Union Soldiers in the Civil War

The Beginning

Typically a man in his early 20s who was a farmer who had either enlisted to fight a war which he thought wouldn’t last more than a few months

Those who were called to serve against their own will were often poor

Women joined the fight, dressing up as, and pretending to be men so that they could join the army.

A Typical Day in the Life of a Union Soldier

Soldiers began their day being woken up at dawn

Soldiers had drills in the morning & afternoon preparing for battles

Between the drills, soldiers would do chores such as cooking their meals, fixing their uniforms, or cleaning equipment

If and when they had free time, they played poker, sang songs, or wrote letters to home

All of this added up to a tiring day for the soldiers

Medical Problems

Doctors did not know about infectionsThe soldiers didn’t wash their handsMany of them died from infections and

diseaseThere were little amount of doctors and many

wounded soldiersThey had little knowledge of pain killers

Food

HardtackSalt porkCorn mealThey would hunt game, collect fruits and

berries, and nuts

Money

A private in the union army made about $13 a month

A 3 star general in the union army made over $700 a month

Soldiers sometimes waited over 6 months to get paid

Fun Facts

During the fall, they would work on their winter camp where they would stay at one place for the long winter months

Soldiers were drafted, but the rich could make a payment if they wanted to avoid fighting

By the end of the war around 10% of the Union army consisted of African American soldiers