The Life of a
Civil War Soldier –
Pre-site Activity 3
Educator and Interpreter Led
Grade Level:
Fourth Grade
Time to Complete: 45 mins.
Title of Activity: Forming Military Companies
South Carolina
Curriculum Standards Addressed:
• 4.1.15 – Compare and contrast the ways
of life in the North and the South.
• 4.1.18 – Describe the Civil War and its effects
on the nation.
• 4.5.5 – Describe how American citizens can participate
in their government to influence the decisions and actions
of that government.
Lesson
Description:
Civil War military companies would often name their unit,
and create a motto. They would also often create a flag that
represented the personality of their unit. In the Civil War
many of the companies were formed on a local basis. This means
that they would be comprised of people from the same area.
This led to the aforementioned individualities of the units.
In this activity the student will experience how companies
came together to enlist in the army and how they created their
own personalities based on those of the people in them. The
class will be separated into two military companies to be
used for the remainder of the program. The companies will
create a name, motto, and flag for their companies based on
the students personalities and beliefs. A section of cloth
will be provided for the companies to make their flag which
will be flown at the site during the on-site version of the
program.
Materials / Resources Provided:
• 4x4 section of cloth for the flags. ( Please have
students practice the flag design before they put it on the
cloth.)
• A sample company name, motto, and flag will be provided
to help the student develop their own.
Focus Questions:
1. Why did many Civil War military companies choose to individualize
themselves with names, flags, and mottos?
2. What was often the basis of the tie between men in a Civil
War military company?
3. What was the effect of many men from the same area or common
group fighting in the same company on the economy of an area?
4. Discuss how the fact that the men in many Civil War military
companies knew each other and often came from the same area
affected the company desertion rate.
5. Discuss how the same fact would effect the area or town
in respects to the casualties suffered by the company.
Examples
of company names, mottos, and flags
Company
Name:
The Hampton
Rifles, The Irish Company, The Ehrhardt Raiders
Company
Motto:
Liberty
or Fight, Don’t Tread On Me, Always Faithful
Company
Flag:
The
students should use their own design for this section.
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