know about collapsed bridges and broken rails as well as cattle causing accidents, sparks from wood fire burning cars and boilers exploding. Let's not forget that few of the 100 railroads in the south where longer than 100 miles. The southern economy was based on farming and they believed railroads where only necessary to get cotton to the ports. They left manufacturing and factories to the North. There was generally no cooperation between rival railroads. Southern railroads lacked standard gauge rails so tracks could be anywhere between 4ft and 6ft wide. Then southern manufacturing was concentrated on manufacturing ammunition and equipment for the military and not on railroads. Civilians owned southern railroads and the Confederate government was dead set against taking over said railroads. Not to mention Northern blockade was successful in stopping iron being imported from England to supply the railroads...but railroads are the underlying theme. Nothing at that time beat railroads for the rapid movement of troops ,supplies and equipment it sure beat walking, horse or wagon train. The invasion of Pennsylvania was to threaten Washington and to put pressure on Lincoln to sue for a peace treaty in my opinion.

  3. #13

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    The south lacked in men support, yanks outnumbered the confederates in almost every engagement, south had the smarts. The South had many mistakes and should've won Shiloh and losing fort Donelson right off the bat hurt as well. I truly believe if Jackson wasn't killed at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg would be a confederate victory.

  4. #14

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    Quote Originally Posted by John Bell Hood View Post
    Very good points. I agree that because telegraph communication was infrequent at best railroad crews often did not know about collapsed bridges and broken rails as well as cattle causing accidents, sparks from wood fire burning cars and boilers exploding. Let's not forget that few of the 100 railroads in the south where longer than 100 miles. The southern economy was based on farming and they believed railroads where only necessary to get cotton to the ports. They left manufacturing and factories to the North. There was generally no cooperation between rival railroads. Southern railroads lacked standard gauge rails so tracks could be anywhere between 4ft and 6ft wide. Then southern manufacturing was concentrated on manufacturing ammunition and equipment for the military and not on railroads. Civilians owned southern railroads and the Confederate government was dead set against taking over said railroads. Not to mention Northern blockade was successful in stopping iron being imported from England to supply the railroads...but railroads are the underlying theme. Nothing at that time beat railroads for the rapid movement of troops ,supplies and equipment it sure beat walking, horse or wagon train. The invasion of Pennsylvania was to threaten Washington and to put pressure on Lincoln to sue for a peace treaty in my opinion.
    Agreed on both points John. Lee's invasion into Pennsylvania was merely to put loads of pressure on Lincoln to either engage the enemy and defeat them or to sue for peace. If Lee was successful in luring out the Army of the Potomac and absolutely destroying the Army, then Washington DC would have no choice but to sue for peace. That was the primary goal of the entire campaign on top of the secondary objectives of relieving pressure off North Virginia and feeding the Army of Northern Virginia with Pennsylvania cherries. The second point that I agree with is that the railroads, factories, and population numbers is what really determined the war's outcome. The Civil War is the first time we see massive logistical exercises being preformed, especially on the North's side to keep, their troops supplied. I believe that it was less of a battle of generals and armies and more like logistical tactics and who was better supplied and had more men. Take, for example, Grant's position at Shiloh before the battle. Grant was merely gathering his forces and keeping them supplied with a massive train of supply ships that were constantly bringing fresh troops, food, clothes, ammunition, guns, cannons, you name it and he was bringing it. Then you look at the Confederate Army under Albert Sydney Johnston and their numbers and supplies pale in comparison to what Grant was doing. Long story short for this point, I believe that if Country A is better supplied, has bigger armies, and has more people to get more recruits from than Country B who has better troops and Generals, I'd pick Country A. Country A can just keep throwing armies into the war until Country B simply doesn't have anyone left to fight for it.

  5. #15

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    Quote Originally Posted by JmCraz8 View Post
    The south lacked in men support, yanks outnumbered the confederates in almost every engagement, south had the smarts. The South had many mistakes and should've won Shiloh and losing fort Donelson right off the bat hurt as well. I truly believe if Jackson wasn't killed at Chancellorsville, Gettysburg would be a confederate victory.
    Honestly JmCraz8, I don't think that having Jackson at Gettysburg would have had that much of an effect on the battle. Gettysburg a battle where the Confederacy was trying to dislodge the Union from a superior position on the high ground that had more and more troops being poured into the famous Fish Hook at just about every hour. The way that the Confederates entered the battlefield in the first place already made it pretty decisive. The Confederates entered the battlefield from the North-East along the Chambersburg Road. By beginning the attack here, the Confederate would push the Union to the south west through Gettysburg and onto Cemetery hill, Cemetery Ridge, Culps Hill, and the Round tops. In the end, I still see the battle playing out as it did in real life, even if Jackson had been at the battle.

  6. #16
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    If Jackson had been smart enough to agree with Longstreet's opinion on that they should fight defensively, I believe Jackson would have been able to convince Lee to redeploy. This could have caused the way to wage for several more years, and maybe the south even get it's independence.
    http://i.imgur.com/STUHVb8.png

  7. #17

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    Jackson was shot, I blame the dark...
    50th Georgia Co. C "Coffee County Guards"
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    Have you lived off of poor rations, dehydrated, in horrible boots and feared for your life while running half a mile and then brought your sights up? If you can answer yes to those questions I'll consider your suggestion to reduce aim sway. -Trusty
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  8. #18

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    You should blame Jackson, he was the one who decided to go do a job that should have been done by a low ranking officer on his staff...
    Thomas Bernstorff Aagaard

  9. #19
    David Dire's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by SgtSoldier View Post
    Jackson was shot, I blame the dark...
    I know, just in theory, if he hadn't been
    Last edited by David Dire; 11-01-2016 at 07:51 PM.
    http://i.imgur.com/STUHVb8.png

  10. #20

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    The battle of Gettysburg was won or lost at Culp's Hill because it guarded the main Union supply line on the Baltimore Pike and the rear of the Union army on Cemetery Ridge in my opinion. As a side note the Civil War was fought because of Lincoln's "Legal Opinion" that Southern States couldn't succeed. After all Laws are someone else's legal opinion backed by violence, intimidation and threats...

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