Civil War Cabins

Civil War Cabins. . , Cook House , Soldiers on Active campaigns were issued raw rations which they prepared themselves, usually over an open fire. While in winter quarters, company cooks prepared and served food from a log cook house. Food prepared by the cooks was often of better quality and less likely to spread diseases such as dysentery that killed far more Soldiers than battles., Enlisted Men’s Cabin , A typical log cabin was home to four Soldiers who shared a small communal area with simple furnishings and a dirt floor, a fireplace and two bunks. Sleeping with a bunkmate was warmer as the men sleep under two blankets plus shared their body heat. This structure was built of logs, laid vertically, a construction technique used by both Union and Confederate Soldiers., Enlisted Men’s Cabin , This cabin is essentially the same as its neighbor except that it was constructed of logs laid horizontally. The interior has two bunks for the four men who would have typically slept in the cabin. Bunks were built from available materials including wooden boxes, barrel staves, or slender saplings padded with hay, oak or pine leaves. Light was provided by candles or from the fireplace., Officer’s Cabin , Civil War officers frequently had sufficient funds to enhance their winter quarters and also transportation for their personal baggage. Typical furnishings included a camp bed, chest, table and chairs. A wooden floor provided far greater comfort and sanitation than the traditional dirt floor of most cabins.