31485 - Confederate Casualty, No.3

Confederate Casualty, No.3

The American Civil War remains the deadliest military conflict in U.S. history. Just how many died has is a matter of debate but the most-accepted estimate was about 620,000 to 750,000 dead. Of these numbers, nearly 258,000 were killed while in service with the Confederacy. A wholly accurate count will almost certainly never be made and Southern losses were probably much higher. Those who were not killed outright on the battlefield suffered from their wounds for days, or sometimes weeks, until their ultimate demise. Rifled barrels, Minié balls, and repeating firearms were some of the reasons for the high number of battle deaths as was the continued use of outmoded tactics in the face of this new technology.