Civil War: Life for Soldiers

The Fighting Begins Confederates attack Ft. Sumter, an island off of SC Federals surrender Turns Southern secession into a full fledged war

Call Out The Militia Neither the N or S had a very large army Lincoln asks the Union states to provide 75,000 militiamen for 90 days He thinks the war will be over quickly

Southern Army Volunteers South has to develop an Army from Scratch Some U.S. Army Generals Decide to leave Lee opposed slavery and secession but “I cannot raise my hand against my birthplace”

Response To The Call To Arms Thousands of men, young and old rushed to enlist After the first battle (Bull Run) the North quickly realized it needed a larger army Lincoln sent the 90 day militia home and called for all of the Union states to contribute men to an army of 500,000

Training For Raw Recruits Leaders came from West Point, Mexican War, political appointments Enlisted men had no fighting experience Drill, Drill, Drill

On The Job Training Despite months of endless training and marching based on Napoleonic tactics, many units on both sides fell apart upon entering first battle Under the stress of battle men became confused, disoriented, panicked, and deserted Calm and brave leadership was the only way to maintain order

Uniforms At the beginning of the war both sides struggled to provide enough consistent uniforms for entire army Many regiments were provided uniforms from home town or state- led to a wide variety of colors and styles

Uniforms- Officers Officers often paid tailors to design their own uniforms Tastes ranged from very fancy to simple and plain Generally had more insignia or badges signifying rank

Uniforms- North Typical enlisted soldier was issued Frock or sack coat Light blue pants Kepi or other hat Brogans or boots Belt/straps

Uniforms- South Were similar in basic design to North Common colors- Gray/Tan/Brown As war wore on were much more likely to wear out and not be replaced by army

Weapons- Infantry Improved over previous wars- rifled barrels=improved range, accuracy Bayonets for close range combat Officers carried pistols, swords

Weapons- Artillery Cannons, howitzers, mortars, siege guns Improved range, accuracy, size Proved devastaing in combat

Weapons- Cavalry Horses provided swift transportation Used in scouting, raids Armed with pistols, swords, smaller rifles

Civil War Main Idea Weapons and technology had improved rapidly during the 1800s Army tactics, battle formations, strategies were largely based on Napoleonic/European tactics of close combat This combination led to tremendous casualties, unfortunately military leaders were slow to realize this and change

Common Soldier’s Life Life for the average soldier was defined by months of marching and boredom interrupted by moments of sheer terror

Camp Life Much time was spent on daily routines Drills Cleaning weapons Cooking Maintaining Equip. Picket/Guard Duty Sick Duty

Free Time For The Troops Leisure time activities: Music Reading Writing Home Gambling Trading Sports- Baseball

Casualties In Camp, Not Battle Many soldiers succumbed to illness from: Bad food, water Infections Wounds Lack of proper clothing, shelter, medicine

Politics During the Civil War North dominated by Lincoln and Republicans Union or Slavery? Early defeats lead to questions of leadership Lincoln re-elected in 1864

Politics During the Civil War South becomes Confederate States of America Had own govt., laws President Jeff Davis Build on early military success Each state is fiercely independent

Civil War Political Cartoons Political Cartoons became very popular in newspapers and magazines Cartoons allowed people to express their views about controversial topics View and discuss the following political cartoons from the Civil War Era and then make your own APPROPRIATE FOR 2009 cartoon on topic related to the Civil War