Civil War Soldiers

by Reid Mitchell

Provides insight into the men who faught a devastating war

Genres: Civil War, History, American History, Nonfiction, War, United States, Civil War History

274 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Adrienne Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Confederate officer stood alone at a crossroad goading his horse to move on in the aftermath of the Union retreat at BULL RUN. Sensing danger he glanced over his shoulder. A Yankee raced over the field tramping the freshly cut hay. As the Yankee drew closer he struggled to pull something from behind his back. The Confederate, with heart thumping through his uniform, pulled out his revolver and took aim.

The Yankee waved a white flag, stopping abruptly at some distance. He wavered there for a few minutes until the Confederate swore he would do him no harm. Looking to his left and then right, the Yankee weighed his options and moved forward.

The Confederate noted the man’s flushed cheeks and face not yet ready to be shaved. The boy could not be more than twenty yet he was a lieutenant from a New York regiment.

“I give my word to you, sir. If you let me go I’ll never pick up a gun again. I’ll leave at once for my father’s farm,” the boy begged.

The Confederate kept silent and the boy on his horse soon followed, resigned to his fate.

The Confederate and the Yankee may not have realized at this early stage of the war that to be a prisoner was as deadly as fighting on the battlefield, but something in the young man’s cowardice already worked on the Confederate’s conscience. We don’t know if this Confederate officer cursed the angel on his shoulder as the two men walked ten yards.

“Go back to your friends, boy,” the Confederate ordered. “One more prisoner will hardly make a difference.”

When the Confederate met his own scouts they asked what had happened. When they set off in search of the “escaped” prisoner, the Confederate officer refused to join them.*

I wonder about the young New York lieutenant. The other night I happened upon our cat devouring the skin and fat of a just killed chipmunk and was surprised to see the organs still in movement. What moving things did this young man see at Bull Run? Was he a shy boy having trouble fitting in? No. There was something of a leader in him to be made lieutenant. Did he run all the way home or just to his friends?

A Confederate officer stuck on a stubborn horse gave the New York lieutenant his life back. Like a fish released from a net there was no time for gratitude. The currents of war and blood and peace move men along with hardly a moment to consider a chance meeting at a crossroad.

Why did boys on both sides enlist? CIVIL WAR SOLDIERS Their Expectations and Experiences by REID MITCHELL presents the uplifting and awful traits that make us human. Mitchell shares the forgotten stories of individual men. Each one of them (unlike fish unable to escape mere instinct) left marks on others they encountered only briefly and never met again.

How did that New York lieutenant live and die? His fear, his youth, his innocence touched a Confederate soldier once. The man was never the same.

*A re-telling of one of the many poignant stories written about in Civil War Soldiers.

[Patrick · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good view of the thoughts and feelings of soldiers during the American Civil War. It was definitely interesting to look at the views of the war from common soldiers from both North and South as the war progressed. The most interesting piece was on how soldiers viewed each other, their assessment of the motivations of their comrades, and the struggle men had to define their experience and, by extension, to judge the reaction of others to that experience. The only thing missing from the test would be a deeper analysis of those opinions by geography and by social strata. In an effort to be concise, Mitchell lumps all Southerners in together and does the same with Northerners. I wonder the difference in viewpoints that might be found from a poor white from Mississippi and a relatively well educated man from Virginia. How might their background effect their view of the conflict? The same from the North. I have to wonder if a city boy from New York and a farmer from Indiana had much in common in terms of viewpoint or if they were coming from some place so different that the only thing in common was their humanity and the color of their uniforms.

[Hans Myers · Rating 4 out of 5]

A concise examination of the makeup of the average soldier - North and South - who fought in the American Civil War, derived primarily from letters, diaries, and commentary offered by the soldiers and their families regarding their experiences in 1861-1865. Reid Mitchell's experience as a post-Vietnam Historian is evident throughout the text given his emphasis on civilian populations rejecting support of veterans following the conclusion of the war.

[Joseph · Rating 5 out of 5]

A very good read. The author uses many quotes from the soldiers themselves to spice the narrative. This book deserves a spot on the shelf next to Bell Irvin Wiley's Life of Billy Yank and Life of Johnny Reb. I thoroughly enjoyed it, and at less than 300 pages it can be read in a couple of days.

[Stephanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

What was life actually like for the soldiers during the Civil War? Mitchell examines their letters to illuminate the answer to that question.

[Sheila · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting history, for those interested in the Civil War, though I admit I found it a bit dry.