War Stories: Suffering and Sacrifice in the Civil War North

This "layered, nuanced, and focused study" of Civil War era writings reveals a popular sense of patriotism and hope in the midst of loss (Journal of American History).

The American Civil War is often seen as the first modern war, not least because of the immense suffering it inflicted. Yet unlike later conflicts, it did not produce an outpouring of disillusionment or cynicism in public or private discourse. In fact, most people portrayed the war in highly sentimental and patriotic terms. ...