Part two of two
Civil War soldier wasn’t much different
from distant grandson in Afghanistan

By DOUG LIPPMAN

(EDITOR’S NOTE:  Civil War historian, educator and writer Doug Lippman describes the life of the Common Soldier in part two of this two-part series. Lippmann also “walks-the-walk,” portraying that role at living history events and re-enactments of the period.)

Civil War soldiers, of course,  did have some spare time.

In off-duty hours, the men especially enjoyed the game of baseball, which was just becoming widely popular. Card games went on day and night. Soldiers seemed addicted to gambling, although the activity was considered sinful by others. Many soldiers discarded their playing cards as they marched into combat. To be killed with these cards on their person might jeopardize one's eternal destiny.

Music also played a large part in the soldiers' lives, and hundreds of new songs about the war were written. Robert E. Lee made the statement that the army probably couldn't be held together without music. But the hope of the soldier was symbolized in the letters and packages from home. These letters were the very standards of hope for Johnny Reb and Billy Yank.  Perhaps this is why the most popular song on both sides of the conflict was "Home Sweet Home."

The Civil War soldier's diet would not be recommended by any modern nutritionist. Desiccated vegetables, sow belly pork, parched corn, and hard tack, or army crackers were the basics. This left these young warriors with debilitating deficiencies in their diets. Many suffered from scurvy and other related diseases.

Hard tack was made of flour and water. The crackers had often become moldy or extremely hard by the time they were delivered to the troops. This resulted in many soldiers breaking their teeth on their food. As the crackers became older and harder, soldiers frequently dipped them in coffee to soften their texture. The results were less than appetizing. Flour larva occasionally swam out of the hard tack to escape the hot coffee. As a result, Union and Confederate soldiers alike referred to hard tack as "worm castles."

When the poor diet is added to the poor living conditions, the results were catastrophic. During the war, 618,000 soldiers died. About two thirds of these died of non-combat related causes.  Diseases such as smallpox and cholera took a toll, but even measles and mumps killed many soldiers who had no immunities to such childhood diseases.

The greatest killer may have been the water they drank. This was almost always contaminated, and causes chronic bouts of diarrhea, which affected virtually all soldiers. As medical knowledge was still quite limited, many soldiers died needlessly. The absence of any knowledge about antiseptic surgery left tens of thousands to die of gangrene. For those lucky enough to survive, amputations were frequent and sent many a young person home with an empty sleeve or on crutches.

Worsening the plight of the common private, many officers were incompetent or inebriated during combat. Although many such officers were dismissed, others continued in command until the end of the war.

Tactics also led to many unnecessary deaths. The principle tactical doctrines used during the American Civil War were developed a half century earlier during the Napoleonic Wars in Europe, and recorded by Antoine-Henri de Jomini.  These required that soldiers march slowly into battle in a two-line deep formation, in order to concentrate firepower against the enemy. Traditionally, such volley fire was not unleashed until within 60-100 yards of the foe. Such tactics were based on the prevalence of smoothbore muskets, which had limited range and accuracy.

By 1863, most soldiers were carrying rifles and had replaced the round projectile balls with minie bullets, which had a conical shape. The net result of these innovations was that the effective killing range was extended to 300 yards, yet few generals altered their tactics to conserve their men's lives. As so frequently happens, the generals were one generation behind in adapting to the changing technology of war. Only a few generals, such as Nathan Bedford Forrest and Patrick Cleburne, adapted their tactics to the changing environment.

Despite the many religious revivals in the armies during the Civil War, the morals of many of the troops were sadly lacking. The soldiers were bored, and the results were sometimes disastrous.  Gambling was widely carried on, and many soldiers lost their meager wages to their compatriots.  This money was usually desperately needed back home by their wives, who were doing their best to run a farm and raise the children at the same time.

At the beginning of the war, the average Yankee private was paid $13 per month, while his Rebel counterpart received $11 per month. Though the pay was slightly increased as the war went on, soldiers sometimes went months without pay, and their increases never approached keeping pace with the serious inflation suffered in the North and South. But there is another problem which is associated with armies. Prostitutes followed the soldiers and spread sexually transmitted diseases through both armies. These problems became so difficult to control that the United States actually set up rules and took control of the brothels in Nashville, Tenn.

When Gen. Stand Watie surrendered the last Confederate soldiers, the problems for many veterans were only beginning. Farms and businesses were burned and destroyed. Gangs of deserters preyed on the returning veterans and their families. Many suffered from nightmares and post-traumatic stress syndrome. Some never found their families again. Poverty plagued many of these vets after their unsuccessful return to civilian life. The perceived glory of those first days of battle was merely an illusion of the distant past.

In conclusion, the Civil War soldier wasn't that much different from his great-great-great grandson who is currently fighting in Afghanistan. While the technology, transportation and medicine has certainly improved, the average age and problems of the soldiers survive to this day.

Moral problems and complaints about the food persist. Some soldiers still resist discipline, but today's toughest Marine still waits with anticipation for a letter from home.

And almost all soldiers listen to music, those magical notes that temporarily transport them across the oceans to a place called home.