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The number of soldiers who fought the Civil War on the Confederate side is estimated to be between 750,00 and 1,227,890. The reason for the lack of certainty is that many of the records were incomplete or destroyed. The number of Confederate soldiers estimated does not include the undetermined number of slaves who were forced to assist in construction, driving wagons, and other tasks. When calculating answers based on the table, please use the higher number, 1,227,890 as the total number of Confederate soldiers.
The records of those who fought on the Union side were better kept by the United States Army. Over 2,672,000 Union soldiers enlisted. Soldiers came from Union state units as well as the standing U.S. Army.
Approximately 179,000 black soldiers enlisted in the U.S. Army. Nearly 40,000 died during the war, 30,000 from infection and disease.
The table shows the number of people who were wounded or died from various causes during the Civil War. Answer the following questions based on the information in the table.
| Union | Confederacy | |
|---|---|---|
| Total Soldiers | 2,672,341 | 750,000 – 1,227,890 |
| Died in Battle | 110,100 | 94,000 |
| Died of Disease | 224,580 | 164,000 |
| Died in Prison | 30,218 | 25,976 |
| Wounded in Battle | 275,174 | 194,026 |
| Total Casualties | 640,072 | 478,002 |
Tables are used to visually represent complex information. Interpreting the details on a table is required to help us understand the story being told by the data presented. A major way to interpret data is through comparison. Look at the different numbers in the table, note what they describe, and compare them to other numbers on the table.
Calculating percentages are a way to help readers understand what numbers mean when they are being compared to numbers that are very different. For example, the Union had 2,673,341 soldiers, while the Confederacy had 1,227,890 soldiers. By comparing the numbers superficially, we can tell that the Union had about twice the number of soldiers. However, we can more precisely describe the difference by calculating to find out how many more soldiers the Union had than the Confederacy and we can calculate the exact percentage more to make our description more precise.
Example:
What percentage of Union soldiers died in prison?
According to the chart, the total number of Union soldiers was 2,672,341. The number who died in prison was 30,218.
To find the percentage that died in prison, turn the problem into a fraction:
30,218/2,672,241=.01130811
Round the product to the nearest hundredth = .01
Then multiply by 100 = 1.00 or 1%
Increase = New Number/Higher Number - Original Number/Lower Number.
So, in the previous example, we discussed comparing the number of Union soldiers to the number of Confederate soldiers. Following the the steps listed on the previous slide, we would calculate the percentage more Union soldiers than Confederate soldiers.
First, we find the difference between the number of Union soldiers and the Confederate soldiers: (Union) 2,673,341- (Confederate) 1,227,890= 1,445,451.
Second: 1,445,451/1,227,890 = 1.177 (Round to the nearest hundredth= 1.18)
Third, multiply the quotient by 100 to get the percent: 1.17 x 100 = 117%
