Why did they fight papers

USS ALASKA · Dec 4, 2021

Woods-walker said:
I was reading a Gordon Rhea book and in the introduction he stated that he had often thought about why southern soldiers fought to preserve slavery. He concluded by saying he believed "they were just creatures of their time."
I agree with Mr. Rhea but was wondering what some of our CWT friends felt would be a good reason.
I plan to start writing the manuscript for my next book this winter. Some insight from others on this question might help shape one of the chapters.
The book will be a the true story of a Mississippi family and their hardships (pre - post war).

Sirs, did not want to clog up threads - https://civilwartalk.com/threads/why-did-southern-soldiers-fight-to-preserve-slavery.190601/ - https://civilwartalk.com/threads/di...om-the-horse’s-mouth-in-his-own-words.189587/ - but stumbled upon some papers that might be of interest. To begin with...

W&M ScholarWorks
Dissertations, Theses, and Masters Projects Theses, Dissertations, & Master Projects
2013

Honor from the Trenches: Why Confederate Soldiers Fought at Petersburg
Patrick John Hussey
College of William & Mary - Arts & Sciences

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ABSTRACT
The Siege of Petersburg, fought from June 1864 until April 1865, led to the eventual surrender of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia and the end of the American Civil War. Just as important, however, is its role as a case study for soldierly motivation during the war. Historians of this time period often emphasize the high rate of desertion from the Confederate Army at Petersburg and how it affected the war's outcome. While desertion played a decisive role at Petersburg, the soldiers who decided against desertion tell a story that is just as important. This paper attempts to explain why roughly 30,000 of Lee's soldiers in the trenches at Petersburg chose to continue fighting during a time when thousands of other Confederates risked desertion instead.

What motivated these soldiers to stay? To answer this question, this paper primarily uses letters sent between Confederate soldiers defending Petersburg and their loved ones in states around the Confederacy. Like all armies, the Army of Northern Virginia at Petersburg featured a diverse group of individuals, each with different backgrounds and life stories. Yet, the sources all demonstrate certain commonalities that have allowed for important conclusions about the army as a whole. For example, nearly all of the soldiers showed the most concern about the fate of their family, property, and home communities, rather than their actual safety and well-being.

To the Confederate soldier, honor was everything, and their interpretation stemmed from their ability to provide for loved ones while defending the well-being of the local community from which they came. Men faced with the decision to desert or to fight on looked most of all to preserve honor. Those who deserted often did so to return home. Likewise, the letters from the soldiers who chose to stay and fight often show that they did so in order to defend the well-being of their family and property against both real and perceived threats at the end of the war. They made the difficult decision to stay and fight during the last days of the war for honor's sake

https://scholarworks.wm.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=6061&context=etd

HTHs,
USS ALASKA

USS ALASKA · Dec 7, 2021