Sports and Recreational Practices of Union and Confederate Soldiers

Abstract

Abstract This study investigated the sports and recreational practices of Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War. The four specific purposes of the study were: (1) to investigate the place of sports and recreation in the life of Union and Confederate soldiers during the Civil War; (2) to discover what types of sports and recreational activities were engaged in by the soldiers of the North and South; (3) to find what extent the various activities were participated in by Union and Confederate soldiers; (4) to discover what activities were the most popular with the Union and Confederate troops and the causes2 for their popularity. The library and documentary research technique was used to gather the data. Sports and recreational practices discovered were classified under one of five major headings: combatives, country sports, quiet games, athletic games and contests, and miscellaneous sports and recreational activities.