What was life like for the Civil War Soldier?
Student Worksheet
1. Journal Question: Pretend you are a soldier in the Confederate or Union army
in the Civil War. Imagine it is the end of the day, and you are writing in your
diary what your day was like. Use descriptive words in your summary.
2. You will be looking at documents from the Civil War, which will help you
learn more about what life was like for soldiers during the war. After you have
looked at a document, answer the questions at the bottom
of this worksheet. You can choose from the following types of documents:
| newspapers | dossiers | battle reports | battle movie | war pictures | battle statistics | letters |
2. Dossiers-
Start by entering age, <18, Regiment, VA. 5th infantry, rank, private,
casualty, killed in action
Go to document questions.
3. Battles
in 1862, southern and northern official reports
Go to document questions.
4. VRML
movie of the 2nd battle of Manassas
Go to document questions.
Confederate fortifications at Manassas
Confederate
Quarters at Manassas
Go to document questions.
Virginia 5th Infantry's Statistics
Pennsylvania
107th Regiment
Go to document questions.
letters by samuel w. north from franklin county
letters by james r. mcCutchan from augusta county
Letter by Charles Brooks, August 21, 1862
Collection of letters You may search for a letter of your own, using this collection search page.
Document One Questions
1. What typeof document are you reading? (newspaper article, letter, dossier,
battle statistic, picture)
2. In one or two sentences, summarize what you learned about daily life for a solider.
3. What are specific words, statistics, or parts of the picture from that document that tell you what life was like for a soldier? (Include nouns, adjectives, verbs)
Document Two Questions
1. What type of document are you reading? (newspaper article, letter, dossier,
battle statistic, picture)
2. In one or two sentences, summarize what you learned about daily life for a solider.
3. What are specific words, statistics, or parts of the picture from that document that tell you what life was like for a soldier? (Include nouns, adjectives, verbs)
Document Three Questions
1. What type of document are you reading? (newspaper article, letter, dossier,
battle statistic, picture)
2. In one or two sentences, summarize what you learned about daily life for a solider.
3. What are specific words, statistics, or parts of the picture from that document that tell you what life was like for a soldier? (Include nouns, adjectives, verbs)
Show What You've Learned
1. After finding at least 3 sources of information, imagine once again you are
a soldier in the Confederate or Union army. Write a letter to someone in your
family, relating your experiences as a soldier. Give specific details as to
what you have done that day. For example, what have you eaten, and what have
you seen? You should also include information about the people and things you
miss from home. Include your own drawing of what you have done or seen.
