The Civil War took place from 1861-1865; these are the years in which America would be defined as a nation which becomes indivisible or become a dissolvable confederation of sovereign states. During the four long years that the Civil War was raged both the Union and Confederate soldiers endured many hardships. Such as the lack of food, weather conditions, medical aid and decease. While comparing the two armies’ one could come to the conclusion that the Union army may have had an advantage. Up until the Civil War the United States army consisted of around 15,000 troops, by the end of the war there were over three million who served in either the Union or Confederate army. Most of these troops were volunteers, and served in companies that were made up within their state or community, alongside neighbors, relatives and friends. Many of these men join for different reasons, some joined because of peer pressure, some for friendship while others just wanted a sense of adventure. There were also the ones who joined to protect the liberty and government rights their fathers had fought for in the Revolutionary War. In 1861 the American Civil War commence after many years of tension between the Northern and Southern states. Many believed the main reason was said to because the North wanted to completely abolish slavery. Although many may have wanted to, it was truly because of the debate between the free and slave states about territories that have yet to become states and their rights involving slavery. In fact many of the Union soldiers did not fight to abolish slavery; they fought to preserve the Union. But of course most if not all know that the result of the Civil War was the end of slavery in the United States. Soldiers on both sides were very young as well as inexperienced; the average age may have been around twenty four. Although the Union army consisted of mainly farmers and factory workers, it was also considered to be more diverse