During the American civil war, armies got destroyed while the survivors were left with memories that would remain in their minds throughout their lives. The soldiers had different experiences from all aspects of the economic challenges, politics, and social issues such as lack of food, shelter, and other basics to survive (Ward & Burns, 1862). There was no social life since every person was always working and ready to act in case of any attack (Pearce, 1862).
The political aspect was to promote liberty and erase slavery kept the soldiers moving, sleeping few hours during the day, and sometimes less than one hour at night. The soldiers were motivated by the solidarity of working alongside each other, hoping to succeed and go back home (Jackman, 1997). The militants embraced technological equipment, which enabled them to fight against their enemies.
The militaries waited for the war to end any minute as no one was sure of making to the day. The fighters struggled to find shelter and could get a small mat to cover their heads under the hot sun (Law, n. d). The militaries would sometimes feel defeated especially when some of their colleagues got killed, thus getting disappointed and flee in different directions to escape from the attacks (Pearce, 1862). For soldiers to see the day end and return to the camp safely gave them hope of going back to their families.
From American World War history, soldiers have outlined experiences of what they suffered during the war. Some explain how their dreams had to die and soldiers lost their social positions because they lived in isolation, especially when they were defeated and others lost their lives (Ward & Burns, 1862). However, the surviving soldiers assembled and refreshed their memories during the confederacy. The war was so dreadful as soldiers did not know whether they would survive and go back home safely. According to Pearce (1862), a soldier wrote a letter to his wife explaining the situation at war to show that their experiences were a reality and wished they would go home. Therefore, most of the events which happened according to the readings and other sources discuss the hardships during the war.
References
Dhalle, K. (1995). History of 55th Massachusetts volunteer infantry. Lest We Forget, 3.
Jackman, J. S. (1997). Diary of a confederate soldier: John S. Jackman of the orphan brigade. University of South Carolina press.
Law, G. J. (n. d). Diary of a Confederate Soldier (1860-1861). Web.
Pearce, E. P (1862). Firsthand Account of the Battle of Shiloh Written by a Northern Soldier: Letters Home as a Confederate Soldier (1861-1863). Web.
Ward, G.C. & Burns, R. (1862). Ken Burns The civil war Episode 2- A Very Bloody Affair. Web.