From time to time, I find myself drawn back to the Civil War. My kinfolk fought were caught up in it. We didn’t own any slaves And were dirt poor. And what draws me most back to the Civil War is how quickly some resort to making statements that they want another Civil War. Nothing except a Nuclear War would cause so much Death and Casualties of Americans. I figure people don’t want to think about Starvation and Diseases. No military training. But stories about my own kinfolk talk of being in Camp for weeks with diseases of the intestines and the long marches while barefoot at times.And losing toes from freezing in Indian Country. I am angered by Idiot Talk about wanting another Civil War. It’s Stupid Talk. Nothing Patriotic about it at all. But deep pains were suffered and those pains have been passed on down the line generation after generation. So, be careful what you say about something most know nothing about and aren’t willing to learn.

During the Civil War, enlistments varied significantly by state, with Union states like New York and Pennsylvania having the highest numbers, while some Confederate states like Virginia and Missouri also saw substantial enlistments. The number of soldiers from different states reflected the size and demographics of the state, as well as its political stance during the war. 

Here’s a more detailed look at enlistment numbers and key states:

Union States (States that remained in the Union):

• New York: Enlisted 509,636 soldiers.
• Pennsylvania: Enlisted 508,102 soldiers.
• Ohio: Enlisted 464,175 soldiers.
• Illinois: Enlisted 370,437 soldiers.
• Indiana: Enlisted 277,183 soldiers.
• Missouri: Enlisted 265,571 soldiers.
• Massachusetts: Enlisted 164,403 soldiers.
• Michigan: Enlisted 142,898 soldiers.
• Wisconsin: Enlisted 127,520 soldiers.
• Iowa: Enlisted 97,106 soldiers.
• New Jersey: Enlisted 96,888 soldiers.
• Maine: Enlisted 83,265 soldiers.
• Connecticut: Enlisted 65,198 soldiers.
• Maryland: Enlisted 59,576 soldiers.
• West Virginia: Enlisted 47,320 soldiers.
• New Hampshire: Enlisted 45,601 soldiers.
• Vermont: Enlisted 43,643 soldiers.
• Kansas: Enlisted 35,153 soldiers.
• Minnesota: Enlisted 30,959 soldiers.
• Rhode Island: Enlisted 26,491 soldiers.
• California: Enlisted 21,376 soldiers.
• Delaware: Enlisted 16,217 soldiers.
• District of Columbia: Enlisted 10,602 soldiers.
• Colorado Territory: Enlisted 8,428 soldiers.
• Nebraska Territory: Enlisted 5,125 soldiers.
• Oregon: Enlisted 2,724 soldiers.
• Nevada: Enlisted 1,546 soldiers.
• Washington Territory: Enlisted 1,521 soldiers.
• Arizona Territory: Enlisted 899 soldiers.
• Dakota Territory: Enlisted 269 soldiers.
• Utah Territory: Enlisted 96 soldiers. 

Confederate States (States that seceded from the Union):

• Virginia: Enlisted 282,432 soldiers.
• North Carolina: Enlisted 202,009 soldiers.
• Alabama: Enlisted 199,375 soldiers.
• Mississippi: Enlisted 174,436 soldiers.
• Texas: Enlisted 162,620 soldiers.
• Kentucky: Enlisted 159,484 soldiers.
• Louisiana: Enlisted 141,580 soldiers.
• South Carolina: Enlisted 133,226 soldiers.
• Arkansas: Enlisted 120,567 soldiers.
• Tennessee: Enlisted 249,136 soldiers.
• Georgia: Enlisted 244,142 soldiers.
• Florida: Enlisted 37,273 soldiers. 

Other Notable Points:

• United States Colored Troops: The Union army included 227,885 soldiers from formerly enslaved people

https://www.tsl.texas.gov/lobbyexhibits/civil-war-conscription

Full exert from Above is Below-

The American Civil War: Texas Conscription

The Draft Hits Home

The Battle of Shiloh was fought in southwestern Tennessee on April 6-7, 1862. It was the first battle of the Civil War which saw truly massive casualties. Over 10,000 Confederates were killed, wounded, or taken prisoner. The Confederate commander, legendary Texas soldier Albert Sidney Johnston, was among the dead. The Federals suffered over 13,000 casualties.   

“The Battle of Pittsburg Landing” (Shiloh). Prints & Photographs #2012/001-51-1 Frank Leslie’s Illustrated Newspaper,  May 17, 1862.

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The lesson of Shiloh was that the war was going to be long and costly. Within days, the Confederate Congress passed a conscription act, drafting men between the ages of 18 and 35 into service. Eventually it encompassed men from ages 17 to 50.

Conscription met with immediate loathing in Texas. Slaveholders with more than 20 slaves were exempt, meaning that some of the richest counties in Texas contributed the fewest men to the fighting. The burden fell heaviest on small farmers, whose families were often left indigent when the men departed.  On the frontier, the draft meant that settlements were left defenseless against Indian attack. Texas created the Frontier Organization to shelter at least 25% of able-bodied men from frontier counties from the draft.

The Draft Hits Home

The Confederate draft exempted government officials, railroad workers, clergymen, and schoolteachers from service. Governor Francis Lubbock was flooded with petitions from communities seeking exemptions from the draft for other men who provided critical services such as blacksmiths, doctors, and shoemakers.

This petition to exempt the town miller is significant in that it features the signatures of women. As the majority of men were drafted into military service, women took on their husbands’ responsibilities, managing farms and plantations and taking over jobs from teaching to cotton freighting. Women also took the lead in operating hospitals for returning veterans and in providing for the indigent families of soldiers.

Petition on behalf of L.B. Harrison, January 5, 1863. Records of Governor Francis R. Lubbock

Approximately 24,000 Texans died during the Civil War. 

Here’s a breakdown:

• Total Served: An estimated 65,000–70,000 Texans served in the Confederate military. 
• Mortality Rate: About 20-25% of Texans who served died during the war. 
• Causes of Death: While battle deaths were significant, more than half of the deaths resulted from diseases contracted in unsanitary wartime conditions. 

It’s important to note that these figures represent estimates, as precise counts can be difficult to obtain from that era.

Here’s some info that some want to know-

The number of Black individuals who fought for the South or their slave owners in the Civil War is a complex and often debated topic. Here’s a breakdown of what is known:

Combat Roles:

• The Confederate government did not officially allow Black men to serve as combat soldiers for most of the war. It was against their law until the very late stages of the conflict.
• In March 1865, just weeks before the Confederacy’s collapse, legislation was passed allowing for the enlistment of enslaved Black men as combat soldiers, but only with the consent of their owners.
• There is no reliable documentation of Black combat units in the Confederate army, nor is there evidence of Black men being paid or pensioned as Confederate soldiers for combat service.
• Some historians estimate that between 3,000 and 10,000 Black men may have shouldered arms for the Confederacy in some capacity, though this number is debated and likely includes those in unofficial or coerced roles. These individuals represented a tiny fraction of the total Confederate forces and the Southern Black population.

Non-Combat Roles:

• Many enslaved and free Black individuals were compelled or coerced to support the Confederacy in non-combatant roles.
• Estimates range from 20,000 to 50,000 Black laborers who served as cooks, teamsters, blacksmiths, nurses, and manual laborers for the Confederate army.
• Some enslaved men were forced to accompany their owners who enlisted, serving as body servants.

Key Considerations:

• The vast majority of enslaved people desired freedom and had no interest in fighting for the Confederacy, which was fighting to preserve the institution of slavery. Many escaped to Union lines at the first opportunity and some even served as scouts and spies for the Union army.
• Any instances of Black men fighting for the Confederacy before the official change in policy were against Confederate law.
• The notion of large numbers of Black Confederate soldiers is often associated with the “Lost Cause” narrative, which attempts to downplay the role of slavery in the Civil War.

In conclusion, while some Black individuals were present with Confederate forces and may have occasionally used weapons, there were no official Black combat units, and the number who genuinely fought willingly for the South or their slave owners was likely very small. The vast majority served in non-combat roles, often under duress.