Baseball during the Civil War The Impact

Preview Main Idea/Focus Leisure Activities Building Morale during the Civil War The First Baseball diamond Baseball at the start of the war Newspaper Clipping Timeline of Baseball Differences in Baseball and Soldiers then and now The overall effects of the war

Main Idea/Focus During the late 1800’s, cities grew and changes, while education, leisure time activities, and the arts reflected those changing times. What developments affected leisure?

Leisure Activities More time to play and watch sports due to higher incomes and more free time. Baseball became popular during the Civil War Baseball was a way of bringing people together during a time of crisis. It was an emotional escape Here is a picture of what it may have looked like:

Picture of Baseball during Civil War

Building Morale During Civil War Union and Confederate Officers endorsed baseball as a much needed positive activity and for physical conditioning. Teamwork on the baseball diamond meant better teamwork on the battlefield. Many letters home were more pleasant to read about the baseball games instead of the hardship of battle.

The First Baseball Diamond Union General Abner Doubleday was the “father of the modern game.” City of Cooperstown, NY dedicated Doubleday Field in 1920 as the official birthplace of organized baseball. Cooperstown eventually became the home to the National Baseball Hall of Fame.

Baseball at the start of the war In 1861, there was an amateur team made up of members of the 71 st New York Regiment. They defeated the Washington Nationals baseball club by a score of They played a re-match in 1862 and the Nationals won However, the New York’s best athletes had been killed at Bull Run only weeks after their first game. The biggest attending sporting events of the nineteenth century occurred on Christmas in the 165 th New York Volunteer Regiment play at Hilton Head, South Carolina with more than 40,000 troops looking on.

Newspaper Clipping A newspaper illustration of the Maine's baseball team identified several crewmembers, including an African American, Fireman William Lambert. (NARA, Records of the Bureau of Naval Personnel, RG 24

Timeline of events for baseball during the Civil War DateParticipants Notables 1862Trainees from 13 th MassachusettsGames were played and 51 st Pennysylvania evenings on the drilling field in many training camps prior to deployment th NY Infantry vs NY RegimentThe most famous of all Civil War games witnessed by 40,000 troops. 1862The Irish Brigade vs themselvesConfederate troops watched Union games played during their march to Richmond.

Timeline continued… DateParticipantsNotables th NY vs 69 th NYIncoming Confederate cannon fire ended this game abruptly nd Brigade, 2 nd Division Army of Members of both the the Potomac vs selected membersbrigade and 1859 the Honey Run Club teamchampions practiced regularly throughout the War th Alabama vs themselvesRebels, played daily

Timeline continued… DateParticipantsNotables th Pennsylvania vs 22 nd All four regiments met Massachusetts vs 13 th for games but disputed New York and 62 nd NYthe differences between Volunteersthe MA and NY rules th MA and 1 st RhodeBoth teams recorded Island Light Artilleryso many victories, many vs misc Armyfelt they were capable of beating any pro- fessional team of the late 1800’s.

Timeline continued… DateParticipantsNotables 1863Union soldiers encampedDuring this game, the camp in Alexandria, Texaswas attacked resulting in the loss of the center fielder and the ball nd New Jersey VolunteersBilled as another big game vs 77 th NY Volunteersnewspapers openly criticized the 77 th after a no-show. 1865Union and ConfederateFollowing Robert E Lee’s soldiers playedsurrender of the Appomattox, soldiers played to pass the time. 1866POW’s detained at theDespite pleasant accounts of Confederate Prison Campbaseball early on, many in Salisbury, NCplayers died due to overcrowded conditions.

Differences from Civil War baseball from today Baseball played during the war was very different than the game we know today. Some rules included: The Striker (batter) gets to choose where he wants his pitch. The pitcher must throw underhand – no leading off the bag. No base stealing No foul lines All balls were fair

Soldiers then and now You have learned about what the soldiers did for entertainment during the Civil War. They played baseball when they could. Soldier’s now have different methods of technology to keep them entertained. IPOD’s, laptops, PSP’s and so on. Soldier’s now can keep in better contact with their loved ones through all the communication devices available.

The effects from the Civil War The American death toll reached close to 700,000. This exceeds the nation’s loss in all its other wars from the Revolution through Vietnam. The Civil War was devastating on our country when our own men in the United States are fighting each other. President Lincoln suffered many losses during the war. He aged what seem to be 30 years in those few years. Baseball brought a lot of joy to fighting soldiers and others at home. It was nice to read about a leisurely activity instead of the gruesome effects of the battlefield. Today, baseball still brings joy to homes. That is why it is America’s pasttime.