During the first years of the Civil War, soldiers diaries were filled more with more information about where they slept, what they ate, and various ailments they faced than content about the combat itself. The weather greatly affected soldiers mental and physical health. According to Kathryn S. Meier, "disease caused two-thirds of soldier mortalities by war's end" (Meier 177). She argues that self-care became extremely important for soldiers to learn and practice.
During the Peninsula Campaign and the Shenandoah Valley Campaign, soldiers experienced similar environmental conditions. Clothing and shelter did little to protect them from pests, seasonal changes, and inclement weather. Weather affected their mental health as well as their physical health. Soldiers seemed to feel the most depressed and homesick when the weather was bad, to the point of exhibiting physical symptoms of their depression.
Meier posits that mental and physical health remained closely knit to each other during the Civil War and it was not always battle loses that contributed to poor morale. Poor morale could make a person sick or keep them from recovering. Being low in spirits could even cause a person to succumb to their illness entirely.
Nature was not the ultimate culprit of disease, but it did play a role in the health of Civil War soldiers. The environment of Shenandoah Valley and the Peninsula of Virginia are very different, but the exposure to the elements was very similar. Soldiers lived, slept, and fought outside, regardless of the weather. The affect of the environment was less on the officers, as they slept in houses or tents. They also had the advantage of better medical care, although officers also subscribed to self-care.
Exposure to so many people played a larger role in sickness than the exposure to the elements did. Rural citizens especially were afflicted as they had not been exposed to many of the diseases the urban men had. Most soldiers agreed death by disease was worse than death on the battlefield. Meier reveals that soldiers were fearful that disease would rob them "of a chance to fulfill their sense of duty" (Meier 184). Treatment of wounded men was preferred over treatment of the sick by the officers and surgeons.
Self-care habits were important for soldiers to develop if they wanted to remain in good health, especially during the early years of the war. Some of these habits included: "practicing personal hygiene, supplementing one's diet with fruits and vegetables, exercising regularly, protecting oneself from the elements, eradicating pests, and consistently communicating with loved ones" (Meier 177). These habits not only helped soldiers stay in good mental and physical health, but assisted in recovery when they did get sick. Military healthcare did improve as the war went on, but the soldier was primarily responsible for his own health. Pennsylvanian Corporal John H. Bevin wrote his parents and illustrated, "We must take care of ourselves or we will be likely to get sick" (Meier 190). This was a fairly new idea prior to the Civil War and many soldiers never learned these skills.
Soldiers who washed their clothes and bathed regularly were in better health and morale. These habits eradicated insects and helped with infections and rashes. Maintaining a healthy diet was difficult to do, but important. Soldiers who foraged for berries and other fruits fared better against sickness and depression than those who did not. Clean water was invaluable as well to keeping up health and morale. Boiling water for coffee helped and clean water was sometimes purchased.
Keeping in touch with family was extremely important for a soldier's mental and physical health. "Soldiers," Meier points out, "depended on contact with their loved ones, and it is hard to find a man who did not suggest his family write him more often" (Meier 196). They were able to vent their unhappiness and educate their family about their progress. In addition to family, relationships with fellow soldiers were important to self-care. Soldiers would look out for and take care of one another. They would also educate each other and offer advice.
The U.S. Sanitary Commission played a huge role in improving the health of the Union army. Their system favored prevention by focusing on hygeine over damage control. The commission "gathered and distributed food, clothing, and medical supplies, provided nurses in the hospitals, sent inspectors into camps and hospitals to agitate for reform, and printed and distributed instructional pamphlets on environmental disease and treatment" (Meier 197).
Soldiers in the war who practiced self-care faired much better than those who did not, mentally and physically. The conditions of army life were brutal, but its affects could be curbed by taking care of oneself, bathing often, eating and drinking well, getting sleep, and keeping in touch with family. According to Meier, not doing these things was often an individual's choice. Through self-care, a soldier had more control over his wartime experience.
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