Carried“The Things They Carried”
– The American Civil War, 1861-1865

A soldier fighting in the Civil War had mixed feelings of compelling patriotism, notably with the Confederates but undeniably just as present in the Union, and strong disgust. Battles often consisted of fathers, uncles, sons and brothers all fighting the American states bordering their own.
Specific to the Civil War: * Scabbard w/ or w/out detailing (depends):
Bayonet scabbards were issued to each soldier as standard equipment both in the Union and Confederation, however, most Confederate scabbards, like many other items, were not nearly as fancy or desirable as Union scabbards. Rather than brass, Confederate scabbards had an iron tip and the leather in which the body was made was often poorly handled when creating the sheath.
Due to the clear difference in quality and appearance, soldiers would often leave battles with new equipment, or what is considered to be new to them. Looting items off bodies, the scabbard being a favorite find, showed disrespect to the enemy and afterwards, piled guilt and self-pity on sensitive infantrymen who may have felt more than the notion of “a battle won, a battle lost”, or “finders keepers”. * Haversack:
A central piece to a soldiers outfit, the haversack was where valuables, like food and other perishable items, were held. Since Confederate soldiers, once again, had lesser quality haversacks, many men felt like they had little hope of grasping on to their last traces of personal belongings while soldiers in the Union were treated to waterproof sacks and a slight feeling of security. * Flag/drum:
When looking at the enemy and realizing he doesn’t look much different from yourself, it can be difficult to remember the reason why you’re fighting. The flags carried cross the fields held the spirit of each opposing belief in their folds, giving a reason to move forward. Not only was there a visual resemblance of a cause, there were also teams of drummers divided among regular infantrymen with the specific purpose to drum orders. The beat of these drums together created a driving spirit, swelling out of each fighter, some Confederates even letting out the infamous “rebel yell” to boost confidence and instill fear in the enemy.
Relative to War: * Talisman:
When sending loved ones off to war it is common practice to hand them a token,