CH. 11-3 THE WAR
BEHIND THE LINES
AMERICAN HISTORY
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January 1, 1863—Abraham Lincoln issues
document freeing all slaves in areas that
were in rebellion—EMANCIPATION
PROCLAMATION
EMANCIPATON—the act of freeing someone
from slavery
Slavery could continue in areas not in
rebellion
Some northerners feared emancipation
because there would be more competition for
jobs in the north
THE EMANCIPATION
PROCLAMATION
Overseas, people in Great Britain had not
gone for enough in free slaves
 Lincoln’s action ended any hope of Great
Britain helping the south in the war
 The British government did not want to
take the side of a slave power in a war
that was now about ending slavery.
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Enslaved African Americans made important
contribution to the war effort
Before emancipation, thousands of slaves
escaped with the help of Union Troops
FREEDMAN—emancipated slaves
African American soldiers served in
segregated units led by white officers
Nearly 180,000 African Americans served in
the Union armies
Black troops took part in more than 200
battles
More than 38,000 African Americans died
AFRICAN AMERICANS AND THE
WAR
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WARTIME MEDICINE
No vaccinations or antibiotics for mumps,
measles, and smallpox.
Soldiers who escapes infectious diseases
often contracted dysentery, cholera, and
typhoid fever
At times as many as 1/3 of the army was too
sick to fight
European doctors were learning about
bacteria but Union doctors didn’t have then
information
LIFE IN THE MILITARY
Doctors often went days without washing
their instruments, or their hands
 “Minnie Ball” (heavy lead bullet) inflicted
great damage to soldiers
 Shots to the arm or leg resulted in
shattered bones and infection
 President Lincoln created The Sanitary
Commission to provide nurses and
ambulance drivers to help wounded
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CAMP LIFE
Soldiers spent about 75% of their time in
camp
Conditions were horrible
In wet weather, camps were a sea of mud
In dry weather, clouds of dust occurred
Days in camp were long and boring
Soldiers woke at 5 am in the summer and
6 am in the winter
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After breakfast, the men took part in up
to 5 daily drills
They learned and practiced battlefield
maneuvers
Soldiers ate well in the beginning of the
war
Rations included bread, fresh or salted
pork or beef, coffee, and beans.
Soldiers often added whatever they could
find in the area
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PRISON CAMPS
Both sides didn’t keep many prisoners
Good treatment of prisoners was never a priority
Prisoner exchanges ended as the war progressed
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ANDERSONVILLE AND ELMIRA
South erected a stockade in an open field near
Andersonville, GA
Capacity was 10,000 but by July 1864 there were
over 30,000 union soldiers
About 100 prisoners died in the hot sun daily
Conditions in Elmira, NY were similar
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THE SOUTHERN HOME FRONT
Shortages in materials made life difficult
in the South
A pair of shoes that sold for $18 in 1862
sold for $800 by 1865
Bread sold for $25 per loaf in some places
Inflation soared because the Confederate
Government printed large sums of money
1863—women looted shops in Richmond,
for food, shoes, cloth, etc.
LIFE ON THE HOME FRONT
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THE CONFEDERATE DRAFT
Original enlistment in the south was one year
Confederate Congress created the first
military draft in April 1862
--Volunteer enlistments extended for 2 years
--required 3-year commitments from other
white males aged 18-35
--1864—the year rule was changed to 17-50.
CONSCRIPTION—forced service in the
military
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Governors in Georgia and North Carolina
didn’t support the draft
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COPPERHEADS AND THE UNION DRAFT
Men could hire a substitute to fight for them
Draft fueled antiwar movements
Opposition supporters were called Peace
Democrats
Critics called these people COPPERHEADS
(poisonous snake)
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Government arrested and jailed without
trial the most vocal critics of the war
 This occurred because Lincoln suspended
HABEAS CORPUS (constitutional right of
an arrested person to appear in court
charged with a crime)
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WOMEN IN THE CIVIL WAR
Several hundred disguised themselves as
men to fight in the war
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Women on both sides took over farming,
stores, and other businesses
They also served as spies and worked as
bankers and steamboat captains.
The need for clothes, shoes, and other
supplies created about 100,000 jobs for
women in northern factories
CLARA BARTON—founder of the American
Red Cross
THE END