The Army

The U.S. army, as any army, has different branches that does different things. Through history those roles have changed. Today's military includes an air force, which obviously did not exist during the days of the Civil War. In the days of the Civil War the calvary rode horse, while today's calvary is more ceremonial, though some consider cavalry to be the soldiers that ride into battle on helicopters.

Today we will look at the three branches of the army that existed during the Civil War. Each had their own roles and missions. Each had their challenges, and each had their strengths that helped the army.

Start by looking at each of these photos and determine what you think each of these might do. Make a list for each of the Infantry, Artillery, and Cavalry. That list should include what they could do well, what they might be limited in doing, and what you think they might be responsible for.

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Infantry

What do you think these soldiers do and what equipment do you think they use to do their job? (Answer on paper)

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These are the insignia an infantryman would have on his hat to show that he was in the infantry. It is the bugle, or else crossed rifles.

Artillery

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Here are some examples of the types of shot cannons used during the Civil War. Some were solid, many others were hollow or filled with small projectiles. Those shells would explode, launching metal everywhere.

What do you think these soldiers did and what did they use to do their job? (Answer on paper)

This is the insignia that an artilleryman would wear on their hat during the Civil War. As you can see, this is two cannon barrels crossed. The 7 likely stands for the regiment they are assigned to, and the D stands for battery D, which would be the group of 4-6 cannons that they were assigned.

Cavalry

What special equipment did the cavalry have?

Do you think being on horses change the equipment that soldiers would use? (answer on paper)

This is the insignia that a cavalry soldier would wear on their hat. It is two swords crossed. The 7 represents the regiment that the soldier is a part of, and the A is the company they are a part of. So this soldier would be part of Company A, 7th Regiment, U.S. Cavalry.

This is a chart that show the break down of how armies are separated.

When someone talks about an Army, we think of the guys in camo suits. But an army is actually a designation for an amount of people. It breaks down from company to regiment, and on up to the full army. Think of it this way, if you need to remove one person from a building you don't need the 10,000 soldiers that make up a full army to do that. You would need, at most, one company, which is between 30 and 50 people. Look at these charts to see how that breaks down, and then there is a video that explains it really well.

This one is the modern military chart

This is also a

This is a visual of how a Civil War Army would break down.

This video shows the breakdown of the army. Mainly, how you go from a Regiment (300-1000 people) to a brigade, to a division, to a corps, and finally, an army.

If you'd like detailed information about it go to this link: https://www.nps.gov/articles/from-regiment-to-president-the-structure-and-command-of-civil-war-armies.htm

Ticket out the door:

Write a paragraph explaining what branch of the military you think you would want to be in and why.

(Please write this on a piece of paper and turn it in on my desk)

Once you've finished please watch CNN10, followed by reading.