The Confederate Soldiers The Confederate soldiers had a tough time living together for years with barely any food, bathing as a rarity and carrying around 40 pounds a day wherever you went. The Confederate Soldiers had very small food rations. They ate 12oz of bacon or salted beef, 20oz of bread or cornmeal, rice and peas daily. If a soldier today received that much food then they would be very hungry by the end of the day. Most men that signed up for the army were between ages 18 to 29 and most were farmers. African Americans were not allowed to be in the army. White men were paid $11 a month in 1861, and in 1864 they were raised to $18 a month. Most of the men had to carry around 30 to 40 pounds of supplies in knapsacks or that they When canvas was scarce, most of the soldiers were forced to make “open-air beds” by piling straw or leaves between two logs and covering up with a blanket. During winter months, basic huts were constructed from wood when it was available. During the civil war, most of the soldiers fought only 75 percent of the time. When they were not fighting, their day usually started at 5:00 in the morning during the summer and spring, and 6:00 in the morning during the fall and winter. Soldiers would be awakened by fifes and drums, then the first sergeant would take roll call, and all the men sat down to eat breakfast. During the day soldiers would be engaged in sometimes as many as five 2-hour long drill sessions on weaponry or maneuvers. Many soldiers thought of these as boring, wanting to fight instead. One of the biggest problems was sanitation. Clean water for drinking and bathing was rare and illness from poor hygiene or contaminated water was very common. Most of the camps were in tight groups and contagious diseases such as chickenpox, colds or the flu would spread over camp within
Throughout the history of the United States, different wars were fought and sides had to be taken one way or another. The Civil War was the first and only war up to this time where Americans fought Americans over their different beliefs. Something had to be made to distinguish who was on what side when fighting the war, which was when uniforms were made. Along with different sides, there were also different ranks between soldiers and generals. Uniforms were successful in keeping sides between the Union and Confederate forces and soldier’s ranks during the Civil War.
were poor and men loathed them. The soldiers slept on a bed of mud and
During the Revolutionary War, at Valley Forge, which is Washington’s winter camp, 18 miles outside Pennsylvania, soldiers went through a very rough time during the tough and hard winter months of 1777 and 1778. Many soldiers didn’t have shoes, jackets, blankets, and proper warm clothing. Also, there was barely enough food for everyone. For example, in Document C, Dr. Albigence Waldo, (a doctor/surgeon at Valley Forge) , states, “No meat! No meat!”
The soldiers lacked basic necessities such as clothing and food. In Document B it Dr. Albigence Waldo states, "There comes a Soldier, his bare feet are seen thro' his worn out Shoes, his legs nearly naked from the tatter'd remains of an only pair of stocks". In other words, these soldiers clothing were very worn out due to being used so often and were not provided with brand new attire. Since there were many mouths to feed, food became scarce, which left many soldiers starving. Around the camp soldiers cry
The book “For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought In The Civil War” by James M. McPherson examines the motivations of the soldiers who fought in the Civil War. McPherson wanted to understand why the men fought in the Civil War and why they fought so ferociously for such a large amount of time even though there was a huge possibility of death, disease and injurys.To answer the question regarding the reasons why men fought in the Civil War so viciously, and for such a long period of time, James McPherson studied countless amounts of letters, diaries and other mails that were written or sent by the soldiers who fought in the Civil War.
The Confederate jobs, wealth, and property (including slaves) were at stake. “Confederates fought for independence, for their property and way of life, for their very survival as a nation” (McPherson, 27). For this reason, dedication for the cause was strong for Confederates. A collection of letters from Civil War soldiers online, alongside with McPherson’s evidence, shows the patriotism and dedication to their nation and slaves. Confederates stood behind each other and were dedicated to having their own nation; one soldier stated, “that if he was killed, it would be while ‘fighting gloriously for the undying principles of Constitutional liberty and self government’” (McPherson, 11). Private Street, while on his death bed, wrote to his wife: "we must never dispair, for death is preferable to a life spent under the gaulling yoke of abolition rule" (Street, 1862). The reasons that fueled Confederate soldiers were the very practices that they strived on in everyday life; these soldiers naturally had dedication, but patriotism towards their nation and brotherhood is universal between the letters presented, and helped unify the Confederacy.
Throughout the story, the author goes into great detail about the heavy physical loads that the soldiers had to carry with them. Even the way O’Brien describes the many loads seems to grab your attention on the extreme conditions these men had to go through just to survive another day. The most interesting thing I found while reading this story is that even though the soldiers carried a ton of weight around with them, they insisted on carrying as much as possible to insist they were prepared for any given situation. Also, just as we are all different individuals, each soldier carried their own personal things that depended on their own habits and hobbies. Some examples of the necessities the soldiers had to carry with them include, “Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pockets knives, heat tabs, wrist-watches, dog tags, mosquito repellent, chewing gum, candy, cigarettes, salt tablets, packets of Kool-Aid, lighters, matches, sewing kits, Military Payment Certificates, C-rations, and two or three canteens of water (O’Brien 125). These were just some of the things these men had to carry with them just to undergo some of the conditions surrounding them. Besides those items I explained things like weapons and magazines made up most of the majority of the weight. What really shocked me at this point is that with all this weight the soldiers had to carry with them, they were expected to be very mobile and able to haul around everything for miles at a time. The only benefit I could possible see coming out of all the things they carried is the protection the backpack gave the soldiers from the spraying of bullets during battle. Other than that, the more the men carried, the more their moral went down under those conditions. I think that the author brilliantly described this story. It was almost like I felt my backpack getting heavier as I was reading on and the items kept increasing. Towards the end of the story I kind of felt just as the soldiers did, weighed down and dead tired.
The Civil War was the bloodiest, most devestating war that has ever been fought on American soil. It began on April 12, 1861, at 4:30 in the morning. The main reason that the war was fought was because Southern states believed that they should have the right to use African-Americans as slaves, and the Northern States opposed that belief.
Among the necessities or near-necessities were P-38 can openers, pocket knives, heat tabs… …and two or three canteens of water. Together, these items weighed between 12 and 18 pounds. They all carried steel helmets that weighed 5 pounds. On their feet they carried jungle boots—2.1 pounds. (O’Brien 2)
During the civil war soldiers in both the North and South relied on preservable food, considering the long travel to battles. The Union commonly had more
Enlisted men, unlike their officers, had to carry all their belongings on their back. On long marches men were unwilling to carry more than the absolute essentials. Even so, soldiers ended up carrying about 30 to 40 pounds.
I believe people should not be able to take down the Confederate statues.We shouldn't be able to take them down because, it’s apart of our country's history, people lost their lives fighting for what they believe and we don’t want to ignore the fact that our country has flaws and we need to own up to it.
At the camps the temperature in the winter was typically “near or below zero” (Topaz Camp) and during the summer the temperature would “soar to the nineties or above.” (Topaz Camp) At the Topaz camp the air was very dry and the “alkaline earth could not absorb any water” (Otsuka 77) so when it rained or snowed the ground became very muddy causing the schools to be “shut down for repairs” (Otsuka 77). The dry and earth caused constant dust clouds which made it difficult to breath for the young boy who pressed a “scarf to his face” (Otsuka 48) in order to stop himself from coughing. Often there were dust storms making it nearly impossible to see and when the boy slept he would cover his mouth with a wet rag but would still wake up with a “gritty taste of chalk” (Otsuka 77) in his mouth. In the cooler climates school children would take “their benches outside to sit in the sun” (Topaz Camp) in order to gain a little warmth while the classrooms were being finished. At the end of September in 1942 “the first killing frost was recorded” (Topaz Camp) then just weeks later the first snowfall was recorded. In many of the barracks there were “no windows installed” (Topaz Camp) at this time making it nearly impossible to escape the harsh cold. The Japanese were forced to succumb to the harsh climate of the desert, with nearly no shelter or breathable air, because of crimes that most of the detainees did not
Soldiers typically did two different types of work: martial or civil work. Martial work included digging entrenchments, marching, fighting, and general warfare. Civil work included cutting wood, harvesting crops, and hunting. While the soldiers got paid wages for their martial work, they expected higher compensation when performing civil work, since these usually required more skills. Most soldiers in the colonies fought using hit-and-run guerrilla tactics, but fighting was not the most important aspect of the soldier’s life. Instead, soldiers used most of their time building, digging, farming, and other grueling jobs that made them unhappy. The army increasingly looked towards its own soldiers to do work because the cost of using civilians was too high. Moreover, as the military’s numbers increased, paying soldiers became harder. Because of low wages, soldiers had to rely on illegal measures to earn money, including selling off their uniforms and stealing the goods of their fellow comrades. Soldiers often deserted because of the army broke the terms of their enlistment. When caught, almost all deserters were executed, so soldiers started to desert in larger and larger groups until finally, the entire enlisted corps started to mutiny against the officers due to unfair conditions. Since officers were usually
The American Civil War, also known as the War Between the States, or simply the Civil War in the United States, was a civil war fought from 1861 to 1865, after seven Southern slave states declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America . The states that remained in the Union were known as the "Union" or the "North". The war had its origin in the fractious issue of slavery, especially the extension of slavery into the western territories. Foreign powers did not intervene. After four years of bloody combat that left over 600,000 soldiers dead and destroyed much of the South's infrastructure, the Confederacy collapsed, slavery was abolished, and the difficult Reconstruction process of restoring national unity and guaranteeing rights to the freed slaves began.