Crimean War Paper.docx

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Kevin Cyrus
Librarian Mr. Cyrus
Research Writing 101
October 13, 2017

The First Modern War: The Crimean War’s Influence on the U.S. Civil War
General Ulysses S. Grant, from the battlefield, sent word to his wife, Julia, to search their
home and send him a copy of McCellan’s report on the large battle formation of the Crimean
War (How 2). The Crimean War is the first modern war and it had direct and indirect influences
on the way the U.S. Civil War was conducted. The indirect influences include advancements in
photography and nursing. A more direct influence was the Delafield commission that
recommend and instituted lasting changes to many areas of the U.S. military including artillery,
logistics, communications, and cavalry.
By the middle of the nineteenth century, photograph had an increasing impact on public
opinion. In March of 1853, British photographer, Roger Fenton, arrived in Crimea “with more
than 30 crates of materials and a horse-drawn van he’d outfitted as a portable darkroom”
(Stadtler 49). In three and half months, Fenton made “more than 350 large-format glass
negatives” (Stadtler 49). In the 1850s photography was still a cumbersome process. Therefore,
Fenton photographed mostly “stationary or posed subjects” such as landscapes, portraits, and
camp life (Stadtler 49). However, because of “Victorian sensibilities,” Fenton held back for
photographing dead bodies and the horrible conditions of trench life (Stadtler 49). Despite these
limitations, the British government believed Fenton’s war photography would increase support
for the Crimean War in England (Stadtler 49).

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Improvements in nursing during the Crimean War helped shape better medical conditions
in the Civil War. According to Funk & Wagnall’s New World Encyclopedia, Florence
Nightingale’s “contribution to the evolution of nursing as a profession were invaluable” (1). In
1854, Nightingale volunteered her services to the war effort (Funk 1). Appointed by the British
Secretary of War, she was sent to Uskudar, now part of Turkey, with a staff of 38 nurses (Funk
1). During the Crimean War, Florence Nightingale enhanced the efficiently of nursing operations
and develop a culture of professionalism (Funk 1). As a result of her “tireless” work the death
rate of the Crimean War was much lower than predicted (Funk 1).

The above indirect influences played a part in the upcoming U.S Civil War. However,
the Delafield commission had a direct influence on the Civil War (How 1). In 1854, three U.S.
military officers were sent to the Crimea to study many aspects of warfare: Major Richard
Deafield, Major Alfred Mordecai, and Captain George McClellan (How 1). Each focused on a
particular subject of war and produced a report on their observations. In New York, Major
Delafield “presented his findings” on engineering and logistical issues such as railroads,
telegraphs, and iron-clad ships (How 1). Writing from Washington, Major Mordecai
“emphasized the importance” of costal fortifications and “improving American artillery” (How
1). In particular, he “urged adopting” the Model 1857 12-pounder Napoleon howitzer (How 1).
For his part, “McClellan, writing from his home in Philadelphia, produced a manual of cavalry
tactics” (How 1). He also designed a new saddle called the “McClellan Saddle” (How 1). This
saddle was used until the horse cavalry was abolished by the army in 1943 (How 1).

The Crimean War was fought during a time of technological advances in photography
and nursing that changed the way all future wars were fought including the U.S. Civil War. The
contributions of Roger Fenton and Florence Nightingale help form war time standards of practice

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in these areas in the United States during the 1860s. Furthermore, the Crimean War was
observed and studied by U.S. military officers. Their collective reports resulted in several actual
changes in U.S. military policy and tactics. Therefore, the Crimean War had both direct and
indirect influences on the U.S. Civil War.

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Works Cited
"How the Delafield Commission Influenced the Civil War." Civil War Times, vol. 55, no. 3, June

2016, pp. 38-39. EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=mth&AN=113742856&site=ehost-
live.
"Nightingale, Florence." Funk & Wagnalls New World Encyclopedia, 2016, p. 1p. 1.
EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=funk&AN=NI046100&site=ehost-live.
Stadtler, Deborah. "War in Still Life." Military History, vol. 34, no. 2, July 2017, pp. 48-53.
EBSCOhost,
search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=fth&AN=122962429&site=ehost-live.