Imagine enjoying the comforts of one's home; simply dining with the family protected by any and every outside discomfort. Then imagine deciding to leave this behind in efforts to defend a nation that great patriotic feelings have been developed towards.. Author and professor, James M. McCaffrey, wrote the well researched book Army of Manifest Destiny: The American Soldier in the Mexican War, 1846–1848 to portray the war in the “viewpoint of the common soldiers’ experience” (xii). Most authors simply write regarding where the battles took place and who was in charge. McCaffrey, however, zooms in to what actually went on as having a life of a soldier. McCaffrey utilizes personal letters and detailed imagery in order to expose the soldiers feelings and reasons upon their actions. Throughout the entire book, he includes various sections of letters that soldiers sent to go back home. In these letters, longing emotions and judgmental statements are emphasized by most soldiers. Being separated for so long to lands that have been lived upon for years could never be easy. Especially when the foreign lands are filled with unfamiliar insects, unpredictable weather and insufficient amount of foods. The letters truly express every little detail in the soldier's experience. Having to move to the”heat that most of the Americans found so unusual” must have been an extremely uncomfortable change (81). The soldiers each noted complaints regarding the weather in which McCaffrey includes different sections regarding the various types of weathers: “‘sun...bake one’s brain’”, “‘mouth full of sand’”, and “degrees to below zero” (81-82) Being surrounded by only men created a “desire for female companionship” in which some men gave into Mexican women. (103)Yearning for affection resulted in soldiers enviously observing “all the hugging and kissing...without getting a share” (87) Being a soldier is an experience that most human beings will never understand because like past veterans say “You don’t know how it is until you’ve actually been there”. McCaffrey, however, defies this statement by including soldier’s letters and painting pictures into the minds of readers in order to obtain an insight on what being a soldier in a
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Most of the book is written focussing on the volunteer soldiers. He includes how the officials felt mainly about the volunteers. How they complained that they had “no sense of their proper duty” (120). There's hardly anything ever said regarding the officers that were instructed to take on the regular soldiers. Instead, McCaffrey does include how a volunteer felt that the “‘volunteers done all the fighting’”(121) The author never includes why the officers responsible for the regulars did not place their man on the field nor the struggles that they had ordering their soldiers. Towards the ending of the book the exact same thing happens. I am able to see how the volunteers are treated but not the regulars thoughts or afterlife. McCaffrey goes into depth regarding the “welcome-home celebrations” that the volunteers received (202). On the other hand, he only states how “regulars’ lifestyle did not change” (201). He never acknowledges how they felt about this whether it was fair or not. He doesn’t talk about if their families were still proud of them and how their life was impacted because of the war. He practically ignores the regulars and jumps back onto the
Most of the book is written focussing on the volunteer soldiers. He includes how the officials felt mainly about the volunteers. How they complained that they had “no sense of their proper duty” (120). There's hardly anything ever said regarding the officers that were instructed to take on the regular soldiers. Instead, McCaffrey does include how a volunteer felt that the “‘volunteers done all the fighting’”(121) The author never includes why the officers responsible for the regulars did not place their man on the field nor the struggles that they had ordering their soldiers. Towards the ending of the book the exact same thing happens. I am able to see how the volunteers are treated but not the regulars thoughts or afterlife. McCaffrey goes into depth regarding the “welcome-home celebrations” that the volunteers received (202). On the other hand, he only states how “regulars’ lifestyle did not change” (201). He never acknowledges how they felt about this whether it was fair or not. He doesn’t talk about if their families were still proud of them and how their life was impacted because of the war. He practically ignores the regulars and jumps back onto the