The year-long civil war had taken a toll on the Federal government with casualties exceeding 200,000 people—the gruesome toll led to a surge in war-weariness among the soldiers.
This was but a civil war, not an invasion by foreign enemies. The patriotism that had been stirred up had long been consumed in the fires of war.
It wasn't just the western states that failed to meet their conscription goals; even the core states of the Federal government faced difficulties with recruitment.
As of now, the total military strength of the Federal government had exceeded 1.1 million, but it was still not enough.
The Federal states, be they at war or close to the battlefield, prioritized their own security, making coordination on the battlefield difficult and hindering the effective use of numerical superiority.
These were insurmountable problems, as state officials were all elected; if they could not ensure the safety of their states, voters could easily kick them out.
