Soldier Life

174 Pages·1996·30.436 MB·English

by  Collective

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This b(K)k is a mosaic ofthe daily life ofsoldiers durins;
the American C:i\il \\'ar. Kncamped in winter, on cam- iit•.'i .V\:r,
paign, orin lulls between battles, soldiers \\rote. Their 'tT*.
letters and diaries. e\en theirsketches, testify that sur-
'.}. 'A»•/
vi\al reciiiired more than beatingthe odds in combat. It
meant keepinji bod\ and soul togetheragainst a conspir-
acy ofcircumstances. Throuj;!! this album ofemotions
and recollections, you can experience the idealism, tedi-
imi. petty srie\ances.jokes and <;ibes. camaraderie, and
desolation ofthe l>oysand men whowere now soldiers.
—
Whenever possible these excerpts tollected from
—
hundreds ofpublished and unpublished sources ha\e
been painstakingly matched with photographs, sketch-
es, orartifacts associated with the wtiter. 'l"o do this we
had the assistance ofan extensive network ofexpert
consultants who ha\e contributed to otherTime-I.ife
projects, notably our 28-\()lume series The (".i\ il War
and its companion work, Kchoesof(ilor\. With these
diverse resources and access to materials in libraries.
archi\es. and historical societies across the eoimtrv. we
compiled a dramatic account ofdaily life in the army.
'["here are several reasons for the abundance offirst-
hand sources from the Civil War. Postage was rela-
ti\ely cheap, only three cents. .\nd the mail systems
were remarkably effective: Mail packets were even
exchanged across enemy lines. .Aboxe all. a surprising
number ofsoldiers, not only officers but recruits as
well, could write, describing their plight with simple
elo(|uence. From camp nearChattanooga, Tennessee,
Pri\ate Benjamin V. Jackson ofthe 33d Alabama wrote: m
"Ma. I want to see you all the worst I e\er did before in ii\
*« \:
my life, but I don't know when I can hear from you for h,
we are fixing to take another march. We got orders yes-
terday to throw away all ourclothing butone suit. We .fV ;.' <,
.h
aren't allowcd to ha\e but one pairofpants and have
them on. one pairofdrawers, two shirts, and one pairof •tAtl
We
socks. have been in a line ofbattle orfighting . . . for >Vm'iM
fifteen daVsand it has not missed but one day but what ^l,At >" I
M
it rained. ThaV* - - waded creeks up to my arms with- '•'»\,\*i \{'}V' V
^
out anythinj*ro e;if for three days at a time. It has been I •> •'I
'»'•
con/i'uictionthebackfap .4n.] •.fall
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War
Voices of the Civil Soldier Life
•
By theEditors ofTime-LifeBooks, Alexandria, Virginia

Contents
S Answering the Call
26 The Organized Bore
54 A Question ofCharacter
78 Tenting Tonight
120 The Promise of Home
160 Glossary
161 Acknowledgments
161 Picture Credits
163 Bibliography
165 Index
A WINTER ENCAMPMENT
Civilwararmiesmarchedandfoughtin thewarmseasonsandholedup
overthewinter. ThepaintingdepictsatypicalwintercampforaFederal
(orConfederate) regiment, withitsassortmentoftents, cabins, andlog-
and-canvasstructuresallneatlylaidoutaccordingto regulation.