Union's Advantage Of The Equine

The Union had an incredible, tide changing advantage over the South in the Civil War: the equine. This was a brave and unusual soldier. The Union won the war due to their use of horses and mules. These animals were loyal to their soldiers, trusting them with their lives; they were brave enough to stand under fire, despite the chaos that was going on around them; and they were strong, carrying anything from artillery and ambulances to soldiers and messengers. In the beginning of the war, the Union held about 3.4 million horses and mules, which compared to the 1.7 million of the Confederacy, was significantly large. Over the course of the war, 881 Union horses lost their lives and 619 were lost on the Confederacy side (Grace).
The main advantage

Whether it was walking miles and miles through deep mud or thick dust, harsh weather or deep rivers, gunfire or peace; the equines of the war took it all without a fuss and gave it all they had. Horses were taught how to respond to certain cues and situations. One particular part of training was to lie down at the rider’s command while gunfire shot over them, providing both cover for the soldier and an ample gun rest. This was an important part of their training. If a horse could not complete this task, they were killed or released from duty immediately (Grace). However, the loyalty from the horses was also returned by the men. The horses provided an extra moral for their soldiers. The soldier would get attached to his horse, and their horse would provide moral for them. They would eat, sleep, fight, and often die together. Soldiers would often allow their horse to graze around them as they slept, never fearing being stepped on (Wittenburg). Finally, the horses also seemed to have a good sense of where everything was. They often heard enemy advances before their riders and could tell the direction of the shots just from the sound (Larson). Horses were also known to take the bullets for their riders. They were very hard to kill, often being able to take multiple bullets before going down

An equine was known to be able to pull around 3,000 pounds over about 23 miles a day; almost doubled if more than one were attached to a cart (Grace). Horses were more used in the line of gunfire, but mules were known for being used more in mountainous terrain. They had sure footing, which made it easier for the military to get their artillery across that sort of setting (Grace). Horses were also used to running several miles under saddle. They carried messages, soldiers, and generals throughout battles without a second thought. Generals saw them as a way to be able to look over their troops and be able to talk to them easier; their voices carrying easily when they were higher (Grace). Horses were also used to pull ambulance wagons. These allowed for the sick and wounded to be carried away for help, with a doctor or surgeon in the wagon with them for emergencies. In this way, the use of the equine could have very well saved many lives (Civil