Duty and Honor: For Cause and Comrades

James m McPhersons “for cause and comrades” talked about many reason why union and confederate soldiers put their lives on the line for the civil war efforts.

McPherson obtained this info from the help of “25,000 uncensored letters and nearly 250 private diaries from men on both sides” from the civil war lasting from 1861 to 1865 to arrive at his decision. McPherson's fundamental contentions talks about how a soldier could be persuaded by honor, country, duty along with the battle for and against slavery for civil war efforts. McPhersons then elaborates the experiences soldiers endured like choosing to continue to fight despite horrendous sights of war along with the fear of guilt for those who quit facing public scrutiny. Furthermore, these soldiers not only gained support from home but were also religious which granted them the will to keep fighting another day Soldiers joined the civil war due to motivations toward country, duty and honor experiencing feelings of extreme patriotism. McPhersons claims that any other reasons men fought in the war weren’t as purposeful because “duty and honor were indeed powerful motivating forces”.

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McPhersons then adds a letter written to a father by a union soldier explaining his intentions for joining saying “a soldier has but one thing in view, and that is two fight the Battles of his country with one [honor].” McPhersons believes that these soldiers felt very fulfilled going out to fight for the country. This argument can be believing due to how normal it could be for any soldier to be encouraged by duty, country, and honor for the help with war efforts.

The expansion of slavery is another reason soldier joined during this civil war era. A portion of union soldier’s opposed slavery while battling for freedom, liberty, justice while in contrast others only wanted to limit the expansion westward. Nerveless, at the time president Lincoln created Emancipation proclamation most union “soldiers believed that the Proclamation had changed the purpose of the war” believing that the U.S. would fight not to keep states together but for black freedom. Because of this it promoted division within union armies. Contrarily Confederate soldiers fought primarily for the establishment of slavery. Letter McPherson added a piece from the Ohio artillery officers believed “that the war will not be ended until the subject of slavery is finally and forever settled.” I trust this was a persuading guarantee introduced by McPherson for why men entered the Civil War, since it was a fundamental purpose behind why men felt so unequivocally about battling.

McPhersons also talks about why soldiers chose to stay and fight despite being a spectator of many dreadful depictions of war at first hand. The primary reason is on the grounds that many realized that they would be openly disgraced and called quitters on the off chance that they left war. One of the strategies implemented frighten soldiers still battling was talked about within a letter that was written by a confederate lieutenant claiming that sharpshooters would be given” orders to shoot everyone who fell to the rear, unless wounded”, Afterwards, then goes on to explain the game plan they would use to “court-martial “cowards” and shame them publicly” by labelling them as cowards, tying them up like prisoners. Nonetheless, actions like these where believed to have contributed to “a band of brothers” that was created on the battle field because if not, they would be teased as cowards by their fellow brotherhood.

In addition to reasons soldiers fought in the civil war due to receiving support from home but more importantly they were also many were religious believing god is always on their side. McPhersons mentions that without the support from loved ones back home “their morale would have crumbled”, preventing those from continuing to battle. Due to homesickness being an issue solders faced the mail service was extremely beneficial because it allowed them to receive letters of love and encouragement from those at home. McPhersons describes mail call as being “the brightest part of a soldier’s day” . These warriors of war also believed God was always watching over them. Examples provided by McPherson claims how soldiers always packed their pocket bibles or new testaments providing protection from enemy bullets throughout the war time. A Georgia 24th private mentioned in a letter saying “if a man ever needed God’s help it is in time of battle”. Although what they had to endure wasn’t easy, having the strength from a religious background would provide comfort and serve to go a long way.

Overall, McPherson installs within the readers valid arguments why union confederate soldiers not only joined the civil war but as well why they continued to fight. He declares soldier’s motivation on joining the war efforts steered from duty, honor, and country as well as the fight for and against slavery expansion. He then does a great job explaining how a lot of soldiers were able to stay and fight along with the consequences that came along if not, facing public scrutiny, resulting in becoming like brothers along the battlefield. Furthermore, McPherson depicts soldiers not only got support the needed from home but also from religious faith that got them through battels endured. I believe that the authors arguments served as very convincing supporting evidence coming from letters and excerpts from past soldiers’ experiences.