“An exciting adventure.” That was the mentality of boys and men all over the North and South, leading up to the Civil war. Seeing an alternative to the monotonous farm life, many men were eager and filled with anticipation at the thought of being in a war. In The Boys War by Jim Murphy, these men and boys learn the truth about war. Many preconceptions are shattered, and fantasies are broken wide open by reality. One common misconception was that the fighting would be constant, but this was not the case. When soldiers were not marching, being drilled, or in the midst of a skirmish, there was often leisure time. During these periods, men and boys were free to pursue activities and games. Gambling, pulling pranks, and occasional fraternization were three pastimes of men and boys alike during the war.…
The book reviewed is the Honor and Violence in the old South. Wyatt-Brown defined honor as the inner conviction of self-worth, the claim of that self-assessment before the public, and the assessment of the claim by the public, a judgement based upon the behavior of the claimant (2). In other words, honor is reputation and society status. (3). Wyatt-Brown states Honor is ingrained in the Southern culture and that the white southerners, prior Civil War, adhered to a moral code that is called the rule of honor. The Europeans started the honor code long before coming to America. Wyatt-Brown uses a person a white teenage boy name James to present Honor in his Uncles life from Nathaniel Hawthorne book titled…
On brisk September mornings, civilian residences often answer the door to a military officer whom bears bad news about their sons. During the reconstruction, the sex ratio is off balance and many women do not have a full grasp on why they are lonely. In “War is Kind” by the famous poet Stephen Crane; he adopts sarcastic diction and syntax to display war as a destructive force.…
In this book, the professor conveys major points throughout the Civil War that have been given scant attention, which America herself had previously tried to keep hidden. Professors name exposes the class warfare between rich planters and common folk or “plain folk”, and the economic injustice the planters forced upon the starving men and women on the home front and war front (14). Women fought for their families’ survival, equal rights, and became spies in both armies. Volunteers and conscripted men demanded respect, but the affluent brass ignored any cries and used them for their own economic interest. The professor emphasizes how the actions of deserters and draft evaders had previously been condemned by other Civil War documents and gives justice for their desertion. The spirit and resentment the soldiers and civilians had towards the elites are shown throughout the book as what they perceived as a “rich man’s war and a poor man’s fight” (75). The professor detailed how African Americans fought for their freedom long before Lincoln “emancipated” them and how Lincoln continually showed a vague attitude towards them, and brought light to the fact of the military reasoning for the Emancipation Proclamation. Professor elucidates how Native Americans were continually disposed, massacred, and ripped from their land with no adequate repayment. This book broadens history’s contracted lens by sharing fascinating firsthand accounts of the war and the overall consensus most Americans felt.…
To be an effective soldier in the Civil War, a man needed to know much more than how to drill on the parade ground and how to fire his musket. It was mostly the hard school of experience that turned a green recruit fresh from his country home into a lean, weatherbeaten soldier who was able to march all night and fight all day on scant rations. Many volunteers did not survive long enough to make the transition. Adaptation to army discipline and regimentation was one of the first trials of the new soldier. The idea of showing respect to and obeying the orders of a higher-ranking soldier irrespective of that person's prewar social standing, family, or wealth required a major psychological adjustment for many men.…
Some may argue that the societal built environment of abuse of power may be one of the main causes of most disputes within the military. Stark et. al, mentions how within armed groups, sexual violence and rape have been affiliated into norms of machismo and expressed though means of sexual domination of females. Men have been reported to engage in sexual activities such as gang rape to fully display their authority in the branch. This research shows how sexual violence in the armed forces shows an issue of power asymmetry, patriarchy, masculinity, and devaluation of women soldiers (2012). Lamentably, power struggle is mostly noticed between male and female in a military branch. Psychologically, rape is stated to occur as means of a dominant-submissive…
It can be said the driving cause for all Soldiers during the civil war was their determination to preserve what they felt was most important, to the bitter end. For Southerners in particular, the fuel that fed their determination was their personal duty to protect their homes, their families’ and their independent way of life, at all costs. The men of the Forth Texas Battalion, Confederate States of America (CSA) were by no means different.…
In the passages titled A Horseman in the Sky, and Reflection on the Civil War, there are many similarities between them that go much deeper than the fact that they are both about the Civil War. One of those similarities is that both passages tell about what it was like when you joined the army. Another similarity is that in both, they explain what it was like in the civil war, both hard times and good times. You can see this by what it said in Reflection on the Civil War, “When the boy joined the army, he would, of course, be issued clothing. He would get his uniform-pants, coat, shoes, and underwear.”…
In the 1800’s battles were fought with what is now known as rules of war. A Marine Corps General of a modern army in those days wanted to be seen as a gentleman and therefore demanded the respect that a gentleman would receive both on and off the battlefield. In order to receive that respect, it was said that a battle should be fought humanly or as a gentleman.…
B. The Union officer who I like the most is John Reynolds, who is also a gentleman. He is a polite man and is “perhaps the finest soldier” in the Union Army (xx). Reynolds is loyal to his lover. He “wears [his girl friend’s] ring on a chain around his neck, under his uniform” (xx). Among the Union officers, I like George Gordon Meade the least. Gordon is “vain and bad-tempered”, and “no decision he makes at Gettysburg will be decisive” (xx). I do not think he has competence in commanding.…
Furthermore, this quotation reveals that all members of the force are expected to heed to orders of those ranked above them, even if they object. They also must be prepared to defend their honor at all costs, even if that includes executing one of their own. Deever, who brought disgrace to the nine-hundred soldier unit, was close to many of the other soldiers who testify that, “’Is cot was right-’and cot to mine.” However, they had the duty to “look ‘im in the face” and rid themselves of this dishonor. This stresses the intense importance that the military places on its honor and the great lengths it will go preserving it. These lengths not only include execution, but also symbolic mannerisms such as the removal of the buttons and “cut[ting] off [of] the stripes” of the condemned. The military expects its members to be held to a very high standard of conduct and servility; all who do not conform are expelled or sent to sleep “out and far.” In summation, the military wants its members to remain faithful and obedient in the face of all adversity, to follow all commands even when the final goal is not immediately understood, and to preserve the sacred honor of the…
Gender and race have become the dividing line in many aspects of everyday life to include the division of labor, physical space, and power (Burrell, 1980). In the Military, most successful officers are usually described as forceful, decisive and rational. These qualities have been typically associated with the picture of masculinity. On the other hand, unsuccessful officers are usually defined as weak and indecisive. These terms are usually associated with femininity (Burrell,…
Most ladies would say that is was Colton’s deadly blue eyes that made Melissa fall madly in love with him. On the other hand the reason could be something much more powerful and unresisting. And that reason is how Fuller portrayed him as being a pure gentlemen who is the most respectful with out even being aware of it. What helped shape and mold Colton into the man he was was the land he grew up to love and respect. Everything from hunting with his brother to breaking his first mustang played an important role in the shape of Fullers story and also in how Colton lived his own actual life.…
This four year battle from 1861-1865 would have a remarkable impact on American history. Battles often fought in the North far as Pennsylvania and as far West as Arizona. With the majority of these battles fought by white males, and with help from African American Males, the United States Colored Troops Regiments were a force of proud black men ready to fight for its’ freedom. With little training and no education, these men were call to fight and defend in any way possible. Life within these black regiments would be difficult. Many believed that these men were too ignorant, and lacked the heart and courage to fight, and they had no place within the ranks. However, as the war progress battle after the battle, the USCT would not only have to prove their selves worthy, they would have to earn the respect from their white counter partners. Accomplishing these would be no easy tasks; it would come with immeasurable…
Cited: Funcken, Liliane and Fred. Arms and Uniforms The Age of Chivalry Part 1. Englewood Cliffs:…