“Enlisted the United States Service August 16th, 1862, at Mound City, Kansas.” (Wing, 1), “On January 22nd 1862 we left Camp Siegel, Milwaukee Wisconsin on train for Chicago and arrived at Chicago the same evening.” (Christ, 21). These are not just words from someone’s diary, these are two real separate documents from the life of an average american soldier. Soldiers who fought on the same side for one of the most gruesome wars that America has ever witnessed, The Civil War. There are several aspects that come to mind when you think of the average american soldier. Throughout the Civil War, the Average American Soldier’s role, and perspective was constantly evolving. Soldiers throughout the Civil War had to adapt to wartime preparations, …show more content…
There were times though when even the most highly trained soldiers were not prepared for, which were the times of casualties and loss. Sometimes it would be minor casualties such as getting lost, or maybe a train robbery. Although that might not like a small issue, in reality items from a train can be recovered, and on most occasions when soldiers from any side got lost, they eventually found their way. No soldier though was prepared for very dark events, such as death, fatal injuries, diseases, harsh weather, hunger, sleep depression, even rough terrain. Anyone who was part of any war will tell you how awful it was, whether it was a victory or not. Nobody was ever prepared for an ally or a close friend’s death, whether they’ve been shot by an enemy soldier, or a sacrifice, or even death caused by disease. Sometimes death can be caused due to any physical condition, such as climbing steep hills or walking through rivers that almost reached an average soldier’s torso. Weather was very hard on soldiers, not because they always got struck by lightning, but sometimes it would be a very slow death, such as hypothermia or being caught by a rough current from crossing a river. If you were not in physical shape, you couldn’t be able to survive the hell in which the inevitable fate of war will bring to …show more content…
You would wake up, do what you were assigned to do that day, or what you may do that night, and then repeat. As I mentioned earlier, soldiers were not completely separated from the outside world, thanks to the use of trains, steamboats, and other means of transportation. The fact that you were able to contact others was a good way to help the mental health of a soldier, maybe the comfort of a loved one or maybe a conversation from other residents or friends. However, trains were not around for the confederate side because they did not have lots of railroad lines compared to the north, and also as a fun fact they had a different gauge, which was shorter than the standard gauge (4’ 8”). I also mentioned that one of the different jobs you can take as a civil war soldier, was what was known as “Guard Duty”. This can be compared to a security guard or police officer. The point of the Guard was to look out for anyone on the opposite side who may attempt to sabotage, or kill any members of the Union Army. In the beginning, before the Union invaded the south, hardly any prisoners were found, but as they grew closer, more and more prisoners were found and caught. The Union didn’t have a very secure way of keeping these prisoners, so inevitably, the prisoners
Drew Gilpin Faust’s, This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War, is an intensive study that reflects on the impact of the Civil war had on the soldiers and civilians. Faust wanted to show that, as they dealt with and mourned over the overwhelming amount of carnage, the nation and the lives of the American people were already changed forever. Although there are many other publications relating to the Civil war, she is able to successfully reflect upon the morbid topic of death in the Civil war in a new and unique way. This book shows the war in a whole different perspective by focusing less on quantifying and stating the statistics of the civil war deaths. Rather, she examines more closely on how the Civil War deaths transformed the “society, culture and politics,” and the impact it had on the lives of the Americans in the 19th century.
Civil War soldiers fought for something more than just manhood, duty, government, and their country. They fought for and against slavery, which for most soldiers was their primary motivation beyond defending their home. Slavery for many was more than just an institution, it was the fabric of their economic society that provided the wealth and opportunity to the South. Without slavery the South could not operate and prosper which made it impossible for the notion of emancipation. However, those in the North did not immediately rely on the institution of slavery in such dire manner.
The United States Civil War is possible one of the most meaningful, bloodstained and controversial war fought in American history. Northern Americans against Southern Americans fought against one another for a variety of motives. These motives aroused from a wide range of ideologies that stirred around the states. In James M. McPherson’s What they fought for: 1861-1865, he analyzes the Union and Confederate soldier’s morale and ideological components through the letters they wrote to love ones while at war. While, John WhiteClay Chambers and G. Kurt Piehler depict Civil War soldiers through their letters detailing the agonizing battles of war in Major Problems in American Military History.
It’s no joke that the Civil War is America’s bloodiest war. And throughout these tumultuous times, tensions were high among all Americans. On the last legs of the Civil War, there was considerable doubt about the future of America. Would America ever recover from its harsh divide? Abraham Lincoln certainly thought so.
Life for the Union Soldier was not only brutal on the battlefield, but the camp life for a Union soldier was just as cruel. With the lack of personal hygiene, unsavory and repugnant food, and the shortage of clothing made living, a very difficult thing to do. Growth in the number of people with diseases was also a contributing factor to the massive amounts of death within the camp and as well as the post-battle wounds that often left either a man with one less limb or put in a mental institution. A Union Soldier’s life during the Civil War was cruel and horrific during their stay at the camps.
With all of these soul-shattering, life-changing conditions, it is less of a war and more of a test of strength for the soldiers, here at Valley Forge. Some men were going home and not returning. Other men just completely deserted. Even George Washington’s position was uncertain, the members of congress didn’t trust him. Life at Valley Forge was obviously horrible, and the ugly truth is that it wouldn’t get much better.
The Civil War is the bloodiest battle that America has ever faught in but is it still relevant to today’s society? There has been much debate on the importance of the Civil War and in recent years, the Civil War has become less popular in the eyes of the common American Citizen. The Civil War recently had its 150th birthday but much to the dismay
While the effort of America was important in winning the war, there was a lot of discrimination and prejudice against blacks, Native Americans, women, and homosexuals within the military. The men who fought in the war saw terrible conditions and many had mental breakdowns. This chapter in the book explains the deaths that many soldiers witnessed and how many men became separated from humanity. This caused many soldiers to become insane. The final two chapters in the book talk about changes in the American society throughout the war and the results from the war.
Black soldiers served in artillery and infantry and performed all noncombat support functions that sustain an army, as well. Black carpenters, chaplains, cooks, guards, laborers, nurses, scouts, spies, steamboat pilots, surgeons, and teamsters also contributed to the war cause. (Freeman1) The North thought of slavery as immoral but they still did not want to fight and die next to Black Soldiers, and Blacks captured as POWs by the Confederate Army was treated far more severely than their White counter
Through December 1777 to June 1778, George Washington led the Continental Army through winter camp. The Continental Army was an army of Patriot soldiers who fought against Britain. The Patriots hated Britain for their taxes and laws. So they went off to war. There was just one problem, they did not know how bad the conditions were going to be.
In chapter one of What They Fought For, I learned about the letters and diaries of the Confederate soldiers. The themes of the letters were home-sickness, lack of peace, and the defense of home against their invading enemy. The thought of soldiers fighting for their homes and being threatened by invaders, made them stronger when facing adversity. Many men expressed that they would rather die fighting for a cause, than dying without trying and this commitment showed patriotism. Throughout the letters, soldiers claimed their reason for fighting, was for the principles of Constitutional liberty and self-government.
Tony Howritz seeks to find out why the Civil War still captivates Americans today. From a young age Horwitz is educated about the Civil War from his 101
I live out in the deep woods where the other soldiers can’t find my Grandmother or myself. My family is in great danger because the Union is attacking us. My Grandfather is in the Confederate Army. My Grandmother and I are trying to survive without my Grandfather. We have to sleep on the ground because we have no beds.
The True Weight of War “The Things They Carried,” by Tim O’Brien, brings to light the psychological impact of what soldiers go through during times of war. We learn that the effects of traumatic events weigh heavier on the minds of men than all of the provisions and equipment they shouldered. Wartime truly tests the human body and and mind, to the point where some men return home completely destroyed. Some soldiers have been driven to the point of mentally altering reality in order to survive day to day. An indefinite number of men became numb to the deaths of their comrades, and yet secretly desired to die and bring a conclusion to their misery.
“Imagine yourself in the pitch dark, after two or three days of wet, cold, hunger, sleeplessness, staggering down a trench, knee-deep in mud, carrying various burdens that almost equal your own body-weight” (Ellis, 48). This was the everyday life of the typical soldier involved in the World War I trench warfare. During WWI trench warfare was common. It began in September 1914 with the German army digging themselves in for a battle that would last what seemed like a life time for the soldiers involved. Soldiers on either side alike lived in deplorable conditions.