The most non-obvious simplification is often the simplest possible. The heaviest battles were fought precisely on southern soil, and explanations about the South suffered significant losses. During the Civil War, most of the combat occurred in the South. This was a product of both sides’ battle strategy, in part. The South just needed to live to win the war. On the other hand, the Union had to be restored for the North to triumph. To win the war, Union armies had to capture the South. Southerners faced several hardships due to the war’s proximity to their homes.
Other factors contributed to the challenges increasing or intensifying. Being an agricultural region, the South had more significant difficulties than the North in producing necessary products for both troops and citizens. As a result, citizens in the South likely had to make more extraordinary meaningful sacrifices during the conflict than civilians in the North. Furthermore, using the Navy to blockade Southern ports was part of the Union military plan. The Union wanted to stifle trade between the South and other nations and economically suffocate its adversary.
Also strange was the way the Union soldiers treated those who were nominally and released in the South. African-American troops experienced significant challenges due to racial discrimination and the hazards of war that all soldiers endure. Even though many African-American troops fought in the infantry and artillery, discriminatory tactics led to a substantial number of them being assigned to non-combat support jobs such as cooks, laborers, and teamsters. Soldiers of African descent were paid $10 per month, with $3 deducted for clothes. White troops were paid $13 monthly, with no allowance for removed clothes (Library of Congress, n.d.). If captured by the Confederate Army, African-American troops faced a far higher peril than their white counterparts.
Reference
Library of Congress. (n.d.). African-American soldiers during the civil war | civil war and reconstruction, 1861–1877 | U.S. history primary source timeline | classroom materials at the library of congress | library of congress. The Library of Congress.