As you can see here, the men of the union army are well dressed, well armed, look well nourished, and seem calm and confident. Taken in 1861, this photo shows union smugness at their superiority before major fighting began.
Taken in 1865, nearing the end of the war, this photo portrays an all black infantry drilling in a fort, preparing for battle. The union army was the first to allow blacks to fight, creating all black regiments commanded by both black and white officers
This image is of a group of General Sherman’s veterans, who helped crush the south in a total war tactic. These men were instrumental in the victory of the north over the south.
Taken in 1862, this is a photo of federal cavalry-. As you can see, they are well supplied and well equipped, with lots of men (seen across the river as well) and makeshift bridges. Seen in the bottom right corner is a slightly blurry image of a man with his foot on a tree trunk, watching the troops march on.
This is a picture of men constructing telegraph lines for union exchanges of information, to increase speed of comunication. Taken in April, 1864 by Timothy H. O'Sullivan, these were another modern advancement that helped the war effort.
This is general Ulysses S. Grant, photographed in June 1864. This man was incredibly important in the victory over the south, fighting a war of attrition, and taking risks were previous generals would make safe, semi-cowardly decisions.
This is the U.S.S. St. Louis, the first Eads ironclad gunboat that the union navy used. Naval battles were key in the union victory, demoralizing and slowly strangling the southern economy.
The U.S.S. Commodore Perry, a ferry boat converted into a gunboat, taken in 1864. Used in patrolling river ways, boats like these were crucial in both the occupation of the Mississippi river and in the continuation of the blockade.
This picture is of Confederate prisoners captured in the Shenandoah Valley being guarded in a Union camp, taken in May 1862. Unlike some southern POW camps, were men were treated terribly and death was prevalent, this prison camp doesn’t seem so bad. The men have tents, food, and clothing.
This is the U.S. Military Railroads engine, called the "General Haupt," built in 1863. Railroads were key in the civil war, especially the northern railway system, allowing for rapid mobilization of men, arms, and supplies. Bringing men to the field of battle very efficiently, railways revolutionized combat.