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Civil War America
Sing Not War: The Lives of Union & Confederate Veterans in Gilded Age America
After the Civil War, white Confederate and Union army veterans reentered--or struggled to reenter--the lives and communities they had left behind. In Sing Not War, James Marten explores how the nineteenth century's "Greatest Generation" attempted to blend back into society and how their experiences were treated by nonveterans.
Many soldiers, Marten reveals, had a much harder time reintegrating into their communities and returning to their civilian lives than has been previously understood. Although Civil War veterans were generally well taken care of during the Gilded Age, Marten argues that veterans lost control of their legacies, becoming best remembered as others wanted to remember them--for their service in the war and their postwar political activities. Marten finds that while southern veterans were venerated for their service to the Confederacy, Union veterans often encountered resentment and even outright hostility as they aged and made greater demands on the public purse. Drawing on letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, newspapers, and other sources, Sing Not War illustrates that during the Gilded Age "veteran" conjured up several conflicting images and invoked contradicting reactions. Deeply researched and vividly narrated, Marten's book counters the romanticized vision of the lives of Civil War veterans, bringing forth new information about how white veterans were treated and how they lived out their lives.
Many soldiers, Marten reveals, had a much harder time reintegrating into their communities and returning to their civilian lives than has been previously understood. Although Civil War veterans were generally well taken care of during the Gilded Age, Marten argues that veterans lost control of their legacies, becoming best remembered as others wanted to remember them--for their service in the war and their postwar political activities. Marten finds that while southern veterans were venerated for their service to the Confederacy, Union veterans often encountered resentment and even outright hostility as they aged and made greater demands on the public purse. Drawing on letters, diaries, journals, memoirs, newspapers, and other sources, Sing Not War illustrates that during the Gilded Age "veteran" conjured up several conflicting images and invoked contradicting reactions. Deeply researched and vividly narrated, Marten's book counters the romanticized vision of the lives of Civil War veterans, bringing forth new information about how white veterans were treated and how they lived out their lives.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published June 1, 2011
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Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews
July 15, 2020
Very thoroughly researched and useful book (for me). My only gripe is that the author defends his historical approach too often, which distracts from narrative.
December 23, 2014
This is another book that arrived at exactly the right moment in my dissertation work. Marten's excellent account of Civil War veterans lives *as veterans* should be required reading for all Civil War enthusiasts. I found his arguments about pension applications, the GAR, and soldier's homes especially useful. It's excellently sourced and footnoted, too, which was helpful for me. The book is a delight to read-- scholarly without being dense. I could easily imagine teaching from this book or recommending it to someone new to studies of the Civil War and Gilded Age.
November 11, 2011
This book is not for the reader who has a casual interest in post Civil War America. It is a detailed accounting of both Union and Confederate Veteran's experiences. Sometimes the details become tedious reading. However, overall, provides an interesting perspective on veterans's experiences that are sometimes hauntingly similar to experiences current veterans face.
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October 31, 2016This book is available to Lone Star College users through the EBSCO eBook Collection. (14-digit barcode number required for off-campus access.)
March 24, 2013
An interesting book that explores an obvious but so far neglected topic (at least in non fiction) of the way Civil War soldiers attempted to return to society. With our current veterans struggling with the same issues it is a very relevant topic. PTSD is as old as violence itself.
Displaying 1 - 5 of 5 reviews