Everyday+life+of+a+Private

Introduction
toc Over the course of the [|American Civil War], approximately 4,000,000 men from all corners of our young nation joined either the [|Confederate Army] or [|Union Army], ready to fight for their beliefs, way of life, and pride. History books often over look these 4,000,000 brave men because they claim they were "little" and "unimportant" people. In some aspects this is correct because individually they might not have been much, most being mere farmers, but together they were single handedly the folks who on the bloody battle fields, made our great nation what it is today.

A soldier once said in a letter to his wife, "//Soldiering is 99% boredom and 1% sheer terror//." Surprisingly, everyday life for a soldier typically was boring. Contrary to common belief, soldiers were not always in the heat of battle dodging bullets and fighting for their country. Most of the time, they were on camp being drilled and in their spare time playing cards and other games with fellow soldiers.

Who Was A Typical Union Soldier?
A Union soldier was typically a young man in his early twenties who, before the war, was a farmer. If he joined at the beginning of the war, he only joined because he thought it would last a few months. If he joined at the peak of the war, he was most likely drafted. The drafted soldiers were typically poorer because they could not pay the $300 fee that would exempt them from fighting.

Once admitted to the army, the soldier was given a dark blue, thick, woolen uniform. Upkeep of the uniform was the responsibility of the individual, thus many of the soldiers' wives would send their husbands sewing kits to mend their uniforms. On top of the heavy uniform, soldiers were given haversacks to carry cooking and eating items like utensils, a frying pan and a canteen, a knapsack, a blanket, and half of a tent to combine with another soldier's half tent, when on camp. Also, in the Union Army, it was required to stay hygienic; having cropped hair and being moderately clean shaven was mandatory.

Who Was A Typical Confederate Soldier?
An average Confederate soldier was also a young man in his early twenties. If he joined the Confederate army at the start of the war, as most all Southern gentleman did, it was because he wanted to "shoot some dang Yankees" and preserve his Southern ideals before the war was won with ease by the South. Unfortunately for the soldier, after he signed up, his term would be extended continually because there were early signs that the war would be neither quick nor easy.

Once admitted to the army, the soldier was in for rough living conditions and shabby uniforms occasionally "passed down" from a dead soldier. The material of the "cadet gray" uniforms was wool and cotton, due to the South's easy accessibility to the constantly growing cotton. However, the quality wasn't as good as the North's and it varied immensely because the family or town funded the uniform of each and every soldier. Keeping the uniform in good care was the individual soldier's preference and its maintenance wasn't required as it was in the Union Army. He carried with him a rolled up blanket, a haversack, a cloth covered canteen, a tin cup, and a small frying pan. Contrary to the Union Army, the soldiers appearance and hygiene was not a priority, therefore many Confederate soldiers often had wild hair and unruly, long beards.

Drill Sessions
When not in battle, the typical soldier would be awakened at five a.m. in the summer and six a.m. in the winter by reveille, a bugle call. After the first sergeant took role call, the soldier would have breakfast followed by the first of as many as five drill sessions they'd have in that day. These drill sessions, lasting about two hours, were what practices are to a sports team; rather then learning plays, the soldiers learned tactics and skills such as shooting more quickly and effectively with their rifle. Most soldiers looked upon drill sessions with dread, claiming them to be "tedious". In the intervals between drilling, average soldiers were made to do tasks such as clean the camp, make roads, dug trenches for latrines, find clean water, and gather wood for cooking and heating.

//Below is the reveille, or bugle call, that awakened the soldiers.// media type="youtube" key="SGnZxcS7VKA" height="385" width="480"

Food
Other than the lack of clean water, both the Confederate and Union soldiers were relatively well-fed. In 1861, the authorized ration for a Union soldier was 20 ounces of fresh or salted beef, or 12 ounces of salted pork, more than a pound of flour, and a vegetable, usually beans. Coffee, vinegar, sugar, and salt were often provided as well. When in the field, soldiers had a much more limited diet, often a maggot infested biscuit, dried beans, salted pork, and corn bread. From this "on the road" diet, the soldiers often faced with scurvy due to the lack of meat and vegetables.

Coffee was looked upon by most soldiers as a necessity. Many soldiers would store the actual beans in their haversacks and then grind them between rocks or with the butt end of their rifles, then brewed the flavorful drink. In pattern with most things, the Union always seemed to have enough coffee for their soldiers but the Confederacy ran out a lot, forcing their soldiers to resort to substitute drinks made from odd items such as peanuts, peas, and potatoes.

Recreation and Dealing Boredom
When not drilling or standing guard, life in camp forced the soldiers to deal with much boredom. To pass the time, soldiers wrote letters to loved ones, played games such as cards and board games; they gambled, played baseball, held cockfights and boxing matches; they drank (alcoholic beverages); they "frolicked" with prostitutes; they sang and they prayed. As much as sergeants tried to control vice on camp, an army regulation prohibited the purchase of alcohol; drinking, prostitutes and gambling were unavoidable and found in every campsite on both sides. Despite these more sinful activities, the number one pastime was writing home to loved ones. Furloughs, or extended periods away from the army, were rarely granted and camp sites were hardly ever near a soldier's home, thus homesickness was a huge problem and only somewhat quelled by those letters home.

Letters Home
As I said above, letters to and from loved ones were highly important to the soldiers. It cured their homesickness, kept their hopes up, helped pass the time, kept the soldiers connected to home, and reminded them what they were fighting for. (Refer to the bottom of this section if you are interested in reading more letters.)

//**Below is a letter from a Confederate soldier, J.C. Morris, to his wife. Below the physical letter is the transcript of the letter.**//  //May 10th 1863.//

//My Dear Amanda, It has been a long time since I had an opportunity of writing to you, and I gladly avail myself of the present opportunity. I am not certain that I will have a chance of sending this but I will write a few lines any how and try and get it off to let you know that I am among the living.// //We have been on a raid into Ms. but I have not time to give you the particulars of our trip. I will write in a few days if I can get a chance to send it and write you a long one. I just came off of picket and found the boys all writing to send by a man that has been discharged who is going to start home this morning. I was quite sick three or four days while in Mo. but have entirely recovered. We captured a good many prisoners while in Mo. and killed a good many. We went up as high as Jackson 8 or 10 miles above Cape Girardeau. We fought them nearly all day at the Cape on Sunday two weeks ago today. The yanks boasted that we would never get back to Ark but they were badly mistaken, for we are back again and have sustained but very light loss, we never lost a man out of our company and only one or two out of the regt. I wish I had time to give you a full description of our trip. It would be very interesting to you I know; but you will have to put up with this little scrawl for the present. I am in hopes that I will get a whole package of letters from you in a few days. I never wanted to see you half as bad in all my life as I do now. I would give anything in the world to see you and the children. I have no idea when I will have that pleasure. We can't get any news here - do not know what is going on in the outside world. The boys will all write as soon as they get a chance to send them off.// //We will remain in this vicinity, I expect for some time to recruit our horses. Our horses are sadly worsted. We found plenty to eat and to feed our horses on in Mo but hardly even had time to feed or eat as we traveled almost insesantly night and day. We could get any amount of bacon of the very best kind at 10 cts and every thing else in proportion.// //I must close for fear I do not get to send my letter off. Write offten I will get them some time. I will write every chance, do not be uneasy when you do not get letters, for when we are scouting around as we have been it is impossible to write or to send them off if we did write. Give my love to the old Lady and all the friends. My love and a thousand kisses to my own sweet Amanda and our little boys. How my heart yearns for thou that are so near and dear to me. Goodbye my own sweet wife, for the present. Direct to Little Rock as ---.//

//As ever your devoted and loving Husband, J.C. Morris.//  //Nashville Tenn July 6 '64
 * //Below are the words of another letter, from an unknown soldier to his friend Ettie, whom he wishes to marry when he returns.//** 

Friend Ettie,// //I believe I am not indebted to you by way of letter, but for your kindness to me I will write you a few lines. It is quite cool Weather here now and some snow upon the ground but not enough to make sleighing. I wish I wish I were in Hillsdale today I think I would call around to friend Ettie and go out a Sleighing. I get lonesome sometimes and I not know what to do, if I ever get out of the Service alive I am agoing to settle down and get married.// //What a novel Idea that is, perhaps you will not believe it but I am not joking. I am not quite an old Bach yet but I fear I will be before long.// //If you know of some good looking amiable young Lady that wish to change her situation in life, just mention the fact to her, and tell her there is a Soldier in the Army that wishes to marry in less than two years after his time expires in the Army.// //On New Year's day about one o-clock I received a verry nice gift which I appreciated verry much. It was the only gift that I received, and on that account realize its worth. You have my heartfelt thanks for your kindness and remembrance of a Soldier. Enclosed you will find the likeness of your unknown Correspondent which you will please accept, with the kindest regards.//

//I am yours verry truly//