Chapter 15, Section 4 Life During the Civil War

The Lives of Soldiers At the start of the war, men of both the North and the South rushed to volunteer for the armies. Enthusiasm did not last! Most soldiers lived in camps. Life was usually dull full of drilling, marching, bad food and rain.

The Lives of Soldiers The reality of war was never far away. Both the North and South suffered terrible losses during the Civil War. Due to huge advancements in weapons, medical facilities were usually overwhelmed by the thousands of injuries in each battle.

The Reality of War Faced with the horrors of war, many soldiers deserted (ran away from the military). 1 in 11 Union (Northern) soldiers deserted. 1 in 8 Confederates (Southern) soldiers deserted. Southern soldiers especially suffered. As the war progressed, many suffered from lack of food and supplies such as shoes and clothing.

Women and the War Women had to take on new roles during the war as well. Many women became teachers, office workers, government workers, factory workers, nurses and managed farms. Women also faced huge hardships. Many suffered the loss of husbands, fathers, sons and brothers. Women in the South suffered greatly. Due to blockades, the South ran out of feed for animals, medicine and clothing.

Women and the War Approximately 3,000 women served as nurses during the Civil War. These brave women choose an actively supportive role in the war effort thus opening a career door to women that was formerly reserved to males. They experienced the grim results of war, mutilated bodies, amputated limbs, disease and death.

Women and the War One of the most famous women of the Civil War was Clara Barton. Barton comforted the wounded and helped the doctors with their work. Following the Civil War, Clara Barton would help organize the American Red Cross.

Opposition to the War As the war dragged on, the number of volunteers declined. Enlisting enough soldiers became a problem. In April 1862, the Confederate Congress passed a draft, a law that required men between 18 and 35 to serve in the army for three years. In 1863 the Union (North) began to implement the draft.

Opposition to the War A person in the North could avoid the draft by paying the government $300. The draft caused riots in larger Northern cities. The largest riot took place in New York City in July 1863. After 4 days of terror, more than 100 people lay dead.

Southern Trouble and Northern Prosperity The South struggled throughout the war. The South lacked the industry to supply the military with arms and ammunition. The economy in the South suffered as well. Because most of the fighting took place in the South, farmland was overrun. By the end of the war, large portions of the South were in ruin and thousands were homeless.

Southern Trouble and Northern Prosperity The North’s blockade of Southern ports caused severe shortages of essential goods. A scarcity of food led to riots in Southern cities such as Atlanta and Richmond. During the course of the war, in some places prices rose 9,000 percent in the South.

Southern Trouble and Northern Prosperity Overall, Northern economy boomed during the Civil War. Factory and farming production grew during the war. The North, unlike the South, was able to produce what was needed.