Why Men Fought in the Civil War

n For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War, James McPherson comments about Pickett’s charge during Gettysburg and the endless charges the Union made at Fredericksburg. Both charges let to wave after wave of death as they charged into the teeth of enemy guns. He asks, “What possessed these men? What motivated them to advance into (a) wall of fire?” Such questions are the basis of McPherson’s book and this essay.
Using specific examples from Why Men Fought and your textbook, explain why the common soldiers of the North and South were fighting and why they fought so intensely. In doing this, I expect you to quote from the soldiers themselves to make your argument (not just parrot McPherson’s conclusions). If you don’t quote from the soldiers to back up your assertions, the best you can do on this paper is a low C. McPherson presented many ways in which the soldiers justified their service—you will be graded on how you present your argument explaining their motivations.
In addition, how do the motivations of the soldiers relate to the goals set by the politicians on both sides? Do the purposes of any of these groups change over time.
Finally, what are the limitations on using the letters of soldiers to explain the motivations of 3,000,000 soldiers?
5-7 pages, 12 font, standard margins.