How was the north and the south prepared for the civil war?

Surprisingly, though the North had a much greater advantage in population and in manufacturing capacity, the South was actually in a superior position at the onset of the war. It had a superior officer corps, and its various state militias were better trained. John Brown's attack on Harper's Ferry had alerted the South to the need of a better-trained armed force, and the possibility that it may be needed in the near future.