The North possessed an immense advantage, inasmuch as they retained the whole of the Federal navy, and were thereby enabled at once to cut off all communication between the Southern States and Europe, while they themselves could draw unlimited supplies of munitions of war of all kinds from across the Atlantic.
Although the people of Virginia had hoped to the last that some peaceful arrangement might be effected, the Act of Secession was received with enthusiasm.

The demand of Mr.Lincoln that they should furnish troops to crush their Southern brethren excited the livliest indignation, and Virginia felt that there was no course open to her now but to throw in her lot with the other slave States.

Her militia was at once called out, and volunteers called for to form a provisional army to protect the State from invasion by the North.
The appeal was answered with enthusiasm; men of all ages took up arms; the wealthy raised regiments at their own expense, generally handing over the commands to experienced army officers, and themselves taking their places in the ranks; thousands of lads of from fifteen to sixteen years of age enrolled themselves, and men who had never done a day's work in their lives prepared to suffer all the hardships of the campaign as private soldiers.
Mrs.Wingfield was an enthusiastic supporter of State rights; and when Vincent told her that numbers of his friends were going to enroll themselves as soon as the lists were opened, she offered no objection to his doing the same.
"Of course you are very young, Vincent; but no one thinks there will be any serious fighting.

Now that Virginia and the other four States have cast in their lot with the seven that have seceded, the North can never hope to force the solid South back into the Union.

Still it is right you should join.