The Cost of War

The Cost of War. . , While history records the Civil War as lasting four years, for those who lived it , the war never ended. Every day of those four years and every day after was an extended experience in death and suffering. An entire generation was touched by the war in some way and the suffering was not limited to those on the battlefield. Civilians suffered hunger, violence, and the destruction of homes, farms, and entire communities. From hospitals to care for the wounded, to cemeteries to bury the dead, to providing care for those permanently scarred by war, the country was not prepared for the suffering that lingered long after the last guns fell silent., Approximately , 1,500,000 , Reported Casualties, What's in a Number? , If 620,000 (reported deaths) people stood side by side, holding hands, the line would extend across the state of North Carolina from approximately New Bern to Asheville., If 1,500,000 (reported casualties) people did the same, the line would reach from approximately New Bern all the way to the Mississippi River at Memphis, Tennessee., 2% of the American population died in the Civil War. In 2015, this 2% would equal over 6 million people., 620,000 , Deaths , More soldiers died in the Civil War than US soldiers in all of the following wars combined: Revolutionary War, War of 18 12, Mexican War, Spanish-American War, World War I, World War II, and Korean War., 1 of every 4 soldiers never returned home., For every 3 soldiers killed in combat, 5 other died of disease., 476,000 , Wounded , Modern medical treatments did not exist during the Civil War so the wounded suffered terribly from even the slightest injury. The unsanitary nature of surgery and wound care led to infection and gangrene. Those lucky enough to recover most likely had the injured body part amputated in order to stop the progression of infection., 400,000 , Captured or Missing , For those taken prisoner, many suffered disease and even death at the hands of their captors. Almost as many soldiers died in prisoner of war camps as died in the entire Vietnam War (estimated at 56,000)., Many soldiers simply vanished in battle , their bodies never identified or found., Unknown , Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder , The psychological wounds of war that doctors now know as post-traumatic stress disorder, were unknown to the doctors of the Civil War. Many who returned home suffered painful memories and never received the treatment and help needed to recover. , FOR MORE INFORMATION: www.nbbattle.org