Civil War Essay

The civil war was a long battle over preserving our great nation and freeing the slaves. There were many key battles in the civil war like the battle of Gettysburg and the battle of Antietam. The war effected many people, and people helped effect the civil war. The main group of people that effected the civil war were the soldiers that fought in the war. African Americans played an important role in the military and in keeping the economy strong while soldiers were at war. Neither the north nor the south would have fought as long as they did. They served as soldiers for the north and they also served as spies. They also helped keep the economy up. They stayed and helped their master’s wives on the farm. They helped run stores and they also worked in factories. The African Americans helped benefit the north and the south and neither would have done well without them. Civil war pictures and letters will also help me paint a picture of what the soldiers and African Americans went through during the war.
Firstly, during the Civil War the Union and Confederate soldiers had horrible medical attention. Many soldiers who were wounded in battle died where they fell. There were not enough doctors going around to help everybody. Those who were often rescued faced a grim fate in the hands of military doctors. Medical knowledge was quite limited. Doctors did not know how to treat many diseases. They don’t understand the causes of infection and the need for clean process for surgery. Battlefield surgeons often worked in clothes covered in dripping blood. They wiped their hands on their jackets and washed their medical tools in dirty water. A battlefield surgeon’s most common tool was the bone saw which they used for bone amputations. Since musket balls shattered bone on impact soldiers had no choice but to amputate whole limbs without anesthesia. Soldiers walked around with limbs and body parts missing. Poor hygiene also contributed to the many deaths on the battlefield. Soldiers often made their tents next to bathrooms. They also drunk the same water they washed up in. These things helped contribute to the spread of disease.
There were long periods of time in between battles. For every day of battle they spent 50 days hanging around camp. Soldiers stayed occupied in camp by pursing various pastimes. One of the most common activities was reading. Soldiers liked to read the newspaper from their hometown. They also wrote letters to family and friends. There is a picture of union soldiers writing letters home describing what the war was like to their families. They also played cards and went swimming. Hunting and fishing were popular just like baseball and wrestling. Some soldiers often performed magic shows, plays and skits for their campmates. One production by Confederate soldiers called medical board messed with army doctors and their fondness to amputate. Music also played a special part in soldier’s lives. Before battles soldiers would sing songs to raise their spirits. Most of the time though they preferred traditional folk songs and ballads. They made up songs about the hardships of war and of camp life. “Weeping sad and lonely” was a favorite among homesick troops on both side of the war. When Union and Confederate soldiers were camped near each other, as sometimes happened, troops from both sides would join in songs together, there voices echoing across the distances between there camps.
New weapons also made the war more dangerous for the soldiers. One advancement in weapon technology is the rifled musket. Unlike the old musket the new musket had grooves inside the barrel that caused the bullet to spin, allowing it to travel much faster, farther, and with greater accuracy. They also had improved canons with explosive shells. Which allowed armies to unleash a fury of artillery on their opponents. The weapons were deadly enough but combined with poor battlefield tactics it made it even worse. Instead of spreading troops out to make it difficult for their opponents to hit. The generals massed the soldiers together for large frontal assaults on enemy lines. This tactic worked well in previous wars when the guns sucked. During the Civil War, snipers who dug into defensive positions could destroy a whole line of charging troops with no problem, even at great distances. The mismatch of new weapons and old battle techniques led to many bloody battles like the one-day battle of Antietam. There is a picture from the Civil War that shows us the deadly damage of the new weapons in the one-day war of Antietam. It shows soldiers destroying a frontal assault with the new weapons. Soldiers were getting shot in the neck and in the head. There were a lot of dead soldiers.
Lastly the war had an effect on African Americans. African Americans rejoiced at the idea of the slaves being freed. When the emancipation proclamation was issued it caused great rejoicing for the northerners and free black men and women. Many saw emancipation as a major step toward gaining equal rights for blacks. One man described the ecstatic response he saw at a public reading of the proclamation at Washington, D.C. “ Men squealed, women fainted, dogs barked, white and colored people shook hands, songs were sung, and by this time canons began to fire… and follow in the wake of the roar that had … been going on the white house… The president came to the window and made responsive bows, and thousands told him, if he would come out of that palace, they would hug him to death… It was indeed a time of times, nothing like it will ever be seen again in this life”. Henry M. Turner, The Negro In Slavery, War, and Peace, 1913
African Americans also helped in the war. Before the Emancipation Proclamation, thousands of slaves had fled behind Union Lines. Since there were no government policies on the fugitives, union commanders were left to make there own decision with the fugitive slaves. Some commanders paid the fugitive wages for nonwar work such as becoming a cook, carpenter, guide, or driver. Lincoln refused offers by free blacks in the north to raise African American regiments. Fearing the effect it might have on the Border States. Many northerners doubted that African Americans would make good soldiers. As the war went on the public opinion began to change. Congress authorized African American recruitment in 1862. The most famous black unit was 54th Massachusetts Regiment. This regiment played a critical role in winning acceptance for black soldiers. Other regiments also showed courage. Several regiments were made up of freedman (freed slaves) in the Confederate Army. There is a picture of an African American Regiment From South Carolina.
Despite African Americans help during the war there was still racism and discrimination. During the New York City draft riots, dozens of African Americans were killed. In the military blacks were given poor jobs such as digging ditches. They were often given poor weapons. They did not receive the same training as white soldiers. That is why African American Soldiers suffered a higher death rate. Also black soldiers who were captured in the south faced a risk of being enslaved or executed rather then being imprisoned. They were paid as laborers not as soldiers. White soldiers earned 13$ a month while African American soldiers were being paid just 10$. Some African American regiments protested for equal pay. One company of African American soldiers stacked there weapons and refused to pick them up again until they received equal pay. Their leader a black sergeant named William Walker. He was charged with mutiny and was executed by a firing squad. In June 1864 congress agreed to equalize pay between white and African American soldiers, including all back pay.
The Civil War was a long battle over preserving our great nation and freeing the slaves. There were many key battles in the civil war like the battle of Gettysburg and the battle of Antietam. The war effected many people, and people helped effect the civil war. The main group of people that affected the civil war were the soldiers that fought in the war. African Americans played an important role in the military and in keeping the economy strong while soldiers were at war. Neither the north nor the south would have fought as long as they did. They served as soldiers for the north and they also served as spies. They also helped keep the economy up. They stayed and helped their master’s wives on the farm. They helped run stores and they also worked in factories. The African Americans helped benefit the north and the south and neither would have done well without them. These are the points I have stated in my essay that help back up my thesis statement.

Schedule

"Damn I wish the day would end already I'm bored as hell". "Yo wouldn't it be cool if we got out of school earlier". So many Con High students have complained about the school day. President Nick Amborgelli said" I have heard many complaints thats why I am coming up with a bill that will start school early but let us leave early". I asked students what they though about coming to school earlier and leaving earlier. 10th grade student John Sobolusky said" he would have no problem with the bill he would support it if Nick got it through. I also asked Nick when the bill would be put into action he said next year.