Camp Life

Camps housed 5 to 6 men per tent. In winter, men lived in log cabins to get sinsulation form the cold. Cooking was done using an outdoor fire usually by freed slaves. While in camp, they did endless drilling and enjoyed entertainment with music cards, and gambling, as well as reading newspapers and reading mail form home. The union had food rations then the Confederacy consisting of hard bread, salted pork, or fresh meat, coffee, sugar, and salt. Also vegetables. Confederate soldiers suffered form scurvy due to lack of fresh fruits and vegetables. Seasonal movement to permanent winter camps improved food supply, but caused other challenges, including crowding and poor sanitations, which led to water contamination resulting biggest cause of death in war dysentery. Soldiers were often bored due to monotony of camp life which occupied most of their time, and suffered from poor moral due to poor shelter, unhealthy food, exposure to cold, and poor sanitation, which resulted infectious diseases.