Barbara R. (juliannis) reviewed For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War on + 30 more book reviews
Helpful Score: 2
Though this was a required book to read for my American History course, I found it fascinating and enlightening. Seeing what men wrote to their families and associates while embroiled in the devastation of the Civil War of 1861 to 1865 was very edifying. Though there weren't many letters written, this is a valuable look at why our men are willing to suffer, bleed and die for our nation. This war, more than perhaps any other in our history, was fought for our nation's identity.
Starting with popular histories, this specialist in the Civil War ended with this very carefully researched analysis of contemporary letters and diaries of those who served. The data is necessarily somewhat top heavy with officers and light on unskilled workers, given that the former's higher SES led to more papers being saved for a century and the latter including a fair number of illiterate soldiers (70% for Black soldiers). The appendix is well worth looking over.
"The purpose of this book is to explain the motives of Civil War soldiers for fighting. I am less interested in the motives of skulkers who did their best to avoid combat." Those who joined in 1861 and 1862 were markedly patriotic and Dr. McPherson provides evidence that most were joining to defend the Union (or the state if a southerner) but later those serving in the Union Army came to increasingly abhor slavery. A few were Abolitionists in 1861, many were impressed at the bondsmen who joined their units to fight for their freedom, and others were appalled by the backwardness they found in the rural South. As well, Professor McPherson includes in a fair manner the thoughts of those who fought for the South.
He offers a few short quotes written at the time by given soldiers to make his case on one of conclusions (often including the fate of that writer, i.e. dead at a certain battle). The notes section allows one to pursue the writing if desired, although not all such documents will be readily located as Mr. McPherson dug through many an archive and followed up many a lead. He does include the findings of those who have studied WWII soldiers when appropriate (such as with the psychology of facing battle) and generously credits Civil War books that preceded his (A Note on Sources).
Index (not very extensive), no illustrations.
Postscript: I obtained another copy for the old soldiers and sailors' home and read three more chapters.
Chapter Four "If I Flinched, I Was Ruined": This is a good example of his neat writing style; note that he begins with a reference to the precisely trained Redcoats and those of Frederick the Great, noting that such training would fall short with the citizen soldiers of the Civil War who often were thrust into battle after sketchy practice in drill and marksmanship. The quotations garnered from soldiers' letters is especially effective in this chapter when the lack of respect earned by officers that led from the rear or were ineffective is discussed. "Soldiers were also quick to condemn incompetent officers. If the number of such complains in soldiers' diaries and letters is an accurate indication, the problem was worse in Union than in Confederate regiments early in the war."
Chapter Nine. "Slavery Must Be Cleaned Out.": Dr. McPherson finds the Union Army became much more motivated to end slavery as the war dragged on, ending in 80% voting for the Lincoln-Johnson ticket. I was struck by the ferocity of the CSA soldiers when they came up against Black soldiers--many of them hated them so much that they were highly motivated to defeat and kill them--no surrender. While there are few letters and diaries from Black soldiers, McPherson provides convincing support to their desire to make the sacrifices to end slavery. This determination impressed ordinary Union soldiers, who were also glad to have help in the fatigues as well as on the battlefield. I suspect that some of the Black units that fought in this war and later wars might have been set upon ferociously and thus gained an unfair reputation. (ETO, the Italian campaign--the 92nd?)
Chapter Eleven. "Vengeance Will Be Our Motto": The hatred borne by some CSA soldiers (and some Union soldiers) is revealed by surviving letters and diaries. This history is of interest in what we see still exhibited in the age of Trump. Various branches of my family have lived on the Coast for generations and I thank them for coming West. Two great-great grandfathers (from Tennessee and Indiana) served in the Union Army and one (from Tennessee, married to a Georgia gal, and residing in Arkansas in 1861) served the South. I asked Uncle Ed, the latter's son, at the time of the Centennial, and he said his dad felt it was a rich man's war and a poor man's fight....
"The purpose of this book is to explain the motives of Civil War soldiers for fighting. I am less interested in the motives of skulkers who did their best to avoid combat." Those who joined in 1861 and 1862 were markedly patriotic and Dr. McPherson provides evidence that most were joining to defend the Union (or the state if a southerner) but later those serving in the Union Army came to increasingly abhor slavery. A few were Abolitionists in 1861, many were impressed at the bondsmen who joined their units to fight for their freedom, and others were appalled by the backwardness they found in the rural South. As well, Professor McPherson includes in a fair manner the thoughts of those who fought for the South.
He offers a few short quotes written at the time by given soldiers to make his case on one of conclusions (often including the fate of that writer, i.e. dead at a certain battle). The notes section allows one to pursue the writing if desired, although not all such documents will be readily located as Mr. McPherson dug through many an archive and followed up many a lead. He does include the findings of those who have studied WWII soldiers when appropriate (such as with the psychology of facing battle) and generously credits Civil War books that preceded his (A Note on Sources).
Index (not very extensive), no illustrations.
Postscript: I obtained another copy for the old soldiers and sailors' home and read three more chapters.
Chapter Four "If I Flinched, I Was Ruined": This is a good example of his neat writing style; note that he begins with a reference to the precisely trained Redcoats and those of Frederick the Great, noting that such training would fall short with the citizen soldiers of the Civil War who often were thrust into battle after sketchy practice in drill and marksmanship. The quotations garnered from soldiers' letters is especially effective in this chapter when the lack of respect earned by officers that led from the rear or were ineffective is discussed. "Soldiers were also quick to condemn incompetent officers. If the number of such complains in soldiers' diaries and letters is an accurate indication, the problem was worse in Union than in Confederate regiments early in the war."
Chapter Nine. "Slavery Must Be Cleaned Out.": Dr. McPherson finds the Union Army became much more motivated to end slavery as the war dragged on, ending in 80% voting for the Lincoln-Johnson ticket. I was struck by the ferocity of the CSA soldiers when they came up against Black soldiers--many of them hated them so much that they were highly motivated to defeat and kill them--no surrender. While there are few letters and diaries from Black soldiers, McPherson provides convincing support to their desire to make the sacrifices to end slavery. This determination impressed ordinary Union soldiers, who were also glad to have help in the fatigues as well as on the battlefield. I suspect that some of the Black units that fought in this war and later wars might have been set upon ferociously and thus gained an unfair reputation. (ETO, the Italian campaign--the 92nd?)
Chapter Eleven. "Vengeance Will Be Our Motto": The hatred borne by some CSA soldiers (and some Union soldiers) is revealed by surviving letters and diaries. This history is of interest in what we see still exhibited in the age of Trump. Various branches of my family have lived on the Coast for generations and I thank them for coming West. Two great-great grandfathers (from Tennessee and Indiana) served in the Union Army and one (from Tennessee, married to a Georgia gal, and residing in Arkansas in 1861) served the South. I asked Uncle Ed, the latter's son, at the time of the Centennial, and he said his dad felt it was a rich man's war and a poor man's fight....
