Creating
By Alan Lowcher
Arguably one of the most difficult achievements in Civil War re-enacting is thinking and acting like a 19th Century volunteer soldier. Who was he? What did he know about his military organization and battle experiences? What did he eat? What did he think (why did he fight)? What did he do in his leisure time? We'll try to answer these questions to help you walk in the shoes of a defender of the Flag of Our Union (although the Southern soldier shared much of the same characteristics with his northern brethren). The following information was gleaned from a variety of sources. A short bibliography follows (if you haven't read all these books, you are missing out on a great read).

Who was He?
What Did He Eat
What Did He Think (Why Did He Fight?)
What Did He Do In His Leisure Time

WHO WAS HE?


Although there is evidence that women (who disguised their female appearance to serve in the rank unnoticed- at least until disease or a battlefield wound bared enough female pulchritude to leave nothing to the imagination), there is no documented evidence that a woman ever served in the ranks of the Third New Jersey Volunteers. So, being somewhat politically incorrect, who was the typical Federal soldier?
They were young men for the most part- 18, 19, 20, and 21 years old. At the outbreak of hostilities, 18 year olds needed their parents consent to serve. However, after 1862, the Army could not accept any under 18 years. 10,000+ teenagers served in the Union. But their fathers served as well: there were 14,000+ men over 45 in the ranks. In general, however, 3/4 of the Union army was under 30 years of age. Fully 50% of the Union was under 25! They were mostly well educated. The average company of a Union regiment only had 1-6 illiterates. Many companies had none! Although 3/4 of Union soldiers were Americans, 1/4 were of foreign birth, mostly Germans, Irish, Canadians, and British. Why did so many foreigners serve? Many had a deep love of Union -and their new country. Many came from European countries where freedom was a dream, not a reality. Many thought that military service would lead to greater acceptance in their adopted country. Still others joined because they had families to feed and provide for. Ultimately, the latter reason may be the prevailing motive for military service for the percentage of foreigners in uniform as war progressed - enticed by "employment" and the huge bounties then being offered by county and state agencies to help meet draft quotas. On April 15, 1861, President Lincoln called for 75,000 volunteers. New Jersey militia troops quickly filled these 90 day enlistments. Shortly thereafter, on May 3, 1861 the President authorized raising 500,000 volunteers for 3-year enlistments. New Jersey raised 3 regiments and by June 1861, the First New Jersey Brigade was formed. The companies, organized at county courthouses, reported to Trenton, where the men were mustered into service at Camp Olden. Over the course of the bitter war, New Jersey raised 40 regiments: 33 infantry, 5 cavalry, and 2 artillery. Once mustered into Federal service, the volunteers found himself part of the military organization known as a Regiment, containing 39 officers and 986 men made up of 10 companies. Each Company consisted of 3 officers and 98 men. Each company was further divided into 2 platoons. Each platoon was divided into 2 sections.
The Regiment was a part of a larger organization, called a Brigade, which consisted of 3 or 4 Regiments. A Division usually consisted of 3 or 4 Brigades. A Corps consisted of 2 or more Divisions. Finally, an Army consisted of 1 or more Corps. Military service fosters strong attachments to the men a soldier serves with on a daily basis. The esprit de Regiment held the strongest ties for the men but the esprit de Corps also produced strong ties. Military successes helped forge strong Corps identities. Sometimes, outward symbols helped produce a feeling of belonging to a larger organization. For example, in March 1863, Major General Hooker authorized the designation of Corps badges. The color of the badge designated the Division within each Corps: red = 1st Division; white = 2nd Division; and blue = 3rd Division.
Harmony and sometimes discord were produced as a result of state pride, the prejudice of regulars against volunteers, and of volunteers against conscripts of bounty men. Incidentally, since many of the men of a Company typically came from the same geographic area, they shared a common knowledge. Furthermore, since a Regiment was comprised of Companies raised in a single state, the men would probably know quite a bit about the more notable political leaders, as well as their "key" officers. As part of a military organization, the men would also learn to recognize military rank.

What did he Eat?

The soldier's fare is very rough,
The bread is hard, the beef is tough:
If the can stand it, it will be,
Through love of God, a mystery."
Wiley, The Life of Billy Yank

Although a spectator will sometimes ask extremely detailed historical questions which have you looking over your shoulder for Ed Bearss or Brian Pohanaka, most of the time you can entertain (and educate) the spectator public by talking about your clothing and something everyone can identify with; FOOD! It is literally true that an army marches on its stomach. How the Civil War soldier managed to march so many miles on what they had to eat is a testament to their beliefs and constitutions. Probably the best description of typical Army food is found in The Life of Billy Yank. For most of the war, the daily allowance for each Union soldier (this list is reproduced verbatim from this classic work because we didn't want you to miss one morsel of the venerable, veteran's vision of victuals): "twelve ounces of pork or bacon, or, one pound and four ounces of salt and fresh beef; one pound and six ounces of soft bread or flour, or, one pound of hard bread, or one pound and four ounces of cornmeal and to every hundred rations, fifteen pounds of beans or peas, and ten pounds of rice or hominy; ten pounds of green coffee, or, eight pounds of roasted (or roasted and ground) coffee, or, one pound and eight ounces of tea; fifteen pounds of sugar; four quarts of vinegar; three pounds and twelve ounces of salt; four ounces of pepper; thirty pounds of potatoes, when predictable, and one quart of molasses."
This was a generous allowance of food. The problem generally encountered by soldiers, especially on campaign, was one of supply and the fact that the quality of the food usually left a lot to be desired. General Hooker introduced improvements when he assumed command in 1863, prescribing that bakeries be established in the camps to supply fresh bread. He also unchoked supply lines to bring the men fruits and vegetables. Still, Army food was, after all, Army food, and the men longed for a break from their daily diet of "hardtack, salt horse, and coffee"- more on that later. The box of food from home brought joy to the soldier's heart (and his mess mates if he was in the sharing mood) even if Mother's cake was a bit moldy. Other food sources included the camp sutler, a purveyor of exotic and costly treats, local residents; and the expedient of the hungry soldier- foraging. Enterprising soldiers would sell part of their rations for money and then buy a delicacy from the sutler. Let's dissect the soldier’s typical food staples. First, there was hardtack, or hard bread. 1 ration of "bread: = 10 or 12 pieces of hardtack. The soldiers had many names for this item, including (but limited only by the soldier’s imagination): tooth dullers, worm castles, white oak chips, and bullet stoppers. How many more can you think of? Be creative! Hardtack was nothing more than flour, water, and a generous helping of salt (nominally for flavoring, principally for preserving the bread). This stiff dough was shaped into oversized crackers, baked and left out to air dry before it was packed into boxes and shipped to a depot to await transportation to the seat of war- and it might be a very long time before the box arrived in camp. Zip lock Baggies? If the had 'em, they would have used 'em, and the hard bread was frequently infested with an insect population, weevils and maggots, mostly. Heating the hardtack on a plate, or dropping it into boiling coffee drove the weevils out of the bread, but the maggots wouldn't budge. What do you call these unwelcome visitors as they crawl out of that piece of hardtack you unwisely popped in your mouth? Meat!
The soldier was equally versatile when it came to naming the kinds of meat they ate. Can you guess what "Sowbelly with the tit on" was? Yes, good old (and in some cases, really old) salt pork. "Salt horse" (pickled beef) was very briny and had to be washed before it could be cooked and eaten. The packers of this product claimed their process would preserve the meat for 2 years. In reality, the meat had usually turned bad by the time it arrived in camp. So called "fresh killed beef" usually had "turned" too. Some wags said it "could walk its self" off the mess plate, and they held a burial detail for the meat! Soldiers guzzled 4 pints of coffee daily. The men preferred individual pots of coffee to "company" pots. Coffee could find its way into the soldier’s cup in many ways, but it was usually black coffee. The longer the period of Army service, the blacker (and stronger) the coffee. "Strong enough to float an iron wedge' some said. Sometimes, soldiers mixed ground, roasted coffee and sugar in a cloth bag for an "instant" coffee for sale to the government. One product, known as "essence of Coffee" consisted of coffee, sugar, and condensed milk (condensed milk was a creation of the Borden company, which is still in business). It had the consistency of grease and was extremely concentrated.
Other food service innovations included desiccated mixed vegetables (turnips, potatoes), termed "desecrated vegetables" by the men, which came in compressed cakes, were heavily seasoned (pepper) and were used in soup. Beans were another staple food, which could be soaked and used in soup or soaked, flavored with molasses, and baked in a pot buried in hot coals in a hole in the ground. Finally, even in established camps where central commissaries were available, soldiers liked to cook in messes of 4 to 6 men, each taking turns at cooking, or letting the most able of the group do the cooking, while the others would perform the other services for the mess. Since the cooking was almost always done over an open fire. This method of cooking gave over to yet another slang term: "smoked yanks" because that's what you look like after cooking over the fire! If you are interested in carrying marching rations, the basics (hard tack and slab bacon) are available from the following companies. Hard tack in available from Mechanical Baking Company, P.O. Box 513-I, Pekin, IL 61555. Samples are available for $1.50. 13-24 pieces are sold at 45 cents each plus $4.80 S/H. 25-50 pieces are sold at 40 cents each plus $6.80 S/H. Allow 2-4 weeks for delivery. Slab bacon is available from Tom Muschlitz, Mountain Forge, 1561 Skeet Club Road, High Point, NC 27265 (910) 454-4366. Specialty grocery stores may also carry genuine cured Virginia ham, which also serves the purpose.

What Did He Think (And Why Did He Fight)?

The two factors which most influenced what the individual soldier though and did were his knowledge (and fear) of what others thought of his actions and how long he had been in the service. "What will the folks say at home of us?" molded a soldiers actions. Keep in mind that each company of men usually came from the same town - and a Civil War soldiers were prodigious letter writers. Some soldiers even served as front line reporters for their local newspapers back home. The knowledge that a soldier's behavior would be reported back home, in the local news, by soldiers returning home who would report news about those still at the front, and letters sent home from the front, and letters sent home from camp made the men "toe the mark". The men were concerned about their reputations and knew that their battlefield behavior would be reported home.
Letters from home - positive, urging the men to do their duty - were inserted in packages from home and strongly influenced the men. These men reflected the times in which they lived and mirrored a 19th century man's ideas of courage and what it meant to be a man. However, these viewpoints also changed over time. In the early part of the war, through 1862 and up to mid 1863, courage was equated with manliness and Godliness. Those with faith who trusted in God would survive. Faith gave one courage. To do your duty was to act courageously. To be honorable was to act courageously. An honorable death or an honorable wound was proof that you had done your duty and were courageous. Courage was defined in many ways and was seen as heroic action undertaken without fear for to feel fear was to be a coward. Men demonstrated their courage by "the charge"; by their ability to stand up and "take it" and not to seek cover; or, when wounded, to leave the field under one's own power, without showing pain and with bravado. The wound was a mark of honor- truly a red badge of courage. Duty caused a man to enlist. His honor caused him to remain in service. And yet, away from the battlefront, the men (in volunteer regiments) were "individuals" and did not readily accept army discipline especially from officers they had known at home unless the officer unjustified and warranted "respect". Nonbattle discipline was weak. The men were used to trying to get out of routine duties but were willing to fight and follow orders especially if couched in language that appealed their courage.
As the war wore one, their behavior started to change. The men ducked and crouched more readily. They dug rifle pits and trenches and built breastworks seeking shelter whenever possible. Sharpshooting was despised. Trench warfare was strongly disliked and was demoralizing. ("Rats to your holes") It took a toll on men's convictions. Beginning in the late mid-war (1863) and certainly by the 4th year of the conflict, men knew that the charge was doomed to fail. Their thoughts turned from courage to survival, but they still needed that courage to make the charge!
Veteran soldiers came to have less and less in common with citizens at home. Some came even to resent them - for staying at home; for not understanding the real war; for clinging to outdated ideas and ideals, e.g., "courage". Veterans especially disliked peace and advocates (no wonder McClellan lost the soldier's vote in the 1864 Presidential election!). Combat experience distanced the men from home life. They came to rely more and more on their comrades, their "pards" and their "mess mates".
How did they remain in the ranks? Discipline, comradeship, and hardening to battle. As more and more of their friends died, the soldiers lost the feeling that he has so far escaped and began to think, "I'm next". With all of the growing disillusionment, why did so many re-enlist a mid 1863?
- to see it through
- courage
- patriotism
- large bounties were being paid
- so that unit integrity would be maintained
- to receive a 30 day furlough
- to earn the veteran volunteer title (this set the volunteer organizations apart from bounty men & conscripts)
It is important to remember that many volunteers joined out of patriotism and to avoid the stigma of the draft. Consequently, they disliked the paid Hireling.
Anyone with battlefield experience knows the value of troop morale in motivating soldiers to carry out their tasks. Morale wavered as a result of a variety of factors: - victory or defeat (especially if the soldier were "sold out" as a result of mismanagement)
- the perception of leadership in the field and in the national government in Washington D.C
- the level of support from the homefront and the impact of the anti-war activities of "Copperheads" The "copperheads' in Trenton would not permit soldiers in the field to vote*. These Democratic politicians believed that most soldiers were Union republicans. The "copperhead press" printed stories that undercut the war effort just as Republican newspapers printed strong pro-Union articles.
- hardship as a result of shortages in rations, clothing, and bad weather
- how well were things at home and the family the soldiers left behind (this was especially true when the soldier's pay was erratic and there was nothing the soldier could do to ease the problems facing a mother and her children)
Then, when morale was at an ebb, the soldier was "played out" and had "got the blues". The age of the soldier was also a factor in morale. The younger soldier (mid 20's and below) were better able to handle it. The older soldiers, perhaps those with families who knew what they were missing and what they had to lose, were more susceptible to flagging morale.
*In the fall of 1864, the New Jersey Assembly, controlled by Copperhead Democrats, voted not to allow New Jersey troops to vote by absentee ballot in the upcoming 1864 Presidential elections since New Jersey Democrats were firmly behind the former Major General George B. McClellan, the Deomcratic presidential candidate. The legislators (rightly) believed that the soldiers would be loyal to uncle "Abe" and would vote for him. Many New Jersey troops complained loudly that they could not vote. They circulated petitions in camp to go home on a 30 or 60 day furlough to vote. They were upset that folks at home might vote for a man who stated that the South couldn't be defeated! Many soldiers wanted to charge down the main streets of their hometowns driving the Copperheads before them. They urged their families not to vote for the democratic party candidates, especially "Little Mac" for whom some soldiers said the enemy was giving "three cheers" on his hoped for election as President of the United States.

What Did He Do In His Leisure Time?

When he wasn't drilling, drilling, drilling, or campaigning, the soldiers engaged in many diversions offering a respite from the dullness of camp and the sheer terror of battle. Favorite pastimes included:
Hurling appropriate epithets at some miscreant (like the guy who has to get up in the middle of the night to relieve himself, and thus, disrupts the slumber, not to mention the warm air pocket of his pards "spooning" in their "roomy" tents). Acceptable (not in the presence of the ladies, if you don't mind) fightin' words include: You S.O.B!" "I'll knock the shit out of you!" and "I'll kick your arse!"
Improve your impression and avoid obviously modern phrases and sayings. Instead, learn a bit of the language of the Civil War soldier. Try pepper your camp talk with these terms.
- deadbeat
- blowhard (puffer)
- rogues
- hell raisers
- sot/drunk (stays "tight")
- chronic forager
- bummer
- Jonah - habitual blunderer or a screw up
- "Mama's boy"
- prankster
No definition is needed for most of these words- they mean the same then as now.
Gambling. Woe unto to the unwary soldier who fell victim to the entreaties of the camp card shark on pay day! Popular card games were known as draw poker ("bluff") and 21. Dice gamers were also played. Soldiers with access to paint might also decorate their ground covers with chess, checkers, and a game called "chuck-a-luck". (I'm still trying to figure out what that's all about). Drinking was ever popular. Whiskey, gin, brandy, wine, and beer were consumed. When ready made alcohol was unavailable, the soldiers made their own home brew which they such colorful names as "tanglefoot", "Oh be joyful" and "knock 'em stiff". Bartering was common. Anything and everything was available for trade: tobacco, coffee, canteens, pocket knives, sugar, sardines, soap, whiskey, and playing cards. Postage stamps also served as a medium of exchange.
Reading. Many soldiers were voracious readers of anything they could get their hands on: New Testaments, pocket Bibles, religious tacts and hymnals were found in many haversacks. Newspapers from home made the rounds. Sometimes a soldier would read aloud a letter he received from home. Remember: early war volunteer companies were almost always recruited from the same town or countryside. These men knew each other's families and craved any news from home. Frequently, boxes from home might also include reading material such as "dime novels" (paperbacks) with catchy titles like "The Indian Wife of the White Hunter". Popular writers of the time included James Fenimore Cooper, Charles Dickens, Victor Hugo, Herman Melville, Edgar Allan Poe, Sir Walter Scott, Shakespeare, and among the more educated, Greek Classical writers such as Homer. Some units even established traveling lending libraries. Chaplains sometimes requested donations of books from the homefolks. At some quiet point in the day in camp (or by candlelight at night) enjoy the simple pleasures of reading.
Sporting events. Running, boxing, wrestling and horse racing were time honored "manly" activities. Baseball (called town ball by the New Englanders) was a popular game on both sides of the Mason Dixon Line. The rules that had developed by the 1860's were very similar to modern baseball, making it an easy sport for all re-enactors to enjoy. See the author for copies of both "baseball" (also called the "New York game") and "town ball" rules as well as examples of period bats and balls. Letter writing and keeping a diary or a journal. The vast majority of Civil War soldiers were literate. They filled their time with making entries in their diaries or journals or in writing letters to loved ones at home. Alexander Graham Bell is going to invent the telephone only a little more than a decade after the Civil War ended. Use your spare time at an event to -dare I say it - write a letter to your wife and family about your experiences away from home.