One of the most vital statistics to discover regarding contributions to the U.S. Civil War effort by states is the total number of troops each state provided. From that, Jeb Smith looks at the importance of Virginia to the Civil War.
General William Tecumseh Sherman.
Finding statistics for each Confederate state regarding troop numbers is an uncertain and inconclusive process, with wildly varying estimates encountered; a situation not helped by Confederate forces’ destruction of records prior to the fall of Richmond. However, according to historian James M. McPherson in his book For Cause and Comrades, the following statistics represent the percentage contribution of each state[1] to the total forces of the Confederacy:
N. Carolina 15%
S. Carolina 6%
Virginia 14%
Texas 6%
Tennessee 12%
Kentucky 5%
Georgia 11%
Arkansas 3%
Alabama 9%
Missouri 3%
Mississippi 7%
Florida 2%
Louisiana 6%
Maryland 2%
However, according to Randolph H. McKim in his book The Numerical Strength of the Confederate Army, contemporary figures (of which he is highly skeptical, considering them wildly inflated) placed Virginia as the leader providing 175,000 troops, followed by North Carolina with 129,000, Tennessee at 115,000, Georgia 120,000, Alabama 90,000, South Carolina 75,000, Mississippi 70,000, and Florida 15,000. And according to the website Civil War Talk, the following is the number of troops supplied to the Confederacy by each state, with Virginia leading the way:
Virginia 160,875
S. Carolina 76,783
Tennessee 141,728
Louisiana 69,840
Georgia 135,774
Arkansas 58,000
Alabama 106,803
Missouri 39,750
N. Carolina 103,145
Kentucky 28,038
Mississippi 95,301
Florida 17,535
Texas 86,702
Maryland 3,324
And the National Park Service’s (inflated but never corrected) numbers put Virginia as the leader at 282,432, followed by Tennessee at 277,183, Georgia at 244,142, and North Carolina at 202,009.
If any state were to challenge Virginia in total troop contribution to the Confederate armies, it appears that state is North Carolina. Clearly, no agreement is in place, as one has North Carolina slightly above Virginia while the other three show Virginia in the lead, and one puts North Carolina as low as fifth on the Confederate list of troops. And it does appear that Virginia contributed the most troops to the defense of the South. Not surprisingly, as according to the 1860 census, it had the South’s largest population, with 1,596,318 total, and a free population of 1,105,453. Tennessee (split loyalty) followed with a total population of 1,109,801, and Georgia with 1,057,286, including a significant slave percentage in each case. Then comes North Carolina, with a total population of 992,622, of which only 661,563 were free, as it had a higher percentage of slaves compared to Old Virginia (though lower than in Georgia).
This indicates that Virginia had a significantly larger population than North Carolina and a slightly higher percentage of free whites able to contribute in more ways than the typical slave. So we would expect, especially with war at the door, that Virginia, proud in its heritage and prestige, would muster the most men of all the Southern states. Further, North Carolina was strongly pro-Union before Lincoln's call for volunteers, more so than Virginia, and thus the loyalty to the South would likely not be as fervent. During General Sherman's famous (and infamous) March to the Sea, which involved burning and looting South Carolina and Georgia, his men's passage into North Carolina prompted a reminder by their commander of the state's loyalty to the Union, leading to a significant decrease in pillaging and overall bad behavior.
It is well known that Virginia led the seceding states in industrial production. With factories like the Richmond Armory and the renowned Tredegar Iron Works, which alone produced half the artillery pieces for the Confederacy (along with substantial navy ironclad material), Richmond was the center of industrial production in the Confederacy. Iron, coal, salt, and various agricultural materials were found within the state. A large amount of rail was laid in Virginia, utilized during the war not just to ship supplies but men to battle in and out of the state. And, of course, Virginia housed the Confederate government. North Carolina though was never considered among the most productive Southern states, with Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee also mentioned behind Virginia.
However, the most compelling argument for Virginia’s status as the most influential state in the Confederacy is the exceptional Confederate generals it produced. A Google search of “top ten” Civil War generals will reveal that Virginia supplied many of the best commanders. It can at least be argued that they provided the top three generals of the war in Lee, Jackson, and George Thomas, who I believe to be the Union’s best commander, and all three regularly make the top five on historians’ lists. Others that often or occasionally make the top ten who hailed from Virginia are Jeb Stuart, Jubal Early, John Mosby, A.P. Hill, Joseph E. Johnston, and Richard Ewell. Added to that was the large population, trained militia, various military schools, and industrial production that Virginia contributed to the war. It makes me think Virginia had the most to contribute to the war of any of the states in the Confederacy, and perhaps the Union. In contrast, North Carolina was remarkably underproductive in its gifted generals.
Greatest in the Confederacy, or Union?
I believe few would disagree with my assessment that Virginia made more contributions to the Confederate war effort than any other Southern state. However, many might contest the claim that Virginia's contributions surpassed those of any Northern state.
In 1860, four states had larger populations than Virginia, with New York being the largest. New York not only contributed by far the most soldiers to the Union but was also an industrial powerhouse, and thus the leading contender from the North (Pennsylvania and Ohio might object).
A 24/7 Wall Street article, which used most likely inflated numbers (for all of the states – the National Park Service had even greater numbers for New York) claimed New York produced the most men of any state, with 448,850 soldiers, followed by Pennsylvania and Ohio, respectively providing 337,936 and 313,180. At the same time, Virginia was fourth (first among the Confederates) with 282,432. Obviously, the South mobilized a greater percentage of the population than the North, as seen in the comparison between Virginia's and New York's total output. Even so, New York has a significant advantage in manpower, 448,000 to 282,000. So how could I argue that Virginia was the leading state?
First, we must look at the statistics another way. According to the American Battlefield Trust, 31,000 Virginians were casualties in battle, and only 39,000 New Yorkers. The same numbers can be found in other locations. But why such a vast discrepancy in the percentage of casualties? And what does it tell us?
A substantial portion of troops from New York were recent immigrants, many of them essentially mercenaries who lacked the commitment to the cause of the native-born Americans. They thus were less willing to make the greatest sacrifice. Many were drafted, yet they opposed the war. New York City Mayor Fernando Wood advocated secession after Lincoln's election due to tariffs. The city had large-scale riots opposing the draft and Lincoln in 1863, which then morphed into some of the worst race riots in American history. Lincoln won the 1864 election in the state by a small margin of 6,749, which included known intimidation and voter fraud in NYC aimed at swaying and intimidating Peace Democrats. In other words, the typical New Yorker lacked the dedication and commitment that the typical Virginian had. Thus, the two are not equal and cannot be judged by numbers alone.
Further, slaves in the South helped maximize the white population’s contribution. They worked the fields, fed the armies, built fortifications, repaired bridges, constructed railroads, and performed labor work, enabling a larger percentage of whites to participate in combat. General Beauregard noted that the slaves' construction of defensive works provided the soldiers with rest and time to train more effectively. And to a much greater extent than the South the North would lose production when men went to war, leaving farms and jobs vacant across the various states. There were also thousands of slaves and free blacks who would fight for the South or would be medics, cooks, musicians, etc, in the Confederate army.
But more than this, Southerners were, generally, better soldiers. State militias had a greater impact in the South, as did pre-war training, and the vast majority of military colleges (outside of West Point, where many attendees were Southerners) were located in the South. The South had quality generalship from the bottom up, and more talent to spread around. And the size of the Union Army depleted the quality of the commanders they did have. The South also produced many great generals with no military training, such as Nathan Bedford Forrest, Wade Hampton III and others.
Industry
Many historians, instead of only decrying the lack of industry in the South, will tell of the benefits of agrarian life regarding the military, especially the familiarity with weapons among the rural Southern population, where gun ownership was nearly universal. They had fewer police and thus often relied on armed citizens. A priority for them was dueling. They were more commonly hunters and farmers, needing to provide food and protect livestock, as well as engage in target practice or serve in a local militia. Even today, if you take 100 citizens in a rural area and put them with 100 urban, you can guess where the money would go if you bet who was more familiar with guns and could shoot better.
Another massive advantage that historians regularly admit is the Southern advantage of cavalry. The Southern agrarian lifestyle and lack of rail, urban life, and mass transit meant Southerners relied on horses for travel and were more accustomed to equestrianism than the Northern soldier. Southerner David Hundley wrote before the war that Southerners, if not racing horses, were hunting, shooting, fishing or swimming. He stated, “Whether for fox hunting like the old English or horse racing, horses were the beloved animal of the South.” Northerner Joseph Ingraham visited the South and wrote, “At the North, few ride except in gigs. But here all are horsemen; horsemen, and it is unusual to see a gentleman in a gig or carriage…cavalier bearing is thereby imperceptibly acquired, more congenial with the wild, free spirit of the Middle Ages than the refinement of modern times.” James Everitt, a plantation owner in North Carolina, said of the Southern gentleman, “From his very cradledom, he was made familiar with his horse.” So the typical Southern soldier was a far more experienced rider and also brought his horse with him, and thus could literally jump right into the war, while Northern cavalry had the horses provided for them by the army and needed to train.
Both North and South viewed Southern cavalry as far superior. Union General William Tecumseh Sherman described the Confederate cavalry in 1863 as “splendid riders, shots, and utterly reckless... the best Cavalry in the world.”. General Sherman noted how General Forrest’s cavalry could “Travel one hundred miles in less time than it takes our troops to travel ten.” A Union officer said of the cavalry in Virginia led by Ashby, “I can’t catch them, sir; they leap fences and walls like deer, neither our men nor horses are so trained.” Southern generals, especially early in the war, consistently demonstrated their superior riding skills and horsemanship by riding around entire Union armies, and in the case of J.O. Shelby, entire states, thereby boosting Southern morale. A song was written early in the war because of the dominance of the Southern cavalry under General Stuart in Virginia, who ran around the entire Union army on multiple occasions. Some of the lyrics go like this:
“If you want to have a good time, jine [Join] the cavalry!
Join the cavalry! Jine the cavalry!
If you want to catch the Devil, if you want to have fun,
If you want to smell Hell, jine the cavalry!”
Cavalry
Such was the dominance of the Virginia cavalry that warfare became a game, a confident, fun, certainty of victory.
The South effectively utilized cavalry from the onset to its full potential, and had many more trained cavalry officers. They had great cavalry commanders like Nathan Bedford Forrest, J.O. Shelby, Joseph Wheeler, John Mosby, Jeb Stuart, John Wharton, Wade Hampton III, Fitzhugh Lee, William Quantrill, the Native American leader Stand Watie, William Anderson, Turner Ashby, and more. The North lacked great cavalry generals, with Phil Sheridan being the only notable exception.
Now, there is no question that New York was an industrial giant, outperforming Virginia; however, when we look at Virginia, it could arm its soldiers with rifles and, as stated, produced half the Confederacy's artillery pieces from one factory alone. The North’s industrial output was only marginally over three times that of the South, and if Virginia produced at least half of the entire South’s manufactures, New York likely did not far outpace Virginia. Also, the majority of Confederate artillery was captured! They didn't have to produce as much due to on-field acquisition. Both sides really produced all they needed or could use. Due to a lack of proper lines of fire or suitable terrain and time to maneuver into position, neither army deployed all its artillery. Many battles were fought in the woods of Virginia to negate the advantage of manpower and artillery. Further, the use of artillery was not as vital as commonly believed; it only contributed to 5% of casualties during the war. And it was the South that first massed artillery. It was not until Gettysburg that the North began to do so.
Virginia provided its people with great defensive terrain, including many mountains, hills, rivers, and dense woods, to combat Northern advantages. The comparisons of Virginia generals and those from New York reveal an irreconcilable difference between the two. Virginia, ‘Our great Virginia’ as the state song says, was the most potent state during the war.
Jeb Smith is an author and speaker whose books include Defending Dixie's Land: What Every American Should Know About The South And The Civil War written under the pen name Isaac C. Bishop, Missing Monarchy: Correcting Misconceptions About The Middle Ages, Medieval Kingship, Democracy, And Liberty and he also authored Defending the Middle Ages: Little Known Truths About the Crusades, Inquisitions, Medieval Women, and More. Smith has written over 120 articles found in several publications.
Links:
Defending Dixie's Land — Shotwell Publishing
[1] None of Kentucky, Maryland and Missouri were members of the Confederacy. They nevertheless appear in the statistics, since large numbers of citizens of each of these states served in the Southern forces. Note also that due to rounding the table does not add up to exactly 100%.
