American Civil War Armies: No.1 When the Southern states seceded to form their own government in 1861, one of their first moves was to organise an army. The South"s fighting men served from the time of their enlistment until the end of the war, receiving poor rations, and even worse clothing - and this despite the fact that one of the first steps taken by the new army was to design a uniform and establish standards for accoutrem... Full description