Transcript Civil War Clothes, Food, and Music

Civil War Clothes, Food, and
Music
By: Lauren Burkey, Kylie H., Emily
Krupa, Molly McNamee, and Sydney
Wickenheiser
Music has always been an important part
of American society and it was no different
during the Civil War. When volunteer
regiments were recruited, a regimental
band was usually included as a part of that
organization. The bands were needed to
play for parades, formations, dress
parades and evening concerts. In the
Union army, each artillery or infantry
regiment could have one 24-member band
and the cavalry was limited to a 16
member band. There were fewer
Confederate bands because musicians
were not quite as plentiful in the South and
good instruments were expensive and very
difficult to obtain.
Civil War Music
During the Civil war the Confederates and the Union had bands. The
sides had regimental bands. The bands played at parades,formations, dress
parties, and evening concerts. Both sides dismissed the bands within the first
year of the war. Some songs tell of battles fought during the Civil War.
Music was an important part in the Civil War. It was a major source of
entertainment. Music also was a way to express feelings that words alone can’t
express. The men from both sides would sometimes sing and cheer together
even though they were at war with each other.
Both armies had their favorite songs. They sang them to keep up the
spirits of the soldiers. There are many songs from the Civil War that are still
sung today. One of the songs is When Johnny Comes Marching Home. The
songs were popular in the nineteenth century. People today go around and
perform Civil War songs. The cowboys in the old west had fought in the Civil
War and it is only natural that they carried the songs with them.
Music
– Some of the common instruments used in the Civil
War are the union drum, and the union fifer. The
union drum was used to call soldiers back into
formation and for other events. Drums got the
soldiers awake in the morning and at night it meant
“lights out”. The drum usually was decorated and it
had an eagle on its side with stars and stripes
flowing around it. The Confederate drums were not
as fancy.
– The drummers were sometimes accompanied by a
fifer. A fife is a high-pitched instrument similar to a
piccolo. Not all musicians were allowed to go into
battle. The fife is played by blowing into one end
and covering certain holes with your fingers.
Each company in an infantry regiment had a musician who was
usually a drummer. They were relied upon to play drum beats to
call the soldiers into formation and for other events. Drums got
the soldiers up in the morning, signaled them to report for
morning roll call, sick call, and guard duty. Drummers also
played at night to signal lights out.The most important use of
drums was on the battlefield where they were used to
communicate orders from the commanding officers and signal
troop movement. Drummers were often accompanied by a fifer.
Civil War music for the
Confederates
The Confederates thought that the music kept up the morale of the
soldiers. They didn’t have a lot of instruments because good instruments are
hard to find and were expensive. Some of the bands were good and some
where just horrible. Some soldiers thought that some bands sounded like “a
braying pack of mules.”
General Lee said “that without music, there would have been no army.”
Music was a large part in the army and at home. At the battle of
Fredericksburg the two armies had a battle of the bands. After the Pickett’s
March the Confederate bands played songs to try and cheer up the
Confederate army.
The Confederates liked patriotic and romantic songs. The Confederates
favorite songs were The Bonnie Blue Flag, Lorena, Maryland, My Maryland,
and a southern version of The Battle Cry of Freedom.
Civil War music for the Union.
Some of the Union Generals had their bands play as the army
struggled to close ranks. Some soldiers thought that music was worth a
thousand men.
The soldiers liked patriotic and sentimental songs.The Union’s
favorite songs were The Battle Cry of Freedom, The Battle Hymn of
the Republic, John Brown's Body, Just Before the Battle Mother,
Dixie's Land, Tenting Tonight on the Old Camp Ground, The Vacant
Chair, and Tramp! Tramp! Tramp!
Food
•
The Union Army had a much easier time supplying
food to their soldiers in the beginning of the war than
the Confederates did. The Union already had a
commissary system when the war broke out, while the
Confederates struggled for years trying to get food to
their soldiers. Even though neither army had a lot of
food, rarely did anyone starve. Prisoners of war on
both sides were the worst off.
Food
• The Commissary Department was responsible for
getting food to the union and the confederate armies.
The north had an easier time finding food than the
south did. The soldiers in that time had no real
knowledge for nutrition and health so they ate
whatever was offered. Since it was so hard to keep food
fresh and it was difficult to store the food, the food was
not fancy or satisfying.
Food from the Civil War
Most people believe that soldiers in the Civil War went
hungry. But, they seldom did. It’s true that he didn’t always
have fresh vegetables, fresh eggs, roast beef, baked potatoes,
and soft bread, and he didn’t always have enough food to
satisfy his hunger, but he did not starve.
The North and the South basically had a farm economy, so
until late in the war plenty of food was grown—although
there was often no one to harvest it and no way to transport
it after it was harvested. The South was in far worse straits
than the North, though. They had many struggles to obtain
food, because they didn’t have a method established at the
beginning of the war, like the North did.
Rations
Rations are the daily amount of food that is given to the soldiers. An
average soldier’s daily rations usually included: Hardbread, beef, beans, and
coffee.
The most common type of Hardbread for the North and the South was
called “Hardtack,” nicknamed “shipbiscuit” and “pilot bread.” It was made
of only flour and water, and usually hard as a rock, depending on how old it
was. To make it edible, it was usually broken up and soaked in coffee or
soup.
Beans were the next basic food, and they were dried, white navy beans.
Generally they were soaked overnight if possible, or cooked overnight if
possible. Fifteen pounds of peas or beans were issued with every hundred
rations to troops. That is a lot of beans!
Generally, by the time the troops received the beef, it had been salted. But,
unfortunately, it was not always possible to have fresh beef along, so salt
beef or salt pork was used. How many men became ill or died or died from
eating bad beef will never be known, but it is an established fact that there
were a lot more deaths from illness than from enemy action.
Coffee and Other Rations
There is not a record of exactly what type of coffee was
issued to the Northern troops. No reference can give the exact
clue, other than the fact that the North bought the very best
coffee it could buy. The South bought anything it could buy.
Coffee was really more important to the average soldier than
anything he else he could beg for, borrow, or steal. It got him
up in the morning and put him to bed at night. Some of the
Southern substitutes for coffee included corn, chicory, acorns,
wheat, cotton seed, peanuts, and beans.
Along with hardbread, beef, beans, and coffee, the average
soldier also received candles and soap.
Civil War Clothing
Dresses: A Day Dress would be worn in the mornings or
afternoons, for informal occasions such as breakfast, or
household chores. They generally have a closed or close fitting
sleeve. They can be fitted, gathered, pleated or fan front. The
skirts are generally a little less full, but can be worn over
multiple petticoats or a hoop. They are usually made of cotton or
wool, for easy care. Junior Officers Frock
Shirts: Boy’s shirts had a narrow collar or band collar. Shoulders
seams were cut very wide. Sleeves were fuller, cuffs were
smaller and shirts had no breast pocket. All shirts had long
sleeves. Shirts were made of cotton, wool, linen or homespun
fabric. Fabrics were plain in white or somber colors or calico.
Those shirts were usually a dollar. he would wear a vest or
jacket if he was going out in public.
Civil War clothes
Vests were simple items usually made of wool, linen or
cotton in plain or muted stripe fabric. Elaborate, expensive
vests might sport lovely brocaded, paisley or patterned
fabrics.
Jacket: A wealthy lad would have stylish coats in many
styles A wealthy lad would have stylish coats in many
styles.
Pants: were made of sturdy fabrics woven of wool,
homespun, linsey-woolsey, linen, or cotton. Pants were
styled much like adult men's pants, with no back pockets,
front slash pockets, button fly or buttons for braces. There
also were no belt loops. Suspenders were used to hold up
the pants.
Young girls, until they were teens, wore dresses that were
one piece affairs. Dresses fastened up the back with
buttons or hook and eyes. Girls wore aprons in several
styles, the most common type would have a one-piece bib
that covered the bodice front to back. Cotton and wool
stockings were worn with boots that laced up the front and
had flat heels. The petticoats and drawers would
sometimes peek below the hem of the skirt, and might be
trimmed.
Bibliography
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www.civilwarpoetry.org/music/index.htm
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gettkidz/music.htm
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http://www.cwartillery.org/pastref.html
http://www.fcsutler.com/fcusuniforms.asp
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http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/civwar/bands.html
http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/kids/girls.htm
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gettkidz/music.htm
http://www.nps.gov/archive/gett/gettkidz/music.htm
http://www.shasta.com/suesgoodco/newcivilians/kids/girls.htm
http://americanrevwar.homestead.com/files/civwar/bands.html