Life in the Army During the Civil War
an alphabet by Becky R.
| A: Artillery Only about six percent of the soldiers in the American Civil War were enrolled in the artillery branch of the service, yet the artillery played a pivotal role in almost every major engagement of the Civil War. Some major artillery was canons, and muskets. |
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B:Breechloader The Sharps was the most common and best known breechloading gun during the Civil War. Approximately 100,000 carbines and 15,000 rifles were made and issued during the War by the Union. By comparison, the Union made approximately 1,500,000 of the standard infantry 58 Rifle Musket. |
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Illustration courtesy of Paul S. |
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| C:
Canons Canons were a major part of the civil war. There were many different types such as 10-pounder parrot and 6-pounder smoothbore. |
D:
Daily Life Fort life was filled with daily routines such as the morning flag ceremony and retrieving it at the end of the day. They built the forts they lived in using the local materials. |
Illustration courtesy of Shane F. |
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| E: Enlist Many soldiers enlisted into the army. When you enlist in the army you sign yourself up to be in it, instead of someone forcing you to be, although that too happened [during the Civil War]. |
F: Food Food was prepared and served to the soldiers at the same time each day. When they served the food it was called a Mess. There was also a special bugle call to alert them all that it was time to eat. |
| G:
Guns There were many types of guns used that were used for different jobs. They were made out of many different materials such as bronze, cast iron, and wrought iron. |
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Contents of Civil War soldier's haversack |
H:
Haversack A haversack was very useful to soldiers in the army. It was a small canvas bag that they carried on their backs, which held their food and their belongings. |
| I: Infantry An infantry in an army is a group of men who travel and also fight on foot. They carry all their belongings with them and also all of their weapons. |
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J: Journal
Many of the soldiers in the army kept journals. They brought them everywhere and wrote about what they did and also what was going on. They also wrote letters to their loved ones. |
| K:
Knapsack A knapsack was a canvas container that was strapped to a soldier's back that carried their personal belongings. |
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L: Laundress The Army employed women to do laundry. They had to hand wash and line dry all the uniforms. Many of them were married to the soldiers. |
| M:
Mess An army mess was what they called when they served the soldiers their food. |
N:
Napoleon smoothbore A Napoleon smoothbore was a rifle used in the civil war. Breech bands, cascable fillet, and rounde at the throat, were also features of the Napoleon smoothbore. |
| R:
Reinforcements Reinforcements were additional troops held back from battle until they are needed to support and strengthen the units already in battle. |
S:
Sleeping The soldiers slept in barracks on cots. They had to be in bed by a certain time each night. It was called 'Lights out'. |
| T: Training The soldiers drilled each other each day. They practiced arm to arm combat and shooting their muskets. The cavalry worked with their horses to get them used to having weapons fired from their backs. They kept their large guns (canons) cleaned and ready to go. They also kept all the equipment cleaned. |
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| W:
Weapons There were many weapons used in the civil war. From big to little they were all used to do different jobs. There were huge canons and rifled muskets, which were muzzle loading guns, fired with cartridge and cap. |
Y:
Yankee A Yankee was a common term that the confederate soldiers used to call the Union soldiers. |
Bibliography:
- http://www.nps.gov/sajh/laundress.jpg , cited 27 April, 2003
- http://www2.smumn.edu/deptpages/~history/civil_war/3Diarysx.JPG , cited 27 April, 2003
- http://www.archives.gov/research_room/research_topics/civil_war/images/civil_war_158.jpg , cited 27 April, 2003
- http://www.markreubengallery.com/1171.jpg , cited 27 April, 2003
- http://www.15thwisconsin.net/15bl-h00.jpg , cited 27 April, 2003
- http://www.history.com , cited 27 April, 2003
- Compton's Encyclopedia
The Battle of South Mountain
by Danny G.
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After his victory at the second battle of Manassas,
General Robert E. Lee led his army of 50,000 men of Northern Virginia
to invade Maryland. At the same time, General George B. McClellan,
the commander of the 90,000-man army of the Potomac, found a copy
of Lee’s marching orders. McClellan knew from the marching orders
that Lee divided his 50,000 men into four sections and knew where
that separated army was. The army of Northern Virginia had marched to the West Side of South Mountain, though South Mountain wasn’t a mountain but a 50-mile long ridge that went from the Potomac River to Pennsylvania. McClellan knew that three of the four parts of Lee’s army were attacking Harpers Ferry and the other section was at Boonsboro at the western side of South Mountain. One thing that McClellan did not know was the true size of Lee’s army. He thought he had 120,000 men. McClellan also didn’t know that Lee had divided his army into even smaller parts by sending General Longstreet to Hagerstown and leaving only one five-brigade division with General Daniel H. Hill at Boonsboro to guard the army’s wagon train and the gaps through South Mountain. |
| On Sunday morning, September 14,1862, General
Hill watched the approach of four Union corps which had 32 brigades
in 12 divisions. Hill had two advantages during this battle: He held
a highly defensible position and he could see Lee’s men, but
they could not see him. Hill’s five brigades made an amazing
defense during an all-day attack. Just before dark and before they
were going to be overwhelmed, Longstreet arrived with reinforcements.
The position was held until night fell and ended the battle. Each
side suffered losses--1, 800 men were killed or wounded. The Confederates
lost another 800 who were taken captive. |
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The
Battle of Antietam
by Kalvin F.
![[The Battle of Antietam was the bloodiest battle in American history.]](antietm.jpg)
by Kalvin F.
The Battle of Antietam was fought during the Civil War. The Confederates were led by Robert E. Lee and the Union [forces] were led by George B, McClellan. They fought this battle in the year 1862. Our dead person, Martin V.B. Hill, was in company D in the Ninth Regiment of New Hampshire and he was a private on the second line of defense.
The battle took place on September 17-19 and it was said to be the most bloodiest battle in American combat. Over twenty-three thousand troops died including Lee's [Confederate] army with 13, 385 casualties and McClellan’s [Union] army with 26,023. More than twice as many American’s were killed or badly wounded in combat that day as in the War of 1812, the Mexican War, and the Spanish- American War [combined]. One soldier wrote home saying that the cornfield that they were fighting in was so full of bodies that a man could have walked through it without stepping on the ground. That told me a lot and it mad me realize something - never go to war unless you really are forced or have to. The troops said that the firing of the muskets sounded like a tearing of a heavy canvas. When they were approaching the sound they were terrified, even the troops that have already been in war before, and for the new ones, some even pissed their pants.
The battle lasted two days and its conditions were not constant. Some days, it was cold and damp. The others were sunny, but on the sunny days, it seemed like the Union soldiers like Martin V.B Hill would always have to go through swamps waist high and freeze the rest of the day. The only things the soldiers carried were guns, cartridges, a canteen, a blanket, and some soldiers had haversacks. Some soldiers walked barefoot. Their uniforms were made of the coarsest blue cloth and their sleeves and their jackets were cut like school boys wore, The only things the soldiers ate were bread, meat, and coffee, beans, rice or dried vegetables. The meats were salted - pickled beef and pork. They also had tobacco and crackers .
Our dead person, Martin V.B Hill was new to the whole war thing. He [Another Union soldier at the Battle of Antietam] wrote that he was scared to be even a mile away from the battle scene and every day he would pray that he would not have to fight, but we know he had to fight. Some troops also wrote that when watching the front line, it looked like a wave because the troops were all getting killed and then the next row would step up and fire away. The Union kept coming on strong against the South.
The battle of Antietam was fought in two places: in a corn field and at the Antietam Creek. When fighting at the creek the Union drove the Confederates to the bridge, and the Confederates were trapped. About 100 yards away, Lee watched his army get trapped by the Union, Then he knew the battle was over, because he had no men or food left . . General Lee retreated because his army was not equipped. The battle of Antietam was a draw. It was a Northern victory because when General Robert E. Lee pulled his army back from the battle field and re-crossed the Potomac the Union and the North thought they had won the war. General Lee came back later with troops that were rested and fully fed and gave more battles. This was only the first sign of tiredness from the Confederates and the South.
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