The Civil War was the most deadliest war this country has ever faced. The worst part about it, was that it was a fight against brothers. Because of disagreements on slavery and freedom, both sides, the Union and the Confederates lost countless lives. This book showcases the untold story of the minds of the soldiers and what they were truly fighting for. During this war, many of the letters these soldiers wrote to their loved ones were recorded. Just by reading these letters, we can enter the soldiers minds and somewhat have a grasp of what it was like on the battlefield. As we get to one of the lines in the letters written by a Confederate soldier, “I will kill them as long as I live even if peace is made I never will get done with them” (20). This shows how driven these Confederates were to kill the Union.
However, was it only slavery and freedom that drove these soldiers? “Vengeance for comrades cut down by Yankee bullets became an obsession with some Confederates” (21) To me, this shows that hatred was also built on some of these soldiers just because they wanted revenge for their lost comrades. This very hatred turned these men into animals. It went so far to the point where the Confederates treated the Unions worse than bugs by “dancing” on the corpse of their bodies and making jewelry out of their body parts. “I thought of collecting her a peck of Yankee finger nails to make her a sewing basket,” (23) “…making a ring of some portion of the leg bone of the dead yankee.” (24) These Confederates had no respect whatsoever for the lives of their enemies. The Union however, seemed to be fighting for a different reason. We all know that they were fighting for the side of freedom to abolish slavery, however they also had a very patriotic view. The North wanted to preserve the ideas of their forefathers who battled in the Revolutionary War. Unlike the Confederates, they believed in “…upholding the legacy of the American Revolution.” (27) Written by a Union soldier, “Our Fathers made this country, we, their children are to save it.” (29)
This shows that the North were not driven by hate, but instead driven by loyalty to their country. They were also driven to protect those who were precious to them and the future of this country. The war seemed never ending. While fighting for their own beliefs, the North had invaded the South, which caused the Confederates to want their own freedom and led to more violence. A stalemate between keeping slavery and abolishing slavery. When slaves actually started to participate in the war, it seemed to be the end and in 1865, General Robert E. Lee would finally surrender. In my point of view, the Civil War was a war that had to end with a winner. In the case it was left at peace instead of justice, our country would still be “fragmented” as said by Lincoln and in great peril against each other.
If I were to pick a side, I would be a part of the Union. Their purpose for war was to end slavery while fighting for their ancestors who fought in the war before them. Just by reading the letters of the north soldiers, they seemed to be the good guys, unlike the Confederates who wanted to keep slavery and actually enjoyed killing their enemies in such a disgust manner. Both sides did not expect to fight for four years and definitely did not expect to lose of their 620,000 men, but it’s just the way it is.
