The life of a Civil War soldier or sailor involved week after week of routine drills, inspections, and housekeeping. Combat relieved the tedium, but often with bitter consequences such as death, injury, or captivity that changed lives forever. A variety of diseases ran through the ranks, causing even more misery than battle
What risks did soldiers face?
What kinds of care did the wounded, sick, and dead receive?
How were prisoners treated by their captors?
The records in this area document the terrible costs of battle through the stories of those who survived as well as those who fell.
