CAMP LIFE

Military officers during the Civil War lived more comfortably on the battlefield then regular soldiers. They brought their own supplies, and the higher one’s rank, the more belongings that person was allowed to bring. Some officers even had furniture to sit on.

Regular soldiers carried only one knapsack of gear. They were each provided with half of a tent, to be combined with another soldier to make a full tent. When needed, weapons were used as poles to support the tents.

The two main components of Civil War meals were meat and bread. The bread was really hardtack, flour biscuits that lasted long periods of time but were tough on the teeth. Sometimes, soldiers were also given dried produce and coffee.

During drills, soldiers were instructed on how to march in formation use rifles properly. To pass the time, friends would play card games, checkers, and dominoes. Gambling was banned in many regiments, but that didn’t stop soldiers from making it the most popular pastime in camps. Many soldiers used their free time to write entries in their journals or letters home. Any letters back thrilled many a homesick soldier. Also common were whittling, drinking, smoking, singing songs, having snowball fights, and reading the novel Les Misérables. Notable is the Army of Northern Virginia, led by Robert E. Lee, who called themselves “Lee’s Miserables” for their fondness of the novel. The journal entries of many soldiers detail hours spent reading the book and correlations drawn between camp life and scenes from Les Misérables.