From the start of the Civil War, the Confederacy was at a clear disadvantage. The Union Army of the North was better able to supply its troops despite early recruiting problems. (Boyer, p. 434) The Union ultimately had the advantage of a larger army and more money. The South entered the Civil War without a navy, without two small gunpowder factories, and without unconnected rail lines. (Boyer, p. 432) The North was much more industrialized and able to provide the troops with the necessities that the South lacked. Although the Confederacy lacked supplies such as shoes, clothing, and food, it did not lose in combat due to lack of ammunition. After relying on arms and ammunition imported from Europe, as well as weapons confiscated from the federal government, both sides resorted to conscription which required all able-bodied white men of a specified age to serve in the army. The Union's efforts at conscription proved more successful than the Confederacy, giving them the advantage of having more manpower. (Boyer, p. 433) Another problem facing both sides was financing the war. Both the Union and the Confederacy attempted to sell bonds and print paper money, but the Union had more luck making money. Due to the lack of confidence in paper money in the South, the Confederacy began to raise taxes. As the Confederacy's confidence in printed money collapsed, a plan to print more money as a solution was adopted. This had devastating effects on inflation rates. The Union increased confidence in the dollar by making printed money an acceptable means of payment for most public and private debts. The Union's monetary advantage can be seen by comparing inflation on both sides. The Union saw an eighty percent price increase; while the Confederation experienced an inflation rate above nine thousand percent. (Boyer, p..