Seth James Wells writes, "The ground was muddy and I looked around, found a stack of corn, dug down to the dry stalks, husked out a lot and made a bed for myself." Methods such as this one kept the men dry and warm during bad weather. .
Another concern for the men in the military was food and clothing. During the Civil War there was a lack of clothing available to the soldiers. When soldiers clothes would get wet, torn, or dirty they would have to continue wearing them. Sometimes the men would have to pack enough food to last them several days when marching. Food was scarce, and when the soldiers did get food it was often stale. On Christmas day Wells wrote, "Our coffee is rye and in small quantities at that. The boys have gone out to see if they can find a hog or beef for Christmas dinner," (The Diary of Seth James Wells). Because the country was stripped of everything the soldiers were on half rations and often had to provide food for themselves. The soldiers were receiving poorer fair than at anytime since they had enlisted. .
Soldiers would wake up at an early hour, usually around 4:00 a.m., and form their regiments. The army would then begin marching early in the morning if they had a lot of distance to cover, which they frequently did. Marching was one of the most common roles of being a military soldier. Just when the men had built a warm place to sleep, or found food for the night, they were called on to start marching. Soldiers would often march between fifteen and twenty miles a day, just to wake up early and march similar lengths the next day. Deep snow, rain, and freezing temperatures added to the difficulty of long marches. .
In the 1860's and at the start of the Civil War, cotton was a major short staple crop in the south. "In 1844 a "prime field hand" sold for $600. A cotton boom beginning in 1849 raised the price to $1800 by 1860," (The American People). Chopping and rolling cotton to build breastworks was a daily chore for the soldiers.
