'What They Fought For 1861-1865,' is a book full of contradictions, irony, and conflicts. The author of the book, James McPherson, has an interesting perspective on the Civil War. When most people learn about the Civil War, they are taught that the South does not understand the agony that the slaves endured. They seemed to only fight because they had to. If they read this book, they would discover that it was not entirely true. The majority of American history is extremely biased against certain groups. Soldiers from all eras and countries are viewed as heroes who fought for our country, but McPherson's views portray them as cowards. He argues that both sides had their reason to fight and some just hid. (11)
Slaveholders and anti-slavery activists were a lot like parties today. Democrats and Republicans are not the same, but they both think highly of themselves. They alleviated themselves to appear better than the other. In every battle, they are the unsung heroes. It is extremely difficult to find an unbiased news source or online citation that does not contain hate on both sides. Some would portray the opposing party as evil. The sides divided families in the same way that the country split so long ago.
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Most soldiers had no idea why they were fighting. (2)They had been drafted and sought to avenge their fellow patriots and family members. Biased newspapers, writers, and soldiers spread stories about heroes and criminals. This news fueled the fire, and the war raged on: four years of hatred, vengeance, and chaos. These learned people used their knowledge, experience, and liberty to share with the rest of the world. The killings provided fuel for the soldiers fighting in the war. (38-39)
The majority of the soldiers in both armies were educated and knew the fundamentals of reading and writing. Many of them kept diaries and wrote letters home. (11-13) Their principles were the same in these letters. Confederate soldiers fought for their freedom and the right to own property, whereas Union soldiers fought for their freedom and the freedom of all slaves. They expressed their opinions and views in their letters, and many books, including 'What They Fought For,' are biased against one or the other party. Yes, the Southerners were incorrect because they are portrayed as the enemy in every book. However, they saw themselves as fighting for their country and home, just as the Northerners did. (6)
The war's main goal was to either 'sink or swim, survive or perish.' Each soldier had pressure on them. They fought not only for their families, comrades, and the right to own property but also for the entire country. In 1862, when soldiers were being drafted, the South enacted the 'Twenty Negro Law.' This law sparked the hatred of many slaveholders. One man was drafted into the Dixie army for every twenty slaves. (11) Slave owners and pro-slavery activists were enraged. They despised black people even more than before. This was a problem for the Union because they wanted to destroy the Union without taking prisoners and instead executed everyone. (53)
The author is not biased; his viewpoint differs from that of the average student of history. He believed that hundreds of soldiers fought only for money, not for the freedom of slaves and the country. He does state many times in his book that all soldiers, on both sides, were greedy and do not care about home and land. It appears that all of the soldiers were people who do not care, which was true for some at the start of the Civil War. People had the heroic idea of serving their country at first. It was a writer's fantasy, fantasized and exaggerated, to become a hero and save the United States from slavery. He criticizes the soldiers, claiming that they are all inferior to the soldiers from the South. He does not praise them, but he does refer to them as peasants and thugs, implying that they are not worthy of being called heroes and should instead be labeled cowards. (13)
People on both sides of the United States were at odds, and tensions and animosity between them grew. Both soldiers had their own set of ideals to which they would adhere. The Confederates believed the Union soldiers were fighting for nothing. (They considered slaves to be property, and because they were worthless, they were nothing.) Their goal was to keep their homes and property safe. (48) It was ironic because both sides believed they were correct. They both fought for the 'good' of the country like their rights and liberties. The Yankees fought for the Union, and the Confederates thought the blacks who fought alongside them were Lincoln's thieving hordes. They are portrayed as vile, inhuman wenches of the North. (18)
Many slaves, family members, and comrades died as the war progressed. Richard Gillespie, a Texas Ranger commander, was killed in a riot or breakout among the Northerners. They had no mercy and slaughtered his entire regiment. He was a slaveholder's hero, and his death was a tragedy. It also demonstrated the Yankees' determination to destroy all supporters of slavery. Soon, both sides were ragging at each other, and although they had previously taken their prisoners as slaves, both sides exacted their vengeance by executing all of them without mercy. (20) The battles soon lost their heroic significance. People no longer fought for their country, and some had no idea why they were fighting. Instead, they clashed because no one wanted to, the cowards and the weak of heart. The main motive for both sides was revenge. (54)
It was difficult to tell who had a stronger motivation to fight because they were so similar. They both wanted to save their families from the other side while also annihilating each other. Many of the letters seen and read by the author were gruesome. They literally wanted to destroy each other. (40) It was fascinating because the South appeared to have a better motive. Slavery was their way of life and to the Northerners, it was just an inconvenience, a moral standard, and a disgusting output and outcome. Because it was not their lives that were being ruined, but rather the lives of those who were pleading for freedom many decided it wasn't worth it. (63)
The Civil War was a harsh wake-up call for the 'Sunny South.' (21) It was also for the North, who found the war to be inconvenient in the end. They were unwilling to put their lives in danger for the freedom of blacks and slaves. Previously, they wanted to give slaves liberty because they do not want to take the freedom God had given them for granted. They do not want to lose because of all their dead comrades after a few years in the war. If they gave up, it would be a waste of their lives. The cost of the war was difficult for everyone to bear, and because vengeance was common among soldiers and their families, the war lasted. (62)
Work Cited:
- McPherson, James M. What They Fought For, 1861-1865. Anchor, 1994.
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