Civil War soldier life was likely frightening. Americans fought each other on American soil. The death toll was gigantic with nearly 600,000 total deaths.

Effects of Civil War Soldier Life

Each battle was disturbing because the loss of lives was so great. There was little joy in Civil War soldier life unless you continued to win battles and stay alive. Soldiers fought bravely for their side, and did not expect to live much of the time.

Civil War soldier life fueled the fear of death and lack of identification means. Soldiers made their own ID tags because no Government issued ID tags were ever given. Soldiers wanted to be identified if they were killed in battle so their families could have closure on their status.

If a soldier did not have an ID tag, they used other items as identification. In many cases, letters and journal entries in their pockets served as identification. In certain battles, when death was likely, soldiers would write their names on a piece of paper and pin it to their backs or the inside of their coats. The Civil War was terrifying for many soldiers and their families.