How to survive~The American Civil War

The American Civil War, for 5 years the nation was divided and locked in an Earth shaking conflict that scarred a nation very deeply.

This war sounded like something that would be next to impossible to survive since the war cost the lives of over 600,000 Americans, but you can if you're lucky. So how would you survive the American Civil War? This is what this wiki page will cover.

## If you were a Soldier?

### Union

A Union soldier would start off with a regular inaccurate Musket as his standard issue rifle at the war's beginning, but as the war went on, you would have used the Sharps Carbine which had a breech loading system which made lading your weapon a lot easier and get off a lot of rounds, the soldier would also have a 6-shot revolver as his sidearm. You would also have a bayonet fixed on the muzzle of your rifle.

### Confederacy

A Confederate Solder would have a regular musket throughout the war since the Union held the advantage in terms of weapon technology. You will also have a revolver as your sidearm and a bayonet fixed to the muzzle of your rifle.

Depending on the situation, a soldier fighting in the American Civil War would have a life expectancy ranging from either 4 days to 2 weeks as battles were close quarter and brutal. Union soldiers would also use industrialized weapons such as the Gatling gun and if running properly could mow down en entire military regimen, especially if using old fashioned tactics like the Calvary charge. If you were to get shot or severely cut by an enemy's soldier's bayonet, you would have to go to a field hospital, and very likely (and to prevent disease from spreading) your arm or your leg would have to be amputated, changing your life forever.

## If you were a Surgeon/Nurse

The American Civil War also saw a lot of people (namely soldiers) get shot or injured badly, and if whatever doesn't kill them (and doesn't make them stronger) they'll have to go to a nearby field hospital. If you were a surgeon, you would more often then not have to amputate your patient's arm or leg in order to prevent a bacterial infection (such as gangrene) from taking over the body and kill your patient. If you were a Union soldier, you can also use antiseptics such as chloroform to help disinfect wounds. If you were a nurse, it was your job to take care of the patients and give them medicine to help numb the pain they are feeling after the surgeon was done with them, and also to keep up with hygiene to also prevent the spread of disease.

These nurses that were in the American Civil War would go on to be heroines themselves, Clara Barton was one of the more famous Civil War Nurses as after the war she would go on to begin the American Red Cross.

## If you were a civilian?

Though, most of the "action" of this war was fought in the countryside, but there were still some action and even some problems for city dwellers of the time. The war was a see-saw conflict, but even as the Union gained the advantage over the Confederacy after their victory at Gettysburg, morale among people in the Union states were still very low, in fact so much so that there were riots and protests against the war in a lot of cities (namely New York).

In fact, these riots got so out of hand that soldiers were called in to stop them, and some of these became huge events for the city (again, namely New York). If you were one of the civilians who wanted to dodge the draft and protest against the war, you could find yourself in trouble with the local authorities or even staring down the barrel of a Sharps Carbine held by a Union Soldier, and if all the wrong circumstances occur, you could find yourself dead.

If you were lucky and not be a part of the 600,000 dead Americans of this war, you could be a part of the occupational efforts to help repair the south after it lost to the Union, perhaps you'll be a part of a brand new Union, one that understands the creed of "All Men are Created Equal", that is if you were a part of the Union. If you survived and fought for the now debunked Confederacy, things wouldn't be so "Honky Dory" as your home is now decimated by the war and with some of the cities (namely Atlanta) being in ruins. But you will be helped by Union soldiers to rebuild your beloved home region.

That;l do it for this wiki page. Don't forget to check out my Games and Movies wikis as well. Until next time, this is JohnnyOTGS signing out.