Tuesday, May 8, 2012

A Soldier's Life in the Civil War

After reading Chapter 16 and the article on a soldier's life in your packet, do you feel being a soldier in the Civil War was better or worse than being a soldier in one of the earlier wars we have learned about (i.e. Revolutionary War?)  Explain and support your answer with facts!



54 comments:

  1. A soldier's life in the civil war was so bad. The troops would not get full food to eat that they can't even fill their stomach with it and they do not get as much energy as they need it. The soldiers would do get any full cloths that when it is bad weather and they had to sleep under the leaps and some of the soldiers die from that bad weather.

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  2. I believe that soldiers in the Civil War had much mire hardships than any soldier in any earlier battle. My reason is because of the artillery. The artillery during the civil war was much more advanced and accurate than any other musket the earlier soldiers had. In these guns they had a spiral barrel which makes the bullet spin harder and come in faster make a much severe wound. Another reason is because the soldiers had much more distances to march and with that they had less sleep. Finally, the soldiers all knew each other on the battle field and when they killed one another it was very difficult for the soldiers to go through that. So in the end, i believe that the soldiers in the civil war had much more hardships than any soldier in any earlier battle.

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    1. This is Megan D 2-3 (A)
      not sarah brown sorry

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  3. I think that soldiers in the Civil War definitely had more hardships than any other soldiers in any other battles. I think this because the Civil War had more deaths than all previous battles combined and STILL didn't make up the amount of deaths that the Civil War had. They barely got enough nutrition because they lived off flour and water to keep them from starving. They didn't get the proper amount of sleep every night, they constantly had to sleep with their weapons and didn't change their clothes often, if at all. Also, they had more advanced guns and shooting material that went deeper into the body once was shot. It caused more casualties.
    Period 2/3B Veronica

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    1. I think diseases was also a leading cause.
      Brendan D.
      2-3(A)

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  4. I do think that a soldier's life during the civil war was hard. I think this because of everything they had. As they were marching to war they carried sixty pounds of supplies on their backs. The food was gross yet they still ate it. The shelter they had was horrible they did not have the proper clothing and protection. The Civil War had the most American causalities ever. Some soldiers did not get enough sleep and nutrition that is why some were tired during the fighting.
    Period:8-10B
    Alan B.

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    1. That is so true! I never thought about the things that they had to carry with them. It was much more than in the Revolutionary War. It probably was back breaking!
      Emma R.
      Period 2-3 A

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  5. I believe that a soldier's life would be terrible. I would not be able to live like that. Carrying all those things, not changing for days and not being able to wash up, that would be terrible. I cant believe America made people go through that. The Civil war was the deadliest war in American history and disease was the most common death cause. I would have never joined the army during this time.
    Brendan D.
    2-3(A)

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    1. True... but these things are true for the Revolutionary War too. I think if you want to say that the Civil War was worse, you need to compare it to the Revolutionary War by stating things that are significant to the Civil War only.
      Haley P. 2/3A

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  6. I think that being a solider in the Civil War is worse than being a soldier in the Revolutionary War. This is because they had more advanced weaponry so the weapons could hurt the opposite side more. Therefore, there was a better chance that you would die. Also, they had a lot less food. Especially in the Confederate army. The reason for this was because all the food had to come from the same place so it was almost as if they were sharing it. Additionally, they did not have a lot of money to buy the food and supplies for the soldiers. Lastly, it was a very bad time to be in if you were a captured soldier. The prison camps were terrible and provided barley any necessities. Not only that however, there were so many other things on their minds besides the war. They had to worry about the well-fare of their family back home, they had to worry about slaves and making sure their political views were put into play. Overall, it would much rather of been a soldier in the Revolutionary War.
    Emma R.
    Period 2-3 A

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  8. Personally, i think being a soldier in the Civil War is WAY worse than being a soldier in any other. For example, the Civil War has the most deaths out of all the wars. It was extremely perilous. Also, there were a lot more soldiers in the Civil War on each side. Therefore, the food, water, and clothing was much more scarce especially on the Confederate side. The Union side was where all the factories were, and they had more food and materials to begin with; and the southern soldiers had none of that, so most of them did't even have a uniform. However, when the war was a couple years in, the Union began to run out of necessities as well. Lastly, this war was extremely cruel and included achingly gory fights. Plus, prison camps were set up and Union officers were held hostage there. They were starved in the camps and many died. Southerners were especially violent during the war. This is why i think that being in the Civil war is much worse than being in any other war.
    Haley P. 2/3A

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  9. I think that the life of a soldier during the Civil war was worse than a soldiers life in the Revolutionary war for example. There were less provisions because the south had cotton and crops and the north had the industrial building. There also was better weapons at this time which made the war even deadlier. On the other hand in the revolutionary war they had only single shot muskets and less people died. Overall the Civil war was much worse and was much deadlier than the Revolutionary war or any war for that fact.

    Collin H.
    Period 2/3 A
    5/22/12

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  10. I think that a soldier of that time had to have had the worst experiences ever. i think this because on both sides they did not have places to sleep, or enough food to keep there stomachs full. also the confederates did not even have shoes half of the time. It had to be really hard to go into battle without the energy you need or shoes. they also had to carry seventy pounds of supplies on their backs. finally soldiers did not get the right amount of sleep every night if they got any at all. witch would make it very hard to go into a fight.
    Evan F. 2-3 b

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  11. I think that soldiers in the Civil War encountered more hardships than soldiers in the Rev. War. Soldiers in the Civil War had to eat the food that they were given and could not complain. The soldiers had to carry over 70 pounds on their backs. The soldiers had to eat flour and water which did not satisfy their nutritional needs. The men couldn't bathe, which meant they did not change their clothes often. Men had to constantly be prepared if there was a surprise attack. If I had to sleep with a weapon and have the thought in my head that someone could attack at any moment, I'd be up all night. The soldiers were probably sleep deprived.
    Period 2/3A Brianna B.

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  12. I think that a soldiers life in the Civil War was worse than the Revolutionary War. I think this because there was a lot of marching and fighting. It was the most bloodiest war so far and a soldier had to smell dead bodies. If you were the South, you probably would not have a complete uniform or enough food. Also fighting tactics were more advanced so fighting got harder. You would have to have energy, food, shoes and a weapon to go into battle.More people died. This is why.

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  13. Many soilders in the Civil War had a hard time. MAny soilders starved, were freezing, got killed. They went through many hardships. I would not enjoy to be surprise attacked or hurt. Most nights they did not get any sleep. I really wish I could be at my own house with lots of food and a warm bed to sleep in at night. Personally i would not like to be a part of the Civil War.
    Hanna L. P 2,3 A

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  14. If you compare and contrast the Civil War to the earlier wars, I think it was better to be a soldier before 1861. New technology and old tactics lead to an immense amount of deaths. And the ones who lived went through disgusting rituals. Either hardtack or cornmeal was eaten. It was disgusting and nobody can imagine eating that 24/7 today. Total up the deaths and sub-par conditions and you would not want to serve.

    Michael B P5/9 A

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  15. I feel that the soldiers have things a lot better in the Civil War then in the Revolutionary war. Even though the conditions where ruff for both wars I feel that we were more advanced during the Civil War then the Revolutionary war!
    Brianna L 5-6/9 A-day

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  16. I believe fighting in the Civil War was worse then previous American wars. For example, weapons such as the Gatling Gun were killing machines. In addition, you could be fighting your brother or father depending on your loyalty to the North or South. Furthermore, most men had uncomfortable clothing and often had lice from unsanitary conditions. Also, you received little food, such as hardtack. As a result, I wouldn't fight in the bloodiest war in American history.

    Brett B P 5/9 A

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  17. I believe that the Civil War was much worse for soldiers compared to the Revolutionary War. First, the guns were more advanced, so their were many more casualties in battle. Next, the soldiers had to carry a lot of equipment with them while they were marching. Also, the soldiers had limited food to eat on their campaign and this is why I feel life was harder as a soldier during the Civil War.
    Brian G 5/9 A

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  18. I believe that being a soldier in the Civil war was worse in some ways than being one in the Revolutionary war. Mainly because of the guns. They were more advanced and could shoot further, more accuratley, and they were generally more deadly. But, other aspects are similar. They ate the same types of food like Ash Cakes. Overall, the soldiers were very miserable on both sides, in both wars.

    James L per 2/3 b

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  19. I think that being a soldier in the Civil War was worse than serving in any other war. I believe this because the Civil War was considered Americas bloodiest wars, which means there were the most casualties. Therefore, soldiers had a higher risk of being killed than they would if they were in the Revolution. This was a result of the more advanced technology, the guns, for example did much more damage in the Civil War, than they did in the Revolution.
    Jenna R. Per 2/3 b

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  20. In my opinion, I believe that being a soldier in the Civil War was worse that being a soldier in the Revolution. One reason is the advanced guns that they had. Now they have guns that shoot a half-mile away. Because of the newer guns and advanced equipment, they were more deaths making it a better chance of you dying in the Civil War. At the end result, there were more deaths in the Civil War making the Revolution a better choice to be a soldier.

    Chris F 2-3B

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  22. Soldiers during the Civil War had a lot of the same resources as those of the Revolutionary War. Both had little food, and when they did eat, it was burnt, molding food. Additionally, soldiers during both wars had to sleep outside in the wilderness, with little warmth. So, in this sense, both wars were equally hard for the soldiers. But, if I had to choose which war was harder, I would have to say the Civil War. This is only because technology was better during the Civil War, so the different kinds of guns and cannons had more accuracy. This means that there was a better chance of dying, or having to get amputated during the Civil War. All in all, both wars had horrible living circumstances for the soldiers; I'm glad I don't have to fight in any wars like these.
    Mackenzie K 2-3B

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  23. In my opinion, I believe that soldiers life in the Civil War was worse then a soldiers life in the Revolutionary War. One reason is the advantage of better guns. Since the guns were more powerful more soldiers could be killed. The Civil War is considered Americas bloodiest war, which makes the Revolutionary War was a better choice for soldier.

    Valerie P. 2/3B

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  24. I believe that fighting in the Civil War was worse than fighting in the Revolutionary War due to many reasons. First off, in the Civil War you were fighting against reltives like brothers against fathers or brothers against brothers. In the Revolutionary War at least you were fighting against a foriegn army which was the British which meant that you didn't mind killing them as much you would fellow countrymen. However, in some instances both wars seemed to be the same was that amputations were still deadly but it wasn't that different in the Civil War. Combined with advanced weaponry like minie balls,repeating rifles and the invention of the first machine gun, the Gatling gun, left amputation at a high rate. Additionally, hygiene sadly wasn't much different than in the Civil War and almost evry soldier had lice and dysentery and the highest death rate of any American war. In my opinion, I would rather fight for freedom in the American Revolution than to fight my own nation in the Civil War.

    Dylan B.
    P2/3B

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  25. In my opinion, i think a soldier's life was better in past wars because in past wars, guns weren't as advanced, which means the guns weren't as accurate and soldier's weren't getting shot and injured as much. Also, it might be better to be a soldier in the Civil War because IF you are good with shooting a gun and have good accuracy, it might be better for you because if your shooting many enemy soldier's and killing them without getting shot, the war will be over faster, giving you so that you won't have to spend many harsh, hungry nights and days.
    Rich DeG 2-3B

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  26. Life for a solider in the Civil war was probably worse than the life of a solider in the Revolutionary war. They had more advanced equipment, which led to more casualties, and more weight on a soldiers back. Also, because of more casualties, there were more dead bodies around the soldiers and that could have caused diseases to spread more often putting the soldiers lives in more danger. For example at the Battle of Antietam, soldiers stood in ditches with dead bodies floating right next to them for however long they were to stand in the ditch. Food wise, it wasn't really much different, neither soldiers had a superfluous amount of food, however over all it seems like the soldiers in the Civil war had it worse.

    Megan v
    Per 2/3b

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  27. A Soldiers life in the Civil War was horrible for them because they had to lay on the ground sometimes during the night and they had to walk a lot. The soldiers did not really like doing this everyday because then sometimes they got a sneak attack from the both sides: say its the Union they would get a sneak attack from the Confederates. If one of the soldiers did not like to fight then they shouldn't of have been in the war because if you didn't like to fight you would have been killed and you wouldn't be able to live your life anymore. the soldiers lives were hard during the war.

    Kamani.W 2/3B

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  29. In my opinion, I think that soldiers in the Civil War had much more hardships than others in the Revolutionary War, per say. For example, the Civil War was the single most bloodiest war in American History, therefore having the most morbid deaths that later might emotionally scar the soldiers. Also, the soldiers had no food to eat, and if they did it served as no nutritional value. This is quite detrimental to the soldiers health; as the food only served as something to "fill" their stomach's. In addition, soldiers did not have full uniforms in the Civil War. In closing, both wars were dread fall but the Civil War was the worst in terms of experience than the Revolutionary War.
    Mallory M. 2-3B

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  30. After reading this chapter, I think life in the civil war was better than in earlier wars. The reason I think this is because there was better food. There was also better accommodation. The food was a little better than the old hardtak. They had more tents for themselves.
    Patrick.K 2/3 B

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  31. Even though in the civil war many more people were killed i do still think i would rather be in this war than in any earlier war the main reason i would say would have to be the difference in technology i would love to have a rifle from the civil war to defend myself it would be much easier to live

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  34. I believe that being a soldier in the Civil War was worse than the revolutionary war. I believe this because during the Civil War the weapons were more advance so you had a larger chance of dying. During the Revolution the guns, only shot so far, but during the Civil war the guns had spiraled barrels which made the bullet go faster and farther, giving you a more accurate shot.
    Also during the Civil War you weren't fighting another country, or other people, you were fighting your own countrymen. It was also harder because there where better means of transportation for the other side so supplies could be distributed faster for the opposing sides. Finally, it was harder because you were fighting in both the north and south an important part of your survival, in the north they were fighting their source of raw materials to processes, and in the south you were fighting the only way to make the crops you grew, like cotton, useful.
    Daniella J
    P 2/3B

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  35. I believe that a soldiers life in the civil war was worse, because the soldiers were treated poorly. They had barley enough food to eat which I think was horrible. I think that since the soldiers were risking their lives for us then they should at least get for food because if they have more proteins in their body then they will be able to fight better. What I also think was cruel is that they had to sleep on the ground this is cruel because they should be treated better. This is again because they are risking their lives for us. It was better before the civil war because the soldiers were treated with more respect.

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  36. ^ Dalila M
    p 2/3 B

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  37. Ian Burke-P 8-10B
    I believe that being a Civil War Soldier was somewhat better than being in the Revolution or war of 1812, but not by much. First of all, medications have improved a little, but not much. Soldiers didn't have better food than in the Revolution, and living conditions weren't better, either.

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  38. I think it depends a little on what side they were on. The Union had good uniforms for its soldiers and more food than the South. The Southerners would sometimes have to wear clothes that they took from dead Union soldiers and were usually short on food. I would rather be a Northern soldier in the Civil War than a soldier in the Revolutionary War from the perspective of supplies. During the actual fighting, however, I would rather be in the Revolutionary War. They had only muskets in the Revolutionary War, which always needed to be reloaded and were hard to aim with. In the Civil War they had rifles, different, more deadly bullets, and more powerful and accurate cannons. You didn’t need to be near your enemy to kill him during the Civil War, which increased your chances of dying. Also, the Civil War generals didn’t see how different these new weapons war, and still used old tactics, causing even more deaths. One good thing about being in the Civil War is that was half as long as the Revolution.
    Molly M.
    Period 8-10 B

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  39. I believe that the soldiers life in the civil war were worse then those of the revolutionary war. I believe this for several reasons. One is that young children were fighting in the war. There was also bad food and multiple diseases. Every man that died, two died of disease. So many people were volunteers, that haven't even gotten any training. Also both sides barely had any shoes. Both sides suffered so many losses, it was the most deaths of any war. There were also more powerful weapons and guerrilla tactics. It was defiantly worse in the civil war.

    Philip Grasso 8/10B

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  40. I believe that a soldiers life in the civil war had much more hardships than others in the, Revolutionary War because the battle in the Revolutionary war wasn't close to the death rate as the civil war. It was also hard for most of the soldiers because they are fighting there own people, friends, and family members. Most soldiers in the civil war got more diseases and the battle lasted longer. The civil war is also known as "the most bloodiest battle."
    -Rosy D.8-10A

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  41. I think it was worse to be a soldier in the
    Civil War, because the weapons were deadly. Compared to the Revolutionary War which had less technology and worse weapons which lead to a less likely chance of death. Although, they didn't not have the medical technology there were certain deadly illnesses that were in the Civil War and not in the Revolutionary War. A stronger navy and total war tactics made the Civil War a deadlier war. Perhaps, as we make strides in technology less people will die in modern wars.
    Jack K. Per. 8-10B

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  42. I believe that soldiers on the civil war had it easier then soldiers in the revolution. in the civil war there were better weapons and medicine improving your chances of survival. Shelter was much better as well as their clothing. Overall except for amputations nearly everything had improved from the revolution.
    Evan G. 8-10B

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  43. I believe that a soldiers life in the civil war was worse than any other war. People caught diseases like cholera from contaminated food and water. Also, children sometimes participated in the war! Imagine being a 13 year old, and having to play the drums or fight during a battle. I think that is plain out horrible. People also had to walk bare foot. They had to walk on the snow and wet mud without any shoes, causing them to catch frostbite. The civil war had the most deaths of any war. Both sides lost so many people!
    Natasha M. Period 8/10 B

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  44. I think that soldiers in the Civil War definitely had more hardships than any other soldiers in any other battles. I think this because the Civil War had more deaths than all previous battles combined and STILL didn't make up the amount of deaths that the Civil War had. They barely got enough nutrition because they lived off flour and water to keep them from starving. Theythe proper amount of sleep every night, they constantly had to sleep with their weapons and didn't change their clothes often, if at all. Also, they had more advanced guns and shooting material that went deeper into the body once was shot. It caused more casualties.
    Period 2/3B Veronica

    I think that a soldier's life in the civil war was worse than any other war. There were many more deaths and they didn't get enough nutrients but attempted to survive off of flour and water. They never got a sufficient amount of time to sleep and had many diseases such as dysentry and cholera which caused the most deaths. Almost none of them had shoes. Additionally, they had advanced weapons. The guns they had injured people much more severe. The civil war is also one of the bloodiest battles in history.

    Jennica L.
    Period 2/3B

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  45. I think that soldiers in the Civil War had harder hardships then any other war. There were more deaths during the war. The diseases during the Civil War.

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  46. Soldiers in all wars had a hard life but if I had to pick who had a harder life I would say people from the Civil War. All soldiers faced diseases, deaths, and starvation. However, it was especially hard for the South, after the strategy "Total War" they had less supplies and less crops for food. For some soldiers they got chlorea from contaminated water, this led to many deaths because there was no medicine to help them get better. The difference between the Civil War was there was technology and new weapons which led to many more deaths. The Civil War has the most casualty's in American History, therefore, it would have the most hardships.
    Miranda B
    Period 2-3A

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  47. I think that the soldiers life in the Civil war was pretty bad. How ever, the Mexican War might have been worse. Or even the Revolutionary war. In the revolutionary war all they ate were ash cakes, eggs, or oats. In the Mexican war a lot of people died. I know in the Civil war Antietam was the battle with the most casualties even though there was no winner. Gettysburg had a lot of bloodshed. With that, I guess any soldiers life is bad in war.


    Kian C. 5/9 (A)

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