Civil War History - Secession and PoliticsWas it Slavery, or was it States Rights? Perhaps it was the election of Lincoln? What were the real reasons for Southern Secession and what were the political issues in this time of war? Find your answers here in the Secession and Politics Disussion.
This the first entry of my great grandfather's diary. His motivations for volunteering were clear as were the motivations of many others, whether for patriotism, adventure, or financial gain.
July 30, 1862 "The past 22 days have been busy and eventful ones to me. Thursday, July 10th, enlisted as a volunteer in the service of the U.S. Soon after the President’s call for the 300,000 volunteers felt it my duty to be one of them, feel it as much a Christian as a political duty, and feel that every citizen ought to feel it so. And certainly have never felt more peace of mind as flowing from a sense of duty done, as in this matter of enlistment into the service of our country. In most of the towns of our state volunteering goes on rapidly. In others, however, there seems to be but little true patriotism. All towns are offering liberal bounties, varying from one to three hundred dollars. I fear that some of our volunteers go more from motives founded in dollars and cents than from those drawn from true patriotism. May God bless our land and help us as a people to have that true patriotism which is founded in true Christian and political principles. I have been at home all day or nearly so, having left Mr. Bogden’s Monday night. I have been busy packing my effects and preparing my camp equipage. Tomorrow go to camp at Lynnfield. May Thy blessing, My Heavenly father, be with me, and aid me to have thy love and service first and foremost upon the affections of my heart, and be the foundation motives of each thought, word and act, for Christ’s sake."
__________________ "Those who forget to remember the past are condemned to repeat it", George Santayana.
This the first entry of my great grandfather's diary. His motivations for volunteering were clear as were the motivations of many others, whether for patriotism, adventure, or financial gain.
July 30, 1862 "The past 22 days have been busy and eventful ones to me. Thursday, July 10th, enlisted as a volunteer in the service of the U.S. Soon after the President’s call for the 300,000 volunteers felt it my duty to be one of them, feel it as much a Christian as a political duty, and feel that every citizen ought to feel it so. And certainly have never felt more peace of mind as flowing from a sense of duty done, as in this matter of enlistment into the service of our country. In most of the towns of our state volunteering goes on rapidly. In others, however, there seems to be but little true patriotism. All towns are offering liberal bounties, varying from one to three hundred dollars. I fear that some of our volunteers go more from motives founded in dollars and cents than from those drawn from true patriotism. May God bless our land and help us as a people to have that true patriotism which is founded in true Christian and political principles. I have been at home all day or nearly so, having left Mr. Bogden’s Monday night. I have been busy packing my effects and preparing my camp equipage. Tomorrow go to camp at Lynnfield. May Thy blessing, My Heavenly father, be with me, and aid me to have thy love and service first and foremost upon the affections of my heart, and be the foundation motives of each thought, word and act, for Christ’s sake."
Hope he made it through.
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__________________ -
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
I'm somewhat sympathetic to the original post. From what I've read, I'm not convinced the average enlistee fully needed a political cause (although some research says a political cause makes a "better" soldier).
There are several reasons, according to soldier's letters home, that speak of religion, slavery, and honor, especially honor, as good reasons for joining the fight.
Much of what happened in the late 1850's suggests what the French call a "Rage de Militare" on the eve of the war. A kind enthusiasm swept through the young male population on both sides. Young men became eager to fight. Insults became more exaggerated.
I also think there's a difference between why men intially enlist and why they come back after going to battle. Even today, men in uniform will say the reason they return to the armed services is because of the comraderie. Letters home suggest once men bond in battle, it's a strong glue that they feel is unappreciated by people off the field of battle. They fight for the man next to them.
This does not in any way suggest the cause was in any way unjust or in vain. I throw it out because I think politicians determine the cause and the rhetoric to go with it, but I think the soldiers have a variety of reasons for fighting, some very personal.
It is impossible to generalize why any man served and fought, whether it be for the Union or the Confederacy. The reasons then as now would be as varied as the number of men under arms in any given unit.
Whe can sit back with 140 plus years of 20/20 hind sight and wax philosphical all we want about why they fought. We can pore over letters and diaries and gain a knowledge and a certain insight. We can come up with grand notions that all the boys in blue fought against bondage and all the boys in grey for it.
Yet all of this is what we think and how we wish to spin what we know of why they fought. The fact remains they fought and for individual reasons. Who I am or you to question those reasons.
The citizen of the 1850's and 1860's were surrounded by the great political debates that was tearing Congress apart. In some ways they were more closely attuned to the nuances of the political debates and speeches of their leaders, than many are today.
Mid-19th Century politics in America was much more personal and hands on than this generations.
Political Campaigning at that time was a popular form of entertainment among the voters. There were parades, bands, parties given for and by popular dignitaries, free meals and always free alcohol. Speeches by office seekers and their supporters were not only expected but typically well attended by the populace (entire towns turning out to see and heare) in even the smallest of cities.
EXcept for the Presidential Candidates, the great leaders in Congress were out in the hustings rubbing shoulder with shoulder with their constituents in much greater intimacy then now.
The press covered the spectrum of political thoughts of the time, whatever side you wanted to know about, it usually only cost a penny to read the thoughts, theories and explanations of almost all political persuasions.
I am not at all convinced that the avg. voter in 1860 did not have a much better grasp of what the approaching conflict was all about, than many today assume.
Well put Jpeter and welcome to the board! Always good to get a fresh perspective on here.
__________________ "In mortal combat, a man may and will become so infuriated by the din and dangers of a bloody fight that his heart will turn to stone and his every de sire [be] for blood."
John Hadley, 7th Indiana after the battle at Port Republic
"We are sometimes asked in the name of patriotism to forget the merits of this fearful struggle, and to remember with equal admiration those who struck at the nation's life, and those who struck to save it - those who fought for slavery and those who fought for liberty and justice. I am no minister of malice..., I would not repel the repentant, but...
may my toungue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I forget the difference between the parties to that ...bloody conflict."
Frederick Douglass, Address at the grave of the Unknown Dead, Arlington, Virginia, May 30, 1871.
Unionblue
Frank Conner: THE SOUTH UNDER SIEGE 1830-2000
"Slavery was not the primary focus of the war for President Lincoln or President Davis. But that being the case, why then did the US Congress write constitutional amendments to free the slaves at the end of the war, and later, make them citizens and give them the vote?"
"For the answers, we'll refer to the following references:
Ludwell H. Johnson's NORTH AGAINST SOUTH
C. Vann Woodward's THE BURDEN OF SOUTHERN HISTORY
J.G. Randall's THE CIVIL WAR AND RECONSTRUCTION
T.Harry Williams' LINCOLN AND THE RADICALS
E. Merton Coulter's THE SOUTH DURING RECONSTRUCTION"
"One of the main points of this book is that the North engineered and fought the war to drag the Confederate states back into the U.S. so as to safeguard the short-term and long-term financial interests of the Northern capitalists
- who wish to use the U.S. federal government to enforce their program of national industrialization upon the U.S.
and make the South pay for it.
The South, in turn, fought to defend its nation, its homes, and its families against the invading armies from the North".
"Slavery was not the primary focus of the war for President Lincoln..."
Not at first, as all here know, Lincoln and the North were trying to preserve the Union above all else.
Quote:
"...or President Davis."
Too bad this part of Mr. Conner's Quote veers off the historical cliff and into the abyss of revisionism.
The South seceded to protect the institution of slavery which it felt would not be secure under Lincoln and a Republican administration. The leaders of the South said this, the States that seceded said this, the newspapers articles and speeches said this, and the debates in Congress for the last thirty years before the firing on Fort Sumter made it very clear, slavery was the primary focus of the entire country. No historian worth his salt would deny that the Civil War was brought on primarliy on the issue of slavery.
Quote:
"One of the main points of this book is that the North engineered and fought the war to drag the Confederate states back into the U.S. so as to safeguard the short-term and long-term financial interests of the Northern capitalists who wish to us the U.S. Federal government to enforce their program of national industrialization upon the U.S. and make the South pay for it."
Mr. Conner pushes his personal theory in spite of the fact the U.S. Federal government at the time was so weak in projecting its power upon the South and that it only, at that time, consisted of 16,000 troops, a handful of federal marshals, a part-time attorney general, and the most contact the government had with the majority of its citizens was the local post office. In fact, one author claims that it was mainly because of the weakness of the federal government that the South felt emboldened to try secession, feeling there was nothing the government could do to stop it.
This theory is put forward in spite of the fact most businesmen, North and South, did not want anything to disturb business and did not want war because it would be bad for business.
In short, Conner got it wrong.
Quote:
"...The South, in turn, fought to defend its nation, its homes, and its families against the invading armies from the North."
And it's way of life, which included the institution of slavery.
Unionblue
__________________ "The American people and the Government at Washington may refuse to recognize it for a time but the inexorable logic of events will force it upon them in the end; that the war now being waged in this land is a war for and against slavery." Frederick Douglass
"Loyalty to our ancestors does not include loyalty to their mistakes." George Santayana
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