OT War between the States - Part 4.

[Gun Smith]

Great answers of questions from Part 2. There are some history buffs out there!

I think I erred in yesterdays post about the Gatling gun being the first machine gun. Another poster said the "coffee mill' gun. Is this another name for a Gatling ?

To answer another post, the cost of the war to the North was 6.19 billion dollars. For the South it was 4 billion dollars. Those were 1860's dollars. By 1910 the total cost for the North was 11.5 billion dollars, which included veterans pensions and benefits. The 1942-45 cost of war was 156 billion dollars, in 1945 dollars.

Part 4.

The FIRST MODERN WAR.

FIRST photograph taken in battle.
FIRST organized use of Negro troops in combat.
FIRST use of portable telegraph units on the battlefield.
FIRST visual signaling by flag and torch during combat.
FIRST voting in the field for a national election by servicemen.

At the battle of Monocacy in 1864 Union General Lew Wallace, commanded the force defending Washington against General Jubal Early's attack. But Wallace is more remembered for what?

The greatest calvary battle in the history of the western hemisphere was fought at Brandy Station, Virigina, on June 9, 1863. Nearly 20,000 cavalarymen were engaged for more than 12 hours.

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 hit.

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

During the 1860's the average cost of a Springfield musket was $13 as compared to $105 for W.W. 2's M-1 Garand.

[tomtex]

Also first use of trench warfare cause by modern type weapons ,the use of balloons, the use of iron ships, the use of the total war concept, the use of mass logistic.

[JustaJeepGuy]

Lew Wallace is best known for writing "Ben-Hur".

[20cows]

And his mail exchange with Billy The Kid!

[C. Cash]

Thanks Gun Smith for the stats and info. We had a demonstration here by a local Union Arty reenacting company, and they were describing what happened to the 26th NC Infantry under the fire of Double Cannister shot at Gettysburg. It must have been absolute Hell:

http://gburginfo.brinkster.net/26thNorthCarolina.htm

[greenacres]

I find this thread fascinating. Its amazing how much money war costs.

I'm pretty sure the Chinese used visual signaling by flag and torch during combat hundreds of years before that.