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Civil War: Life for Soldiers
The Fighting Begins
Confederates
attack Ft.
Sumter, an
island off of SC
 Federals
surrender
 Turns Southern
secession into a
full fledged war

Call Out The Militia

Neither the N or S
had a very large
army
 Lincoln asks the
Union states to
provide 75,000
militiamen for 90
days
 He thinks the war will
be over quickly
Southern Army Volunteers

South has to develop
an Army from Scratch
 Some U.S. Army
Generals Decide to
leave
 Lee opposed slavery
and secession but
“I cannot raise my hand
against my birthplace”
Response To The Call To Arms

Thousands of men,
young and old rushed
to enlist
 After the first battle
(Bull Run) the North
quickly realized it
needed a larger army
 Lincoln sent the 90
day militia home and
called for all of the
Union states to
contribute men to an
army of 500,000
Training For Raw Recruits

Leaders came from West Point, Mexican
War, political appointments
 Enlisted men had no fighting experience
 Drill, Drill, Drill
On The Job Training
Despite months of endless training and
marching based on Napoleonic tactics,
many units on both sides fell apart upon
entering first battle
 Under the stress of battle men became
confused, disoriented, panicked, and
deserted
 Calm and brave leadership was the only
way to maintain order

Uniforms

At the beginning of
the war both sides
struggled to provide
enough consistent
uniforms for entire
army
 Many regiments
were provided
uniforms from home
town or state- led to
a wide variety of
colors and styles
Uniforms- Officers
Officers often paid
tailors to design their
own uniforms
 Tastes ranged from
very fancy to simple
and plain
 Generally had more
insignia or badges
signifying rank

Uniforms- North
Typical enlisted
soldier was issued
 Frock or sack coat
 Light blue pants
 Kepi or other hat
 Brogans or boots
 Belt/straps

Uniforms- South
Were similar in
basic design to
North
 Common colorsGray/Tan/Brown
 As war wore on
were much more
likely to wear out
and not be
replaced by army

Weapons- Infantry

Improved over previous wars- rifled
barrels=improved range, accuracy
 Bayonets for close range combat
 Officers carried pistols, swords
Weapons- Artillery
Cannons,
howitzers,
mortars, siege
guns
 Improved
range,
accuracy, size
 Proved
devastaing in
combat

Weapons- Cavalry
Horses provided
swift
transportation
 Used in scouting,
raids
 Armed with
pistols, swords,
smaller rifles

Civil War Main Idea
Weapons and technology had improved
rapidly during the 1800s
 Army tactics, battle formations,
strategies were largely based on
Napoleonic/European tactics of close
combat
 This combination led to tremendous
casualties, unfortunately military leaders
were slow to realize this and change

Common Soldier’s Life

Life for the average soldier was defined by
months of marching and boredom interrupted
by moments of sheer terror
Camp Life







Much time was
spent on daily
routines
Drills
Cleaning weapons
Cooking
Maintaining Equip.
Picket/Guard Duty
Sick Duty
Free Time For The Troops
Leisure time
activities:
 Music
 Reading
 Writing Home
 Gambling
 Trading
 Sports- Baseball

Casualties In Camp, Not Battle
Many soldiers
succumbed to
illness from:
 Bad food, water
 Infections
 Wounds
 Lack of proper
clothing, shelter,
medicine

Politics During the Civil War
North dominated
by Lincoln and
Republicans
 Union or Slavery?
 Early defeats lead
to questions of
leadership
 Lincoln re-elected
in 1864

Politics During the Civil War
South becomes
Confederate States of
America
 Had own govt., laws
 President Jeff Davis
 Build on early military
success
 Each state is fiercely
independent

Civil War Political Cartoons
Political Cartoons became very popular
in newspapers and magazines
 Cartoons allowed people to express
their views about controversial topics
 View and discuss the following political
cartoons from the Civil War Era and
then make your own APPROPRIATE
FOR 2009 cartoon on topic related to
the Civil War
