“britain tried to help the confederacy, no?”
The UK considered it...and had Gettyburg been a Confederate win, perhaps they would of backed southern independance.
My main point is—as civilized as we think we are—in an era without any “weapons of mass destruction” the USA—primarily by the actions of the US government—killed a LOT of our own civilians, during a relatively short period of time.
This should cause us some circumspection about getting involved one iota...in the Syrian civil war.
Prince Albert was reported to have asked both the prime minister candidates to promise not to support the pretended confederacy, because Prince Albert thought slavery immoral.
The weapon of mass destruction during the War of the Rebellion was dysentery. Drinking water downstream from where any portion of the army was bivouaced was very hazardous.
Civilians drank water too, but usually knew where the highest local springs were, and so suffered less.