Category
Three-Minute Thesis
Description
As Fred A. Shannon observes, “The drudgery and misery of warfare is the side of which the soldier sees the most, of which he complains in his generation, and which his children promptly forget.” When most people think of the American Civil War, they recall the agonies and ecstasies of battle, envisioning the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the glorious folly of Pickett’s Charge, and the ravages of Sherman’s March to the Sea. What gets left out of the history books is what the common soldier experienced more than anything else: camp life. This study highlights how Union and Confederate soldiers passed the time when not on the battlefield. It focuses specifically on what they did for fun, from sports, music, and theater to reading, card playing, and acts of general tomfoolery. The Civil War historian is uniquely blessed with an overabundance of primary sources. Hence, this project relies almost entirely on diaries, letters, and regimental histories penned by those most familiar with the subject of camp life—the soldiers themselves. Although many of these sources were published years, and even decades, after the fact, they nonetheless provide crucial insights into the experiences of the individuals who took part in this sectional conflict. For as many books and articles have been written about this war in particular, there is always more to unearth about the Civil War. Whereas the majority of scholarly works focus on battles, campaigns, and generals, relatively few devote attention to the volunteer soldiers who waged those battles and fought under those generals. This study thus contributes to an area that remains under-addressed, drawing attention to the “real war” lurking between the lines of standard “guns and battles” histories.
"The Real War": A Story of Civil War Camp Life
Three-Minute Thesis
As Fred A. Shannon observes, “The drudgery and misery of warfare is the side of which the soldier sees the most, of which he complains in his generation, and which his children promptly forget.” When most people think of the American Civil War, they recall the agonies and ecstasies of battle, envisioning the bombardment of Fort Sumter, the glorious folly of Pickett’s Charge, and the ravages of Sherman’s March to the Sea. What gets left out of the history books is what the common soldier experienced more than anything else: camp life. This study highlights how Union and Confederate soldiers passed the time when not on the battlefield. It focuses specifically on what they did for fun, from sports, music, and theater to reading, card playing, and acts of general tomfoolery. The Civil War historian is uniquely blessed with an overabundance of primary sources. Hence, this project relies almost entirely on diaries, letters, and regimental histories penned by those most familiar with the subject of camp life—the soldiers themselves. Although many of these sources were published years, and even decades, after the fact, they nonetheless provide crucial insights into the experiences of the individuals who took part in this sectional conflict. For as many books and articles have been written about this war in particular, there is always more to unearth about the Civil War. Whereas the majority of scholarly works focus on battles, campaigns, and generals, relatively few devote attention to the volunteer soldiers who waged those battles and fought under those generals. This study thus contributes to an area that remains under-addressed, drawing attention to the “real war” lurking between the lines of standard “guns and battles” histories.
