Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era? Illinois
By David F. Parchem
The Cleveland Civil War Roundtable
Copyright © 2026, All Rights Reserved
Editor’s note: The subject of the annual Dick Crews Memorial Debate at the January 2026 Roundtable meeting was: “Other than Ohio, what was the most important state, North or South, during the Civil War era?” Four members made presentations on the topic; the article below was one of those four presentations.
“Wars may be fought with weapons, but they are won by men.”
General George S. Patton
The three most important men for winning the Civil War came from Illinois.
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