Chapter 2, We Were in Earnest Summary and Analysis

The Civil War really was a war of brother against brother. For instance, James and John Welsh grew up together in Virginia but in 1853, James moved to Illinois and voted for Lincoln in 1860. The two brothers exchanged pained and hurtful letters which ultimately led them to fight against one another, never speaking again. The war incensed men's passions enough to cause them to fight against their own family members.

The initial anger and fighting spirit comes in the immediate aftermath of a war's beginning. Men get into a frenzy to energize themselves for a fight. It was not a problem to draft men for the war; instead, there was a problem accommodating all of the volunteers. Martial enthusiasm spread across the country on both sides.

Military rage cools quickly, however. Enlistments then began...