Civil War in Tennessee

Term Paper # 99776

African-American Studies > Civil Rights
African-American Studies > Slavery
History > U.S. Civil War 1860-1865

An analysis of the behavior of people from the North and the South during the Civil War.

1,648 words () | 6 sources | MLA | 2007 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper examines the human face of the American Civil War, focusing on the state of Tennessee. It describes the course of the war and the cause of the war and shows that both are historically contested. The paper refers to primary source evidence to show that the excesses of war led to actions on the part of both sides that could be construed as morally wrong and that there were ordinary, innocent people in the Southern state of Tennessee who suffered greatly for their beliefs.

From the Paper:

"Of course, it is necessary to consider the veracity of the source. Williamson was only 16, and she was not a first-hand witness to the event she describes. However, if we refer to secondary sources, we find ample evidence that she was probably correct. Paine was so well known for brutality and sadism, that he was removed from his command by the Union leadership, and placed in charge of bridges near Nashville. Even there, he managed to misbehave, and was investigated, found guilty by a congressional inquiry, and punished with a reprimand. This scarcely seems adequate for his murderous deeds. However, the point is that war is often horrific, and there are no sides that are "good." This is too simplistic a view, as attested to by Williamson's disturbing Diary. (Special Collections Library, Duke University.)"

Sample of Sources Used:

Bruner, Peter, b. 1845. A Slave's Adventures Toward Freedom, Not Fiction, but the True Story of a Struggle. Retrieved from http://docsouth.unc.edu/neh/bruner/bruner.xml
Burlingame, Michael, and John R. Turner Ettlinger, eds. Inside Lincoln's White House: The Complete Civil War Diary of John Hay. Carbondale, IL: Southern Illinois University Press, 1999.
Higham, Robin, and Steven E. Woodworth, eds. The American Civil War: A Handbook of Literature and Research. Westport, CT: Greenwood Press, 1996.
McPherson, James M. Battle Cry of Freedom: The Civil War Era. New York: Oxford University Press, 1988.
Special Collections Library, Duke University. Commentary on Alice Williamson's Diary. Retrieved from http://scriptorium.lib.duke.edu/williamson/annotations/paine.html