War is never a pleasant experience and neither are the conditions that many soldiers must conform to, both present and future. However, conditions for soldiers during the Civil War were much harsher as opposed to today, due to many technological advances. The Civil War accounts for 620,000 deaths, which is the highest casualty rate in history. The men and women who serve and have served our country deserve only the best care. Unfortunately, being a soldier during the Civil War was accompanied by many hardships, such as poor medical conditions and inadequate clothing and food supplies.
Medical services have drastically improved from the time of the Civil War and many advancements are being discovered everyday. Practices such as antiseptic control, …show more content…
Canned food was available at the time of the war, but it was difficult to transport to the traveling soldiers. There were times where troops “… went hungry, for six days not a morsel of bread or meat… Many became ill from exposure and starvation…” (Hunter, page 3). The Union soldiers relied heavily on a hard cracker known as Hardtack, made with only flour, salt, and water. Disgustingly enough, many Hardtacks housed weevils- a type of beetle- and maggots. The Union soldiers also relied on cornmeal, molasses, coffee, and rice. Many also relied on care packages from home; John Redfield wrote to home saying, “… send me some cider put up in bottles, and some apples… and don’t try to send me any cake or anything that will get smashed, but I want anything that will keep a week. (Page 7)”. However, the Confederates were not as lucky as the Union soldiers. By the end of the war, most Confederate soldiers were close to starvation by the end of the war. The Confederates relied on cornmeal as their main source of food. They also had resources to molasses, dried peas, and peanuts. Neither side received meat often, and if they did, it was either too tough or rotten to eat. If these soldiers were not constantly traveling, they would have been much more
Medical services have drastically improved from the time of the Civil War and many advancements are being discovered everyday. Practices such as antiseptic control, …show more content…
Canned food was available at the time of the war, but it was difficult to transport to the traveling soldiers. There were times where troops “… went hungry, for six days not a morsel of bread or meat… Many became ill from exposure and starvation…” (Hunter, page 3). The Union soldiers relied heavily on a hard cracker known as Hardtack, made with only flour, salt, and water. Disgustingly enough, many Hardtacks housed weevils- a type of beetle- and maggots. The Union soldiers also relied on cornmeal, molasses, coffee, and rice. Many also relied on care packages from home; John Redfield wrote to home saying, “… send me some cider put up in bottles, and some apples… and don’t try to send me any cake or anything that will get smashed, but I want anything that will keep a week. (Page 7)”. However, the Confederates were not as lucky as the Union soldiers. By the end of the war, most Confederate soldiers were close to starvation by the end of the war. The Confederates relied on cornmeal as their main source of food. They also had resources to molasses, dried peas, and peanuts. Neither side received meat often, and if they did, it was either too tough or rotten to eat. If these soldiers were not constantly traveling, they would have been much more