A Soldier's Life | chemungcocivilwar

Tenting Tonight: A Soldier's Life

New recruits left their homes expecting adventure and glory. What they actually found was quite different. Soldiers each carried nearly sixty pounds of gear, had a diet of salt pork, dried beans and hardtack, and slept at night in overcrowded tents. While on the march, they were seasonally bothered by mud, mosquitoes, intense heat and dust. They suffered from diseases brought on by bad water and poor sanitation. Only about a quarter of a soldier’s time was actually spent in battle. The rest of the time was filled with marching, drilling, camp chores, boredom and homesickness.

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23rd New York Volunteers Boredom was a big problem in camps. Between drilling and chores, soldiers read, wrote letters, played music, gambled, played baseball, visited prostitutes, drank and fought.	Scenes of Camp Life Harper's Weekly, July 6, 1861. Illustration courtesy of harpersweekly.com
Soldiers drilling One soldier described his days in the army like this: The first thing in the morning is drill. Then drill, then drill again. Then drill, drill, a little more drill. Then drill, and lastly drill.	The Soldier’s Dream of Home This print by Currier & Ives, expressed the homesickness felt by many of the soldiers in the field. Image Courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org
Ammunition case carried by John VanGorden of the 141st NY Volunteers	Haversack carried by Lieut. Robert A. Hall of the 141st NY Volunteers
Canvas covered canteen carried by John VanGorden of the 141st NY Volunteers	Tin cup
Hardtack biscuit	Government issued wool blanket used by John D. Cooper, Co. A, 107th NY Volunteers
Straight razor	Eunice Snyder made this housewife sewing kit for Henry S. Snyder to carry during the war.
This silver fife was carried by musician King J. Campbell while he was a soldier. He served in Co. G of the 64th New York Volunteers under the command of Capt. Albert F. Peterson. He enlisted and was discharged at Elmira.	Jeremiah (Jerry) Hall carried this hatchet during the Civil War. He enlisted on August 5, 1862 in 107th New York Volunteers. He fought at Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and was on Sherman’s March to the Sea. He was discharged on June 5, 1865.
Spyglass carried by Surgeon (Major) A. Holmes	1836 book of Hymns

Tenting Tonight: A Soldier's Life

23rd New York Volunteers

Boredom was a big problem in camps. Between drilling and chores, soldiers read, wrote letters, played music, gambled, played baseball, visited prostitutes, drank and fought.

Scenes of Camp Life

Harper's Weekly, July 6, 1861. Illustration courtesy of harpersweekly.com

Soldiers drilling

One soldier described his days in the army like this: The first thing in the morning is drill. Then drill, then drill again. Then drill, drill, a little more drill. Then drill, and lastly drill.

The Soldier’s Dream of Home

This print by Currier & Ives, expressed the homesickness felt by many of the soldiers in the field. Image Courtesy of commons.wikimedia.org

Ammunition case carried by John VanGorden of the 141st NY Volunteers

Haversack carried by Lieut. Robert A. Hall of the 141st NY Volunteers

Canvas covered canteen carried by John VanGorden of the 141st NY Volunteers

Tin cup

Hardtack biscuit

Government issued wool blanket used by John D. Cooper, Co. A, 107th NY Volunteers

Straight razor

Eunice Snyder made this housewife sewing kit for Henry S. Snyder to carry during the war.

This silver fife was carried by musician King J. Campbell while he was a soldier. He served in Co. G of the 64th New York Volunteers under the command of Capt. Albert F. Peterson. He enlisted and was discharged at Elmira.

Jeremiah (Jerry) Hall carried this hatchet during the Civil War. He enlisted on August 5, 1862 in 107th New York Volunteers. He fought at Antietam, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg and was on Sherman’s March to the Sea. He was discharged on June 5, 1865.

Spyglass carried by Surgeon (Major) A. Holmes

1836 book of Hymns