Stephen Crane's purpose in writing The Red Badge of Courage was to dictate the pressures faced by the prototypical American soldier in the Civil War.  His intent was accomplished by making known the horrors and atrocities seen by Unionist Henry Fleming during the Battle of Chancellorsville, and the conflicts within himself.

Among the death and repulsion of war, there exists a single refuge for the warrior--his brethren.  The success of combat is directly related to the morale of the soldiers, as it is the relationship with the neighboring soldier that demonstrates the motive for fighting.  This association between men creates an abundance of compulsion from one man to the next.  Similarly, as Henry Fleming developed a rapport with men throughout the 304th Regiment, he began to be subjected...