It goes without saying that intelligence gathering during the American Civil War was an inexact science. Information was derived from a myriad of sources that included; newspaper articles, railroad passengers and riders, free blacks, runaway slaves, deserters, prisoners of war, local farmers and other non-combatants along with the Union’s use of hot air balloons during the first half of the war. This menagerie of sources produced a great deal of conflicting information that needed to be sifted through and analyzed. The key information rested on how many troops each side possessed and their location. The end result was a decision-making process that at times was flawed and battlefield decisions that rested on a weak foundation. If one was to compare the intelligence strengths of the Union and the Confederacy, the northern spy network had major advantages and, in the end, would create an…
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Utopia, you are standing in it! 
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