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What did the Continental soldiers do?
Between 1775 and 1783, the Continental Army fought numerous skirmishes and minor engagements as well as more than a dozen major full-blown set-piece battles against British and Hessian forces. The fledgling army won slightly more than half the battles ranging from South Carolina to upstate New York.
What were some challenges faced by Continental soldiers?
Critical shortages of arms and ammunition, clothing, shelter, and camp equipment persisted in spite of repeated appeals to political authorities and the local population; food rations for both man and beast were unpredictable. The Continental Congress's efforts to equip and feed its army were inadequate from the start.
How old was the average soldier in the Continental Army?
18 to 20 years oldThe average age of soldiers who served in the Continental Army was 18 to 20 years old, some as young as 14. This document lists the men who joined the Continental Army from Springfield, Massachusetts in 1779.
What did a Continental soldier look like?
In addition to the blue coats, the Continental army also wore white, off-white or beige waistcoats, breeches and long-sleeved hunting shirts, black tricorne hats, white stockings and black or dark shoes with buckles.
What kind of experiences did soldiers have in the Continental Army?
Life in the Continental Army was difficult. It was mundane and monotonous. Generally, when not engaged in combat, soldiers in the Continental Army served three duties: fatigue or manual labor, such as digging vaults (latrines), clearing fields, or erecting fortifications.
Why was the Continental Army poorly trained?
Rather, it was a loosely and poorly coordinated band of militias and citizen-soldiers under control of the individual states. There were no established protocols for exercising coordinated authority, for supplying and feeding the troops, for transportation, or any other of the myriad tasks necessary for a field army.
What did a Continental soldier carry?
The Continental infantryman had equipment that was like that of the British soldier. In addition to a musket, he carried on his right side a leather or tin cartridge box that held twenty to thirty rounds of ammunition, a musket tool, and a supply of flints.
Was the Continental Army poorly trained?
At the time of the Continental Army's establishment, Soldiers were untrained and lacked standards, equipment and discipline. Troops were often poorly dressed in tattered scraps of clothing and subsisted on scarce and often rotten rations.
How many Continental Army soldiers died?
Between 25,000 and 70,000 American Patriots died during active military service. [1] Of these, approximately 6,800 were killed in battle, while at least 17,000 died from disease. The majority of the latter died while prisoners of war of the British, mostly in the prison ships in New York Harbor.
What did soldiers eat?
The most common food given to soldiers was bread, coffee, and salt pork. The typical ration for every Union soldier was about a pound of meat and a pound of bread or flour.
What did the Continental Army eat?
Soldiers were supposed to receive daily amounts of beef, pork or fish; flour or bread; cornmeal or rice; and rum or whiskey. However, with no organized distribution system combined with limited food resources near the encampment site, soldiers went several days with little to no food during the winter months.
How did the soldiers sleep in the Revolutionary War?
The soldiers slept in tents which protected them form rain and cold. The size of the tent you slept in depended on your rank. An important thing a soldier had was a blanket made of wool. The blanket would protect them from the cold and moisture if they didn't have a tent.
What was the average soldiers age?
There are over 15,993 soldiers currently employed in the United States. 22.5% of all soldiers are women, while 77.5% are men. The average age of an employed soldier is 23 years old.
Was 10 the age of the youngest soldier in the Continental Army?
To create an organized and effective force the Continental Army required more than just soldiers and officers.
How old was the average Civil War soldier?
What was the average soldier's age? The average Union soldier was 25.8 years old; there is no definite information on the average age of Confederate soldiers, but by the end of the war old men and young boys, who otherwise would have stayed home, were being pressed into service.
How old were most Roman soldiers?
The legionaries were recruited between the age of 17 to 20 for sixteen years of service (The Marian Reforms). According to Vegetius, the Roman legionary should measure about 170 cm. Higher citizens could also join the army, and the standard for horsemen or the first legionary cohorts was about 180 cm.
19. The Continental soldier was subject to fines despite infrequently being paid
By 1780 von Steuben’s regulations were in effect in all of the encampments of the Continental Army, though their efficiency was reliant on the ability of the officers imposing them.
20. The Continental Army also provided written instructions individually to men of all ranks
By the time of the Franco-American victory at Yorktown, which effectively ended the hostilities of the Revolutionary War, the soldiers known as Continentals were members of a professionally officered army, with written instructions (by von Steuben) as to how they should comport themselves at all times.
What was the Reveille meal?
Reveille was typically at daybreak and soldiers cooked one meal per day, generally around 3:00 pm . Whatever food was left over from the meal, soldiers divided and placed in their haversacks to be consumed as needed. Rations were determined by Congress. Each man received 1.5 pounds of meat per day, typically beef. Each hunk they received included not only the meat, but bone, fat, and gristle. They also received one pound of bread per day, which was baked daily inside the camp, or 1.5 pounds of flour to make firecakes. Firecakes were like pancakes. Soldiers heated a flat rock, then mixed the flour with water, meat, gristle, and poured the mixture on the heated rock, then would flip it over to cook the other side.
How much did a private make in the Continental Army?
A private in the Continental Army earned $6.23 per month and pay would increase upon promotion of rank. Sometimes a promotion in rank brought an increase in food rations and in some cases more money in lieu of rations. Life in the Continental Army was difficult. It was mundane and monotonous.
What was the reality of life in the Continental Army?
While later artwork such as "The Spirit of '76" romanticized the struggle for American independence, the reality of life in the Continental Army consisted mainly of hard work and harsh conditions. Wikimedia Commons
How long did it take to drill with a musket?
The best soldiers could squeeze off five rounds per minute. Drill with a musket lasted for eight hours a day. The best regiments to serve in the Continental Army were from Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania. African Americans did serve in the ranks of the Continental Army and General James Mitchell Varnum petitioned Congress to permit integration. Thus some fighting units were integrated. This would not happen again until 1950, when the US Army fought in Korea. The First Rhode Island Infantry was an entirely African American regiment.
What did the Continental Army carry?
When on the march, the typical soldier in the Continental Army carried forty-five pounds of gear. This included, when he was properly supplied, his weapon, haversack, knapsack, and other accoutrements including a bayonet, tin cup, bowl, spoon, cartridge box, canteen, and if lucky an extra blanket, shirt, or writing paper and a pen. Men did keep in communication with family from home and would write letters if they could steal a moment to sit down and write to a loved one. Supply problems constantly plagued the Continental Army, and often men simply made do with whatever arms and equipment they could bring from home.
What was the biggest frustration for Continental Army soldiers?
The biggest frustration for Continental Army soldiers was the ineffectiveness of Congress and the lack of support they received from the political body that espoused the same cause. Mutiny at times raised its head.
How many men were in the Continental Army?
Those who served in the Army were merchants, mechanics, and farmers. By 1780, close to 30,000 men served in the Continental Army, which was dispersed throughout the new nation.
How much did the bounty soldiers make?
The bounty was either money or land. They also received a monthly salary: privates earned $6, sergeants $8, and captains $20. Soldiers had to buy their own uniforms, gear, and weapons with their own money, however.
What were the two main groups of soldiers who fought on the American side during the Revolutionary War?
The Militia and the Continental Army. There were two main groups of soldiers who fought on the American side during the Revolutionary War. One group was the militia. The militia was made up citizens who were ready to fight in case of an emergency. Most cities and communities in the colonies had a militia in order to fight off Indian war parties ...
How long did the Continental Army enlist?
At first the enlistments were for shorter periods like six months. Later on in the war, the enlistments were as long as three years . The soldiers in the Continental Army trained and drilled as fighting men. Infantry, Continental Army. by Ogden, Henry Alexander.
Why were the Hessians called Hessians?
They were called Hessians. It is thought that many of the soldiers would have deserted due to the poor conditions except for the leadership of General Washington. Many wives, mothers, and children followed the army. They sewed clothes, cooked meals, tended the sick, and washed the laundry.
How many soldiers were in the Continental Army?
How many soldiers were there? As many as 150,000 men fought as part of the Continental Army over the course of the Revolutionary War. However, there were never nearly that many serving at the same time. The largest the army was at one time was around 17,000 soldiers.
How did the Revolutionary War affect the lives of soldiers?
During the Revolutionary War more soldiers died from disease than from combat. Soldiers had a poor diet, worn out clothes, damp shelters, and lived in unsanitary conditions. Diseases such as smallpox and typhus killed thousands of soldiers.
Why did the colonies have militias?
Most cities and communities in the colonies had a militia in order to fight off Indian war parties and bandits. Most of the men between the ages of 16 and 65 were members of the militia. They only trained a few times a year. The other group of American soldiers was the Continental Army.
