Civil War Training Camps (2020)

This project explores the topic of training camps for soldiers in the American Civil War. At these camps, volunteers or recruits first learned to drill, fire weapons, and think of themselves as soldiers. The project surveys the organization and setting of camps, in both the North and South. Particular attention is paid to the role of several standard training manuals in training, and their implementation by both Northern and Southern commanders who sought guidance to structure training.