The Daily Life of Civil War Soldiers Essay

The Civil War was provoked for several reasons which included industry, slavery, and territorial disputes among the Northern states and Southern states of the newly established United States. The first recorded engagement of war between the North and South is documented to have taken place on April 12th, 1861 at The Battle of Fort Sumter. This was the starting point of a war that would claim over 600,000 American lives in a relatively short span of 4 years.

In the beginning of the war white southerners reject black men joining their army whether they were slaves or a free man. In addition, confederate leaders and soldiers would not recognize black men as legitimate soldiers when they captured black soldiers they would abuse or murder them, rather than treat them as prisoners of war. However, the confederate’s perspective of black men joining the confederate army changed, when they needed more troops and laborers In addition, the chance of the confederacy winning the Civil war became grim. Therefore, they allowed black men to enlist and promise them freedom, if the remained loyal. Furthermore, the confederacy did what they thought was necessary to save the white

Fighting a war takes courage, but this courage isn’t utilized solely on the battlefield. It is around late 1777 to mid 1778, and George Washington’s troops were camped at Valley Forge, Pennsylvania. This winter lodging is located on the Schuylkill River 18 miles northwest of Philadelphia, where the British are encamped. Supplies are running low and Valley Forge is exposed to the elements, leading to casualties from sickness, exposure, and starvation. Washington’s soldiers are now faced with a decision: Do they stay, reenlist, and keep fighting, or do they leave for home as soon as their nine month enlistment is over in February? If I had been in that scenario, I would have reenlisted because there is a need for able soldiers, Washington is

In 1850, a document called the Fugitive Slave Act was passed. Primarily, this document dealt with the reclaiming of runaway slaves. This law allowed southerners to call upon the federal government to capture runaway slaves who had fled the South and may be living in the North. The Fugitive Slave Act and the laws that went with it only caused controversy in the North. This split the North and South. In reaction to this, some northern states passed laws forbidding state officials to enforce the Fugitive Slave Law, which only angered the southern states. Northerners had become aware of the hypocrisy of slavery and became resolved to end slavery. Many abolitionists started to take action to help slaves escape. This major controversy over the

In 1861 mounting disagreements between the north and south lead to the Confederate soldiers attacking their northern brothers at Fort Sumter. This was the genesis of the bloodiest war in our country's history. As news of this war reached in reached enslaved ears, there was a rush of able-bodied black men, who wish to join the military in the fight for their own freedom. Unfortunately, federal law prohibited blacks from serving in the US military army. President Abraham Lincoln was aware of their desire to enlist, but Lincoln was originally worried that the border states would break away if he allowed blacks to join. President Lincoln also feared that the white soldiers would react poorly to being asked to serve side-by-side with a colored man. A civil servant, name Friedrich Douglass, petition President Lincoln to allow for recruiting black men into the military. Unfortunately, Pres. Lincoln still feared making enemies of the Border States and causing them to take up arms against the union. However, along with the urging from Vice President Hamlin and his supporters, they convinced Lincoln that there was a dire need for more troop support. Finally, January 1, 1863 the amendment was made to allow blacks to enlist and serve as soldiers. Despite this breakthrough, the platoons are still segregated, the blacks from the whites. President Lincoln was cautiously diplomatic in his policies and

Throughout the Civil War African Americans suffered greatly because of discrimination and because of their attempted escape from slavery. Thousands of the free blacks in the Union volunteered to serve in the Union army and to fight against the Confederacy. Although they risked their lives, they were not treated very well. At the start of the war, colored volunteers were forbade to enter the army. Congress, however, changed that in 1862, a year into the Civil War. Even though they were allowed in the troops, they were still treated very poorly.

While the emancipation proclamation was created to mainly announce the solidarity of the Union against slavery, it also became a symbol of hope for black people, who for many years were subjected to the maltreatment and prejudices by their fellow man. This was evident in the inequalities of black soldiers within the Union army, in which it was still commonly complacent during the Civil War. The Union’s practices of denying black soldiers the opportunity of a commission as an officer, paying them less than their fellow white counterparts, allowing them to face harsher treatment as prisoners of war and most profoundly was the segregation of black soldiers from the rest of the Army; were just a few incidents that gave proof that African Americans were still not considered an equal.

before battle; once the fighting began they no longer had time to fear, because adrenaline had kicked in. One such way they released tension was through yelling and singing. The confederates had the famous Rebel Yell and the union sang ‘Rally Round the Flag Boys’. Once the battles were over and the adrenaline had worn off, the immense fear returned and exhaustion set in (30-45).

While it is common knowledge that slavery was a central issue to the Civil War, a misconception exists concerning the motivations of high-ranking members of the Union. The Civil War was not a conflict between good and evil; the Union did not hold the moral high ground when it came to their beliefs concerning the plight of African Americans during this time period. Through examination of personal writings, comments, and formal documents attributed to Union leaders, the circumstances leading to the decision to allow African Americans to join the Union army, and the conditions that these men faced after enlisting, it becomes evident that the Union was purely interested in winning the war regardless of how that outcome affected African Americans. The Union’s utilization of free African Americans and former slaves during the Civil War was not the consequence of philosophical beliefs held by the Northern leaders, but rather a strategic and calculated choice made in an effort to hold the United States of America together.

African American union soldiers didn’t receive the same pay or treatment as white union soldiers. They received $10 a month with a $3 deduction for clothing, white soldiers received $13 a month with no deductions. That was until June 1864 when congress granted equal pay for all soldiers. In the north, racial

My essay is about the soldiers lives during the Civil war. A few Battles in the Civil War was: the battle of the Bullrun, the Antietam battle, Vicksburg, ect. My subtopic is the Battles that appends during the Civil War. These battles were during 1861-1865. And what they did during their free time. Also what would they do if they were captured by their enemy.

The American Civil war was a extremely hazardous war to men land and buildings alike.

For one month, I spent my summer maintaining trails at the Kennesaw Mountain National Battlefield Park. Avid hikers and historians are attracted to the Civil War battles that took place, however this popularity has resulted in the park’s degradation and hazardous conditions.

What challenges did the “new immigrants” face (those arriving between 1877 and 1914) that previous waves of immigrants did not?  (Discuss at least 2 challenges.)

Since I went to bed so early last night, I woke up more of an appetite and ready to eat. I had an big breakfast from the hotel buffet of sausage, ham, eggs, cheese, biscuits, and of course earl grey tea with sugar cubes. I took some biscuits with me for the long tube ride to hampton court palace.I knew I would not have time to stop for lunch.