Could enlistment in the American Civil War have been improved?

When the Civil War started, the standing army consisted of about 16,000 men in a few regiments. Many were in the West. About half of the officers joined the Union cause, and about half the Confederates. Most of the enlisted men stayed with their regiment.

Aside from the army, there was the navy and marines. Nearly all of the naval officers stayed with the Union, even Southerners, so the Confederates were at a major disadvantage. The marines numbered a thousand or so men, and most stayed with Union. Despite this, the Confederates actual had a couple of impressive showings in naval battles, though the Union forces generally won those.

After Fort Sumter Lincoln called for 75,000 militia, with each state given a quota. Those men would be trained by the Federal government. Southern states refused to send troops, but Northern states agreed. In June Congress authorized 500,000 more volunteers. Technically these men were state troops, but since they were under Federal control, they were treated as United States soldiers for the duration of the conflict. Throughout the war, Lincoln and Congress would ask the states for more volunteers, though eventually a draft was created.

Was this system the best compromise between the isolationist/federalist views of most Americans and the need to respond to rebellion, or could there have been improvements? Was the fact that most of the professional troops stayed with the Union a factor in its eventual victory, or was it more about manpower?
 
After Fort Sumter Lincoln called for 75,000 militia, with each state given a quota. Those men would be trained by the Federal government. Southern states refused to send troops, but Northern states agreed. In June Congress authorized 500,000 more volunteers. Technically these men were state troops, but since they were under Federal control, they were treated as United States soldiers for the duration of the conflict. Throughout the war, Lincoln and Congress would ask the states for more volunteers, though eventually a draft was created.
The volunteer army and the Regular army were two separate formations. With the outbreak of war, the Regular Army was basically forgotten and the formation of the volunteer army was prioritized. Regular U.S. Infantry regiments were commanded by captains and lieutenants, as their commanding officers were absent with volunteer troops.
Was this system the best compromise between the isolationist/federalist views of most Americans and the need to respond to rebellion, or could there have been improvements? Was the fact that most of the professional troops stayed with the Union a factor in its eventual victory, or was it more about manpower?
The Union enlistments could have been longer and more uniform. There were 9 month enlistments, 2 year enlistments and 3 year enlistments for different regiments. Between the Chancellorsville Campaign and Gettysburg Campaign, the enlistment of 23,000 men expired, leaving the Army of the Potomac at its weakest (numerically) just before Gettysburg. In addition, the newly called up soldiers were not used very efficiently. Instead of sending them to replenish old regiments, completely new regiments were raised, leaving veteran regiments to be increasingly depleted and new regiments to suffer casualties by making basic mistakes veterans would avoid. IIRC, Sherman begged Grant to send a letter to Lincoln to request that the newly raised men replenish his depleted regiments.

The Regular Army troops were a small factor that helped Federal victory in the grand scheme of things. The Regular artillery batteries played an important role in training volunteer cannoneers their trade, Regular infantrymen set an example for volunteer troops in the East and Regular cavalrymen made the elite of Union cavalry. The Regulars did play big roles in several battles: they were the rearguard at First Bull Run, sacrificed at the Wheatfield of Gettysburg and fought hard at Chickamauga. That being said, the Regular infantrymen, neglected by their nation, were pretty much wiped out by 1864.

Union manpower played a much bigger role than the Regulars. Though it did not always translate to having a bigger field army, Union manpower allowed for a large garrison force in occupied territory and a large blockade with occasional landings and raids. Without a large manpower pool to draw from, the strength of the Union army would be dissipated by the need to garrison the territory gained by advances, especially in the West.
 
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part of the problem was that people didn't realize that the war was going to be a long one... way too many thought it would end within a year or two. Thus the varied enlistments. Once it became clear that the war wouldn't be a short one, volunteers did enlist for the duration. It would have better if the Union could have gotten that from the beginning, but there would have to be better forecasts about the length of the war... not sure how you get that...
 
Winfield Scott, who had been thru this multiple times in his fifty year career devised a plan for the Union. The Regular regiments would be doubled to two field battalions, and a cadre battalion added for training the militia regiments. One regular battalion would be brigaded with 2-3 militia regiments. He also intended to form a "Iron Corps" of mostly Federal regulars, that would act as a elite strike force for both rapid manuvers and decisive assualts.

Scott never had a chance politically in the new Republican administration. When Macellean came to command the army of the Potomac Scott was sidelined to a ceremonial position. His training battalions were never fully formed and we're not used effectively. Grant had to train his Illinois regiment on his own. A few brigades of Federal regulars were formed, one of which was titled The Iron Brigade.

Wisconsin did start providing replacement companies to existing regiments. Few state govenors could pass on the opportunity to pass out patronage awards in the form of Colonels commisions. 125 in Indiana, for each of the states regiments.
 
A few brigades of Federal regulars were formed, one of which was titled The Iron Brigade.
The Iron Brigade was not a regular formation. There was Sykes’ Regular Division in V Corps and a Regular Brigade in the Army of the Cumberland, but the Iron Brigade was a formation of regiments from mid-western states.
 
Yeah almost all of the well known units were state-level troops, usually in numbered formations (“69th New York Regiment”). Of course, they were federalized during the war.
 
Another issue is that the Militia in many cases was more a place to have some drinks and less then training the people who attended them.
 
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