| Your Confederate Ancestor in the Civil War, By Karen Frisch |
| If your great-great-grandfather fought for the Confederacy in the Civil War, he saw a vastly different war than his Union counterpart.The life of the Confederate soldier was filled with hazards resulting from his decision to support Jefferson Davis in preserving the South's heritage and creating a separate nation. Those who joined at the start of the war were at least able to savor the early victories that generated Southern optimism for so long. As there was no draft for the Confederate Army, all soldiers were volunteers. Without the economic opportunities the North afforded, many younger sons chose to become career soldiers because their oldest brother would inherit the family plantation. The Confederate soldier's life was arduous. Often he had no shoes,and his clothing was ragtag since there was no money for uniforms as there was in the Union Army. Most of the time the men were undernourished. In 1863, the Army of Northern Virginia's monthly rations for every 100 men were a quarter pound of bacon, 18 ounces off lour, 10 pounds of rice, and small amounts of dried fruit and peas--meager provisions that were not always available. While he was the same height as a Union soldier, the Confederate soldier averaged 10 pounds less. |
| Confederate soldiers who fell ill often relied on medical home remedies from native plants. Burns were treated with cucumber, colds with wild cherry or watermelon sugar, diarrhea with rose geranium, and pneumonia with a mixture of opium, quinine, and brandy. If the wounded had to be treated at Union hospitals, their injuries were taken in the order of severity. Frequently the timeliness of treatment depended upon the degree of sympathy the surgeon felt. While a competent surgeon could amputate an arm or leg in under fifteen minutes, patients were often forced to bite on a bullet, a comfort that was always more available than anesthesia. The risks from infection were great since medical instruments were wiped and used again. Many in the deep South also died from malaria, smallpox, and diphtheria. A soldier spent his leisure time in camp chewing tobacco, reading the New Testament, singing songs such as "Dixie" around the campfire, and sharing stories of home. It was perhaps his spiritual faith and love of home and family that sustained him in the worst of times. He might have worn a straw hat that his sister made for him to shelter him from the sun on long marches. Many carried a pin that held a locket of hair from a sweetheart. The war was fought over tradition, and the Confederates carried their heritage into war. A general's tent often contained luxuries such as Oriental rugs, rocking chairs, and writing desks. Just as Union soldiers had doubts of returning home alive, Confederates also spent occasional nights with prostitutes. The densely wooded forests, dusty roads, and cold trenches where he fought summer and winter were a testament to his determination. But while the Confederate soldier acted out of conviction and courage, his cause continually led to defeat and low morale, especially as the war dragged on. It must have been difficult to remain optimistic toward the end of the war. The Confederacy's early euphoria and air of invincibility disappeared after the decisive defeat at Gettysburg, leaving the soldiers exhausted and discouraged. From then on they were in a defensive position rather than attacking. The family historian might find ancestors who fought on both sides. Because families were often split by the Civil War, it was common to find brother fighting brother, as even President Abraham Lincoln's in-laws discovered. |
| Copyright 1998-2002, MyFamily.com Inc. and its subsidiaries., the "Ancestry Daily News" June 25, 2002 (http://www.ancestry.com/rd/dailynews.htm) |
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