Because of muh freedom in the south, there were no regulations on railways. This resulted in rails that were sometimes so thin a strong man could lay a knot in them with their bare hands. Luckily the north won the war so railways in the US function perfectly now :)
General Sherman was a union general during the American civil war. His approach to warfare was to a bit unconventional for the time - he focused on destroying the enemy’s infrastructure and supply lines and burned down nearly everything flammable he came across. It was very effective.
