Civil War Soldiers
Civil War Soldiers by Reid Mitchell, published by Penguin in July 1997, offers an insightful examination of the experiences of soldiers during the American Civil War. This 288-page book delves into the complex emotions and motivations of both Union and Confederate soldiers, who were united by a shared history yet divided by their conflicting loyalties. Through the use of diaries and letters, Mitchell presents a nuanced portrayal of the war’s impact on national identity and the personal struggles faced by those who fought.
Readers will find a thorough exploration of the soldiers’ perspectives, addressing critical questions about their motivations, views on slavery and race, and the legacies they carried home. The book captures the emotional weight of a conflict that was as catastrophic as it was transformative, shedding light on the charged issues and ironies that defined a nation grappling with its ideals of liberty and justice. Civil War Soldiers provides a pioneering study that emphasizes the human experience behind the historical narrative, making it a significant contribution to the understanding of this pivotal period in American history.
Official synopsis Publisher
The soldiers on both sides of the Civil War were united by a common history, and yet the legacy of this past was ambiguous, upholding both rebellion and union. Union and Confederate men went to war as Americans, convinced they fought an un-American, savage enemy. The war they fought was as emotional and catastrophic as any in history, a violent crucible that forged a new national identity. Civil War Soldiers is a fresh and compelling attempt to fathom the war’s significance—then and now—and makes immediate the charged issues and bitter ironies of a nation torn by a conflict over the common ideals of liberty and justice.
Drawing on diaries and letters, the focus of this pioneering study is on the men who fought, caught up in a conflict whose causes and consequences seemed as complex and contradictory to the soldiers themselves as they do to us. Reid Mitchell re-creates their experience and discusses the questions one would have most wanted to ask them: Why did you fight? How did you feel about slavery and race? What did you take home from the war? What legacy have you left us?
“Fresh insights, startling descriptions, and poignant human detail about the war from the men who fought it.”—Chicago Tribune
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