The American Civil War saw more casualties than WWI, WWII, Korea, and Vietnam combined. Generals were 50% more likely to die than privates. Disease was a major killer.
About 625,000 men died in the US Civil War – more American casualties than in World War I, World War II, the Korean War, and the Vietnam War combined. And because they typically led the charge during battle — unlike 20th-century wars — generals were 50 percent more likely to die in the American Civil War than privates. For example, at the Battle of Antietam, three generals were killed and six wounded, on each side. At the Battle of Franklin, six Confederate generals were killed and seven were wounded.
Read more about generals in the American Civil War:
Confederate General Thomas “Stonewall” Jackson was killed accidentally by his own men at the Battle of Chancellorsville in May 1863. His death was a major setback to Confederate morale.
During the Battle of the Wild, Confederate General James Longstreet took bullets to the shoulder and throat, but survived. The grizzled veteran later returned to his command. He lived until 1904, when he died of pneumonia at the age of 82.
Rifles were the deadliest weapons of warfare, but disease even deadlier. Military camps were hotbeds of epidemics such as mumps, chicken pox, measles and malaria.
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