What kind of tents did soldiers have in the civil war?

Answer 1

Union soldiers on campaign carried shelter halves which consisted of a piece of canvas that could be buttoned up with another soldiers shelter half to form what was known to the soldiers as a "dog tent". Both soldiers could fit them and their equipment under the halves which were usually held up by their rifles which were stuck upside down into the ground using their bayonets. Tents known as A-frame tents were used mainly during the winter months. This was because the armies would suspend fighting and make winter camp allowing for their supply wagons (which carried the large A-frame tents) to catch up to them (unlike during summer months when the army campaigned and moved from place to place quicker than their supply wagons). These tents can fit four soldiers, their rifles and equipment in them plus more depending on how many tents were available. Wall tents were used by some field grade officers as well as General officers. Sometimes they were used for setting up military hospitals. Finally, what is known as a Sibley tent was used at the beginning of the war and was conical in shape because it was copied from Native American tepees.