THE MANY SIDES OF SOLDIERS
CIVIL WAR SPEAKER TALKS ABOUT SOLDIERS' LIVES
By Alex Davis Endeavor News

Union soldiers didn't just get their guns, march into battle, shoot the Confederates, win the Civil War and return home.

Their lives were filled with uncertainties, disappointments and, in many instances, chaos and confusion. A large proportion of them were teenagers, answering the call to duty without a full understanding of why they were fighting.

In some cases, faced with terror and imminent danger, they deserted.

Those were some of the messages respected author and historian Richard Sauers told a crowd of about 30 people last Saturday at the Barbara Moscato Brown Memorial Library in Emporium.

Sauers said his mission was to separate the reality of the Civil War experience from the "cardboard cut-out" version appearing in many textbook and contemporary accounts.

While detailing the drama encountered by Union soldiers, Sauers also spotlighted some of the lighter moments as the Boys in Blue used humor and games to pass the time and cope with the grim realities.

Thousands of them were in their teens and many lied about their age so they could sign up for service, Sauers said.

They were quickly disillusioned. Little did they know they had to wear wool uniforms that became soaked with perspiration and march dozens or hundreds of miles to fight.

Discharging their muskets was a skill that many had trouble mastering and the crude living conditions and medical practices were disconcerting.

"They thought the experience was going to be great, but they soon found it wasn't what they signed up for," Sauers said. "No wonder some of them deserted."

He shared anecdotes of poor shooting skills and colorful characters, including a supply caretaker named Jake Hell; soldiers enjoyed telling their colleagues where to go for supplies.

Another soldier, Robert Roberts, pilfered supplies from a large wagon. With Union brass hot on his heels, he recruited friends to shuttle the booty from tent to tent and it never was recovered.

Soldiers liked to pick up dogs along the way and keep them around their encampments. One troop captured a bear cub and tamed it, keeping it as a mascot used occasionally for wrestling matches.

Snowball fights and a 19th century version of the game similar to "Whack A Mole" were also common during the soldiers' off-hours.

"In many ways, these men were just like us," Sauers said.

His talk was sponsored by the Cameron County Genealogy Club and the Pa. Humanities Council.