America: The Story of Us: The Civil War's Modern Weapon Technology

The Civil War was the first time the  mini ball ammo was used used in battle. Unlike older ammunition, this type of bullet can cut through a person entirely. This was the primary reason the war was such a bloody conflict. The Civil War is also called the first modern war as a new, easy to reload musket equipped with rifling was introduced. It was quicker to fire, and more accurate than ever before because of the spiraled grooves on the inside, called rifling. A direct hit with this new combination of deadly firepower caused an unprecedented amount of bloodshed.