Common cold,flu, cholera, typhus,infections, bullets, blades, artillery, consumption,pneumonia, Heart disease. Anything and everything. Sanitation and sterility were little understood in the 1860's, and there were no antibiotics. Many more soldiers (perhaps 3 to 1 ) died from disease than from battle.
During the US Civil War, many deaths of soldiers on both sides died of diseases. In the South, it is estimated that 50% of Confederate soldier deaths were caused by or were related to various disease. For example, Malaria and Yellow Fever caused many deaths.
Of the approximately 620,000 deaths during the American Civil War, only about 210,000 were the result of battle wounds. The remaining deaths were due to disease, starvation, abuse and other non-battle causes.
623,123 deaths
Most deaths were from disease and infection. Many of these young men did not get off the farm until this war. When getting large numbers of people together in one area is a concoction that would lead to dysentery and other disease (common colds) which could kill their unexposed immune systems. Just some info, for facts...At least 618,000 Americans died in the Civil War, and some experts say the toll reached 700,000. The number that is most often quoted is 620,000. At any rate, these casualties exceed the nation's loss in all its other wars, from the Revolution through Vietnam. The Union armies had from 2,500,000 to 2,750,000 men. Their losses, by the best estimates: '''Battle deaths: '''110,070 '''Disease, etc.: '''250,152 '''Total '''360,222 '''''''''''''''''' ''' The Confederate strength, known less accurately because of missing records, was from 750,000 to 1,250,000. Its estimated losses:''' '''Battle deaths: '''94,000 '''Disease, etc.: '''164,000 '''Total '''258,000 ''''''''''''''''''
Poor hygiene and camp sanitation contributed to the high rate of disease during the US Civil War.
Disease - far more than bullets. Also, there was very little medical provision. If you were wounded, you would probably die.
Union Army in Civil War Battle Deaths 140,000 Non-Battle Deaths 220,000 ( Disease, Suicides, etc.)
Diseases, due mostly to poor sanitary conditions, were the cause of more than two-thirds of the deaths in the American Civil War. Some of these diseases include diphtheria, measles, mumps, chicken pox, small pox, influenza, pneumonia, dysentery, cholera, typhoid, malaria and tuberculosis. The worst out of the bunch was by far dysentery. This one disease accounted for around 45,000 deaths in the Union army and around 50,000 deaths in the Confederate army.
Disease - far more than bullets. Also, there was very little medical provision. If you were wounded, you would probably die.
Disease and accidents.
The greatest cause of death was disease 1( from when surgeons did not wash there instruments such as the bone saw.
While it is not known for sure, the total would be in the tens of thousands. About two thirds of the deaths in the Civil War was due to disease including gangrene.