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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. In 1862, a private in the 38th North Carolina wrote to his wife that, if he were to be killed, he hoped to be reunited with his daughter __________.

2. When discussing Jesse Beecher's service record, McPherson states that he fought in all BUT WHICH of the following states?

3. When discussing the movie "Gettysburg" and the novel "The Killer Angels," McPherson mentions which man who won the medal of honor for defending Little Big Top?

4. In the discussion of the officers' views on training, which of the following did a captain in the 85th New York NOT believe would get men to fight well?

5. During "Chapter 5: Religion is What Makes Brave Soldiers," which military historian is quoted from his book, "Men Against Fire"?

Short Essay Questions

1. In the discussion of leadership, what do the soldiers' letters indicate about the differences in leadership between the Confederate and Union armies?

2. What generally happened to the relationships between soldiers and officers after they went through a battle together, as discussed in "Chapter 4: If I Flinched, I was Ruined"?

3. After the discussion of courage, bravery, and valor, what fear does McPherson say Civil War soldiers wrote even more about than the three-part concept of honor?

4. How did the Civil War transform irresponsible men into responsible ones as the war got underway?

5. When discussing his framework for the book, what three categories does McPherson say he has used and borrowed from John A. Lynn?

6. In "Chapter 1: This War is a Crusade," what difference does McPherson note between the Civil War and the Vietnam War?

7. How did the Calvinist doctrine of predestination factor into soldiers' lives in the discussion of religion?

8. What effect did the prospect of death have on the Confederate army during the discussion of religion?

9. For what purpose does McPherson relate the story of James and John Welsh in the opening of "Chapter 2: We Were in Earnest"?

10. How did the tone of soldiers' letters home change from their initial zeal after the first few battles were over?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Using all available references to officers of both armies, compare and contrast Union and Confederate officers. In what ways did their talents and methodologies differ? Include supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast soldiers' initial combat motivation with combat exhaustion. Be sure to explain when a soldier would experience each and what the reaction would be, in addition to analyzing the differing tone that accompanies each stage in the book. Include quotes and supporting information from the text.

Essay Topic 3

In a well-developed essay, compare and contrast the Northern concept of liberty with that of the Southern version of liberty. In what two major ways do their interpretations differ? Be sure to include supporting information from the text.

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