“I am off to see the elephant,” said many a young soldier as he packed up his meager belongings and joined the ranks of the Yankee or Confederate cause. Life on the farm for many young lads was extremely boring. The prospect of war stirred romantic notions of heroism and valor in the hearts of young men. The Civil War was like an elephant. It was an event bigger than they could imagine They wanted to see it and experience it.
Some one said, “War is hell.” Many a young soldier marched into battle and faced bullets, disease, starvation and amputation. Some young men (still in their teens) were mortally wounded and could be heard crying for their mothers in their final moments of life. Nevertheless, soldiers both blue and gray fought with great courage and valor for what each felt to be a “righteous” cause.
Most historians believe the main issue in the war between the states was not slavery. It was a battle for states rights.
Lincoln did put more emphasis on abolishing slavery near the end of the war, but he was at best meloncholy on the subject in the beginning. On the other hand, many Confederate soldiers were not fighting to preserve slavery. They were fighting for states rights. Lee and Jackson felt strongly that the Federal Government should not try to control individual states. States in the Union should be able to make their own decisions without government interference.
In our post modern age it seems we are seeing more government control and more infringements on our God-given rights to freedom and the pursuit of happiness. Maybe this is why General Robert E. Lee and his armies fought with so much conviction. Could forsee total government control in the future of the United States?
Slavery definitely was an ugly tumor on our nation that needed to be removed. Slavery probably would have been abolished eventually through an early civil rights movement if left in tact. The truth is that the Civil War brought slavery to a much quicker end. And maybe the Civil War was the beginning of the end of states rights.