Hey, so I realize I'm about 2 months late to the huge Civil War panel (don't worry, I've already scoured it, so I won't repost any of those questions) but I still have some questions of my own. Any and all input is much appreciated! Thanks, guys!
How did the army deal with soldiers who died on the battlefield? Assuming they wouldn't just leave them there, but how would they bury so many at once? Did they have battlefield funerals?
How were nurses treated in the camps? Did they have their own tents? Was it considered socially inappropriate for them to eat/chat/interact with the soldiers?
An oddly specific question, but it's related to Sherman's March: how would the soldiers have gone about destroying a factory? Would they just start smashing crap or would they torch it? And in terms of the whole town (especially Atlanta), how many of the total buildings would have been made of wood compared to brick, stone, and other materials that go up in flames? When Sherman came through with his men and their torches would the whole town have burned to ashes or would many of the structures be left standing?
What did people generally have as valuables? There are many records of Georgians burying their valuables as the soldiers came through their towns. When the soldiers dug some of that up, what would they have found specifically? Some kinds of jewelry, some watches, some family photos maybe?
What was the Union army's stance on foraging and pillaging? It seemed like the army was pretty against pillaging, but how did they handle foraging? Where did they draw the line - was it okay to take some livestock that someone had abandoned, but not if the owner was still living there?
How often were food rations handed out?
Did Union soldiers drink alcohol during their service? If so, what kind, how did they get it, and what was the army's policy about it?
How hard would it be for a woman to secretly enlist? What troubles would she face in keeping her identity a secret and/or not getting booted out of camp?
Was there a lot of ideology in the common (Union) soldier? As in, did a lot of them have strong abolitionist and/or anti-secessionist views or were they just trying to do their duty for their country or did they just want the money (though it doesn't seem like the army was a good way to get rich, it seems that there would have been many poor people happy to take the job)?
Wow! I guess I'm really bombarding you guys. Thanks again for your help!
Government employed female nurses were not allowed in camp. Female nurses were used at army hospitals away from the armies. However, there were male nurses that traveled with the army, typically made up of men who could not fight, for whatever reason.
On Sherman's March, the order was to destroy anything that was of value to the Confederate Army. I don't think there were any specific orders on how to destroy anything, but generally fire is the easiest way. Someone else can probably give you more specific answers.
For the Federal Army, it would depend on where they are being stationed. If they are in the field on campaign, the standard issue was 3/4 pound salt pork, 1 pound hard bread (hardtack). This was the issue to the soldier individually, but they were also issued other items when shortages occurred, like beef, salted beef, corn, cornmeal, flour. Then you had items that were issued to the company, then divided, like rice, beans, green and roasted coffee, candles, vegetables, sugar, vinegar, soap, etc. etc. If they were in garrison, they would be issued soft bread instead of hard bread. Typically in garrison, their food was cooked for them by a company cook. Same if they were in the field, but not on active campaign. The Confederate army's was almost identical, but instead of hard bread, they issued cornmeal or just corn. They also had a lot of ersatz items like coffee made from acorns, corn or chicory. NOW, they were issued rations whenever they were needed, if they had the supplies. It would be anything from 1 days rations up to (I've read) 2 weeks worth of rations, it depends on the situation.
Yes, but it was against orders for enlisted men, which was a punishable offense, as was drunkenness. They would get it from anyone who would give it to them,steal it, buy it or find it, but the officers usually made it clear to the civilians in the area, that the enlisted soldiers were not to be given alcohol. I read one story of some soldiers who went to a regimental sutler (traveling salesman who traveled with the army that provided items they were not issued) and bought bottles of a hair tonic called "Bay Rum". The bottle contained more "rum" than tonic and the men bought out the whole lot and proceeded to get hammered.
I'll take a few of these questions, and leave some for others, as you've posed a pretty wide range of inquiries. I'm more familiar with some than others.
[1. & 2.] Dealing with the dead and wounded after a battle was indeed a problem, and a challenge. Both the north and south hadn't planned on such a protracted, bloody, casualty-heavy war, and formal systems for caring for the wounded and policing the dead bodies did not exist when the ACW began. Early in the war, after a battle had finished, or the lines had at least stabilized, one or both sides would offer a truce to collect dead and wounded. Many generals were hesitant to propose such an offer until the issue was truly settled, for to do so traditionally meant that you were conceding defeat. Early in the war, it was usually the individual units that went out and collected their own dead, and carried off the wounded to a regimental or divisional "hospital." There were nurses right from the beginning of the war, but as someone else pointed out, they were not allowed in camp (generally speaking), and were almost never enough to deal with the flow of wounded from especially large engagements. As time went on, both sides developed amazing volunteer nursing arms, and did amazing work with sometimes scant resources. The myth of brutal Civil War surgeries being performed without anesthetic is largely just that, a myth. While the south suffered greatly for medical supplies during the latter half of the war, both they and the Union developed chains of field and actual hospitals that traveled with the army, or were on supply routes leading back to (or in) Richmond or D.C. Both the north and the south made extensive use of African American labor to bury the bodies, but in many cases, the citizens of the nearby towns (who had to deal with the rotting bodies so close to their homes) took the initiative, and helped bury the dead as well. Battlefield funerals were rare, but did happen. Most often, armies didn't stick around that long in a place that had just seen battle, and to offer funerals for the soldiers would not have been practical.
[3.] Although factories did indeed get trashed during Sherman's march, the biggest damage they did was in the agricultural and transportation sectors. Even if you did have a factory, if Sherman's troops came through and destroyed the rail lines, and ran off with all the oxen, horses, etc., how would you get that product anywhere? Again, Sherman's men certainly put the torch to factories (which would have been about the extent of the mayhem except for maybe a rigged artillery shell in the works), but the main focus was on making sure that the Confederate armies had no food, and even if the citizens had successfully hidden some, that there would be no way to transport it to the front.
[5.] The official stance on pillaging in the Union army was that it was forbidden unless it was done as a military necessity. The official command to the troops allowed them to confiscate anything that could be of use to the Confederate armies in the field. Regimental and divisional commanders had a lot of discretion when it came to defining what was potential enemy resource, and they varied when it came to how much discretion they gave their men to loot. Some commanders didn't allow it, others (many others) turned a blind eye. In all, although Sherman's troops had sticky fingers, there were few accounts of rape, and the destruction of actual property (like burning houses) was heavier in South Carolina than in Georgia. As far as what was fair game to take (so not looting, but officially okay), all food, potential food (so chickens, cows, goats, etc), horses, and crops. What couldn't be taken was supposed to be destroyed.
[7.] Union soldiers absolutely drank. They bought it, made it, stole it: whatever. Some commanders were more generous in this regard, and actually provided the liquor (Burnside comes to mind). Others like McClellan frowned upon liquor in-camp, and fought to make their armies dry. The Army's policy allowed soldiers to drink if off duty, but again, some generals or lower-level commanders banned alcohol in their units/armies, which they had the authority to do.
[Sources - James McPherson, 'Battle Cry of Freedom'; Bruce Catton, 'Mr. Lincoln's Army' & 'Grant Takes Command'; Jay Winik, 'April, 1865']