How did the rifled weapons improve?
The Minie Ball was a conical-cylindrical bullet that was crudely crafted out of an iron plug and soft lead. The bullet was a french invention and weighed 1 oz. at 1/2 and inch circumference. The Minie ball was designed to be shot out of a .58 and a .69 caliber bullet. The bullet has a coned head, with 3 ridges in the middle of the bullet, leading to a flat back at the end of the bullet. The bullet was designed to be the most deadly bullet of its time in the 1800s.
Impact of the bullet in the Civil War
The Minie ball is estimated to have caused 100,000 deaths in the Civil War, Confederate and Union sides tallied up together. The bullet was first used by General George B. McClellan. The north had produced 2 billion Minie balls for the civil war. Due to the deadly accuracy and power of the bullet the American death rate in the war skyrocketed. This was also mainly due to the new technology being used in the old methods of war and strategy.
Why was the Civil War considered the first "modern war" ?
The civil war was considered the first modern war due to the use of many complex and modern weapons. The war was fought with old strategies, and new weapons. This led to insanely high death rates in the Civil War. Due to the increased accuracy, range, and power of the weapons, and the use of old war tactics, more deaths occurred on both sides of the war.