A Solders Life

                                                            

No madder what side of the war they were on, the life of a soldier, during the Civil War, was not easy. The soldiers had many hard times. They also were away from their families for long periods of times. They had to suffer through the fiscal pain of war as well as needing to bare the emotional pain of missing their families, and deaths. Some soldiers were even stuck in prison camp for long times.

            Some of the soldiers were neglected as stated in newspaper “large numbers of them were barefooted, in rags, and covered with vermin; and that those in the hospitals at Winchester were the victims of the most cruel neglect.”(VOS newspaper The Spectator, October 28, 1862, p. 1, c. 6: "Conditions of the Army.") The families of many soldiers were frequently asked for either close or food in this letter from  Franklin Carroll to Virginia Miller,  franklin is telling Virginia What he is n need of he tells her “I needed the worst I stand in need of a suit of cloths shoes ,Hat pants & coat and also some under clothing” (VOS  Franklin Carroll to Virginia Miller, July 30, 1864)There were also many soldiers needing things such as food still they fight proudly for their country one soldier writes “We are in a very fine country, only we can't get much to eat.”(VOS letters Jedediah Hotchkiss to Nelson H. Hotchkiss, July 27, 1862) he continues on to ask for them to send him food at whatever cost to prevent starvation. He asks his family to get a  “ barrel and fill it with potatoes and onions” (VOS letters Jedediah Hotchkiss to Nelson H. Hotchkiss, July 27, 1862) , to send to him.

            Solders missed their families as they were gone for long periods of time. The soldiers would anxiously await letters from their families. One soldier writes,” the heart has indeed become sick with a long deferred hope ”(VOS letters P. H. Powers to Mrs. Powers, March 17, 1863) as he waited for a letter from his wife. It was a lonely time for them as they were not use to being separated from their family’s for so long. Even some solders did not even get to know their children, as was the case with Isaac N. He was worried about their condition. “The condition of my wife & child I know nothing of & am in great anxiety” (VOS letters Isaac N. Smith to C. Q. Tompkins, May 5, 1862). The loneliness was probably harder to bear then even the rough conditions they were forced to endure. The shoulders were constantly worried about raising support for their families however the government was trying to raise more money to support the families of the solders in the war. As stated in the newspaper. “We are pleased that they are also raising a fund for the support of the families of the soldiers who are fighting the battles of their country” (VOS newspaper The Spectator, April 15, 1862, p. 1, c. 4: "The Confederate Prisoners.")

            The soldiers would have troubles keeping their families informed of where they were at all times because, the frequently needed to move camp with little notice. D. C. Snyder writes his wife telling her “On the 1st day of the month we were ordered away from our former camp at Swope's Depot (very hurriedly too I assure you)” (VOS letters D. C. Snyder to Rachel Snyder, March 15, 1865). This was not unusual for the solders. Many of the solders had troubles when sending letters back and forth to their families because they never knew when they would move again, or even where they would move when they needed to. Still they did their best in keeping connected with their families.

            Soldiers who were captured might have been treated well however some were starved in prison camps. Some of the soldiers were sometimes persuaded to join the other army “Every week the rebel enrolling officers would visit the quarter and promise plenty of ration and clothing to the famishing men if they would enlist in their service.”(VOS letter Samuel Reinhart to the Pennsylvania Daily Telegraph, March 24, 1865) Some soldiers, who were in the camps that were not quite so harsh, would make crafts and things in prison camp, to try to raise money to send home to their families. However, they were not able to make much. Charles B. Carter writes his wife “I dont have mutch time to make meney for my self I make from 8 to 9 per weake and I wish I Could send you the money for I know that you neade it bute” (VOS letters Charles B. Carter to Eliza Carter, April 26, 1862)

            The solders would see other solders die from in battle but not only in battle there would be many people who did not die in war but rather because, of sickness that could not be cured. James R. McCutchan wrote his cousin telling her about someone he saw die. He says “One poor soldier died yesterday evening. I saw him but an hour or two before he died; he suffered dreadfully, he was not sick more than 24 hours I believe. When I saw him he was almost black” (VOS letter James R. McCutchan to Rachel Ann McCutchan, [no date]) I can imagine the pain of seeing someone you knew die right before your eyes must have been hard to bear. The solders would often wait for their friends who were sick, to get well. However the medicine was very poor, and often the sick men were not able to be treated and, their friends died.

            The life of a solder was not an easy life. It was hard in every aspect. They had to worry about, food, clothes, and their family. They needed to endure the sorrow of death. They also missed their children growing up, as they were in this war. They couldn’t spend the time with their wife, and instead many times fought cold and hungry in this war.  http://valley.lib.virginia.edu/VoS/choosepart.html