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The Sides: Information On the Confederacy and the Union

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( I must let any visitors to this site know that I am NOT, I repeat not IN favor, or not NOT in favor of either of these sides; I only placed them in alphabetical order onto this page. So, unto all of this, I remain neutral.)

The Civil War had two different sides to it; the ones that fought each other. These sides were the Confederacy, and the Union or more rather, the North and the South. Here I have compiled some information that might be useful, or otherwise helpful to some of you out in CyberSpace.

The Confederacy:
Everyday Life: What Confederate Soldiers Were Given:
Soldier life in the 1860's was a mighty bit hard, and could get lonesome. It meant many months away from home and loved ones, long hours of drill, a tent for a home, and many days spent marching on hot, dusty roads burdened with everything a man needed to be a soldier as well as baggage enough to make his life as comfortable as possible. There were long stretches of boredom in camp interspersed with moments of sheer terror experienced on the battlefield. Thousands of young Americans left their homes to fight for what they believed in, and, after being in this war, the Civil War, it would prove to be a war that they would never forget. Every soldier wore a wool uniform, a belt set which included a cartridge box, cap box, bayonet and scabbard, a haversack for his rations, a canteen, and a blanket roll or knapsack which contained a wool blanket, a shelter half and perhaps a rubber blanket or poncho. Inside was a change of socks, writing paper, stamps and envelopes, ink and pen, razor, toothbrush, comb and other personal items. Most soldiers learned to travel light very quickly, discarding extra items that were of no use in the field. Confederate soldiers carried less items out of want more than need. Discarded equipment was usually difficult to replace and fresh clothing was difficult to be found for the average southerner until the Confederate quartermaster could start a constant flow of supplies.
( Be forewarned that the Union Soldiers were given the exact same thing. )

Above(Centered): Union Soldiers called Confederates, "Johnny Rebs", or "Rebels". This picture shows three Confederate Soldiers, resting out on some wood chunks.

Description Of What They Wore:
The average soldier's uniform consisted of a short-waisted jacket and trousers, light cotton underwear if it was available, and a cotton shirt that had been sent from home. Most men preferred cotton shirts to the itchy wool or flannel shirts the government issued. Unlike the Union army shoes, Confederate shoes were not of the best quality and some men were forced to go barefoot until shoes could be found.
The Confederate army issued a gray cap that was similar to the Union soldier's forage cap. Many men preferred to wear broad-brimmed felt hats instead of the army cap because it was better protection from the hot sun and rain. Even the general officers preferred to wear felt hats.

Above (Left): A Confederate General's outfit; Above (Centered\and Right): A Confederate Soldier's Button-Up Coat, and a Confederate hat.

Their Advantages and Disadvantages:

Advantages:

They had more knowledge of the land, and of its basic layout.

They had better Military/Guerilla Tactics.

Disadvantages:

The land that they were trying to take, was uphill, so in order to carry out their orders, they would have to march across a valley and then attack uphill.

They could not get as many supplies, as easily as the Union could.

Above (Centered): Confederate Soldiers try to capture Little Round Top.

Their Objective(s):
The main objective(s) of this battle, for the Confederacy, was\were to "punch through the Union lines and move north. Lee wanted to blow up the railroad bridge at Harrisburg, then turn his attention to Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington; he was getting desperate."

The Union:
Everyday Life: What Union Soldiers Were Given:
Union Soldiers were given exactly the same as the Confederate Soldiers were given, though, it was easier for Union Soldiers to get more supplies than it was for the Confederate Soldiers. Confederate Soldiers found it almost near 'impossible' to gather extra supplies, or to get new ones when they needed them.

Above (Left): A Union Soldier posing for his picture; Above (Right): Union Soldiers planning their next move.

Description Of What They Wore:
The hats of the Union’s uniforms were blue to match the coat and pants. The top of the hat was black leather and the visor and a stripe on the bottom of the hat was also black leather. There was usually a brass design on the front that varied depending on the rank. The main design was either an eagle or an “A” in a circle with spikes coming out and crossed overhead. The tops either had a feather or red or white wool. The coats were blue and had gold buttons that went up and down the front in lines. They had black streaks stretching from button to button. They had on white collars and tails on the coats. The pants were usually blue and had some white streaks down the side. . The shoes varied more than any other part of the uniform. The officers would usually wear tall black boots. The militia would wear brown shoes, clogs. Anything they could find to keep their feet warm. Sometimes the soldiers had to go bare foot.The officers dressed about the same as the rest of the army. The uniforms were cleaner because the officers got to clean them every once in a while, since they had more privileges. They had different colored sashes to show their rank. Some colors were gold, red, and green. The officers were, as you can see, a little fancier with these things and also with simple designs on the sleeves.

Above (Centered): A museum display case shows the clothes and objects worn by a Union Soldier.

Their Advantages and Disadvantages:

Advantages:

The Union could get supplies easier than the Confederates could, since the North was the part of the United States that contained most industry.

The Union had take higher ground when the battle started, and having high gounds is always a bonus.

Disadvantages:

Union troops were not as skilled in combat as were the Confederates.

Union troops did not know as much about the area as did the Confederates; they were better left with getting supplies easier.

Above (Centered): Union Troops keep a close watch for Confederates as they camp on Little Round Top.

Their Objective(s):
The main objective(s) of this battle, for the Union, was\were to hold their lines, and make sure that the enemy did not push past them, and proceed Northward.

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The Confederacy: Everyday Life: What Confederate Soldiers Were Given: Soldier life in the 1860's was a mighty bit hard, and could get lonesome. It meant many months away from home and loved ones, long hours of drill, a tent for a home, and many days spent marching on hot, dusty roads burdened with everything a man needed to be a soldier as well as baggage enough to make his life as comfortable as possible. There were long stretches of boredom in camp interspersed with moments of sheer terror experienced on the battlefield. Thousands of young Americans left their homes to fight for what they believed in, and, after being in this war, the Civil War, it would prove to be a war that they would never forget. Every soldier wore a wool uniform, a belt set which included a cartridge box, cap box, bayonet and scabbard, a haversack for his rations, a canteen, and a blanket roll or knapsack which contained a wool blanket, a shelter half and perhaps a rubber blanket or poncho. Inside was a change of socks, writing paper, stamps and envelopes, ink and pen, razor, toothbrush, comb and other personal items. Most soldiers learned to travel light very quickly, discarding extra items that were of no use in the field. Confederate soldiers carried less items out of want more than need. Discarded equipment was usually difficult to replace and fresh clothing was difficult to be found for the average southerner until the Confederate quartermaster could start a constant flow of supplies. ( Be forewarned that the Union Soldiers were given the exact same thing. )	Above(Centered): Union Soldiers called Confederates, "Johnny Rebs", or "Rebels". This picture shows three Confederate Soldiers, resting out on some wood chunks.
Description Of What They Wore: The average soldier's uniform consisted of a short-waisted jacket and trousers, light cotton underwear if it was available, and a cotton shirt that had been sent from home. Most men preferred cotton shirts to the itchy wool or flannel shirts the government issued. Unlike the Union army shoes, Confederate shoes were not of the best quality and some men were forced to go barefoot until shoes could be found. The Confederate army issued a gray cap that was similar to the Union soldier's forage cap. Many men preferred to wear broad-brimmed felt hats instead of the army cap because it was better protection from the hot sun and rain. Even the general officers preferred to wear felt hats.	Above (Left): A Confederate General's outfit; Above (Centered\and Right): A Confederate Soldier's Button-Up Coat, and a Confederate hat.
Their Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages: They had more knowledge of the land, and of its basic layout. They had better Military/Guerilla Tactics. Disadvantages: The land that they were trying to take, was uphill, so in order to carry out their orders, they would have to march across a valley and then attack uphill. They could not get as many supplies, as easily as the Union could.	Above (Centered): Confederate Soldiers try to capture Little Round Top. Their Objective(s): The main objective(s) of this battle, for the Confederacy, was\were to "punch through the Union lines and move north. Lee wanted to blow up the railroad bridge at Harrisburg, then turn his attention to Philadelphia, Baltimore, or Washington; he was getting desperate."
The Union: Everyday Life: What Union Soldiers Were Given: Union Soldiers were given exactly the same as the Confederate Soldiers were given, though, it was easier for Union Soldiers to get more supplies than it was for the Confederate Soldiers. Confederate Soldiers found it almost near 'impossible' to gather extra supplies, or to get new ones when they needed them.	Above (Left): A Union Soldier posing for his picture; Above (Right): Union Soldiers planning their next move.
Description Of What They Wore: The hats of the Union’s uniforms were blue to match the coat and pants. The top of the hat was black leather and the visor and a stripe on the bottom of the hat was also black leather. There was usually a brass design on the front that varied depending on the rank. The main design was either an eagle or an “A” in a circle with spikes coming out and crossed overhead. The tops either had a feather or red or white wool. The coats were blue and had gold buttons that went up and down the front in lines. They had black streaks stretching from button to button. They had on white collars and tails on the coats. The pants were usually blue and had some white streaks down the side. . The shoes varied more than any other part of the uniform. The officers would usually wear tall black boots. The militia would wear brown shoes, clogs. Anything they could find to keep their feet warm. Sometimes the soldiers had to go bare foot.The officers dressed about the same as the rest of the army. The uniforms were cleaner because the officers got to clean them every once in a while, since they had more privileges. They had different colored sashes to show their rank. Some colors were gold, red, and green. The officers were, as you can see, a little fancier with these things and also with simple designs on the sleeves.	Above (Centered): A museum display case shows the clothes and objects worn by a Union Soldier.
Their Advantages and Disadvantages: Advantages: The Union could get supplies easier than the Confederates could, since the North was the part of the United States that contained most industry. The Union had take higher ground when the battle started, and having high gounds is always a bonus. Disadvantages: Union troops were not as skilled in combat as were the Confederates. Union troops did not know as much about the area as did the Confederates; they were better left with getting supplies easier.	Above (Centered): Union Troops keep a close watch for Confederates as they camp on Little Round Top. Their Objective(s): The main objective(s) of this battle, for the Union, was\were to hold their lines, and make sure that the enemy did not push past them, and proceed Northward.