Chapter 16-2: Life in The Army

1. Chapter 16-2: Life in The Army http://www.pictures-civil-war.com/gallerys/photographic_images/photo-history_andersonville_prison_.jpg Main Idea Both Union and Confederate soldiers endured many hardships while serving in the army during the Civil War

2. Those who fought • Civil War soldiers were usually between 18 and 30 years, but both of the armies had some much younger and much older • Farmers were the predominant members in both armies • They viewed going to war as an exciting experience • The majority of soldiers were American, but immigrants from overseas also served • The predominant number of the immigrants were the German and the Irish • At the beginning of the war African Americans were not allowed to serve, but as the war dragged on both sides accepted the African Americans as soldiers • Union- 2,000,000 soldiers • Confederacy- 1,000,000 soldiers • Almost all volunteers • Joined because of adventure, glory, escape from farms and factories, to go along with friends and loyalty to their country

3. Turning civilians into soldiers • After joining soldiers were sent to army camps to train • These camps looked like seas of tents • Tents grouped by company • Tents held 2-20 men • In winter lived in log huts or heavy tents • Company officers were elected by the soldiers • Recruits followed a specific schedule • Bugle call awakening • Roll call and breakfast • Drill sessions • Had many duties in between drills like guard duty, cutting wood, digging latrines and cleaning the camp

4. Turning civilians into soldiers continued • All recruits received uniforms • Union- Blue • Confederacy- grey or yellowish brown • Uniforms almost never right size had to trade to get correct sizes • Northerners received poor quality clothing • Confederate states sometimes did not even had enough uniforms and some had extras • Some Confederate soldiers didn’t even have shoes • At beginning of war soldiers got plenty of food • This included beef or salt pork, veggies and coffee • In the field rations were limited and some soldiers went hungry during battle

5. Civil war uniforms Union Confederacy http://www.dixiescv.org/uniforms/union02.jpg http://www.dixiescv.org/uniforms/confederacy03.jpg

6. Hardships of Army Life • Soldiers in the fields were usually wet, muddy, or cold from marching outside and living in harsh shelters. • Camps- • Unsanitary • Smelled from odors and latrines • Cattle was killed for meat to feed the troops • Soldiers- • As filthy as the camps • Went weeks without bathing or washing their clothes • Bodies, clothing, and beds became infested with lice and fleas • Most had chronic diarrhea or other intestinal problems- caused by contaminated water or food or by germ-carrying insects • Doctors failed to clean their hands or tools • Poor hygiene • Hygiene- conditions and practices that promote health http://tinyurl.com/4qpdcua

7. Changes in Military Technology • War technology advanced during the Civil War; as a result, tactics changed, and deaths increased • Rifle- a gun with a grooved barrel that causes a bullet to spin through the air • Rifles shot bullets farther and were more accurate than previously used muskets • Minié ball- bullet with a hollow base • Minié ball technology resulted in farther, more accurate shots • Ironclad- warships covered with iron • War technology was so advanced at this point that medical technology couldn’t catch up with it, resulting in many fatalities Minié Ball Ironclad Musket Ball http://images-mediawiki-sites.thefullwiki.org/09/2/5/4/55919171317135172.jpg http://www.worldlymind.org/minie.JPG http://imagecache6.allposters.com/LRG/40/4018/UHVWF00Z.jpg