Fatigue Duty

Pretty much any duty assigned to enlisted men that would be construed as neccesary to camp life. IE digging sinks, gathering wood or water, policing the camp etc.
 
If it moves, salute it. If it doesn't, paint it or pick it up. I.E., fatigue duty.
 
Blessmag,

Agreeing with Johan_Steele and Ole, I will also mention in the 1861 Revised Regulations for the Army of the United States, it describes under "Uniform" the "Fatigue Jacket" and how it was to be worn. It is a durable uniform that can withstand the wear of heavy use and not one of a 'Dress' or 'Formal' uniform. Thus, our present Army uses 'fatigues' in daily duties, specialty fatigues as to wear on a daily basis. Only on formal duties the 'dress' uniform will be worn. In the Civil War, there were only two types of uniform. Not the later Army that had several classes of uniforms.

Respectfully submitted,
M. E. Wolf
 
You left out "polish it."

Also, somebody had to dig all those trenches and peel all those taters.

Soldiers get very little time for campfire frivolities.
 
Burial duty after a battle is another.

It was necessary work, but often unpleasant and difficult.

Often times, the US Colored Troops were assigned fatigue duty more than their white counterparts, at least according to Forged in Battle by Joseph Glatthaar, making them often seem more like laborers than soldiers.
 
Agreed, captain. Although they redeemed themselves in battle, the USCT was more often used like a rented mule.
 
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