From the letters of Civil War soldiers (excerpts from James McPherson, What They Fought For: 1861-1865)

Quote / Union or Confederate? / Implicit values – What does this soldier fight for?
I am perfectly content to remain five years or until there is not a Yankee south of the Mason & Dixon’s line.
We should be proud of [that] noble name. George Washington… Thomas Jefferson, Patrick Henry, and ‘Light Horse’ Harry Lee… were all Rebels…. Our martyred Saviour was called seditious, and I may be pardoned if I rejoice that I am a Rebel.
If traitors be allowed to overthrow and break asunder ties most sacred – costing our forefathers long years of blood and toil, then all the hope and confidence of the world in the capacity of men for self government will be lost… and perhaps be followed by a long night of tyranny.
[I fight] to save our homes, our Fathers & Mothers, Brothers & Sisters, Children & Wives from the curse of slavery & butchery.
I want to fight the rest of my life if necessary before we recognize them as anything but Rebels and traitors who must be humbled.
I cannot believe Providence intends to destroy this Nation, this great asylum for the oppressed of all other nations and build a slave Oligarchy on the ruins thereof.
So imagine your sweet little girls in the school room with a black wooly headed negro and have to treat them as their equal.
Although slavery is one of the principles that we started to fight for… if it proves an insurmountable obstacle to the achievement of our liberty and nationality, away with it!
The men are much dissatisfied and say that it has turned into a ‘nigger war’ and all are anxious to return to their homes for it was to preserve the Union that they volunteered.
I am no abolitionist, in fact I despise the word, but as long as slavery exists… there will be no permanent peace for America…. Hence I am in favor killing slavery.
…since I came here I have learned and seen more of what the horrors of Slavery was than I ever knew before…. I am in favor of doing away with the…accursed institution…. I am [now] a strong abolitionist.

*How would you guess the reasons for fighting evolved as the war dragged on and the tide turned in favor of the North?

for Union soldiers:for Confederate soldiers: