A Soldier's Life in the Civil War Essay

The name Civil War is misleading because the war was not a class struggle, but a sectional combat, having its roots in political, economic, social, and psychological elements. It has been characterized, in the words of William H. Seward, as the “irrepressible conflict.” In another judgment the Civil War was viewed as criminally stupid, an unnecessary bloodletting brought on by arrogant extremists and blundering politicians. Both views accept the fact that in 1861 there existed a situation that, rightly or wrongly, had come to be regarded as insoluble by peaceful means.

Martin describes the travel and the toll it took on men. “I had now to travel the rest of the day, after marching all the day and night before and fighting all the morning. I had eaten nothing since the noon of the preceding day, nor did I eat a morsel til the forenoon of the next day, and I needed rest as much as victuals. After the army had collected again and recovered from their panic, we were kept marching and countermarching, starving and freezing” (Martin

In the war for the American independence, the life of a continental soldier was very rough as depicted in the book by Martin. Some of the soldiers of the army served relatively only a short

The civil war began early in the spring of 1861 after the South’s secession from the Union and ended during the same season four years later in 1865. Though the war lasted for a rather short amount of time, for the ones it affected it seemed to be never-ending. The impact that the war had on Southerners was rather traitorous, them being the ones who suffered most. Many men lost their homes and property while many, many more men lost their lives fighting for them. There were many types of Southerners in 1861, the war affecting all of them differently, with some of the richer and higher members of society having an easier time both before and after the war. One amazing author, Margret Mitchell, created an in depth story of a southern-belle

Life of a soldier is very tough and full of discipline, in the Army of the Potomac the soldier has to keep his body in shape for any battle that might come up. The soldier would do drills every morning. The camps for a soldier were tents, they would pitch a tent and that’s what they would sleep in. The soldier would play games to keep himself entertained and not get bored.

The Civil War devastated families all across the United States. Hundreds of thousands of people died and for many years after, the nation was still divided and trying to figure out how to move forward. Irene Hunt learned of stories of the Civil War from her grandfather who served in the Civil War. Hunt’s book, Across Five Aprils, relates to her childhood because this novel is nothing but a story of the war from one family. This book hit home hard and revealed concepts of realism by examining the effects the war had on everyday life.

1. What was the mood at the outset of the war, and what caused it?

After moving 42 miles in three days, Custer realized that “directly west, in his front, are the very Indians the columns [were] searching for.” He massed his forces and deployed scouts to confirm the enemy's position. Before dawn on June 25th, they found “6,000 to 7,000 natives . . . encamped about 15 miles away . . . in the expansive Little Bighorn Valley.” Post-battle analysis confirmed “at least 2,000 warriors” in a settlement that “cover[ed] nearly two miles.” During this reconnaissance, Custer believed the enemy had discovered his column, and hastily began his attack, “fearing the natives might escape.”

They realized they had a problem since no other units were up to the line with them; they had to wait this out. They were ordered to lie down in the tall grass. The fighting started to break out in front of them at a small skirmish line. Many of the men had never seen battle, so some of the men stood up to watch what was going on. Maj. John D. Musser of the 143rd wrote: "… a few shells came booming over our heads, making many of the uninitiated dodge muchly and now and then a wounded skirmisher was brought in from the skirmish line and taken to the rear, all of which had a tendency to make us nervous and uneasy…" (Tomasak,

The rough times, the hungry days , the cold nights they suffered through. According to the background essay, it was winter at camp Valley Forge in Philadelphia during 1777-1778. George Washington led a continental army to train soldiers to fight in the american revolution against Britain. If you had been a soldier in Washington’s army would you have given up and left? I know if I were a soldier at Valley Forge I would quit because of the cold winters, numerous amounts of deaths and illnesses and also the harsh conditions.

“Poor food – hard lodging – cold weather – fatigue – nasty cloaths- nasty cookery – vomit half my time – smoked out my senses – the Devil isn’t – I can’t Endure it – why are we sent here to starve and freeze” In Document C, they show the life of a Soldier. Now, do you see yet why I would leave? We travel too much and not with the right supplies besides guns, but still, I walk around half of the time with no shoes and freeze my toes off, do you know how much frostbite I got, you wouldn’t imagine. We get sick with many things like small pocks putrid fever, pneumonia, and dysentery. Although you may think that, this wasn’t that big a deal most people do and so do I. I love my family too much to go through this

Then the general told me to go back and help the main lines. On my way back the Union must have been pretty shaken from when the patrols were firing at the Confederates in the forest because when I was running back to join them, they were firing at me until I told them I was a Union soldier. They asked me some questions to make sure I was a Union soldier and not a Confederate spy. Then they told me to get in line and wait for the

According to Theodore Bliss’s statement during the persecution of Captain Preston he saw “people throwing snowballs at the soldiers and saw a stick about 3 feet long strike a soldier.” The soldier's’ natural instinct may have

The American Civil War lasted from April 12, 1861 to May 9, 1865. It was the bloodiest war in American history, killing approximately 620,000 soldiers in total. The War was fought and won by the North, ensuring that all the United States would stay united and slavery would be illegal in The United States. However, history is one of the most complicated things in the world. It’s also one of the most important things in the world because history is what made the present possible. Historians have debated the cause of The American Civil War for over a hundred and fifty years. This is a very complicated question as history can be a matter of opinion sometimes. When looking at history, one of the most important tools you can have is written words from past men and women of the time. “It is chiefly through books that we enjoy intercource with superior minds. In the best books, great men talk to us, give us their most precious thoughts, and pour their souls into ours. God be thanked for books. They are the voices of the distant and the dead, and make us their heirs of the spiritual life of past ages.” William Ellery Channing an American preacher 1780-1842. Writings from the time will reveal the true history of the time. The writings of John C. Calhoun, Alexander Stephens, and Henry Clay, are three opinions that highlight the causes of the Civil War.

“War at its basic level has always been about soldiers. Nations rose and fell on the strength of their armies and the men who filled the ranks.” This is a very powerful quote, especially for the yet young country of the United States, for it gives credit where credit is truly due: to the men who carried out the orders from their superiors, gave their blood, sweat and tears, and in millions of cases their lives while fighting for ideals that they believed their country or government was founded upon, and to ensure the continuation of these ideals. Up until the end of the 20th Century, they did so in the worst of conditions, and this includes not only the battle scene, but also every day life. In