Common soldiers 147Confederacy were infantrymen, 20 per cent
served in the cavalry, and 5 per cent served
with artillery units.
One of the reasons that the war was so
fiercely contested was because soldiers of both
armies came to believe they were fighting for
a common cause: personal liberties,
constitutional guarantees, democratic
principles, and republican ideals. Still, some
630,000 soldiers lost their lives over
conflicting means of achieving the same ends.
Pride in country and state induced men to
volunteer, and Union soldiers often
In a typical regimental portrait these soldiers of the
125th Ohio Volunteers reflect the worn yet determined
character of the men who fought the war between the
Appalachian Mountains and the Mississippi River
(Massachusetts Commandery Military Order of the Loyal
Legion and the US Army Military History Institute)
expressed their devotion to the cause by
using patriotic rhetoric. 'The cause for which
the majority of men now in the army have
enlisted to defend is sacred,' wrote an
lllinoisan. 'I consider that we should do
what we can for the cause for which we
enlisted and strive on until it is
accomplished.' A Louisianian concluded, 'I
had rather fall in this cause than to see my
country dismantled of its glory and
independence - for of its honor it cannot
be deprived.'
Political, social, and economic reasons
also inspired men to join the military. Many
men volunteered because they believed it
was the virtuous thing to do to protect their
local communities, their homes, families,
and friends. The army also offered perhaps a
more satisfying and financially rewarding life
than the boredom and fatigue of struggling
to till the soil. Because the nation was in the
midst of a depression when the war began,
army pay was quite attractive. A Union
private received $13 a month and a
Confederate private received $11 a month,
and both governments provided incentives
in the way of bounties or bonuses to enlist
for longer periods. Because many enlistees
were unmarried, the adventure of traversing
the countryside and the chance of
potentially becoming a hero was an
additional motivation. Politics also
motivated men to fight and often found
expression in anti-slavery sentiments. 'Old
John Brown Set this war in motion, and
threw himself beneath ... as the first martyr,'
declared Orrin Stebbins, 'and it will never
Stop until that dark Stane of African Slavery
is wiped out so dry.'Army life
Because Civil War soldiers were extensions of
their local communities, they adopted
symbols, uniforms, names, and flags
reflective of these prewar associations that
gave a unit an identity. Several Northern
units adopted the Zouave uniform worn by
French troops. It consisted of a red turban