Enduring Hardships

Brunswick Civil War Round Table Meets

STORY CONTRIBUTED

Renowned historian and popular returning guest speaker Peter Carmichael will examine how Civil War soldiers endured the brutal and unpredictable existence of army life at the Tuesday, March 7 meeting of the Brunswick Civil War Round Table. The circumstances are revealed in his presentation, entitled, “The War for the Common Soldier: How Men Thought, Fought, and Survived in Civil War Armies.” With renovations completed, the meeting will return to Hatch Auditorium on Caswell Beach. Everyone is welcome.

Soon after the Civil War began, many felt the war would be shortlived. But as the weeks and months dragged on, soldiers on both sides began to realize there was no end in sight, creating extreme uncertainty and frustration about their future. So, how did these soldiers endure the brutal and unpredictable existence during the conflict? That question is at the heart of Peter Carmichael’s presentation. He believes the war forced soldiers to bridge the gulf between two competing impulses. “Sentimentalism” helped soldiers understand war is a series of hardships and sacrifices that could be endured through faith, courage, and patriotism. Yet their “pragmatism” guided soldiers desperately seeking to survive with honor despite the filth, blood, and despair they actually experienced.

To best explain this contrast, Carmichael bases his thinking on close examination of the letters and records left behind by individual soldiers from both the North and the South. He identifies the totality of the Civil War experience – the marching, the fighting, the boredom, the exhaustion, the punishments, and the frustrations of being away from families back home who often faced their own dire circumstances. The phrase “war is hell” will clearly be emphasized in his dramatic presentation which is based on his insightful and soul-searching book, “The War for the Common Soldier,” which was the culmination of nearly ten years’ research.

Currently Carmichael is the Robert C. Fuller Professor of Civil War Studies at Gettysburg College. After completing his doctorate at Penn State University, he went on to teach at Western Carolina University, the University of North Carolina at Greensboro, and West Virginia University. He is a prolific author, holds seasonal interpretive positions at several National Park Service sites, speaks frequently to general and scholarly audiences, and has appeared on the

PBS Robert E. Lee documentary for the American Experience series and the popular TV show “Who Do You Think You Are.”

Registration for this meeting begins at 6:15 pm and the presentation starts at 7 pm. The visitor fee is $10 and can be applied toward the $25 annual membership dues. For more information about the meeting, becoming a member, or volunteering for this non-profit organization, please contact president John Butler at Brunswickcwrt@gmail.com, or call him at (404) 229-9425. You can also visit the group’s Facebook page or https://brunswickcivilwarroundtable.com/ for additional information, news, and updates.