what doesnthe generals morale of the troops tell you about the tone of this war

The general moral of the troops is dejected, sad and terrified. It tells us the South isn't doing very well,

"The men were disheartened and began to mutter. They made gestures expressive of the sentence: "Ah, what more can we do?" And it could always be seen that they were bewildered by the alleged news and could not fully comprehend a defeat." (Chapter 16)