Civilian life varied depending on whether or not you were in a Union or Confederate state. The Union consisted of the Northern states, the manufacturing centers of the US. The war itself was primarily fought on Southern soil, so citizens here would most likely be working in factories to produce war materials. It would have been relatively peaceful and went about their daily lives without interruption. The South, however, was a different story. Battles were fought here, and Union soldiers were instructed to burn and destroy houses, crops, and in general. The North enforced a naval blockade so that the Confederate states couldn't receive goods from any outside nation. There would have been a lack of necessary resources and many civilians were killed, raped, and robbed by Union soldiers. Even after the war ended, tensions lasted for about 5+ years and received no medical attention for the returning Confederate soldiers.