Soldiering in the Federal and Confederate armies entailed much more than fighting battles with the enemy. Civil War soldiers had to deal with long periods of boredom, especially when the armies went into winter quarters. Soldiers played cards and dominoes and found many other ways to amuse themselves. Civil War soldiers also had to deal with sometimes meager and always boring army rations. Soldiers could supplement their army fare by buying food stuffs and other goods--including tobacco and alcohol--from the many sutlers [peddlers] who followed the armies. When their units finally went into action, soldiers experienced extremely high rates of casualties. This was so despite the great improvements in the care of wounded soldiers, partly the work of the U.S. Sanitary Commission.

For a larger version of the images below, click on the photographs. Click on the text to view bibliographical records. View additional images from Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865. Use your browser's Back Button to return to this point.

Officers' Winter Quarters, 1864	Lady Seated Before Log Cabin, Winter Quarters, 1864
Noncommissioned Officers' Mess, 1863	Sutler's Tent, near Petersburg, Virginia, November 1864
Officers Playing Cards, 1864	Nurses and Officers of the U.S. Sanitary Commission, near Fredericksburg, Virginia, May 1864
Zoave Ambulance Driver Demonstrating Removal of Wounded Soldiers	Bodies of Confederate Dead Gathered for Burial, Antietam, 1862

top of page

For a larger version of the images above, click on the photographs. Click on the text to view bibliographical records. View additional images from Civil War Photographs, 1861-1865. Use your browser's Back Button to return to this point.