Dr. Pruitt
Hist 2010
What was it like to participate in the Civil War? May 13, 1861, Frederic Pearce, a resident of Marietta, Ohio jotted a letter to his father informing him of the situation in their town. He told his father how people were preparing for the war. He also told him that it was his prayer and that of other Christians that the war end fast and the rebellion crushed (BSL 507). Pearce did not have an idea of what was about to happen in his town. By the end of the war, more than 620,000 people lost their lives. This is a very large number considering the fact that in all the other wars Americans had participated in, only 680,000 people had died (BOA #11, 1). One scholar termed the Civil War story and its beginning as the most felt history. This is because Civil War cut to the core of the US national experience (BOA #10, 2). Participating in the Civil War was the worst thing that could happen to any individual and no single person can understand the experience unless he or she lived it. …show more content…
On April 13 1861, the Home News Extra in Marietta, Ohio published terrible news re what was happening at Fort Sumter. The paper wrote about the fleet entering into the harbour for reinforcing Major Anderson. Battles continued to rage and Fort Sumter’s roof was set on fire. Major Anderson stopped firing to try to extinguish the fire. War vessels could not go in due to the ebbing tide and the Fort Moultrie was disabled. The fort burnt the whole night and these but calmly Lincoln received these reports regarding the ensuing confrontation. Fort Sumter then flew the flag at half-mast to show that they were in distress (BSL