Life in the War Ch. 16 Sec. 2

Why did so many volunteer to fight? Majority of soldiers were between 18 and 30 years of age Both Confederate and Union armies had younger and older soldiers, whose ages range from 10 to 83

Joining Up Volunteers rushed to enlist, join the army ~Many were farmers who had never been far from home Germans and Irish immigrants made up the largest ethnic groups

African Americans Wanted to Fight African American soldiers saw the war as a way to end slavery Issue- neither the North or the South accepted African Americans into their armies-(at first) As war dragged on, the North took African Americans into their ranks About 2 million men served in the Union Army and less than 1 million fought for the Confederacy

Turning Civilians into Soldiers Civilians sent to an army camp for training Union soldiers were issued blue uniforms Confederate soldiers wore gray or yellowish-brown

Poor Quality Early in the war, Northern soldiers received clothing of very poor quality Contractors/ private suppliers, often supplied shoddy goods In the Confederacy, some states had trouble providing uniforms at all ~Confederate soldiers sometimes lacked shoes! *After battles needy soldiers took coats , boots, and other clothing from the dead

How was the Civil War different from previous conflicts? Advances in military technology brought high casualties Primitive medical techniques and filthy conditions helped spread disease

Unhealthy Conditions Military camps were filthy and smelled from odors of garbage and latrines Soldiers themselves were filthy ~Went weeks without bathing or washing their clothes ~Bodies, clothing, and bedding became infested with lice and fleas ~Spread of sickness and disease

Ewwwww…. Doctors preformed surgeries with out washing their hands or medical instruments ~Because of this more soldiers died of disease than on the battlefield

Medical Tools

Civil War Prison Camps (POW) Prisoners of war in both the North and the South faced terrible conditions One of the worst prisons in the North was in Elmira, New York One of the worst prisons in the South was Anderson, Georgia

Rifles and Minie Balls Rifle- gun with a grooved barrel that spins a bullet through the air Minie ball- is a bullet with a hollow base ~Bullet expands upon firing to fit the grooves in the barrel Rifles with minie balls could shoot farther and more accurately than old-fashioned muskets, therefore mounted charges did not work as well. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Nr4UWioC7w

New Technology cont... Naval warfare is also changed ~Ironclads were naval warships covered with iron ~Ironclads were faster and better-protected than wooden ships In March 1862, off the coast of Virginia, a Union ironclad named the Monitor, fought the Merrimack, a Confederate ironclad This battle ended in a draw…

Monitor and the Merrimack

The Battling Ironclads

Technology of the time (text feature) p. 520 Using a thinking map or Cornell notes, please take notes on Civil War Technology.

Changes in Military Technology Railroads and Cannons Changed battlefield strategies Rifles and minie balls Grenades Trenches