The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

Finalist for the 2011 Gilder
Lehrman Lincoln Prize




"A seminal work. . . . One of
the best examples of new, sophisticated scholarship on the social history of
Civil War soldiers."

—The Journal of Southern History



“Will undoubtedly, and properly, be
read as the latest word on the role of manhood in the internal dynamics of the
Union army."

—Journal of the Civil War Era


During the Civil War, the Union
army appeared cohesive enough to withstand four years of grueling war against
the Confederates and to claim victory in 1865. But fractiousness bubbled below
the surface of the North’s presumably united front. Internal fissures were rife
within the Union army: class divisions, regional antagonisms, ideological
differences, and conflicting personalities all distracted the army from
quelling the Southern rebellion.


In this highly original
contribution to Civil War and gender history, Lorien Foote reveals that these internal
battles were fought against the backdrop of manhood. Clashing ideals of
manliness produced myriad conflicts, as when educated, refined, and wealthy
officers (“gentlemen”) found themselves commanding a hard-drinking group of
fighters (“roughs”)—a dynamic that often resulted in violence and even death. Based
on extensive research into heretofore ignored primary sources, The Gentlemen and the Roughs uncovers
holes in our understanding of the men who fought the Civil War and the society
that produced them.

1100314144
The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

Finalist for the 2011 Gilder
Lehrman Lincoln Prize




"A seminal work. . . . One of
the best examples of new, sophisticated scholarship on the social history of
Civil War soldiers."

—The Journal of Southern History



“Will undoubtedly, and properly, be
read as the latest word on the role of manhood in the internal dynamics of the
Union army."

—Journal of the Civil War Era


During the Civil War, the Union
army appeared cohesive enough to withstand four years of grueling war against
the Confederates and to claim victory in 1865. But fractiousness bubbled below
the surface of the North’s presumably united front. Internal fissures were rife
within the Union army: class divisions, regional antagonisms, ideological
differences, and conflicting personalities all distracted the army from
quelling the Southern rebellion.


In this highly original
contribution to Civil War and gender history, Lorien Foote reveals that these internal
battles were fought against the backdrop of manhood. Clashing ideals of
manliness produced myriad conflicts, as when educated, refined, and wealthy
officers (“gentlemen”) found themselves commanding a hard-drinking group of
fighters (“roughs”)—a dynamic that often resulted in violence and even death. Based
on extensive research into heretofore ignored primary sources, The Gentlemen and the Roughs uncovers
holes in our understanding of the men who fought the Civil War and the society
that produced them.

3.99 In Stock
The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

by Lorien Foote
The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

The Gentlemen and the Roughs: Violence, Honor, and Manhood in the Union Army

by Lorien Foote

eBook

$3.99  $29.99 Save 87% Current price is $3.99, Original price is $29.99. You Save 87%.

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers

LEND ME® See Details

Overview

Finalist for the 2011 Gilder
Lehrman Lincoln Prize




"A seminal work. . . . One of
the best examples of new, sophisticated scholarship on the social history of
Civil War soldiers."

—The Journal of Southern History



“Will undoubtedly, and properly, be
read as the latest word on the role of manhood in the internal dynamics of the
Union army."

—Journal of the Civil War Era


During the Civil War, the Union
army appeared cohesive enough to withstand four years of grueling war against
the Confederates and to claim victory in 1865. But fractiousness bubbled below
the surface of the North’s presumably united front. Internal fissures were rife
within the Union army: class divisions, regional antagonisms, ideological
differences, and conflicting personalities all distracted the army from
quelling the Southern rebellion.


In this highly original
contribution to Civil War and gender history, Lorien Foote reveals that these internal
battles were fought against the backdrop of manhood. Clashing ideals of
manliness produced myriad conflicts, as when educated, refined, and wealthy
officers (“gentlemen”) found themselves commanding a hard-drinking group of
fighters (“roughs”)—a dynamic that often resulted in violence and even death. Based
on extensive research into heretofore ignored primary sources, The Gentlemen and the Roughs uncovers
holes in our understanding of the men who fought the Civil War and the society
that produced them.


Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780814727959
Publisher: New York University Press
Publication date: 11/21/2023
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 250
File size: 3 MB

About the Author

Lorien Foote is Professor of History at Texas A&M and the author of Seeking the One Great Remedy: Francis George Shaw and Nineteenth-Century Reform.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments  Introduction: The Contested Terms of Manhood  1 “A Good Moral Regiment”: Conduct Unbecoming a Gentleman  2 “The Model of the Gentleman”: Gentility and Self-Control 3 “A Regular Old-Fashioned Free Fight”: Physical Prowess and Honor 4 “If You Will Go with Me outside the Lines”: Dueling and the Degenerate Affair of Honor 5 “The Thick-Fingered Clowns”: Social Status and Discipline  6 “The Shoulder-Strap Gentry”: Officers, Privates, and Equal Manhood Conclusion: The War for Manhood Appendix: Note on Method and Sources  Notes  Bibliography  Index  About the Author 
From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews