Chapter XV, of Cassells Illustrated History of England, Volume 9 page 4

In the great war which was now happily over, recruits to the number of 2,688,523 men had been from time to time enlisted into the armies of the Union. Of these, it is estimated that about 1,500,000 were effective soldiers. On the Union side, 275,000 men were either killed outright or died of their wounds, or perished by disease; and on the Confederate side, the loss of life must have been little if at all less. Most of those who fought for the Union were volunteers; and of these, few, we are told, were enlisted without having received a bounty varying from 100 to 1,200 dollars, but usually between 300 and 800, from his stay-at-home neighbours." The families of these volunteers were almost always assisted, if they stood in need of assistance, from local or state funds. If to all these generous contributions the plunder of the rich South be added, it will be evident that in no former war have the calls of patriotism been so effectually reconciled - for the survivors at least - with those of self-interest. Two great voluntary organisations - the Sanitary Commission and the Christian Commission - extended through all the Federal States, spent immense sums, and devoted incessant personal labour to the task of giving aid and comfort to the soldiers in the field. At the 'North and at the South alike, the busy hands of women had been indefatigable all through the war in providing for the soldiers all that the inventiveness of loving hearts could extract for their comfort and encouragement out of the resources at their disposal.