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What They Fought For


            There have been many different theories on why the civil war began, and what caused the soldiers to fight for either side. These theories include such things as slavery, idealism, patriotism, protection of homeland, independence, and pure hatred for the opposition. It is difficult to pick out one thing that caused the soldiers to fight, but letters and diary entries give us some insight as to what motivated many of them. This paper will look at various reasons as to why the Confederate and Union soldiers fought with such endurance.
             Many Confederate soldiers seemed motivated by the mere memory of the Revolution. Even in periods of defeat they did not give up. This is reflected in a letter written by a farmer's son, who told his father "Instead of indulging in feelings of despondency let us compare our situation and cause to those of our illustrious ancestors who achieved the liberties we have ever enjoyed and for which we are now contending." (10). This view seemed to give many of the soldiers a reason to join the fight and stick to it to the end. The hope of succeeding even in the face of adversity was a prominent theme.
             Soldiers spoke of liberty and independence as their cause for fighting. They felt the North was tyrannical and if they were to lose the war, their independence would be taken away from them. As one soldier stated, the war was "a struggle between Liberty on one side, and Tyranny on the other." (11). Others voiced similar convictions, "Sink or swim, survive or perish," wrote a young Kentuckian who went with the South, "I will fight I defense of my country."" (11).
             Many of the Rebels felt that they fought for everything and the Yankees simply had no reason at all to fight. This belief made them feel as if they could not be defeated, as a lieutenant from Tennessee puts it, "the Yankees are sacrificing their lives for nothing; we ours for home, country, and all That is dear and sacred Every one seems to know that his life liberty and property are at stake, hence we never can be whipped.


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