What They Fought For 1861-1865

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ExcerptFromChapter2:TheBestGovernmentonGodsFootstool
OneofthequestionsoftenaskedaCivilWarhistorianis,WhydidtheNorthfight?Southernmotives
seemeasiertounderstand.Confederatesfoughtforindependence,fortheirownpropertyandwayoflife,
fortheirverysurvivalasanation.ButwhatdidtheYankeesfightfor?Whydidtheypersistthroughfour
yearsofthebloodiestconflictinAmericanhistory,costing360,000northernlivesnottomention
260,000southernlivesanduntolddestructionofresources?Puzzlingoverthisquestionin1863,
ConfederateWarDepartmentclerkJohnJoneswroteinhisdiary:Ourmenmustprevailincombat,or
losetheirproperty,country,freedom,everything.Ontheotherhandtheenemy,inyieldingthecontest,
mayretireintotheirowncountry,andpossesseverythingtheyenjoyedbeforethewarbegan.
Ifthatwastrue,whydidtheYankeeskeepfighting?WecanfindmuchoftheanswerinAbrahamLincolns
notablespeeches:theGettysburgAddress,hisfirstandsecondinauguraladdresses,theperorationofhis
messagetoCongressonDecember1,1862.Butwecanfindevenmoreoftheanswerinthewartime
lettersanddiariesofthemenwhodidthefighting.Confederateswhosaidthattheyfoughtforthesame
goalsastheirforebearsof1776wouldhavebeensurprisedbytheintenseconvictionofthenorthern
soldiersthattheywereupholdingthelegacyoftheAmericanRevolution.
WefightfortheblessingsboughtbythebloodandtreasureofourFathers,wroteanenlistedmanfrom
Missouritohisparentsin1861.IwillfighttillIdieifnecessaryforthelibertieswhichyouhavesolong
enjoyed.AMichigansoldiertoldhisyoungerbrotherthathefoughtagainstTraitorswhosoughttotear
downandbreakintofragmentstheglorioustemplethatourforefathersrearedwithbloodandtears.A
NewJerseyofficerdeclaredthatthemanwhodoesntgiveheartysupporttoourbleedingcountryinthis
dayofourcountrystrialisnotworthytobeadescendantofourforefathers....Wewillbeheld
responsiblebeforeGodifwedontdoourpartinhelpingtotransmitthisboonofcivilandreligiousliberty
downtosucceedinggenerations.AnIllinoisfarmboywhoseparentshadopposedhisenlistmentasked
themtartly:ShouldWetheyoungestandbrightestnationofalltheearthbowtotratersandforsakethe
gravesofourFathers?Heansweredhisownquestion:Nononever.
Thethemeofparallelsacrificewiththepatriotsof1776punctuatedthelettersofmanyUnionsoldiers.An
officerinthe101stOhiowroteinDecember,1862,thatourfathersincoldestwinter,halfcladmarkedthe
roadtheytrodwithcrimsonstreamsfromtheirbleedingfeetthatwemightenjoytheblessingsofafree
government.Likewise,ourbusinessinbeinghere[is]tolaydownourlivesifneedbeforourcountrys
cause.TwoweekslaterhewaskilledinthebattleofStonesRiver.AyoungMichiganprivatewasalso
killedinactionnotlongafterhewrotealettertohisuncledescribingthehardshipsofasoldierslife.But

didtherevolutionarypatriotsinvalleyforge,heaskedrhetorically,complain[when]theyhadtomarchin
thesnowwiththerebarefeetandtostandthecoldtwentydegreesbelowzerowithoutblankets?...We
willshowourfathersandmotherswifessistersbrothersandsweetheartsthatweareworthyofthat
heritage.
Someofthosewives,however,toldtheirsoldierhusbandsthattheyhadagreaterresponsibilitytotheir
presentfamiliesthantothefoundingfathers.Inresponsetosuchlettersfromwives,agoodmanyUnion
soldierswroteasdidanOhiolieutenant:OurFathersmadethiscountry,we,theirchildrenaretosaveit..
.andyoushould...experiencealaudableprideinthepartyour[husbandandbrothers]arenowtakingto
suppressthegreatestrebellionthehistoryoftheworldhaseverwitnessed...Whydenouncethewar
whentheinterestatstakeissovital?...WithoutUnion&peaceourfreedomisworthless...ourchildren
wouldhavenowarrantofliberty....[If]ourCountrybenumberedamongthethingsthatwerebutarenot,
ofwhatvaluewillbehouse,family,andfriends?AnotherOhiosoldier,whosewifecomplainedrepeatedly
oftheburdensofraisingthreechildrenwhileworryingabouthisfate,askedhertobearyourtroublewith
goodcheer....Itonlygivesanothertroubleonmymindtoknowthatyouaresodiscontented....Ifyou
esteemmewithatruewomansloveyouwillnotaskmetodisgracemyselfbydesertingtheflagofour
Unionaflagthatisasdearaslifetome....Noitwillneverdo,cheerupand...rememberthatthousands
wentforthandpouredouttheirlifsbloodintheRevolutiontoestablishthisgovernment;andtwouldbea
disgracetothewholeAmericanpeopleifshehadnotnoblesonsenoughwhohadthespiritofseventysix
intheirhearts.Justifyingtohiswifeadecisiontostayinthearmyaftermorethanayearsfightinginstead
ofacceptingamedicaldischarge,athirty-three-year-oldMinnesotasergeant,fatherofthreechildren,
wrotehomefromanarmyhospitalwherehewasrecoveringfromexhaustion:Mygrandfatherfoughtand
riskedhislifetobequeathtohisposterity...thegloriousInstitutionsnowthreatenedbythisinfernal
rebellion....ItisnotforyouandI,orus&ourdearlittleones,alone,thatIwasandamwillingtoriskthe
fortunesofthebattlefield,butalsoforthesakeofthecountrysmillionswhoaretocomeafterus.
Butwhydidthesesoldiersthinkthattheinfernalrebellionjeopardizedthesurvivaloftheglorious
republic?Whycouldtheynot,asConfederateWardDepartmentclerkJohnJonessuggested,merely
returnhometoanorthernnationandleavetheSouthalonesothatthetworepublicscouldliveinpeace
asdualheirsoftheRevolution?Because,saidnorthernsoldiers,almostasifinechoofAbrahamLincoln,
onceadmitthatastatecansecedeatwill,andrepublicangovernmentbymajorityrulewillcometoan
end.Thedis-UnitedStateswouldfragmentintoseveralpetty,squabblingautocracies,provingthe
contentionofEuropeanmonarchistsandreactionariesthatthisharebrainedexperimentindemocracy
couldnotlast.Governmentofthepeople,bythepeople,forthepeoplewouldperishfromtheearth.Many
UnionsoldiersvoicedwithextraordinarypassiontheconvictionthatpreservationoftheUnitedStatesas
thebeaconlightofliberty&freedomtothehumanrace,inthewordsofathirty-five-year-oldIndiana
sergeant,wasindeedthelast,besthopeforthesurvivalofrepublicanlibertiesintheWesternworld.

ExcerptedfromWhatTheyFoughtFor1861-1865byJamesM.McPherson,publishedbyAnchorBooks.

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