What did the soldiers do for fun in the civil war?

Answer 1

Soldiers loved to sing and there were many tunes popular in both armies. A variety of instruments were available to musically minded soldiers including guitars, banjos, flutes, and harmonicas. More industrious soldiers fashioned string instruments such as fiddles out of wooden cigar boxes. Regimental or brigade bands often played during the evening hours and there were instances of army bands being heard to play favorite tunes for the opposition when the armies were separated by a river or siege line. Some of the more popular tunes for southerners were "Lorena", "Maryland My Maryland", and "The Bonnie Blue Flag". Union soldiers had "The Battle Cry Of Freedom", "Battle Hymn of the Republic", and "Tenting on the Old Campground" as favorites. The men of both sides also enjoyed minstrel tunes such as "My Old Kentucky Home", "The Arkansas Traveler", and " Dixie".

Answer 2

They played an early form of Baseball--they called it rounders or town ball. They played it with planks of wood or sticks, and a ball of twine--or anything that slightly resembles a ball that they could use.

They also did a lot of gambling--they would play cards before they went to battle--but before they went they hid the cards so that if they died and if one of their family members were to go through their stuff they wouldn't find the cards. (They didn't want their families to know that they gambled because they didn't want their family to think less of them).

They also had some very interesting games they just made up

CSA soldiers found 2 lice, and put them on a plate, and take bets on which one would jump off first.

Also they did cockfighting- they found chickens in someone's yard- and just took them and made them fight the other chicken. The last chicken standing was the winner and they did a lot of betting on these chickens.

Answer 3

they had cockroach & lice races they made pipes decorative pins ornaments utensils game pieces game boards combs jewelry played games like Chess checkers Poker jackstraws cribbage they gambled & read & wrote letters to & from home

Answer 4

The usual - drinking, gambling, fighting.

Confederate troops under Magruder were allowed musical and theatrical entertianments.

Union troops under Joe Hooker were allowed so-called 'Horizontal Refreshment'.

Answer 5

Union troops frequently played baseball, although cards, drinking, gambling, smoking, writing letters, and reading were other frequent camp activities.

Answer 6

they read books, gambled, and played Board Games and such...

Answer 7

they played cards and sat on cliffs. they also wrote letters to their missed friends, children, and wives.

Answer 8

Many were drafted.

Answer 9

Was to fight