As Christmas dawns, our thoughts turn to how the soldiers of America's first century weathered each winter in the field during times of war.
Winter was bleak during our country's earliest conflicts. Hundreds of thousands of troops toiled in the cold or huddled in canvas-roofed huts while many died of disease in camp. Leaders generally tried to avoid operations due to the trying conditions. But for the soldiers engaged in battle, there was little rest over the holiday.
Soldiers preparing for the bloody Battle of Stones River in late December 1862, or shivering in the trenches outside of Petersburg in 1864, found little respite on Christmas or New Year's Day. In 1776, Continental soldiers braved bitter conditions and moved across the icy Delaware River under the command of George Washington to launch a surprise attack against Hessian soldiers and disrupt their traditional German Christmas celebrations.
Soldiers who were not on active campaign struggled against the weather and the boredom of life in winter quarters. They sought to bring some semblance of home and comfort to the holiday season. They relished letters from their loved ones, shared special meals, felt loneliness and longing, and even engaged in epic snowball fights. There are records of Civil War soldiers bringing traditional holiday customs like caroling, gift exchanges, and decorating, to camp.
One soldier from the 17th Maine recorded that he and his fellow troops eagerly awaited the "sundry boxes and mysterious parcels" directed to them "with feelings akin to those of children expecting Santa Claus." Another soldier, Alfred Bellard of the 5th New Jersey Infantry, recalled a small tree, "decked off with hard tack and pork, in lieu of cakes and oranges," that added festivity to life in a winter camp.
Soldiers often let their folks at home know what kind of food they craved. One Confederate soldier from North Carolina wrote his mother,
"I wish you would send me a big cake and some dried apple pies or 'slapjacks,' I believe they call them, some molasses, dried fruit, lard, vegetables &c any thing you choose. Please send me a bottle of brandy and some sugar and I will make an eggnog from Christmas if I can manage to get some eggs. Please send me a pound or two of butter for we very seldom get any up in these diggings."
Yet, despite troops' best efforts to partake in holiday celebrations on the front, the season also served as a reminder that soldiers were separated from their loved ones and the comforts of home.
As we count our blessings, let us also deepen our appreciation for our soldiers' devotion and how they shaped - and continue to shape - the country we call home, often far away from their families. Thank you for doing your part to help ensure that their memory is never forgotten.