The industrialized Union possessed an enormous advantage over the Confederacy — they had 20,000 miles of railroad track, more than double the Confederacy’s 9,000 miles. Troops and supplies that were previously dependent on man or horse power could now move easily by rail, making railroads attractive military targets.

After fighting broke out in 1861 the country had a rail network totaling more than 30,000 miles. Of this, 21,300 miles (along with 45,000 miles of telegraph wire), or about 70%, was concentrated in the Northeast and Midwest while the Confederacy enjoyed only 9,022 miles (and 5,000 miles of telegraph wire).

Every major Civil War battle east of the Mississippi River took place within twenty miles of a rail line. Railroads provided fresh supplies of arms, men, equipment, horses, and medical supplies on a direct route to where armies were camped.

Answer: One advantage was that the North had more resources than the South. The North had more people, more minerals, more factories, more miles of railroad tracks, and more ships than the South had. These advantages helped the Union army when they were fighting the Confederate army.

Rail grinding is a process that is done to stop the deformation due to use and friction on railroad tracks by removing deformations and corrosion. Railroad tracks that experience continual use are more likely to experience corrugation and overall wear.

The south had much better leadership during the America Civil War than the North. Generals such as Robert E. Lee , Stonewall Jackson, and J. E. B. Stuart were well trained, skilled generals, contrasting to the inefeective generals of the North.