In honor of the beginning of the Civil War 150 years ago tomorrow, my next few blog posts will take a look at my ancestors who risked life and limb in service of their country. Many associate the Civil War with slavery. While abolishing slavery was definitely an important and central part of the Civil War, really, it was about even more than that. The Confederate states wanted to secede from the Union and become a separate nation. According to the Constitution, they had every right to secede. But the North wasn't willing to give up those states without a fight. And what a fight it was! For 4 years, North fought against South. Brothers literally fought against their brothers. Some states were divided on which side to take. Men fought out of moral obligation. Other men fought in order to make money for their family. For $300, a large amount in those days, men could buy their way out of fighting. Some didn't want to fight but couldn't afford the $300 and were forced to fight or become deserters. In the end, more than half a million soldiers lost their lives but the Union was victorious in preserving the integrity of the United States and abolishing slavery. The damage was done and reconstructing the Southern states took another 12 years.
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