Methodology

To identify the states that sent the most troops to fight in the Civil War, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed a range of government and historical sources. For most states, total troop counts and deaths came from A Compendium of the War of the Rebellion by Civil War statistician Frederick H. Dyer, first published in 1908. 

In states with missing data, troop count estimates came from The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors Database maintained by the National Park Service and estimated deaths came from the American Battlefield Trust, a battlefield preservation and educational organization. States with incomplete records were concentrated in the South, as many records were destroyed after the war. 

To determine the side of the war most troops from each state or territory fought on, we used enlistment totals from Soldiers and Sailors Database. 

It is important to note that the figures in this story are estimates only. In many cases, marines, sailors, and Black troops were not counted in totals. Additionally, some soldiers were double or triple counted if they reenlisted more than once. Some soldiers who enlisted in a state other than their own may have been claimed by two states. Home states were also not noted for many who enlisted.