Degree
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
History
Document Type
Dissertation
Abstract
This dissertation challenges past notions of Civil War soldier identity and motivation during the conflict, which have tended to emphasize ideological and political factors. Soldiers realized the importance of the civilian population to their success in defending their state and the Confederacy. Using Louisiana’s Confederate soldiers as my focus, I argue that soldiers’ wartime experiences were also social ones. The lines between the Civil War battlefront and the homefront were often blurred. While separation from loved ones during the Civil War was common, soldiers and civilians did not experience the war in isolation—civilian and community-based relationships, both physical and emotional, lay at the heart of the conflict. Though the ideology of patriotism and Confederate nationalism motivated many men to enlist, it was their civilian relationships that sustained their services and meet their wartime needs. A soldier’s relationship with civilians and their communities also provided a tangible connection to their sacrifices—soldiers believed they fought to protect and defend their loved ones. However, soldier and civilian interaction could also be contested, especially as wartime events and actions sometimes damaged the confidence or trust between the two groups. My analysis highlights the importance of the physical and emotional bonds that developed between Confederate soldiers and civilians, while not denying that conflict and tension between them existed. Overall, both groups depended on each other, especially when the Confederacy’s policies and actions failed to provide for and support them.
Date
7-9-2024
Recommended Citation
Motty, Henry Brandon, "Louisiana's Confederates: Soldiers and Civilians in the Civil War" (2024). LSU Doctoral Dissertations. 6522.
https://repository.lsu.edu/gradschool_dissertations/6522
Committee Chair
Sheehan-Dean, Aaron