To Appomattox and Beyond: The Civil War Soldier in War and Peace

Logue, professor of history at Mississippi College, has written a stimulating, brief introduction to Civil War soldiers' motivations and behaviors during and after the conflict that defined their lives. Drawing on a broad spectrum of specialized monographs, Logue argues that enlistment on both sides was encouraged by idealism, desire to prove one's masculinity, and commitment to preserving a way of life. Beginning as individualists, Union and Confederate soldiers alike developed a profound appreciation of solidarity: common experiences created bonds. These ties were revived in the postwar South by a commitment to restoring white supremacy, in the North by a concern for pensions. Although both campaigns were successful, in the long run the broad-gauged nature of their program gave Confederate veterans far more influence than ex-Union soldiers. Of most interest to social historians. (Nov.)