Union Cavalry Soldier

How Many Fought?

Nigh 2.75 meg soldiers fought in the Ceremonious War—2 million for the North and 750,000 for the South.

The Boilerplate Soldier

Co-ordinate to historian Bell I. Wiley, who pioneered the study of the Civil War common soldier, the average Yank or Reb was a 'white, native-born, farmer, protestant, single, between 18 and 29.' He stood about v anxiety 8 inches tall and weighed about 143 pounds. Almost soldiers were betwixt the ages of 18 and 39 with an boilerplate age just nether 26.

Making a Living

The majority of soldiers N and S had been farmers earlier the war. Spousal relationship rosters contained references to more than than 300 different careers, including accountant, surveyor, locksmith, teacher, carpenter, shoemaker, blacksmith, painter, mason, teamster, and mechanic. Southerners who had non farmed included carpenters, mechanics, merchants, machinists, lawyers, teachers, blacksmiths, and dentists.

Burglarize, Carbine, or Cannon?

In the Union ground forces, 80 percent of the men were in the infantry, 14 percent in the cavalry, and 6 percent in artillery. In the Confederate army, 75 percent of the men served in the infantry, 20 percent in the cavalry, and 5 percentage in artillery.

Spousal relationship SOLDIERS

  • Total numbers of the Union armies are estimated to exist between ane.v meg and ii.4 million. The bulk of these men were volunteers, though estimates say that 5 to 6 percent were conscripts.
  • Read more than near Union Soldiers.

The Odds Against Them

Of every one,000 Federals, 112 were wounded; 150 of every 1,000 Confederates were hitting. A Yankee stood a 1 in 8 chance of dying due to illness and a 1 in 18 run a risk of dying in battle. A Rebel faced a ane in five risk of succumbing to affliction and a i in viii adventure of dying in combat.

How many soldiers died in the civil war?

Over 360,000 died in service to the North, 110,000+ in boxing and 250,000+ of other causes, primarily disease. The South lost over 260,000 men, 95,000+ in battle and 165,000+ to other causes, primarily disease. Some recent estimates merits the totals were actually higher.

Prisoners of War

Roughly 211,000 Wedlock soldiers were captured; 17,000 were paroled in the field; 30,000, or most 15.5% of those sent to pw camps, died in that location. Over 426,000 Confederates were captured, of which some 248,000 were paroled in the field; imprisoned in the Northward, and 26,000, or 12% of those sent to Prisoner of war camps, died in captivity.

Why They Fought

Men on both sides were inspired to fight by patriotism, state pride, the take a chance for adventure, steady pay. Marriage soldiers fought to preserve the Union; the mutual Amalgamated fought to defend his dwelling house. Later on in the war, increasing numbers of Federal soldiers fought to abolish slavery, if for no other reason than to finish the state of war quickly. Amalgamated soldiers sometimes fought because they feared Wedlock victory would result in a society where black people were placed on an even footing with whites.

Ground forces Melting Pots

The large majority of Ceremonious State of war soldiers were native born. Still, large numbers of stout-hearted newcomers to the country also volunteered to fight—specially in the North. Nearly i quarter of the Wedlock's soldiers were immigrants, including 200,000 Germans; 150,000 Irish; 45,000 English; xv,000 Canadians, and lesser numbers of French, Norwegians, Italians, Mexicans, and Poles. Exact figures for the S are sketchy, but tens of thousands of Irish, Germans, British, French, Canadians, Dutch, and Austrians entered Confederate ranks.

Black Troops

By war's cease, African-American soldiers made up roughly ten pct of the Union army. Approximately 179,000 blackness soldiers wore the blue; 37,000 lost their lives. In March 1865, the Confederate congress authorized the army to recruit 300,000 black troops. Some units were raised, only it was too late for them to make a difference.

Soothing the Savage Breast

Johnny Reb and Billy Yank loved to sing—on the march, in camp, and sometimes even in battle. The men in bluish favored 'Boxing Weep of Liberty,' 'Red White and Blue,' 'The Star Spangled Banner,' and others. The men in gray cherished 'Dixie,' 'Bonnie Blue Flag,' 'Yellowish Rose of Texas,' and other songs. Both sides were moved by the heartbreaking tune 'Dwelling house Sweet Home.'

Mess Fourth dimension

'What breakfast could possibly compare with this,' Spousal relationship Lieutenant Theodore Ayrault Dodge wrote in his journal in 1862—'hard crackers, boiled beefiness (2 days in the backpack) and bologna sausage (ditto).' Officially, the daily Union ration consisted of 22 ounces of breadstuff and either 12 ounces of pork or a pound of salted beef. Confederates were supposed to be supplied (but seldom were) with 12 ounces of bacon or 20 ounces of beef (usually salted) forth with 18 ounces of flour or 20 ounces of corn repast or difficult bread. Vegetables such as beans and peas often proved difficult to come by, especially for the Rebs. Usually, Yankees banked on hardtack and coffee, while their counterparts tried to get by on corn bread and java. Men on both sides got what they could from sutlers or foraging. Java and tobacco were mutual cravings.

The Wages of War

Soldiers on each side initially earned $xi per month. In June 1864, the Confederacy raised each soldier's pay to $eighteen per month, a sum worth less and less as the Amalgamated dollar dropped in value. That same month the Union upgraded its soldiers' monthly wage to $16. Black soldiers were initially paid just $10 per month—minus the $iii vesture allowance that white troops received. Afterward June 1864, black soldiers who had been complimentary men before the state of war were paid the same every bit whites, but recently freed slaves who joined the army's ranks did not get the raise.

CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS

  • Estimates of the total number of confederate soldiers is difficult, and range between 750,000 to one meg soldiers fought during the Civil War.
  • Learn more well-nigh Confederate Soldiers.

Passing the Time

Soldiers had to deal with much boredom. To fill the hours, Yanks and Rebels wrote letter after letter to family, friends, and sweethearts. In spite of the warnings of officers, bouts of drinking and especially gambling bankrupt out. Soldiers played checkers, chess, and baseball, whittled and carved, and if they were feeling particularly creative, would even put on plays. Tennessean Sam Watkins described one wintertime diversion: 'Brigades and divisions were before long involved, and such a scene was never before seen on earth. Many thousands of men were engaged in a snow ball battle.' Both sides read whatever they could become their easily on: Yankees favored Frank Leslie's Illustrated Newspaper, Harper'due south Weekly, American Review, and The Atlantic. Confederates read Southern Illustrated News, Southern Literary Messenger, and Field and Fireside. Both sides loved dime novels and the Bible.

Dirt and Illness

Whenever armies remained settled in camp, sanitary conditions worsened. For starters, until later in the state of war, latrines were often congenital upwind or even upstream from camps. Accumulation over fourth dimension created an unpleasant and unhealthy environment. Eventually, refuse from cooking and slaughtered animals began to cover the ground, and the local water source oft became fouled. Disease spread rapidly.

Faith

Both armies claimed to be fighting with God's blessing, and religion played a large role in the lives of many soldiers. 'Sometimes, a few of the fellows would assemble in prayer, while the rest of us fought the guns,' wrote Confederate soldier William One thousand. Dame. 'Several times…nosotros met under fire…we held that prayer 60 minutes every 24-hour interval, at dusk, during the unabridged campaign.' While the slaughter and grief of war drove some men from their faith, religious revivals swept through both armies, challenge thousands of converts. Most of the men were Christian, though 7,000 Jews fought for the Union and 3,000 for the Southward. 600 Jewish soldiers died in the war.