Since the end of the War Between the States, much had been written and said by all those who wish to find the truth behind America's bloodiest and most disheartening war. Few realize that this War took more lives than all of America's other wars together. The War Between the States took more than 600,000 lives and ruined the Southern economy. The scars would take decades to heal. The immigration of Southerners to Brazil following the War is an interesting and curious event connected with the War. This immigration was a direct result of the outcome of the War. This wave of Immigration, which may have included up to 9,000 people, has left in Brazil a community of descendants of Southern immigrants. They are identified as the "Confederados". The descendants are all over the country, but the largest community, and by far de most important is located in the State of São Paulo. This community, founded by the Southerners, has grown into the town of Americana. Americana and its older mother city, Vila Santa Bárbara (today Santa Bárbara 'Oeste), a few miles apart, are the gravity center of the community of Southern descendants in Brazil. Since 1954, the Fraternity of American Descendants has held headquarters there. For more information
on these Southern immigrants go to this web site:

                          CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS IN BRAZIL
 

THE WORLD ALMANAC AND BOOK OF FACTS, (my copy is 1997) shows for the North: Total served = 2,213,363; Battle deaths = 140,414; Other deaths = 224,097; Wounds not mortal = 281,881; Total casualties = 646,392.
Confederacy:  Total served (est) = 600,00 to 1,500,000;  Battle deaths = 74,524; Other deaths = 59,297; Total deaths = 133,921.

THE UNIVERSAL STANDARD ENCYCLOPEDIA, pub Unicorn Publishers, Inc., New York, (mine is edition of 1954) says, as its last paragraph:  "Union forces during the war numbered over 2, 500,000.  Total Union casualties were 339,528, of which number 110,070 wre killed in baattle or died of wounds, 224,586 died of disease, and 24,872 of other causes.  The total number of Confederate troops in the war is estimated by various historians at fom 600,000 to 900,000.  Confederate killed and wounded are estimated at about 134,000.  The defeat of the Confederacy was nearly inevitable.  The resistance of the agricultural South, skillful and fierce though it was, had to break before the superior resources in men, materials, and money of the industrial North.

When I was in the 8th grade (1925-6) I was living in Florida, and learned that in the South it was called the "War Between the States," or the "War of Secession," NOT the "Civil" War.  But I had grown, and during high school returned to New England, where we called them Civil War Veterans, or the G.A.R. (Grand Army of the Republic) as long as there were any of them left to march or to ride in open cars in our local parades.

Confido --
Grace W. (Boyd) Ameden
 

                                 Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System
 Soldiers-Sailors-Regiments-Cemeteries-Battles-POWs-Medals of Honor-National Parks

          National Archives and Records administration   NARA
                This website contains an  "Introduction to Basic Research Sources",
                Discussion  of the Basic Records","Compiling a Soldier's History",
                Where to Find These Records", additional information and sources.