I read a very interesting article that said although the Union and Confederate armies were dismissed as amateur and unprofessional, they were actually the most powerful armies in the time compared to Europe. What are your guys opinions on this, I never knew about this?
I can easily believe that at the beginning of the Civil War, both Union and Confederate armies were a laughing-stock. But they rapidly improved, both in size and quality, throughout the war. At the end of the conflict, I would not be surprised if they were both the most professional and well-trained armies in the world at that time.
Agreed. Even though many of the officers were militarily well-educated and trained, most of the common soldiers came from volunteers and draftees who hadn't been through basic training, let alone VMI or The Citadel. That being said, Europe has always thought of America as barbaric and backwards. That's why the French try to downplay the role of America in World War II, even though they'd be eating sauerkraut and speaking German today if it wasn't for us.
True. At the beginning, both armies were pretty much pathetic. I still remember how the Union soldiers went into the first battle thinking it would be a piece of cake, and they got slaughtered while the bystanders with their picnic cloths ran amok. Some discipline.
