Between the Alleghanies and the
Mississippi River another field of warfare developed itself, on
which some of the hardest battles were fought, and the greatest
victories won. Beyond the Mississippi again stretched another
great field, bounded only by the Rocky Mountains and the Rio
Grande. But the principal fighting in this field was near or even
on the Mississippi, in the efforts made by both Unionists and
Confederates to keep and hold the great highway of the river, so
necessary for trade in time of peace, and for moving armies in
time of war.
On this immense battle-ground was fought one of the most costly
wars of modern times, with soldiers numbering a million men on
each side; in which, counting battles and skirmishes small and
great, an average of two engagements a day were fought for four
long years, two millions of money were used up every twenty-four
hours, and during which the unholy prize of slavery, for which
the Confederate States did battle, was completely swept away.
Though the tide of battle ebbed and flowed, defeat and victory
may be said to have been nearly evenly divided. Generally
speaking, success was more often on the side of the South during
the first half of the war; with the North, during the latter
half. The armies were equally brave; the North had the greater
territory from which to draw supplies; and the end came, not when
one side had beaten the other, man for man, but when the South
had been drained of fighting men and food and guns, and slavery
had perished in the stress of war.
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