What They Fought for 1861-1865 (Walter Lynwood Fleming Lectures in Southern History, Louisia)

In "Battle Cry Of Freedom," James M. McPherson presented a fascinating, concisegeneral history of the defining American conflict.With "What They Fought For," hefocuses his considerable talents on what motivatedthe individual soldier to fight. In an exceptionaland highly original Civil War analysis, McPhersondraws on the letters and diaries of nearly onethousand Union and Confederate soldiers, giving voiceto the very men who risked their lives in theconflict. His conclusion that most of them felt a keensense of patriotic and ideological commitmentcounters the prevailing belief that Civil War soldiershad little or no idea of what they were lightingfor. In their letters home and their diaries --neither of which were subject to censorship -- thesemen were able to comment, in writing, on a widevariety of issues connected with their warexperience. Their insights show how deeply felt andstrongly held their convictions were and reveal far morecareful thought on the ideological issues of thewar than has previously been thought to be true.Living only eighty years after the signing of theDeclaration of Independence, Civil War soldiers feltthe legacy and responsibility entrusted to them bythe Founding Fathers to to preserve fragiledemocracy -- be it through secession or union -- assomething worth dying for. In "What TheyFought For," McPherson takes individual voicesand places them in the great and terrible choir ofa country divided against itself. The result isboth an impressive scholarly tour de force and alively, highly accessible account of the sentimentsof both Northern and Southern soldiers during thenational trauma of the Civil War."