Snow storms and troops

[12th Missouri Yankee]

Since we are experiencing a snowstorm cannot help but wonder how CW soldiers kept warm during this type of weather. It must have been difficult to survive cold and avoid frost bite.
How did soldiers of both armies deal with snow?? Any comments welcome.

 

[major bill]

Wore warm clothing?

 

[major bill]

Many of the men had came from cold environments and were use to keeping warm in the winter. Usually campaigning was ceased for the winter any way. Think long underwear, shirt, vest, jacket, overcoat were worn all at once. Mittens and winter hats could be worn as well. Some men would have purchased water proof boots. Ladies societies provided thick socks.

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

Don't forget, the Armies went into "Winter Quarters"....more permanent camps, where their tents were "raised" (or "dug-out"), with log walls and possibly wooden floors.....The more industrious/creative troops had "chimneys" for a fire, of sorts....This, as mentioned before, went along with long underwear, scarves, great coats (if available), etc......

 

[12th Missouri Yankee]

Winter quarters sounds a little more comfortable, I am sure they had to be tough to get through the winter. The earth dug out dwellings are intrigue me to say the least. They certainly had to invent a lot of items to survive.

 

[7thWisconsin]

Stonewall Jackson nearly destroyed his own army in a winter campaign to take Romney Valdez in January 1862. The troops suffered terribly from exposure, as well as the sicknesses typically found in large groups. Even more, guns and wagons were impossible to move on the icy roads. Winters were hard on troops.

 

[johan_steele]

The 4th MN VI wintered at Ft Abercrombia and a string of smaller forts along the Dakota frontier, they faced temps "60 degrees below freezing" while on post. There were sentries that had the benefit of warming shacks. The fear of fire was great enough that fires were quenched after a certain time at night; but in an acknowlegedment of the cold temps 2 candles per barracks room were allowed to burn at night to provide some extra heat... They then marched from Ft Abercrombie (south of modern day Fargo ND) to St Paul MN in the spring of 62. They pushed through snow drifts that were 30' deep and made the march without tents. Each man carried 1-2 blankets, greatcoat, and a buffalo robe. While there was straggling every man arrived at St Paul. Very few, if any, were invalided out due to weather related illness.

 

[CTH]

Stonewall Jackson nearly destroyed his own army in a winter campaign to take Romney Valdez in January 1862. The troops suffered terribly from exposure, as well as the sicknesses typically found in large groups. Even more, guns and wagons were impossible to move on the icy roads. Winters were hard on troops.

Don't forget the mud march.

 

[major bill]

I have slept on the ground in army tents at bellow zero temperatures. I did have an army sleeping bag. Even without the stove running, 5 or 10 degrees below zero is cold but tolerable.

 

[Albert Sailhorst]

I have camped at reenactments with my civil war gear, nothing modern, in 19 degree, snowy weather.....It was warm by the fire!!....The rest of the time was not too bad.