Federal soldiers were human too. They got hungry, tired, sick, and angry when their wallets ran dry.
It was one thing to let these soldiers bully the meek refugees along the route, but if they were truly asked to fight those desperadoes preparing to flee the columns, they might not be willing.
Especially when some quick-witted refugees were willing to share a few benefits with them, the soldiers were naturally happy to turn a blind eye.
Of course, some upright soldiers chose to remain loyal to their duty. They fought those refugees clinging to a sliver of hope in life-or-death struggles, yet not only did they receive no reward—they were instead pushed out as sacrifices.
In truth, their actions achieved no deterrent effect. Instead, they merely made the federal government bear even more infamy.
A migration on this scale had already drawn international attention, and many countries would not miss such a spectacle.
At this time, many countries around the world were troubled by population loss. The main destination was the Americas, and the United States received the greatest number of immigrants.
Under such circumstances, the great powers naturally hoped the United States would suffer one calamity after another. This great migration in particular could serve as a negative example with which to educate their people.
When the British burned New York State, opinions were divided, because it was Britain. The United States received no such treatment. Every country was waiting for the Americans to make fools of themselves, and the Americans did not disappoint.
But the federal government had little it could do about those Southerners at this point. It could only make an example of the Northern soldiers who had fired without authorization.
Yet if they truly stood by with folded arms, they would be condemned by the