Article Title

The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies

Authors

Meg GroelingFollow

ISBN

9781469643090

Publication Date

2018

Price

$33.95

Publisher

University of North Carolina Press

Abstract

Carmichael's book examines how Civil War soldiers endured their life in the Union and Confederate armies. These men were volunteer soldiers, for the most part, so military life was a shock for most of them. One example concerns uniforms and the difference between Union and Confederate reactions. At the beginning of the war, everyone got a new set of clothes and a pair of shoes. For Yankees, this was a reasonably regular occurrence, but for Rebels, a new set of clothing or a pair of shoes of any variety was difficult to obtain. Carmichael uses letters and records from individual soldiers to examine soldier reaction. It is heartbreaking to read the words from southern men. The very government for which they were willing to die could not even keep them clothed.

DOI

10.31390/cwbr.21.4.05

Recommended Citation

Groeling, Meg (2018) "The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies," Civil War Book Review: Vol. 21 : Iss. 4 .
DOI: 10.31390/cwbr.21.4.05
Available at: https://repository.lsu.edu/cwbr/vol21/iss4/15