The brutal Civil War was a treacherous bloodbath that made it easy to die. Soldiers left their home and family not knowing what would happen. Some came home missing an arm, leg, finger, toe or nothing at all. Death was all around not just by being shot but also diseases and starvation. Soldiers of the Civil War had to face many hardships. Some of these challenges included poor medical care, lack of supplies and food, and harsh duties. These difficulties didn’t stop the soldiers fighting for what they believed in.

             One of the difficulties a Civil War soldier had was poor medical care. The doctors didn’t have advanced medicine. They had to use chloroform to deaden pain. Many soldiers’ body parts had to be amputated such as fingers, arms, toes, and legs to help stop infection. Also if doctors thought soldiers’ body parts didn’t need to be amputated they would have to get the bullet cut out of their body. Being shot wasn’t the main thing that killed men it was starvation, dehydration, pneumonia, hypothermia, and many others. Bayonet wounds usually had to heal on their own. Many men bleed to death after being shot. Most mens’ wounds were infected by being shot and then they died. Poor medical care was one of the reasons many soldiers died after being shot.

Another difficulty a Civil War soldier had was lack of supplies and food. The food was usually moldy because of rain. The food got stale because it was opened to too much air. Also the moldy and stale food was bug infested with grubs and worms.The food was so stale that soldiers had to dip the nasty food into coffee to make it edible. Also soldiers would fry it in bacon fat to make it not stale. Another thing the food lacked was nutrition. This caused them to be very unhealthy and made them more vulnerable to become sick. Much food was stolen by enemies and citizens. Some men starved during the war. Many troops didn’t get enough supplies for meals. Lack of food and supplies caused many to die.

             Duties was another challenge a Civil War soldier had. Also soldiers had to stay on duty for 72 hours constantly. It caused exhaustion and low awareness. Another terrible duty that a soldier had to do was firing on picket lines. If they didn’t do this enemy soldiers could sneak into camp and kill them. Firing on picket lines also caused low ammo. During battle, a soldier had to put down his gun and hold the beautiful flag. Often the man holding the flag was killed. The treacherous duties caused many die.

             Although the challenges were humongus, soldiers kept going when their fellow comrades were falling all around them. Soldiers of the Civil War faced many dangerous difficulties. Some of these hardships included lack of supplies and food, harsh duties, and poor medical care. This didn’t stop the brave, courageous, and restless soldiers who fought for what they believed in during the treacherous perilous war. This tore the country apart, but also made it stronger.