The Morale of the Armies and Their Respective Home Fronts During the

Civil War

Devin Hughes
His. 333
Dr. Holm
4/26/2013

The American Civil War, as we all know, was a conflict between the Northern Union
forces and the armies of the Southern Confederacy. The Union army, fighting to hold the United
States together, was able to defeat their Confederate brethren, whom fought for ideal of states
rights and to protect their way of life. It can scarcely be debated that the Union forces were
better supplied than those of the Confederacy, but does their advantage in supplies necessarily
result in a better morale of their armies and their home front? Is it possible that both the soldiers
and citizens of the destitute Confederacy held a stronger resolve and a higher morale throughout
the long and bloody war? The Union certainly had many reasons to hold high morale in the early
stages of the war, as did the Confederacy, but as the war progressed, it seems, that many Union
soldiers and citizens grew tired of the war and hoped to find a compromise with the South that
would lead to an end to the war more quickly. I argue that, based upon my research, the
Confederate army and citizenry held the stronger determination and thus was able to maintain a
higher level of morale than did the North.
The Northern soldiers certainly held an advantage over those of the South in regard to
supplies, particularly late in the war. The Semi-weekly Dispatch of Franklin County,
Pennsylvania reported in May of 1861 that a one hundred ration supply for a Union Soldier
entailed: 40 lbs. of beef, 51 lbs. of pork, 11 lbs. of flour, 8 qts. of beans, 10 lbs. of rice, 6 lbs. of
coffee, 12 lbs. of sugar, 4 qts. of vinegar, 1 lbs. of candles, 4 lbs. of soap, and 2 qts. of salt.
1

Clearly Northern soldiers were not going hungry in the early part of the war. My research was
unable to turn up a Confederate ration guide to compare, but it is my guess that in the early
stages of the war Southerners were equally well fed. As the Civil War raged on, both sides
suffered from a lack of food for periods of time. The Southern states were especially famished
after the scorched earth policy was implemented by Union General, William Tecumseh
Sherman.
A generous food supply was not the reason that Union should have high esteem in the
early days of the war. The Federal government was quite willing to provide its soldiers with
benefits that it thought might help with the recruitment of soldiers. For one the Union army
showed no concern in the case of stragglers. In an article, originally from the N.Y. Times,
printed in the Semi-Weekly Dispatch runs a quote from General Scott of the U.S. army. He says,
by letting volunteers run loose as it were after such a disaster, they much more rapidly
recover their spirits and get over the fatigues of the fight and the retreat--that being habituated to
reading and hearing news, they would become discontented and morose if they were at once
returned to rigid discipline and the seclusion of a camp.
2
He further explains, By letting them
mix together and talk it over, they soon hear all there is to be said--to realize the extent of the
disaster--to revive their hopes and inflame their desire for revenging the death of friends, and
reversing the tide of the battle.
3


1
Soldiers' Rations, Semi-Weekly Dispatch, May 28, 1861, 4.
2
Why Straggling Was Permitted, Semi-Weekly Dispatch, August 5, 1861, 4.
3
Why Straggling Was Permitted, 4.
1861 also saw a new bill passed that exempted Union soldiers from having any execution
against himself or his property. As reported by the Valley Spirit, No execution or other process
shall issue against any officer, non- commissioned officer or private of the militia, when called
into actual service, under a requisition of the President of the United States
4
The bill also
states that the afore mentioned soldier is exempt for thirty days after returning to his residence,
or forty days after his discharge. Soldiers in the Union army had more benefits than just
exemptions to be excited for, in July of the same year the Semi-Weekly Dispatch reported that the
Union army would now have the benefit of the French Ambulance System during the war. The
article describes the new medical vehicle as being able to carry up to twenty four men if
necessary. The article claims that soldiers will be more willing to fight and less likely to run if
they know that they have good medical care on site. The article states, What if they received a
ball or a bayonet thrust--pain to be sure, for which they cared little--but their surgeon could
extract it, and in a few weeks or months they were well, and it was a distinction ever after. With
an effective ambulance, they would undertake any march, knowing that, if over-fatigued, there
they would be received, and not left on the road, to be killed by any thieving camp follower.
5

In May of 1861 an article that seems to describe the general attitude of most Northerners
of that time, printed in the New York Tribune, was republished in the Semi-Weekly Dispatch.
The article damned the sectional conflict that had taken place for over thirty years in the United
States, and proposes that all possible peaceful resolutions have been attempted and failed. It
contains a quote from Daniel S. Dickinson regarding the eminent war, Let us settle this thing
speedily and surely. It may ruin this generation; but we owe it to the next that they should have

4
Soldiers' Exemption, Valley Spirit, May 1, 1861, 5.

5
The French Ambulance System, Semi-Weekly Dispatch, July 2, 1861, 1.
no such troubles as we have had. Let us strike now in our might, and, if necessary, wipe the
rebels from the face of the earth.--Let us finish things while we are about it, and leave nothing
behind us."
6
It would seem that this sentiment would not remain in place for the entirety of the
war, and in fact for many Northern citizens and soldiers it did not remain in place for very long
after the publication of the article.
October of 1861 saw the first negativity towards the policies of the Union army. General
George B. McClellan began refusing to allow family members from visiting their kin who are
stationed in Washington D.C. General McClellan was quoted as saying that visits are
inconsistent with the good of the soldiers, as well as prejudicial to the success of the army
generally.
7
This order, it seems, caused some trouble when parents attempted to visit their sons
and were denied the necessary pass. Many of these family members travelled at great cost of
time and money with the expectation of being able to visit and stay with their son, brother,
husband, or father in the Union camp.
By 1862, judging by the tone of a newspaper article, it would seem that many
Northerners hoped for a quick end to the war with a compromise that would lead to the reunion
of the Northern and Southern states. The afore mentioned article celebrated the Democratic
victories in elections in Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Ohio, stating that these election results could
help restore the faith of Southerners in the Union. The author says that those elections will prove
to the South that not all Northerners were abolitionists and that there is hope of a reconstruction
of the union. It implies that the idea of abolition is unconstitutional and is almost sympathetic to
the Confederate cause. In regards to the increase in power of the Democratic party in Northern

6
Let us Finish It, Semi-Weekly Dispatch, May 14, 1861, 2.
7
Passes Refused, Semi-Weekly Dispatch, October 15, 1861, 2.
states, the article says, It will encourage them to cling to the faith which they have so long in
silence cherished in their hearts, and which, through the madness and folly of those in power at
Washington, many have forsaken and gone over to the enemy. It will stimulate them to active
exertions in behalf of the Union when the hour of their redemption arrives and enable them, in
course of time, to rally a powerful Union party in their respective States, turn the minions of Jeff.
Davis out of power and bring the States back into the Union through the voluntary action of their
own people.
8
The article goes on to say that the only sure way to restore the Union is to punish
the leaders of the Confederacy and to implement a civil and conciliatory policy towards the
ordinary citizens of the South. The article urged President Lincolns administration to abandon
the ideas of emancipation as a war aim, stating that it would only serve to divide create sectional
hostility that could not be repaired. It shows that clearly as early as 1862 there were many
Northern citizens who were tired of the war already and wanted to find a compromise that would
bring about peace and restoration of the Union.
By 1863 the Union army was growing desperate for troops and implemented its first
draft. According to a report in the Valley Spirit, Congress approved a bill for conscription that
would in its first instance would draft men between the ages of twenty and thirty five; in its
second instance the bill called for men between thirty five and forty five.
9
The bill allowed for
drafted men to pay a fee of three hundred dollars to avoid service or they could also provide a
substitute to take their place in the army. The call for men only grew more desperate as the war
raged on; in 1864 another article for the Valley Spirit seemed to sum up the attitude of the Union
populace. The universal failure of the people to respond to the late call for troops is the
strongest proof yet developed to show how heartily sick and tired they are of this war The

8
The Restoration of the Union, Valley Spirit, November 5, 1862, 4.
9
A New Conscript Bill, Valley Spirit, March 4, 1863, 2.
border was invaded and the capital of the nation was threatened, yet the people manifested the
most stolid indifference.
10
The article made clear that vast majority of the Northern home front
has grown tired of the war effort and support for its goals had dropped considerably. Thae article
continued on to damn the efforts of the war to emancipate slaves throughout the South; The
people have lost all confidence in a successful termination of the war. They regard the country as
hopelessly ruined through the mismanagement, imbecility and fanaticism of this administration.
They have seen the resources of the country wasted and hundreds of thousands of the precious
lives of their countrymen sacrificed in, what must now appear plain to all, a vain effort to
subjugate the Southern people. They have seen the object of the war subverted from a high and
holy purpose to a mere crusade against African slavery.
11
It is quite clear that the Union had at
this point lost the support of a majority of its soldiers and its citizens; it is a wonder that with
such low morale they were able to still win the war.
One would think that the Confederacy would be the faction that maintained the lower
morale for the majority of the war, but based upon my research, that is not the case. The
Confederates certainly had their weaknesses and their moments of desperation, but for the most
part remained more determined than their Northern foes for the majority of the war despite the
destruction that could be seen all around. As stated before, the Confederates certainly were no
strangers to difficulty, and as early as 1862 we some negativity in the press regarding the war.
An article from Augusta County, Virginia was published in 1862 that claimed that Gen. Joseph
E. Johnston would no longer allow whiskey in Camp Alleghany, VA. The article urges citizens
to avoid shipping whiskey to their family members in service because of the punishment that

10
Apathy of the People, Valley Spirit, July 20, 1864, 4.
11
Apathy of the People, 4.

occurred for such offense. General Johnston would confiscate an entire wagonload of articles
sent to soldiers by their families if he found even the smallest amount in one soldiers package.
The article showed its disagreement with this method by saying, We cannot see the justice in
thus wronging the innocent in order to punish the guilty.
12

1862 also saw the publication of an article that showed contempt for what it called
unpardonable neglect on the part of the Confederate government in regards to supplying troops
with clothing and medical supplies. The health, zeal and discipline of the army are all that the
most sanguine friend of our holy cause could desire But it is not of the discipline, the health,
or the Commissary Department of the army that we propose to speak today, but of the destitute
condition of the troops in regard to clothing and shoes.
13
The article claimed that there were
many soldiers who had to go barefooted or wearing nothing but rags on their feet because they
had lost their shoes in battle or that they had simply fallen apart due to the excessive marching of
the particular campaign of the time. The author states that many troops had a large portion of
their clothing torn off in the battle and were in desperate need of replacement. The article also
referred to the lack of necessary medical supplies, But, bad as is the condition of the men in
camp, those who were wounded and sent back to the hospitals are still more unfortunate.
Surgeons and medicines were sent up to Winchester, to which point most of the sick and
wounded were taken, but up to the 15th instant we are assured that the Medical Department had

12
Camp Alleghany, VA, Staunton Spectator, February 25, 1862, 1.
13
Condition of our Army, Staunton Spectator, October 28, 1862, 1.
not furnished a solitary cot, bedsack, sheet, pillow, or change of clothing for these
unfortunates.
14

Confederate officials did what was in their power to ensure that the morale of their men
was as high as possible. General Stonewall Jackson, was loved by his men for his loyalty and
leadership methods and under his command, due to his emphasis on practicing his faith, more
than two thousand of his soldiers made a profession of Christianity.
15
Aside from strong
Christian generals, the Confederacy also implemented policies to help boost the morale of her
soldiers; in 1863 President Jefferson Davis granted a pardon to all stragglers and deserters on
condition that they return to their posts. Stragglers and deserters from the army particularly,
to the appeal from their posts of duty, to return immediately, and avail themselves of the pardon
granted to all who will return to their commands by the 20th of this month. All who return by
that time will be pardoned, and those who refuse to do so will be punished as deserters.
16
The
article urged citizens to make sure that any potential deserter in their area saw the command and
to encourage them to take the offer of the pardon.
General Robert E. Lee recognized the importance of having the spirits of his forces high;
in August of 1863 he issued an order that would implement a system of leave for his troops to
visit their loved ones. In order to allow as many of our brave soldiers to visit their families and
friends as can be done consistently with the good of the service, and at the same time give some
reward for meritorious conduct, a system of furloughs is hereby instituted in this army.
17
The
furloughs were granted at first to two out of every one hundred men and then reduced to one of

14
Condition of our Army, 1.
15
Stonewall Jackson And Religion In The Army, Staunton Spectator, November 17, 1863, 1.
16
Stragglers and Deserters, Staunton Spectator, August 11, 1863, 2.
17
Order From General Lee, Staunton Spectator, August 25, 1863, 1.
every hundred men. The system of leave was said to be continued as long as circumstances
would permit as long as it was not found to endanger the cause of the army.
One of the most effective ways that President Davis was able to maintain the morale and
determination of the Confederate army was to repeatedly remind them of what was at stake. He
was able to stir the passions of the Southern people to remind them of why they fought the war at
hand. In a published letter to the troops he is quoted as saying, You know too well, my
countrymen, what they mean by success. Their malignant rage aims at nothing less than the
extermination of yourselves, your wives and children. They seek to destroy what they cannot
plunder. They propose as the spoils of victory that your homes shall be partitioned among the
wretches whose atrocious cruelties have stamped infamy on their Government. They design to
incite servile insurrection and light the fires of incendiarism whenever they can reach your
homes, and they debauch the inferior race, hitherto docile and contented, by promising
indulgence of the vilest passions as the price of treachery.
18
In all his speeches and letters Davis
held on to the belief that the South would win the war because their cause was noble and right.
Even as late as 1864 many Southerners held on to their determination that they must and
would be victorious. An article from that year states that the populace should be prepared for a
very long war and that they could win by breaking their enemys will to continue the fight. A
quote appeared in this article that is a perfect description of what appears to be the mentality of
the majority of the Confederate citizenry, The result of this war will not be determined by
numbers or bravery so much as by fortitude and persistent determination.
19
The article
encouraged the readers to keep their spirits high by informing them that troops were in good

18
To The Soldiers Of The Confederate States, Staunton Spectator: August 18, 1863, 1.
19
The Spirit of the Army, Staunton Spectator, February 9, 1864, 2.
shape. Our armies are in fine spirits and our soldiers in all of them are re-enlisting with a spirit
which reflects great credit upon their bravery, fortitude and patriotism.
20
Judging by this article,
it would seem that even late in the war the majority of the Southern population held strong
morale and were just as determined as ever before to defend their way of life.
The Confederate States of America, as we all know, lost the Civil War and was dissolved,
never to be born again. Even if one does not agree with the ideals of the Confederacy, one must
admire the courage, passion, and determination with which her people fought. They faced an
army that was larger and much better supplied than their own, they persevered through the
invasion and subsequent destruction of their home land, they watched and fought back as they
saw their friends and family die on the battle field as soldiers and in the streets as civilians; all to
defend a cause that they felt was right. Even in the latest days of the war the president of the
Confederacy hung onto the notion that The victory is within your reach.--You need but stretch
forth your hands to grasp it.
21
Though they lost the war, I conclude that the army and the
population as a whole of the Confederate States of America held both a stronger resolve and a
higher morale throughout the course of the Civil War. I believe that had the Southern states been
equally equipped then they could have never been defeated when their determination was so
great.




20
The Spirit of the Army, 2.
21
To The Soldiers Of The Confederate States, 1.

Bibliography:
A New Conscript Bill, Valley Spirit. March 4, 1863, 2.
Apathy of the People, Valley Spirit. July 20, 1864, 4.
Camp Alleghany, VA, Staunton Spectator. February 25, 1862, 1.
Condition of our Army, Staunton Spectator. October 28, 1862, 1.

Let Us Finish It, Semi-Weekly Dispatch. May 14, 1861, 2.
Order From General Lee, Staunton Spectator. August 25, 1863, 1.
Our Strength, Staunton Spectator. August 25, 1863, 1.
Passes Refused, Semi-Weekly Dispatch. October 15, 1861, 2.
Recommendations of the Secretary of War, Staunton Spectator. December 15, 1863, 2.
Robert E. Lee, Our Numbers are Daily Decreasing, 1864.
Soldiers' Exemption, Valley Spirit. May 1, 1861, 5
Soldiers' Rations, Semi-Weekly Dispatch. May 28, 1861, 4.
Stonewall Jackson And Religion In The Army, Staunton Spectator. November 17, 1863, 1.
Stragglers and Deserters, Staunton Spectator. August 11, 1863, 2.
Substitute Exempts, Staunton Spectator. January 19, 1864, 2.
The French Ambulance System, Semi-Weekly Dispatch. July 2, 1861, 1.
The Rebellion Must Be Put Down--But What Then? Valley Spirit. March 16, 1864, 1.
The Restoration of the Union, Valley Spirit. November 5, 1862, 4.
The Spirit of the Army, Staunton Spectator. February 9, 1864, 2.
Ulysses S Grant Devises a New Union Strategy, 1865
Why Straggling Was Permitted, Semi-Weekly Dispatch. August 5, 1861, 4