16-2 Notes: Life in the Army

Those Who Fought• Majority of soldiers between 18 and

30• Some as young as 11 and as old as

83• Most were farmers who looked on

the war as an adventure• Many who served were immigrants

from other countries (mostly German, Irish)

• At first neither side allowed African-Americans to fight (the Union eventually allowed them to)

• Native Americans fought on both sides

• Total of 2 million served in Union army, less than 1 million in Confederate

• Most were volunteers looking for adventure, escape from boredom

Turning Civilians in Soldiers• Volunteers entered camp for training after

enlistment • Tents in camp were grouped by company

(tents held 2 – 20 men)• In winter they lived in heavy tents or log

huts• Soldiers elected their leaders in the army• Soldiers followed a strict schedule during

training• Schedules included roll calls, meals, drills,

guard duty, cutting firewood, digging trenches for latrines, cleaning camp etc.

• Union soldiers wore blue and Confederates wore grey, yellowish-brown, or civilian clothes

• Soldiers often traded to get clothes that properly fit them

• Northern soldiers had poor clothes (contractors took advantage of desperate army officials) at beginning of war

• Confederates had trouble coordinating uniform supplies

Hardships of Army Life• Civil War soldiers had to deal

with wet, muddy, and cold outdoor conditions due to poor shelter and weather

• Many were unsanitary and smelly

• Soldiers often went weeks without bathing or washing their clothes, bedding etc.

• Poor hygiene resulted in widespread sickness

• Chronic diarrhea and intestinal disorders were common due to contaminated water, food, germ-carrying insects, and poor practices

Changes in Military Technology• Rifles, a gun with a grooved barrel

that caused bullets to spin, gave soldiers more accuracy and range

• Minié balls, bullets with a hollow base, could travel farther and faster than musket balls and made soldiers more deadly on the field of battle

• Mounted charges and infantry assaults did not work as well and casualties soared as a result of inability of generals to adapt to technology

• Ironclads, warships covered with iron, were first used during a battle between the Confederate Virginia (originally named Merrimack) and the Union Monitor

• After battling for hours the battle ended in a draw