After reading a recent article on were loyalties lie with the common
foot soldier in the civil war. I put my self in there place and asked myself. Would I
be loyal to my country or my family? After thinking of this for sometime I reached a
conclusion. I would think that my loyalty would fall at home. But I think that my
opinion might change given certain circumstances. The author gave true testimony
from the soldiers of Maine. By using things such as letters and diaries. He brought
the true feelings of the soldiers back to life. The question that peleged these men
was the draft. The thought that most of the men had was that they agreed with it.
As long as there families were not directly affected. They felt that if one person in
the family was doing there share for the war. That all of the other family members
should stay home and take care of each other. "I should advise you to stay home
and let the war and sea go to hell, for there is plaices that a man can make more
than to go to sea or war eather."(1) Through out the essay quotes of sons telling
there mothers and fathers not to let there sibling join the war effort. This is an
example of the men were there loyalty lied at home with there family. With only a
thirteen dollar a month salary a solider did not make enough to support him and his
family. Thus if all the males were fighting in the war how would the females get
buy at home. This is why it is very logical that some men would have there loyalty
fall at home. But there is another side to the story too. This side shows the men
who felt that family only followed government. A Young man named Perry Levi is
an excellent example of this. After losing his father and his brother to the war
efforts. His mother told him to continue to fight to make sure they did not die in
vain. "Two years of fighting has not lessened my love for my Country o...