What were "Winter Quarters" Like?

[johnsonjoshuak]

I'm writing a series where the technology is approximately in the mid-1800s range (early/mid American Civil War).

I'm approaching a point where I need to have my armies settle in for winter quarters but I'm not 100% sure what that means. Any help would be appreciated.

 

[CupofJoe]

Depending on the climate I would think of it as a tented or light wooden cabin settlement. Each cabin or tent would be heated and they would tend to be larger rather than smaller, so rooms and tents for a platoon of 20+ but not 4 man tents. It would offer warmer, better sleeping conditions that in the field but could get muddy and wet if not set up and place well. For the army it would also offer simpler and easier logistics during the winter to supply and reinforce the troops. It would also be a center for training.
If you are going for mid 19C then I would assume that there would be at least a good rail or river [but not if the river was likely to freeze] link. It would be away from any large town or city to avoid absconding but not too far so that the "brass" couldn't visit it frequently.
In places like India the British "winter quarters" were actually well built brick barracks designed to stand up to monsoon wind and rain.
Apparently, and I didn't know this until now, it is also referred to as "Cantonment".
Hope this helps.

 

[Saigonnus]

Other options are available as well. To save on the cost in manhours and resources, many empires would either quarter their soldiers with other people/families; like the U.S: soldiers quartered with british families during WW2. They often would "liberate" large buildings like warehouses, work houses, empty buildings, churches, schools and the like for quartering soldiers IN a city, especially if the city offers defensive emplacements and easy access to supplies.

Quartering in the country often went the same way during man's history, with the invading army forcing out a hamlets' residents to commandeer their homes to use for their own troops if they don't carry the resources to provide other shelter. Even if it is but a single house in the country, it could be used for the command center; housing the elite troops while the rank and file soldiers set up in the barn/stables or their own tents.