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The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
GOAL 4 | LESSON PLAN | HIGH SCHOOL
Life At War
GRADES: High School
APPROXIMATE LENGTH OF TIME: 50 minutes
GOAL: Students will be able to discuss the life of a Civil War soldier, analyzing his role within
society and the military.
OBJECTIVES:
1. Assuming the role of an investigative reporter, students will be able to write an article
through which they will describe the daily life of a Civil War soldier, discuss the
challenges soldiers faced, and describe a soldier’s role within the military.
2. Students will be able to describe the effects of weapons technology on soldiers and
medical treatments used for wounded and sick soldiers.
3. Students will be able to discuss the African American soldier’s experience.
MATERIALS:
1. Life at War Power Point Presentation
2. Classroom Read/Share
3. Writing Assignment: A Soldier’s Life Editorial
4. The Civil War Soldier
5. A Soldier’s Life Editorial Rubric
ANTICIPATORY SET/HOOK
Civil War soldiers lived hard lives in a world very different from the world of the 21st century.
Ask students what they think soldiers’ lives were like. What did they eat and wear? What did
they do for fun? What kind of help was available to them if they got sick?
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life At War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
PROCEDURE:
Print out the PowerPoint with notes prior to class. There are notes included with the slides that
can be on the printed slides, but won’t be seen by your students during the presentation.
Activity 1
1. Whole-class instruction with the Life at War PowerPoint presentation and
associated discussion questions.
Activity 2
2. Place students into several small groups.
3. Provide each group with a Classroom Read/Share sheet. Students will read the
information on their sheet and then construct a brief answer to the question at the
top of that page.
4. Call on each group to share their question and answer with the class.
Activity 3
5. Hand out Writing Assignment: A Soldier’s Life Editorial, The Civil War Soldier (for
reference material) and A Soldier’s Life Editorial Rubric.
CLOSURE:
1. What role did the average Civil War soldier play during the war?
2. Do you think soldiers were thought of as individuals?
3. What were common challenges that soldiers faced during the war?
4. How do you think technology affected a soldier’s experience?
ASSESSMENT IN THIS LESSON
1. Informal assessment through the PowerPoint discussion questions
2. Informal assessment through the Read/Share discussion
3. Editorial
4. Informal assessment through the closure questions
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life At War
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
Classroom Read/Share
THE CIVIL WAR SOLDIER: What was life as a soldier like in 1863?
By the National Park Service
Each of the following pages contains a read/share sheet.
Organize your class into several small groups. Ideally, there should be a group for each
numbered read/share sheet.
Everyone in each group should work together to develop a response to the question at the top
of the page, based on the reading.
Give the groups approximately 10 minutes to read and share within their groups.
When time is up, call on a member of each group to share their information with the class.
Be sure to provide students with a copy of the article in its entirety for reference.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(1) What challenges did men face once they were in the army?
The life of a soldier in the 1860s was an arduous one and for the thousands of young Americans
who left home to fight for their cause, it was an experience none of them would ever forget.
Military service meant many months away from home and loved ones, long hours of drill, often
inadequate food or shelter, disease, and many days spent marching on hot, dusty roads or in a
driving rainstorm burdened with everything a man needed to be a soldier as well as baggage
enough to make his life as comfortable as possible. There were long stretches of boredom in
camp interspersed with moments of sheer terror experienced on the battlefield. For these
civilians turned soldiers, it was very difficult at first getting used to the rigors and demands of
army life. Most had been farmers all of their lives and were indifferent to the need to obey
orders. Discipline was first and foremost a difficult concept to understand, especially in the
beginning when the officer one had to salute may have been the hometown postmaster only a
few weeks before. Uniforms issued in both armies were not quite as fancy as those worn by the
hometown militias and soldiering did not always mean fighting. There were fatigue duties such
as assignments to gather wood for cook fires. Metal fittings had to be polished, horses groomed
and watered, fields had to be cleared for parades and drill, and there were water details for the
cook house. Guard duty meant long hours pacing up and down a well-trod line, day or night,
rain or shine, always on watch for a foe who might be lurking anywhere in the hostile
countryside. A furlough was hard to come by as every man was needed in the field and few men
had a chance to ever visit home.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(2) What kind of shelters were available to soldiers? How did they live?
A soldier's home in camp was a rectangular piece of canvas buttoned to another to form a small
two-man tent, or dog tent, as the soldiers called them. First introduced in 1862, every Union
soldier was issued one for use during active campaign and the men joked that only a dog could
crawl under it and stay dry from the rain. The tent could be easily pitched for the evening by
tying each end to a rifle stuck in the ground by the bayonet or by stringing it up to fence rails.
Confederates did not receive shelter tents though some Confederate units were issued a
variation of the tent, which they pitched as a lean-to or shelter. As the war progressed it was
very common for a Confederate camp to be filled with captured Union tents as well as captured
blankets, canteens, and haversacks. Confederates especially prized the Union rubber blankets,
which were not manufactured in the South and were ideal as a ground cloth or overhead
shelter.
Army camps were like a huge bustling city of white canvas, sometimes obscured by smoke from
hundreds of campfires. Camps were considered temporary throughout the year until the winter
months when the armies would establish winter quarters. The soldiers would construct log
huts that were large enough to accommodate several men, made of trees taken from any nearby
source. The logs were laid out on stones underneath the bottom log, in a rectangle and notched
to fit tight at the corners and stones, brick, or mud-covered logs were formed into a small
fireplace in one end. Mud filled the gap between the logs and inside of the chimney over the
fireplace. A roof made from tents or sawn boards and wooded bunks built inside finished the
hut. Soldiers often named their winter huts after well-known hotels or restaurants back home
such as "Wiltshire Hotel" or "Madigan's Oyster House." The armies quartered in these small
huts through the winter months and then it was back to the field and dog tents.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(3) What was drill? What kind of activities were part of drill? Why did the soldiers spend so much time drilling?
Marching and fighting drill was part of the daily routine for the Civil War soldier. Infantry
soldiers drilled as squads and in company formations, each man getting accustomed to orders
and formations such as marching in column and in a "company front", how to face properly,
dress the line, and interact with his fellow soldiers. After an hour of drill on that level, the
company moved onto regimental level drills and parades. The soldier practiced guard mount
and other procedures such as the Manual of Arms, which infantrymen learned for the rifle-
musket. Veterans of the war often remarked how they could recite the steps of loading and
priming for many years after the war, thanks to the continual drill. The drill was important for
the infantry for they used tactics that had changed little since the time of the American
Revolution or the age of Napoleon: infantry fought in closely knit formations of two ranks (or
rows) of soldiers, each man in the rank standing side by side. This formation was first devised
when the single-shot, muzzle-loading musket became the normal weapon on the battlefield, the
close ranks being a necessity because of the limitations of the musket. Yet, by 1861, new
technology had made the old-fashioned smoothbore musket nearly obsolete with the
introduction of the rifle musket. By the time of the Gettysburg Campaign, the rifle musket
made up the majority of infantry weapons in both the Union and Confederate armies though it
took much longer for the tactics to change. Even with the advance of the rifle musket, the
weapons were still muzzle loaders and officers believed that the old-fashioned drill formations
were still useful to ensure a massing of continuous firepower that the individual soldier could
not sustain. The result of this slow change was a much higher than anticipated rate of
casualties on the battlefield. Cavalrymen drilled with their sabers, both on foot and horseback,
while artillerymen drilled with their cannons limbered up to the team of horses and
unlimbered, ready to fire. Oddly enough, marksmanship on a rifle range did not take
precedence over other drill the soldiers learned for several reasons—the military believed that
each man would shoot accurately when told to and the war departments did not wish to waste
ammunition fired on random targets.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(4) What were musical instruments used for? What were the two most important instruments in battle and why?
For the infantry, drums were used to announce daily activities, from sunrise to sunset. Reveille
was sounded to begin the day at 5 AM, followed by an assembly for morning roll call and
breakfast call. Sick call was sounded soon after breakfast, followed by assemblies for guard
duty, drill, or to begin the march. Drummers were also important on the march to keep soldiers
in step during parades and to call them to attention. In battle, drums were sometimes used to
signal maneuvers and give signals for the ranks to load and fire their weapons. The artillery
and cavalry relied solely on buglers who were as important in their roles as the drummers were
to the infantry. When not playing for their respective regiments, musicians were often
combined with regimental or brigade bands to play marching tunes or provide field music for
parades, inspections, and reviews.
Soldiers loved to sing and there were many tunes popular in both armies. A variety of
instruments were available to musically minded soldiers, including guitars, banjos, flutes, and
harmonicas. More industrious soldiers fashioned string instruments such as fiddles out of
wooden cigar boxes. Regimental or brigade bands often played during the evening hours and
there were instances of army bands being heard to play favorite tunes for the opposition when
the armies were separated by a river or siege line. Some of the more popular tunes for
southerners were "Lorena," "Maryland My Maryland," and "The Bonnie Blue Flag." Union
soldiers had "The Battle Cry of Freedom," "Battle Hymn of the Republic," and "Tenting on the
Old Campground" as favorites. The men of both sides also enjoyed minstrel tunes such as "My
Old Kentucky Home," "The Arkansas Traveler," and "Dixie."
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(5) What did Northern soldiers wear? What did Southern soldiers wear? What were some similarities? What were some differences?
The soldier of 1863 wore a wool uniform; a belt set that included a cartridge box, cap box,
bayonet, and scabbard; a haversack for rations; a canteen; and a blanket roll or knapsack,
which contained a wool blanket, a shelter half, and perhaps a rubber blanket or poncho. Inside
was a change of socks, writing paper, stamps and envelopes, ink and pen, razor, toothbrush,
comb, and other personal items. The amount of baggage each soldier carried differed from man
to man. The Southern soldier was highly regarded for traveling with a very light load basically
because he did not have the extra items available to him that the Northern soldier had.
Southern uniforms were quite different from the Northern uniforms, consisting of a short-
waisted jacket and trousers made of "jean" cloth—a blend of wool and cotton threads that was
very durable. Dyed by different methods, the uniforms were a variation of greys and browns.
Northern soldiers called Confederates "butternuts" because of the tan-grey color of the
uniforms. Vests were also worn and were often made of jean material as well. Shirts and
undergarments were universally of cotton material and often sent to the soldiers from home.
Southern-made shoes were of very poor quality and difficult to obtain. Union uniforms were
universally of better quality because of numerous mills throughout the North that could
manufacture wool cloth and the steady import of material from Europe. The Union soldier's
blouse and trousers were wool and dyed a dark blue until 1862, when the trouser color was
altered to a lighter shade of blue. The floppy-crowned forage cap, made of wool broadcloth with
a leather visor, was either loved or loathed, but universally worn by most soldiers in the Army
of the Potomac. Each soldier would adorn his cap with brass letters of the regiment and
company to which he belonged. Beginning in 1863, corps badges were designed for the
different army corps and these were universally adopted for the top of the cap. Like their
Confederate counterparts, most Union soldiers disdained the itchy wool flannel army shirt for
cotton shirts and undergarments sent from home.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(6) What did soldiers do in their spare time? What do you think was the most meaningful activity to them?
Leisure activities were similar in either army and most of it was spent writing letters home.
Soldiers were prolific letter writers and wrote at every opportunity. It was the only way for
them to communicate with loved ones and inform the home folks of their condition and where
they were. Thrifty soldiers sent their pay home to support their families and kept only a small
amount to see them through until the next payday. The arrival of mail in camp was a cause for
celebration no matter where the soldiers were and there was sincere grumbling when the mail
arrived late. The lucky soldiers who received a letter from home often read and re-read them
many times. Packages from home contained baked goods, new socks or shirts, underwear, and
often soap, towels, combs, and toothbrushes. Union soldiers often spent their free time at the
sutler's store, comparable to the modern post exchange, where they could purchase toiletries,
canned fruit, pocketknives, and other supplementary items, but usually at exorbitant prices. A
private's salary amounted to $13.00 per month in 1863 and those unfortunates who owed the
sutler watched as most of their pay was handed over to the greedy businessman on pay day.
Confederates did not have the luxury of sutlers, who disappeared soon after the war began.
Instead they depended on the generosity of folks at home or farmers and businessmen near the
camps.
Free time was also spent in card games, reading, pitching horseshoes, or team sports such as
the fledgling sport of baseball, a game which rapidly gained favor among Northern troops. Rule
booklets were widely distributed and the game soon became a favorite. Soldiers also played a
form of football that appeared more like a huge brawl than the game we know today, and often
resulted in broken noses and fractured limbs. Holidays were celebrated in camp with feasts,
foot races, horse racing, music, boxing matches, and other contests. But while on active
campaign, the soldiers were limited to writing, cleaning uniforms and equipment, and sleeping.
Religion was very important in the soldier's daily routine. Many of the men attended church
services on a regular basis and some even carried small testaments with the rest of their
baggage. Union and Confederate armies had numerous regimental and brigade chaplains.
These loyal officers also acted as assistants in field hospitals, comforting the sick and wounded
and writing letters home for those who could not write. Chaplains held field services for their
respective units and most accompanied the soldiers as they marched onto the battlefield.
Father William Corby, the chaplain of the Irish Brigade, is best remembered for his granting of
unconditional absolution to the members of the brigade before they marched into battle in the
Wheatfield on July 2nd. Father Corby was immensely popular with the men and in the post-
war era became president of Notre Dame University.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(7) What did soldiers eat? What were some favorites? What were some differences between the diets of Union and Confederate soldiers?
By far, the food soldiers received has been the source of more stories than any other aspect of army life.
The Union soldier received a variety of edibles. The food issue, or ration, was usually meant to last
three days while on active campaign and was based on the general staples of meat and bread. Meat
usually came in the form of salted pork or, on rare occasions, fresh beef. Rations of pork or beef were
boiled, broiled, or fried over open campfires. Army bread was a flour biscuit called hardtack, re-named
"tooth-dullers," "worm castles," and "sheet iron crackers" by the soldiers who ate them. Hardtack could
be eaten plain though most men preferred to toast the biscuits over a fire, crumble them into soups, or
crumble and fry them with their pork and bacon fat in a dish called skillygalee. Other food items
included rice, peas, beans, dried fruit, potatoes, molasses, vinegar, and salt. Baked beans were a
Northern favorite when the time could be taken to prepare them and a cooking pot with a lid could be
obtained. Coffee was a most desirable staple and some soldiers considered the issue of coffee and
accompanying sugar more important than anything else. Coffee beans were distributed green so it was
up to the soldiers to roast and grind them. The task for this most desirable of beverages was worth every
second as former soldier John Billings recalled: "What a Godsend it seemed to us at times! How often
after being completely jaded by a night march... have I had a wash, if there was water to be had, made
and drunk my pint or so of coffee and felt as fresh and invigorated as if just arisen from a night's sound
sleep!"
Soldiers often grouped themselves into a "mess" to combine and share rations, often with one soldier
selected as cook or split duty between he and another man. But while on active campaign, rations were
usually prepared by each man to the individual's taste. It was considered important for the men to cook
the meat ration as soon as it was issued, for it could be eaten cold if activity prevented cook fires. A
common campaign dinner was salted pork sliced over hardtack with coffee boiled in tin cups that each
man carried.
The Southern soldier's diet was considerably different from that of his Northern counterpart and
usually of much less quantity. The average Confederate subsisted on bacon, cornmeal, molasses, peas,
tobacco, vegetables and rice. Soldiers also received a coffee substitute which was not as desirable as the
real coffee Northerners had. Trades of tobacco for coffee were quite common throughout the war when
fighting was not underway. Other items for trade or barter included newspapers, sewing needles,
buttons, and currency.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(8) What were some ways soldiers were disciplined? Do you think that discipline was effective? Could these methods be used today? Are they?
Discipline in the military was very strict. The Provost Marshal of the army was responsible for
enforcing military rules, but regimental commanders also had the authority to dole out
punishments for minor offenses. Petty offenses such as shirking camp duty or not keeping
equipment in good order were usually treated with extra duties such as digging latrines,
chopping wood, or standing extra hours on guard duty. Insubordination, thievery, cowardice,
or other offenses were more serious and the guilty party was usually subjected to embarrassing
punishments such as carrying a log, standing on a barrel, or wearing a placard announcing his
crime. "Bucking and gagging" was also a common punishment- the soldier's limbs were bound
and he was gagged so he could not speak. In the artillery, the guilty person might be tied to the
spare wheel on the back of a caisson. Desertion, spying, treachery, murder, or threats on an
officer's life were the most serious offenses to which the perpetrator was condemned to military
prison or shot by a firing squad. Crimes committed against civilians were also punishable by
the army and felons were executed by hanging before a formation of soldiers.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(9) What were the most common types of arms and ammunition used? What components made up the army and what were the responsibilities of each of these in battle?
The singular purpose of the soldier was to fight a battle and win. There were a variety of small
arms used during the Civil War. The average infantryman carried a muzzle-loading rifle-
musket manufactured in American arsenals or one purchased from foreign countries such as
England. The bayonet was an important part of the rifle and its steel presence on the muzzle of
the weapon was very imposing. When not in battle, the bayonet was a handy candle holder and
useful in grinding coffee beans. The typical rifle-musket weighed eight and one-half pounds
and fired a conical shaped bullet called the Minie Ball. Bullets were made of very soft lead and
caused horrible wounds that healed with difficulty. The artillery was composed of both rifled
and smoothbore cannon, each gun served by a crew of 14 men including the drivers. The role of
the artillery was to support the infantry while the infantry role was to either attack or defend,
depending on the circumstances. Both components of the army worked together to coordinate
their tactics on the field of battle. Cavalrymen were armed with breech-loading carbines,
sabers, and pistols. Cavalry was initially used for scouting purposes and to guard supply trains.
The role of mounted troops had expanded by the time of Gettysburg, with cavalry divisions
acting as skirmishers and fighting mounted and on foot in pitched battles such as Brandy
Station, Virginia on June 9, 1863. Other components of the armies included the signal corps,
engineers, and medical and hospital corps, as well as supply organizations, including the
quartermasters.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
(10) What caused the most fatalities during the Civil War? Why? What was the most common treatment of battle wounds? Why?
Sickness and disease were the scourge of both armies and more men died of disease than in
battle. Sanitation in the camps was very poor. Germs and the existence of bacteria had not yet
been discovered, and medical science was quite primitive by today's standards. Morning sick
call was played in camp and ailing soldiers trudged to the surgeon's tent, where the "sawbones"
examined the sick. Quinine or other stimulants were administered, including an elixir called
"Blue Mass." Whiskey was universally given for most ailments as was brandy and other
stimulants. Extremely ill soldiers were sent to brigade hospitals, where most were further
affected by disease. Thousands of men in both armies died without ever firing a shot in battle.
Most wounds to the arms or legs had to be treated with amputation if there was any hope of
saving a soldier’s life. For every four deaths in the Civil War three were from disease or
infection and one was from battle wounds.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life At War
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
Writing Assignment: A Soldier’s Life Editorial
You are a reporter who has been sent by your home-town newspaper to a winter
camp of either the Army of the Potomac or the Army of Northern Virginia.
Folks back home are eager to know how their sons, fathers, brothers, and
sweethearts are doing. You are in charge of investigating and gathering
information about the soldier’s daily lives, meals, and the camp. You will then
prepare an editorial that will be dispatched to your newspaper.
Be sure to include pertinent and accurate facts about what you are witnessing. It
is your responsibility to inform the people at home about the daily lives of their
loved ones.
Be sure to also include your opinion of whether the soldiers are being treated well
and, fed well, and what folks back home can do to help their soldiers.
Your editorial dispatch should be structured as a four-paragraph essay. It must
have an introduction (first paragraph), a body (two middle paragraphs that can
describe three aspects of a soldiers life) and a conclusion (your opinion about
what folks back home can do to help support the soldiers and why they should).
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at the corne
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or mud-cove
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oards and w
after well-k
ster House"
was back to
wore a woo
box, bayone
anket roll or
alf, and per
ks, writing
ush, comb,
dier carried
as highly re
use he did n
oldier had.
uniforms, c
ean" cloth—
s, the unifo
tes "buttern
ten made of
material and
ality and dif
erous mills
ort of mater
ark blue un
y-crowned f
but univers
is cap with
n 1863, corp
ally adopte
ered logs w
gs and insid
wooded bun
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o the field a
ol uniform;
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r knapsack,
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paper, stam
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brass letter
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ed for the to
were formed
de of the ch
nks built ins
els or restau
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uniforms w
of a short-w
wool and c
a variation o
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ut the North
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giment and
ned for the
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portunity. I
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d they depen
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It was the o
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ned the itchy
in either ar
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only way for
me folks of t
t their pay h
amount to
ail in camp w
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a letter from
ed goods, ne
rushes. Uni
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her supplem
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e generosity
ng horsesh
ained favor
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s were celeb
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more!"
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stories tha
received a
meant to la
on the gen
the form of
pork or bee
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te them. Har
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ast three day
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rdtack could
to soups, or
e contrary,
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ular pets ap
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high comm
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hardiness of
hing connec
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s including
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ment. So str
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ard crack
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aspect of arm
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ys while on a
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k or, on rare
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d be eaten pla
crumble and
many soldi
irrels, racco
isconsin ev
ch next to t
ed to have h
egg for the
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manders. M
strong Cust
f these loya
ction" with
had singular
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ness on the
he dead of t
in action on
ruck by the
animal be
kers, come
has been the
my life. The
food issue, or
active campa
d bread. Mea
occasions, f
or fried over
s," "worm ca
ain though m
d fry them w
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en had a pe
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g. Sallie, the
regimental
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n July 3 at C
animal's ga
given a pro
e again no
source of m
Union soldi
r ration, was
aign and was
at usually cam
fresh beef. R
r open camp
astles," and "
most men pr
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ons and
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s based
me in
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fires.
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common cam
man carried.
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usually of mu
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real coffee N
fighting was
buttons, and
armies were
were "Loren
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a dish called
negar, and sa
m and a cook
rs considered
beans were d
t desirable of
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n soldier's d
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etables and r
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e separated
na," "Maryl
Cry of Free
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alt. Baked be
king pot with
d the issue o
distributed g
f beverages w
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re was water
t arisen from
hemselves in
duty betwee
h man to the
as it was issu
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antity. The av
rice. Soldier
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way. Other ite
d by a river o
land My Ma
edom," "Bat
e)
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eans were a
h a lid could
of coffee and
green so it w
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times! How
r to be had, m
m a night's so
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en he and an
e individual's
ued, for it co
d pork sliced
siderably diff
verage Confe
rs also receiv
of tobacco fo
ems for trade
Soldiers lo
both armi
musically
and harm
instrumen
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evening h
heard to p
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d items inclu
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be obtained
accompany
as up to the
very second
often after b
made and dr
ound sleep!"
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other man. B
s taste. It wa
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d over hardt
fferent from
ederate subs
ved a coffee s
or coffee wer
e or barter in
oved to sing
ies. A variet
minded so
monicas. Mo
nts such as
tal or brigad
hours and th
play favorite
e. Some of
nd "The Bon
of the Repu
ded rice, pea
avorite when
d. Coffee was
ying sugar m
soldiers to r
as former so
being compl
runk my pin
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e and share r
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as considered
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ack with cof
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substitute w
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ncluded new
g and there
ty of instru
oldiers, inclu
ore industri
fiddles out
de bands of
here were in
e tunes for
the more p
nnie Blue F
ublic," and "
as, beans, dr
n the time co
s a most desi
more importa
roast and gri
oldier John
etely jaded b
nt or so of co
rations, often
n active cam
d important
vity prevent
ffee boiled in
Northern cou
con, cornme
which was no
mmon throug
wspapers, sew
e were many
ments were
uding guita
ous soldier
t of wooden
ften played
nstances of
the opposit
popular tune
Flag." Union
"Tenting on
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ried fruit, po
ould be taken
irable staple
ant than anyt
ind them. Th
Billings reca
by a night m
ffee and felt
n with one s
paign, ration
for the men
ed cook fires
n tin cups th
unterpart an
eal, molasses
ot as desirabl
ghout the wa
wing needle
y tunes pop
e available t
ars, banjos,
rs fashioned
n cigar boxe
during the
f army band
tion when t
es for south
n soldiers h
n the Old
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n to
e and
thing
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alled:
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t as fresh
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ns were
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at each
nd
s, peas,
le as the
ar when
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to
flutes,
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es.
e
ds being
the
herners
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nd" as favor
Home," "The
as very impo
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nion and Co
officers als
g letters hom
units and m
iam Corby,
nal absoluti
on July 2nd
ame presid
Disci
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had t
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other
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rites. The m
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asis and so
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me for those
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responsible
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by the army
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The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life At War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
been discovered, and medical science was quite primitive by today's standards. Morning sick
call was played in camp and ailing soldiers trudged to the surgeon's tent, where the "sawbones"
examined the sick. Quinine or other stimulants were administered, including an elixir called
"Blue Mass." Whiskey was universally given for most ailments as was brandy and other
stimulants. Extremely ill soldiers were sent to brigade hospitals, where most were further
affected by disease. Thousands of men in both armies died without ever firing a shot in battle.
The singular purpose of the soldier was to fight a battle and win. There were a variety of small
arms used during the Civil War. The average infantryman carried a muzzle-loading rifle-
musket manufactured in American arsenals or one purchased from foreign countries such as
England. The bayonet was an important part of the rifle and its steel presence on the muzzle of
the weapon was very imposing. When not in battle, the bayonet was a handy candle holder and
useful in grinding coffee beans. The typical rifle-musket weighed eight and one-half pounds
and fired a conical shaped bullet called the Minie Ball. Bullets were made of very soft lead and
caused horrible wounds that healed with difficulty. The artillery was composed of both rifled
and smoothbore cannon, each gun served by a crew of 14 men including the drivers. The role of
the artillery was to support the infantry while the infantry role was to either attack or defend,
depending on the circumstances. Both components of the army worked together to coordinate
their tactics on the field of battle. Cavalrymen were armed with breech-loading carbines,
sabers, and pistols. Cavalry was initially used for scouting purposes and to guard supply trains.
The role of mounted troops had expanded by the time of Gettysburg, with cavalry divisions
acting as skirmishers and fighting mounted and on foot in pitched battles such as Brandy
Station, Virginia on June 9, 1863. Other components of the armies included the signal corps,
engineers, and medical and hospital corps, as well as supply organizations, including the
quartermasters.
The end of the war in 1865 brought a welcome peace, especially for the men who served as
soldiers. Armies were disbanded and regiments mustered out of service. Former soldiers
returned to the farms and stores they had left so long ago, but the memories of their service
and old comrades did not disappear quite so rapidly. In the decade following the end of the
Civil War, organizations of veterans of the North and South were formed. Northern veterans
joined the Grand Army of the Republic and Confederate veterans enrolled in the United
Confederate Veterans. For many years, G.A.R. posts and U.C.V. chapters met over reunion
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life At War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
campfires retelling stories and recalling the friends who did not return. Many veterans wrote
articles, stories, and poems for the magazines of both organizations. The G.A.R. and U.C.V.
held powerful influence in political circles from 1878 through the turn of the century, but their
influence faded as veterans in congress retired and passed out of politics. The last hurrah for
both organizations came at Gettysburg in 1913 when 54,000 veterans attended the 1913
Anniversary celebration and Grand Reunion, and both organizations formally joined in a
singular purpose of national unification and peace. America's involvement in the Great War
(World War I) four years later brought hundreds of aged "Yanks" and "Johnnies" out to march
together in military parades for one last time before they quickly faded into the background as
the nation's attention focused on her "doughboys" serving in Europe.
Though the Civil War veterans faded away, the armies in which they once marched were
forever honored by the parks they helped establish at Shiloh, Antietam, Vicksburg,
Chickamauga and Gettysburg.
National Park Service. “The Civil War Soldier: What was life as a soldier like in 1863?”
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/soldierlife/cwarmy.htm.
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life At War
Name: _________________
Date: _________________
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
A Soldier’s Life Editorial Rubric
Newspaper Editorial Article Scoring Rubric
Possible
Points
Student
Self-
Assessment
Score
Teacher
Score
Article is written in a logical sequence and is well organized.
10
Article has a strong introduction.
10
The body of the article is logical and well organized. The
body of the article provides accurate and specific facts from
the PowerPoint, the Read/Share activity, and the National
Park Service article.
10
Article captures the reader’s attention. Events are easily
understood by the reader.
10
Article has a strong conclusion that provides the reader with
ideas about what the people at home can do to help support
the soldiers and make their lives easier. Article provides in-
depth coverage of the topic and a clear editorial opinion.
10
The Civil War Curriculum, Goal 4
Life at War
The Civil War Curriculum | High School Civilwar.org/curriculum
Student accurately incorporates relevant vocabulary and
names of places and people.
10
Article is written in a way that demonstrates student
understanding of the learning objectives from the lesson
plan, that is, equipment, uniforms, weapons, hardships,
health issues, camp life, etc.
10
Correct spelling, sentence structure, usage and punctuation
are evident throughout the article.
10
Article was typed/generated with word processing software
and formatted appropriately.
10
Article was handed in on time.
10
Total Points
100
Each category is rated according to the following scale:
9-10 = Excellent, 8-9 = Very Good, 7-8 =Satisfactory, 6-7 = Unsatisfactory, 6-0 = poor
Student self-assessment score: __________
Teacher score: ___________