For each question, answer the question completely using proper English and make sure to proofread! You must also respond to at least one other student post to receive full credit.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Chapter 1-Dying "To Lay Down My Life"
In chapter one, the author states that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. Based upon what you have read, do you agree with the author? Why or why not?
I agree with the author when she states that the soldiers were better prepared to die then to kill. I believe this becuase many religions thought lessons on death and how life should end. Most people in that time period were of Catholic faith and believed in an after life of great things but were also taught that killing was a sin. This prepared the men to die because they had been taught that death was something to not be afraid of. Death was and still is always around and a part of life but the men wern't taught and didn't grow up learning and living in a world of killing. This is why the men in the Civil War were less prepared to kill then to die.
Based on what I have read, I strongly agree with the author’s statement that Civil War Soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. This is because, “An overwhelming majority of Civil War soldiers, like Americans generally in the 1860s, was Protestant.” Due to this religious affiliation, a vast majority of Civil War soldiers were reluctant to kill because they would have been partaking in a mortal sin. A “Good Death” and an accession into heaven was a much more preferable option for many soldiers than invoking the wrath of their God.
Based on what I have read, I agree with the author that Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. I agree, like Nick and Tori said, that religion had a lot to do with the soldiers’ preparedness to die. Because of their beliefs in ars moriendi and religious beliefs, they would rather die an honorable death than commit a sin and kill another man. It appears that soldiers were very prepared for their potential deaths as well. Most soldiers had written wills previous to a battle. Many soldiers also made promises to each other that if one of them were to die, the other would write family members back home informing them of his death. Soldiers would also write farewell letters in case of their death and carry them into battle, so that if they died, the letter could be found and then sent to the family. This shows that soldiers in the Civil War seemed to have been much better prepared to die than to kill.
Jordan Farmer: Based on the context of chapter one: Dying, I agree with the statement "Civil war soldiers were better prepared to die than kill", made by the author Drew G. Faust. I agree with Tori, Nick, and Mikayla that a soldier's religion played a massive role in his preparation to kill or die. As they mention, soldiers were taught that the act of killing was a mortal sin. This teaching would most definitely affect a soldier as he entered the battlefield. They would be hesitant as they were asked to commit acts that they have been taught against their entire lives. As Makayla said, the soldiers belief in ars moriendi would make then rather die an honorable death in the comfort of their homes then on the fields ravaged with carnage brought by the killing. Another reason why I agree with Faust is the statement she made on page three near the end of the page. "In the South, three out of four white men of military age became soldiers." This statement shows that the soldiers of the south were truly not ready for the coming war because most of the men lacked the training needed. Without the training, they were more likely to die. Proof directly supporting their readiness to die is also throughout the chapter. It is constantly mentioned that soldiers quickly became skilled in writing to the families of fallen comrades in hope of creating a “Good Death” for the fallen man. According to context ,in hopes to satisfy the ars moriendi traditions, soldiers would write their own letters telling their families that they were ready to die and meet their creator. As Makayla said, these would be carried into battle with them with hopes that if they were to perish, the letters could be salvaged and delivered. This shows that the soldiers expected death rather than much killing.
From the context of Chapter One, I agree with the author that the soldiers of the Civil War were better prepared to die then kill. I agree with all of the posts above mine, in which they describe the effect of the soldiers religion on how he acted in battle. Religions teach us of the sin of killing. As Mikayla said, "many soldiers believed in a honorable death then commit a sin and kill another man." In the war, those who fought learned to accept the idea of death. There was, as Faust says, " the very real possibility of death." Confederate chaplains told there soldiers it was their business to die. And to hear that your business was to die would have been absolutely horrifying. But in the sense that the soldiers were better prepared to die then kill, it would have made sense. Again on page 19, Faust describes the connection between Death and Religion. " No such thing as sudden death exsists in God's eyes, that the length of a human life is exactly what God intends it to be." Books even before this time period taught the ideas of how to death in a holy manner. These included Jeremy Taylor's The Rule and Exercise of Holy Dying. Another example of the connection between death and religion. These are why Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die then kill.
From the text of chapter one, i have concluded that the author is right on which the text states, "Civil war soldiers were better prepared to die than kill." Like many others who have posted, i believe this statement is true because of the majority religion at that time which was protestant. One reason is that the protestant church teaches that killing is sin. The church also looks highly of the after life. So, through the last two statements I have wrote, it is obvious that soldier were better fit to die than kill.
Nick I agree with your answer. The religions of the soldiers affected their abilities to take the life of another human being. The partake of a mortal sin would be throughout their minds as they were trudging across the battlefield. Likewise, I also believe they would have rather died in bed through a "good death" then committing the mortal sin of murder and invoking god’s anger.
I agree with you that soldiers were better prepared to die then kill. Catholics, Protestants, and Jews were all part of the fighting. But the similarity in each was that they thought that killing was a sin. I also agree with you when you said that these men did not live in a world of killing. That is why I believe that they were better prepared to die then kill.
I agree with the author’s statement that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. Throughout the chapter, the author explains how the soldiers were better prepared to die than kill, because “they lived in a culture that offered many lessons in how life should end.” (6). Christianity played a very critical role in the lives of soldiers; they felt that no matter the cause, murder was sinful. Society pressured soldiers to die a “Good Death” and abide by the traditions of ars moriendi. Soldiers knew that they were face to face with death every day and that “They needed to be both willing and ready to die” (5). Society never placed any burdens on soldiers to kill.
Form what the author had said in chpater one, soliders were more prepared to die than to kill in the Civil War. Quite frequently throughout the chapter, the author explains how the atmosphere in that time period was a culture that shows how life should end on the battlefield. Even though every solider on the front lines thought that killing was a sin. So that is why I belive that the soliders were better prepared to die than to kill.
Based on what I have read I completally and entirely agree with the auther that the civil war soldiers were more ready to die than to kill. I base this off the fact that they all were raised in a time without wutch fighting or killing. It was a time when the families were still very religousaly centered. The majority of the families were catholic because this was before the church began to split and have new ideas an meathods of worship. They still learned the traditional ideas of the church. This meant that they learned of ars morendi "a good death" which was one of the most important things to them in order to get into heaven. To have a good death one must have Jesus Christ as his lord and savior. They must also be ready and willing to diebecause it is his time to stand before God, acording to the catholic beliefs. killing was also one of the worst sins. The begining books of the bible, the old testimant, are all the same fore the main three religions in the war. The christian bible(catholics,prodestants), and the jewish bible are the same up until the book of malachi when the jewish bible ends. In the book of exodus(2nd book) moses goes and speaks with god on the mountian in the escape from egypt and comes down with the ten comandments. The sixth comandment states that one will not take the life of another man. The author also states in parts of chapter two that many men would not fire or fire into the air so he would not have the blood of another man on his hands.
As far as I have read, it is very true that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. This is more mentally than physically though. All the soldiers are given guns, water, and good leaders to help them kill their enemy and survive. All the soldiers would think about was having a good death instead of a bad one. They made sure their families knew that they died serving their duties as a soldier and died in the face of the enemy to help them win. They focused more on dying than killing their enemies and returning to their families. I don't believe that were truly more prepared to get shot than to shoot someone else on the battlefield, but in their head they definately were.
I agree with you. Soldiers would write letters to their families of their deaths before they even died. They would ask other soldiers to tell their families that they died a good death and to give them the letters. The author gives examples of this. "T. Fitzhugh reported all the customary information... he also added that the soldier had died a glorious death in defense of his country." To write a death letter before your death is showing that are prepared to die.
From the first chapter, I do believe that the soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill because of the fear that was instilled in them. The soldiers wanted to honor their country by serving in the war, but unfortunately any war has many casulaties. And since the Civil War was not the first war, the soldiers had that fear of dying. Yes, like Tanner Corah said they were given guns, water, and good learders, but the soldiers obviously knew they would not be able to come out of the Civil War unharmed. With many of their strong beliefs in religion, they had faith in being unharmed, but they knew they would get hurt no matter what. The author mentions that some of the soldiers wrote letters to their kin back home, they wrote those because they knew the very great possibility of not being able to communicate with their family again. Therefore, it is only appropriate to state that the soldeirs in the Civil War were more prepared to die than to kill.
Chapter 1 Dying, I agree with the statement "Civil war soldiers were better prepared to die than kill", mainly because they were very religoiuous and patriotic. In otherwords they went and enlisted prepared to die for god and country. The vision of a good death was to have family surrounding you to here your last words. This was taken away by the sudden deaths or being so far from home. So in order to give them a good death friends or nurse/doctors would stand by there beds as they died to write down their last words to send to there familys. But some soldiers carried prewritten letters to have friends send home after they had died. This shows that they were more prepared to died than to kill.
Like many others who have posted, I agree with statement "Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill," because of the religious beliefs of most soldiers. Most soldiers were either Protestant or Catholic. These religions taught that killing was a mortal sin. So, instead of committing a sin, soldiers would rather die a "Good Death" and be sent to heaven. As you can see, religion was the main reason Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than kill.
In response to Chris, I agree with your statement that “religion was the main reason Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than kill.” However although they were religiously obligated to refrain from killing, I also believe that it was a moral obstacle as well. No sane man would ever want to kill another. “Focusing on dying rather than killing enabled soldiers to mitigate their terrible responsibility for the slaughter of others.” (6).
I agree completely with the author’s statement that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. In the Civil War era, religion played a major role in their lives. That is why they were prepared to die for their country and have what was considered in the Christian religion a “Good Death”. As the author points out in the book “dying was an art” so when they were going to war they were ready to be very patriotic and lay down their lives for their country. However, they were not prepared to kill other human beings. In a way I believe they had a fear of dying because they knew how costly wars can be on lives. Being this aware of death and war I believe it is reasonable to say that the soldiers were better prepared to die than kill.
I agree completely with your statement that "to write a death letter before your death is showing that are prepared to die." The soldiers were making preparations of their death and preparing themselves in a sense so that they could "beat death". They were well prepared for death.
I both agree and disagree with the author’s statement that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. While killing is a sociological barrier for most, you must remember these were mostly young men and coming to grasp our own mortality is hard for us many soldiers had such a hate for the other side they had no problem firing on the enemy. War itself does more than your own death ever could. Winston Churchill said this on the subject of war. "A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality." What I take from that is that a soldier with a cause will fight for it regardless of fear for their own death or squeamishness at killing the one who is trying to kill you. You will do what it means to win the war. I don’t know what it means to be on a battlefield but Americans died at the hands of other Americans which means they learned to kill eventually if not immediately. -Patrick Tidwell
I believe that the author is correct when it is stated that the soldiers in the Civil War were better prepared to die than to kill. Most of the soldiers that fought in the war were religious people. They had always been taught that it was a sin to kill. In the eyes of many of the soldiers, death was a part of life. It seemed so much easier to die than to actually be the one to take someone’s life. Heaven was the place that every soldier hoped to end up when it was time, and it seemed almost impossible to end up there if they committed a sin a horrible as “murder”.
You make a very good point regarding the statement that the soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. It is very true that soldiers were given everything they needed in order to commit the sin of killing someone. Also, it is very true that the idea of dying seemed easier than actually committing the sin. I also believe that the soldiers probably were not entirely ready to die, but they had themselves convinced that they were ready. It really was a state of mind for these men. Great answer!
I definitely agree that most Civil War soldiers were more equipped to die rather than to kill. As stated by few others, there was a strong emphasis on how one should die. A "Good Death" was more of the focus in any soldier's mind- along with showing conscious acceptance of their fate and coming to peace with God- rather than preparing to kill another man . The belief that those constantly being killed around them were going to a place of peace for eternity was a soldier's only way of maintaining hope in an environment full of terrors that they would otherwise not be able to comprehend. A peaceful death and an end to such treachery was the only way for a soldier to make any sense of the vicious slaughter of men just like him- "Ideas and beliefs worked to... even overcome the physical devastation of battle" (31). Controlling their deaths gave soldiers some means of say over what was left of their life in this war that challenged everything else they had been taught by their Christian views and once believed in.
I agree with every word you said- society never placed any burdens on soldiers to kill. Commanders and those in charge often reminded their men it was their duty to die. They stressed the importance of showing remorse for their sins and dying a death that their families would be proud of. There was little to no mention of the importance of being ready to kill. Most soldiers were ordinary citizens- they had no preparation to kill at all. Great response.
You made a very good point when detailing a soldier's preparation for death. I agree they soldiers strived to ensure that their affairs were in order in case they died in battle. They had pre-written wills and even letters to family saying goodbye. They made pacts that other soldiers would inform their kin of their untimely death. These extreme attempts at preparing for the very worst show that Civil War soldiers were ready to surrender their own lives before they had thought much about taking another's. Nice job!
I agree with the auther when he said soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. I believe this because one Confederate chaplain reminded his troops that "your buisnees is to die." Father William Corby offered a ceremony of general absolution bridge at Gettysburg. One soldier said "I came into this war to lay down my life." Another soldier said " I did not go to war to murder. No!"
Religious affiiation is a good reason why the soldiers were more prepared to die and not to kill. Many religions believe in different things and religion is a big part in why someone would do something such as a "good death". Religion during that time would invoke their ideas on a "good death".
I agree with what CJ had said. Religion was what made the soldiers more prepared to die than to kill. Because to die a good death, was much better than killing a fellow country man while betraying their own god.
hank hammond Yes, in a sense I do believe that some of the soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. In the first place, most of the soldiers had never killed a man before, so I don't known that they were what you would call looking forward to it. They also wanted to believe that they would have a better after-life depending on thier death. So they were prepared to practice ars morendi and let everyone know of it, including family members, which would explain the letters.
hank hammond In response to Golight I agree with what you said about killing and dying. I also liked how you quoted the story numerous amounts of times. The author also stated that there were pre-death baptisms performed.
I do agree with the author that soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. Back than both sides didn't have the best training to prepare them for there upcoming battles. Also the best medical treatment they could offer was amputations, so if you got shot in the arm back than the army surgeons would just cut it off and try to stop the bleeding.last but not least each side was fighting for a cause, and soldiers wanted to die for this cause to show thier support and dedication for their cause in the war.
I agree with tanner about how soldiers were more mentally than physicall prepared to die because yes at first most soldiers were thinking of it, but once the bullets started flying and the roar of the cannons they got scared well some of them i believe.
I agree with Nick that religion is a big part to why the soldiers where better prepared to die than to kill. But I also believe that another factor is the morality of the soldiers. Some did not want to kill another of there kind. So they didn't and died in the process.
In response to HankOffsprng3097 I agree with your statement, "most of the soldiers had never killed a man before, so I don't known that they were what you would call looking forward to it" If the soldiers had never killed a man before, I believe they would've rather died than killed another human.
After reading the first chapter I agree that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. Many of the soldiers were Catholic and Protestant, so they were taught to never kill a man because it was a mortal sin. Ars Morendi and the Good death were also a very important part of the soldiers beliefs. That is why the soldiers would rather have a good death in hope that they would go to heaven, instead of committing a sin.
I agree with your statement that "Christianity played a very critical role in the lives of soldiers". They wanted to have a "Good Death" and ascend into heaven instead of commiting a sin.
I entirely agree with the author for two reasons. One, the men were in fact prepared to die. Civil War soldiers did not enlist longing to die; nevertheless they had been prepared for death by loved ones as well as themselves. And even though no one is ever completely ready to die, these men held much more knowledge in this field than the present day public. According to Faust, the soldiers “needed to be both willing and ready to die” (5); this they were. The second reason I agree with Faust is that soldiers were willing to die to serve their god and nation. The men “did not go to war to murder” (6); they went to die. “The rhetoric of service—to nation, to God, to comrades—rationalized the violence . . . soldiers would die for God and Country” (6). Civil War soldiers were willing to part with their lives to change their nation for the better. They were not, however, willing to kill to accomplish this. The men thought it wrong to end someone else’s life for the cause when they themselves had a life available for forfeit. The men who fought in the Civil War recognized the great sacrifice that they were making and were prepared by parents, relatives, religion, etc. to face it.
I disagree with the author that the Civil War soldiers were more ready to die than to kill. I think that the soldiers on both the North and South side didn't expect a war to break out at all. Both sides thought the other would simply give up. On the very first page it says, "Northerners and southerners alike expected it to be a brief duration." It also says that both sides entered the first battle of Bull Run expecting a victory, and for that to be the first and last battle of the war. So, they were not prepared for dying, or killing.
RE: Sarah Welton Although everyone has made excellent points on dying vs. killing, I believe that Sarah has summed it up wonderfully. Sarah, you wrote a fabulous breakdown on how Civil War soldiers were confronted with death every single day. Fantastic job on tying in religion, the honorable death and even past works of literature on the connection between death and religion! It is the major rationale soldiers chose dying over killing.
I agree with the concept that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. This statement can be supported by the fact that soldiers pictured their death and how it was to happen. Many pictured themselves dying peacefully in their home state surrounded by friends and family. Due to the strong religious influence on people in those days, men planned their army days around death, not killing. Many soldiers wrote their wills before fighting and made promises to others to inform their family of their honorable passing. Through the idealistic properties of the “Good Death” and Christian way of life, soldiers abided by the rule to not kill. If a soldier were to kill, it would be considered a moral sin and it would take away from another individual’s idea of a “Good Death.”
I completely understand what you are saying. One cannot fully explore all the aspects of death and killing unless one is actually on the battlefield. I like the fact that you quoted Winston Churchill. He was a highly intelligent man with great views on war and politics. Anyway, boys were being put into battle at ages as young as ten. Over time, killing for these young boys would become a habit (due to the fact that they watched older guys do it). By conceiving this habit at such a young age, it would become natural for them to kill.
Based upon the context of chapter one, I agree with the author's opinion that the soldiers fighting for each side were very much more prepared to die then to kill. Each soldier went in to battle with his own religious influence and although there was diversity between most, each had a common factor and that was that to kill was a mortal sin. Most of these soldiers were protestant and believed in the ways of a "Good Death" and felt that this mortal sin would neglect their ascension to heaven and likely ensure a painful wrath of God. In a time strongly rooted in religious afflictions the Godly way to go was to not bring the life of another with them.
While I do agree with you about neither army expecting this war to be the mass slaughter that it was, I have to disagree with you about this carrying over in to the war. As soon as blood is shed and you are called to duty you must always prepare yourself for death. Ultimately as soon as that first shot is fired it becomes a totally different game.
Based on the content in chapter one, I agree with the author's opinion saying that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. I agree with this because the soldiers were raised with religious beliefs that it was a sin to kill someone else, which shows that they wouldn't want to kill someone. In this chapter it seemed like the soldiers would rather die "a good death" than commit a sin and take someone else's life away.
I agree with what you wrote about how religion made the soldiers reluctant to kill someone else, and that they would rather have "a good death" instead of going against God.
In response to Tori Kelly I think that Tori brings up a very good point, that most civil war soldiers were concentrating on learning about "The good death." Also, they thought that by being killed in the war, and dying for their country, they would automatically be sent to heaven, "whatever his opinion might be of the plan of salvation" So they were more focused on dying later in the war, and how to do it the right way.
After reading chapter one I do partially believe that many soldiers were more mentally equipped to die for what some of them believed in and later undertake the promised "life after death" rather than kill a fellow countryman who was fighting for a different cause, but was still an American.
I agree with what C.J. and Tori Kelly provided because the author makes it clear that during that period of time these men had some very rigid cultural and spiritual beliefs and it was these beliefs which made them fear the act of killing and becoming a sinner, so they were subtly more prepared to dying due to this.
I completely agree wtih your reasons for why soldiers were prepared to die. When you said: "I agree with Faust is that soldiers were willing to die to serve their god and nation," I also agree because many men back then were very passionate about what they were fighting for. Also, you said "The men thought it wrong to end someone else’s life for the cause when they themselves had a life available for forfeit," that is very well said, I was trying to say that ,but couldn't find the way. This is why they were better prepared to die than to kill someone else.
I agree with the author when he states that soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. I say this because dying is out of our hands and it has to happen to everyone eventually. Whereas killing is an action that we ourselves choose to make. The soldiers knew the consequences of fighting before going into it, whether they liked them or not. Soldiers who had fought saw people dying and they could talk about their experiences to prepare others, but killing seemed something that people didn't want to talk about as much. To sum it up, the author writes "But at the heart of the soldier's understanding of his duty rested the notion of sacrifice," on page 5.
By reading both the preface and chapter one, there has been outstanding evidence that supports the author’s idea that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. In the preface, it is stated, “they prepare for death, imagine it, risk it, endure it, seek to understand it” (xiv). Within chapter one, there are many examples that demonstrate the soldiers preparing for death rather than preparing to kill. On page 5, it is said, “As men became soldiers and contemplated battle, they confronted the very real possibility of death. They needed to be both willing and ready to die”. Page 6 verifies this idea by quoting several Civil War Soldiers and their wills to die for their country rather than to kill for it. Therefore, I believe that Civil War soldiers were, in fact, better prepared to die than kill.
I do agree with the author when she states that "Civil war soldiers were, in fact, better prepared to die that to kill". It seems to me that they put very, very much thought into how they should die, "the Good Death" or ars moriendi. So much thought, perhaps, that they seemed almost unafraid? Not, of course, that dying on the battlefield could be considered even close to the Good Death. The soldiers, however, seemed to be completely primed for their death in the war. I gather this from numerous passages and quotes in this chapter. One of the more conspicuous quotes I found lay on the sixth page; "I came into this war to lay down my life." Another was that of a Confederate chaplain addressing his troops; "Soldier, your business is to die." From these quotes, along with several others, i gather that if the soldiers were not ready and willing to die, they would not have joined in the Civil War.
I made a note on Ms. Davis' blog post when she says; "A peaceful death and an end to such treachery was the only way for a soldier to make any sense of the vicious slaughter of men just like him". I see a resemblance when she talks about "men just like him", and when Faust states; "As men saw themselves mirrored in the faces of those expiring around them, they struggled to come to terms with the possibility and the significance of their own annihilation." It almost seems as if Ms. Davis is contradicting, or just has a difference of opinion, the author? Davis says, "to make any sense of" whereas Faust says, "struggled to come to terms". I do see the light in both of their passages, but it does make one wonder. Perhaps it was a unique case with each soldier.
I agree with the though that soldiers during the Civil War era found it easier to die than to kill. In my opinion, this is for many reasons. One of the majors contributing factors is religious reasons. During that time, the majority of soldiers were either Christian/Catholic, or Protestant. And in all of these religions, killing is considered a sin. But to die for your country and for what you believe, certainly that would hold great rewards for you in the after life. But in either case- killing or dying- it would be a difficult concept for the soldiers to grasp. Even though soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill, they- and their families- had to realize the fact that most soldiers would not get to experience the "Good Death". However, going into the war, both the soldiers and their families had to know that there was a good chance of the soldier dying during the war; therefore I must come to the conclusion that the soldiers had to be prepared to die.
I completely agree with your reasoning of why soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. It seems most soldiers were more keen on th idea of having a good reward in the afterlife than being condemned for killing another man.
Tori- I totally agree with you when you said that soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. You made a great point when you said death was different during the Civil War era because people were exposed to more death, therefore preparing them more to die than to kill.
Based upon what I have read, I would have to agree with the author,Drew Gilpin Faust, when she says that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. As many people have stated before me, a soldier's religion played a large part in his willingness to die. "I did not go to war to murder. No! and...Our dear Lord knows it and he will stand by me." (page 6) exemplifies the fact that soldiers were unwilling to kill because it was considered a sin.
I feel that quote is an excellent illustration of Civil War soldier’s attitudes concerning taking a life. In their mind, the benefits of going to heaven far outweighed the consequences of killing. This post is a great example of using of the text to support your ideas.
In response to jenni robinson's post: While reading your post, I realized that religion truly does affect a soldier's will to die versus his will to kill. Although, as a soldier, it is your duty to fight for your cause, even if that means killing. As you pointed out, killing is considered a sin by most religions, therefore their willingness to commit the sin of killing opposing soldiers would be effected because one of their last acts could be sinning. Your post was very thought provoking.
Anna, you made a good point. “The soldiers, however, seemed to be completely primed for their death in the war.” They did seem to be ready to die. They had written letters that they kept with them should they die, and they had arranged things with their friends should they die. They seemed like they were completely ready to die, but maybe they had to be because of what they saw on the battlefield. Excellent point!
Based of the text of Chapter 1, I agree with the author's statement. Soldiers were better prepared to die than to fight. I agree because the text stated that soldiers would go into battle thinking they were ready to die, in case they should be killed instantly. The art of ars moriendi suggested that there was a "good death", and part of this was releasing all fear of death, knowing you are going to a better place; This would run through soldiers minds the entire time they were in battle. Some soldiers even sold all of their belongings when they enlisted.
I agree that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. You made a fantastic point when you said, "During that time, the majority of soldiers were either Christian/Catholic, or Protestant. And in all of these religions, killing is considered a sin. But to die for your country and for what you believe, certainly that would hold great rewards for you in the after life. " It seems a majority of them were there simply to take advantage of the benefits they'd recieve in the after life.
Based on what i read in Chapter One, i agree with the author that the soldiers were more prepared to die thatn to kill. To most soldiers the importance of a "good death" and being accepted into heaven was greater than the need to kill for the cause they believed in. Since most soldiers were either Catholic or Christian, and killing is considered to be a sin, they weren't willing because of how it would affect them in their after life.
This to me seems true. Even nowadays when you think about war you think about the death and danger associated with it, not the glory or the killing. Death is the ultimate sacrifice, and therefore in the forethought of every man's mind as he entered battle. The author even describes the fact that most men who killed someone did so mainly because they were being fred upon themselves, indicating that it was much less their desire to kill rather than to mainly survive.
Based upon what I have read in chapter one, I completely agree that the Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. As it is made very evident in chapter one, a Good Death was of much importance to the people of the nineteenth century, for they believed that the way in which people died carried on with them forever. I agree with what everyone has said about a soldier's religion having a large part to do with the fact that they were more prepared to die than to kill. I also think that a soldier's preparation for death might have had a lot to do with wanting to have a Good Death.
I completely agree with the statements you made in your post about the soldier's preparation for death when going into battle, saying that "the text stated that soldiers would go into battle thinking they were ready to die, in case they should be killed instantly". Based upon what I have read in chapter one, I agree with your statement because you described not only the fact that soldiers were prepared to die, but also part of why they were so prepared.
I agree with the author in her statement that soldiers in the civil war were more prepared to die then kill. I believe this because many of the soldiers in the war were religious, and many religious teach that killing is a great sin, but death is nothing to be afraid of. Being reluctant to kill, soldiers in the war would hope for a “good death” and, they believed, ascension to heaven would follow.
Katie- I agree with your statement of "they weren't willing because of how it would affect them in their after life." Many soldier would fear that if they killed in the war, they would not have the afterlife they had hoped for.
Katie, I agree with you completely on how much religion influenced whether or not a soldier killed. A soldier is probably more likely to worry about dying, and thus would like to prepare for his death. Seeing as most soldiers were religious, they would probably try to do as little killing as possible in order to avoid mortal sin and to enter the afterlife peacefully.
From the information i have recieved from the author, soldiers had been more prepared to die rather than killin the civil war. This is because, during this war, religion was a big part of the soldiers lives, and as they had been taught, it was a sin to kill. For them death was a part of life and to kill would be much harder than to die, and once agian it was a sin to kill. So this being said, soldiers wanted a "good death" and the possibility of going to heaven, rather than committing the sin of murder.
I agree with the author when she states that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. In 1863, a Confederate chaplain reminded his troops, “Soldier, your business is to die.” Many soldiers believed it was their duty to serve the nation, God, and their comrades. These soldiers were willing to die for God and Country. John Weissert wrote, “I did not go to war to murder. No! and…Our dear Lord knows it and he will stand by me.” Soldiers preoccupied themselves with the thoughts of their own deaths rather than the fact they were responsible for the deaths of others. Soldiers were also better prepared to die than to kill because they had ideas about how life should end. They saw dying to be an art and were familiar with the concepts of the Good Death.
Brian- I agree that back then soldiers thought more about their death than killing. Nowadays, i think that our soldiers are more prepared to kill because of the intense training they go through and the thoughts of their families at home and not bringing the war to our country.
just a general response I really don't think that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill, but I don't think that they were prepared to kill either. I don't see how people can think that you can be prepared to face death first hand and that closely in anyway whether dying or killing, unless you were a very very religious person.
I like what Katie said about our soldiers nowadays being more prepared to kill than die though. I think that we've been so exposed to war and killing with all of the wars that our country has gotten itself into that there is now way to not be more prepared for killing.
in response to all who agree with the author. the ones who still beleive that a glorius death. was in the mind of soldeirs who had their guts strewn on the battlefeild have never come close to mortality. I came close falling off a ledge once. It is pure terror I hope to never feel that again with luck I won't But the fact remains killing a man must be less terifing then your own death.
I agree that that the soliders were prepared to die. They were going into the war knowing that it was unlikley for them to return to their families. Religion played a major factor because it is a sin to kill. Many soliders had seen deaths because it happened to them once before as a relative or friend may have died.The soliders prayed to god and did as much as they could to make sure that they recieved a "good death." They went into battle prepared to face the consequences of murder. The soliders faced the natural fear that most everyone has of dieing and took it in as the days went on. Death was not a big issue; they went in to war to fight for themselves and others who could not. may have been on their minds the whole way through till their death but they knew that they would go to a better place in the end.
Yes I strongly agree with the author because during the time of the war most of the soldiers were either Protestant or Catholic so they were less likely to kill because it would be in their minds a mortal sin. They preferred the idea of a “good death” so most of the men prepared better for death. That is why men were better prepared to die than kill.
Tori I agree with the fact that religion affected most of the soldiers’ ability to kill because all men in the war, be they Jews, Catholics or Protestants were all taught that killing was a sin. I also agree that the men were not taught to live in a world of killing, which also affected them. That is why I agree with you when you say soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill.
In response, I agree with Nick. The soliders were of protestant religion. They practiced their religion all their life and are most familiar with it. In their religion they are tought how to recieve and have a "good death". This "good death" made them okay with dieing. Killing on the other hand they are not tought. The soliders were tought not to kill as it is a sin. These men could not fully bring themselves around to the fact that killing people is okay; especially when they know that it is wrong.
I agree with the author when she states that the soldiers were better prepared to die then to kill. I believe this becuase many religions thought lessons on death and how life should end. Most people in that time period were of Catholic faith and believed in an after life of great things but were also taught that killing was a sin. This prepared the men to die because they had been taught that death was something to not be afraid of. Death was and still is always around and a part of life but the men wern't taught and didn't grow up learning and living in a world of killing. This is why the men in the Civil War were less prepared to kill then to die.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I have read, I strongly agree with the author’s statement that Civil War Soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. This is because, “An overwhelming majority of Civil War soldiers, like Americans generally in the 1860s, was Protestant.” Due to this religious affiliation, a vast majority of Civil War soldiers were reluctant to kill because they would have been partaking in a mortal sin. A “Good Death” and an accession into heaven was a much more preferable option for many soldiers than invoking the wrath of their God.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I have read, I agree with the author that Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. I agree, like Nick and Tori said, that religion had a lot to do with the soldiers’ preparedness to die. Because of their beliefs in ars moriendi and religious beliefs, they would rather die an honorable death than commit a sin and kill another man. It appears that soldiers were very prepared for their potential deaths as well. Most soldiers had written wills previous to a battle. Many soldiers also made promises to each other that if one of them were to die, the other would write family members back home informing them of his death. Soldiers would also write farewell letters in case of their death and carry them into battle, so that if they died, the letter could be found and then sent to the family. This shows that soldiers in the Civil War seemed to have been much better prepared to die than to kill.
ReplyDeleteJordan Farmer:
ReplyDeleteBased on the context of chapter one: Dying, I agree with the statement "Civil war soldiers were better prepared to die than kill", made by the author Drew G. Faust. I agree with Tori, Nick, and Mikayla that a soldier's religion played a massive role in his preparation to kill or die. As they mention, soldiers were taught that the act of killing was a mortal sin. This teaching would most definitely affect a soldier as he entered the battlefield. They would be hesitant as they were asked to commit acts that they have been taught against their entire lives. As Makayla said, the soldiers belief in ars moriendi would make then rather die an honorable death in the comfort of their homes then on the fields ravaged with carnage brought by the killing. Another reason why I agree with Faust is the statement she made on page three near the end of the page. "In the South, three out of four white men of military age became soldiers." This statement shows that the soldiers of the south were truly not ready for the coming war because most of the men lacked the training needed. Without the training, they were more likely to die. Proof directly supporting their readiness to die is also throughout the chapter. It is constantly mentioned that soldiers quickly became skilled in writing to the families of fallen comrades in hope of creating a “Good Death” for the fallen man. According to context ,in hopes to satisfy the ars moriendi traditions, soldiers would write their own letters telling their families that they were ready to die and meet their creator. As Makayla said, these would be carried into battle with them with hopes that if they were to perish, the letters could be salvaged and delivered. This shows that the soldiers expected death rather than much killing.
From the context of Chapter One, I agree with the author that the soldiers of the Civil War were better prepared to die then kill. I agree with all of the posts above mine, in which they describe the effect of the soldiers religion on how he acted in battle. Religions teach us of the sin of killing. As Mikayla said, "many soldiers believed in a honorable death then commit a sin and kill another man." In the war, those who fought learned to accept the idea of death. There was, as Faust says, " the very real possibility of death." Confederate chaplains told there soldiers it was their business to die. And to hear that your business was to die would have been absolutely horrifying. But in the sense that the soldiers were better prepared to die then kill, it would have made sense. Again on page 19, Faust describes the connection between Death and Religion. " No such thing as sudden death exsists in God's eyes, that the length of a human life is exactly what God intends it to be." Books even before this time period taught the ideas of how to death in a holy manner. These included Jeremy Taylor's The Rule and Exercise of Holy Dying. Another example of the connection between death and religion. These are why Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die then kill.
ReplyDeleteFrom the text of chapter one, i have concluded that the author is right on which the text states, "Civil war soldiers were better prepared to die than kill." Like many others who have posted, i believe this statement is true because of the majority religion at that time which was protestant. One reason is that the protestant church teaches that killing is sin. The church also looks highly of the after life. So, through the last two statements I have wrote, it is obvious that soldier were better fit to die than kill.
ReplyDeleteNick
ReplyDeleteI agree with your answer. The religions of the soldiers affected their abilities to take the life of another human being. The partake of a mortal sin would be throughout their minds as they were trudging across the battlefield. Likewise, I also believe they would have rather died in bed through a "good death" then committing the mortal sin of murder and invoking god’s anger.
Tori
ReplyDeleteI agree with you that soldiers were better prepared to die then kill. Catholics, Protestants, and Jews were all part of the fighting. But the similarity in each was that they thought that killing was a sin. I also agree with you when you said that these men did not live in a world of killing. That is why I believe that they were better prepared to die then kill.
I agree with the author’s statement that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. Throughout the chapter, the author explains how the soldiers were better prepared to die than kill, because “they lived in a culture that offered many lessons in how life should end.” (6). Christianity played a very critical role in the lives of soldiers; they felt that no matter the cause, murder was sinful. Society pressured soldiers to die a “Good Death” and abide by the traditions of ars moriendi. Soldiers knew that they were face to face with death every day and that “They needed to be both willing and ready to die” (5). Society never placed any burdens on soldiers to kill.
ReplyDeleteForm what the author had said in chpater one, soliders were more prepared to die than to kill in the Civil War. Quite frequently throughout the chapter, the author explains how the atmosphere in that time period was a culture that shows how life should end on the battlefield. Even though every solider on the front lines thought that killing was a sin. So that is why I belive that the soliders were better prepared to die than to kill.
ReplyDeleteBased on what I have read I completally and entirely agree with the auther that the civil war soldiers were more ready to die than to kill. I base this off the fact that they all were raised in a time without wutch fighting or killing. It was a time when the families were still very religousaly centered. The majority of the families were catholic because this was before the church began to split and have new ideas an meathods of worship. They still learned the traditional ideas of the church. This meant that they learned of ars morendi "a good death" which was one of the most important things to them in order to get into heaven. To have a good death one must have Jesus Christ as his lord and savior. They must also be ready and willing to diebecause it is his time to stand before God, acording to the catholic beliefs. killing was also one of the worst sins. The begining books of the bible, the old testimant, are all the same fore the main three religions in the war. The christian bible(catholics,prodestants), and the jewish bible are the same up until the book of malachi when the jewish bible ends. In the book of exodus(2nd book) moses goes and speaks with god on the mountian in the escape from egypt and comes down with the ten comandments. The sixth comandment states that one will not take the life of another man. The author also states in parts of chapter two that many men would not fire or fire into the air so he would not have the blood of another man on his hands.
ReplyDeleteAs far as I have read, it is very true that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. This is more mentally than physically though. All the soldiers are given guns, water, and good leaders to help them kill their enemy and survive. All the soldiers would think about was having a good death instead of a bad one. They made sure their families knew that they died serving their duties as a soldier and died in the face of the enemy to help them win. They focused more on dying than killing their enemies and returning to their families. I don't believe that were truly more prepared to get shot than to shoot someone else on the battlefield, but in their head they definately were.
ReplyDeleteRespond to Mikayla Greenwell,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you. Soldiers would write letters to their families of their deaths before they even died. They would ask other soldiers to tell their families that they died a good death and to give them the letters. The author gives examples of this. "T. Fitzhugh reported all the customary information... he also added that the soldier had died a glorious death in defense of his country." To write a death letter before your death is showing that are prepared to die.
From the first chapter, I do believe that the soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill because of the fear that was instilled in them. The soldiers wanted to honor their country by serving in the war, but unfortunately any war has many casulaties. And since the Civil War was not the first war, the soldiers had that fear of dying. Yes, like Tanner Corah said they were given guns, water, and good learders, but the soldiers obviously knew they would not be able to come out of the Civil War unharmed. With many of their strong beliefs in religion, they had faith in being unharmed, but they knew they would get hurt no matter what. The author mentions that some of the soldiers wrote letters to their kin back home, they wrote those because they knew the very great possibility of not being able to communicate with their family again. Therefore, it is only appropriate to state that the soldeirs in the Civil War were more prepared to die than to kill.
ReplyDeleteChapter 1 Dying, I agree with the statement "Civil war soldiers were better prepared to die than kill", mainly because they were very religoiuous and patriotic. In otherwords they went and enlisted prepared to die for god and country. The vision of a good death was to have family surrounding you to here your last words. This was taken away by the sudden deaths or being so far from home. So in order to give them a good death friends or nurse/doctors would stand by there beds as they died to write down their last words to send to there familys. But some soldiers carried prewritten letters to have friends send home after they had died. This shows that they were more prepared to died than to kill.
ReplyDeleteLike many others who have posted, I agree with statement "Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill," because of the religious beliefs of most soldiers. Most soldiers were either Protestant or Catholic. These religions taught that killing was a mortal sin. So, instead of committing a sin, soldiers would rather die a "Good Death" and be sent to heaven. As you can see, religion was the main reason Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than kill.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Chris, I agree with your statement that “religion was the main reason Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than kill.” However although they were religiously obligated to refrain from killing, I also believe that it was a moral obstacle as well. No sane man would ever want to kill another. “Focusing on dying rather than killing enabled soldiers to mitigate their terrible responsibility for the slaughter of others.” (6).
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with the author’s statement that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. In the Civil War era, religion played a major role in their lives. That is why they were prepared to die for their country and have what was considered in the Christian religion a “Good Death”. As the author points out in the book “dying was an art” so when they were going to war they were ready to be very patriotic and lay down their lives for their country. However, they were not prepared to kill other human beings. In a way I believe they had a fear of dying because they knew how costly wars can be on lives. Being this aware of death and war I believe it is reasonable to say that the soldiers were better prepared to die than kill.
ReplyDeleteTanner Corah
ReplyDeleteI agree completely with your statement that "to write a death letter before your death is showing that are prepared to die." The soldiers were making preparations of their death and preparing themselves in a sense so that they could "beat death". They were well prepared for death.
I both agree and disagree with the author’s statement that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. While killing is a sociological barrier for most, you must remember these were mostly young men and coming to grasp our own mortality is hard for us many soldiers had such a hate for the other side they had no problem firing on the enemy. War itself does more than your own death ever could. Winston Churchill said this on the subject of war. "A man does what he must - in spite of personal consequences, in spite of obstacles and dangers and pressures - and that is the basis of all human morality." What I take from that is that a soldier with a cause will fight for it regardless of fear for their own death or squeamishness at killing the one who is trying to kill you. You will do what it means to win the war. I don’t know what it means to be on a battlefield but Americans died at the hands of other Americans which means they learned to kill eventually if not immediately.
ReplyDelete-Patrick Tidwell
I believe that the author is correct when it is stated that the soldiers in the Civil War were better prepared to die than to kill. Most of the soldiers that fought in the war were religious people. They had always been taught that it was a sin to kill. In the eyes of many of the soldiers, death was a part of life. It seemed so much easier to die than to actually be the one to take someone’s life. Heaven was the place that every soldier hoped to end up when it was time, and it seemed almost impossible to end up there if they committed a sin a horrible as “murder”.
ReplyDeleteTanner,
ReplyDeleteYou make a very good point regarding the statement that the soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. It is very true that soldiers were given everything they needed in order to commit the sin of killing someone. Also, it is very true that the idea of dying seemed easier than actually committing the sin. I also believe that the soldiers probably were not entirely ready to die, but they had themselves convinced that they were ready. It really was a state of mind for these men. Great answer!
I definitely agree that most Civil War soldiers were more equipped to die rather than to kill. As stated by few others, there was a strong emphasis on how one should die. A "Good Death" was more of the focus in any soldier's mind- along with showing conscious acceptance of their fate and coming to peace with God- rather than preparing to kill another man . The belief that those constantly being killed around them were going to a place of peace for eternity was a soldier's only way of maintaining hope in an environment full of terrors that they would otherwise not be able to comprehend. A peaceful death and an end to such treachery was the only way for a soldier to make any sense of the vicious slaughter of men just like him- "Ideas and beliefs worked to... even overcome the physical devastation of battle" (31). Controlling their deaths gave soldiers some means of say over what was left of their life in this war that challenged everything else they had been taught by their Christian views and once believed in.
ReplyDeleteC.J.-
ReplyDeleteI agree with every word you said- society never placed any burdens on soldiers to kill. Commanders and those in charge often reminded their men it was their duty to die. They stressed the importance of showing remorse for their sins and dying a death that their families would be proud of. There was little to no mention of the importance of being ready to kill. Most soldiers were ordinary citizens- they had no preparation to kill at all. Great response.
Mikayla-
ReplyDeleteYou made a very good point when detailing a soldier's preparation for death. I agree they soldiers strived to ensure that their affairs were in order in case they died in battle. They had pre-written wills and even letters to family saying goodbye. They made pacts that other soldiers would inform their kin of their untimely death. These extreme attempts at preparing for the very worst show that Civil War soldiers were ready to surrender their own lives before they had thought much about taking another's. Nice job!
I agree with the auther when he said soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. I believe this because one Confederate chaplain reminded his troops that "your buisnees is to die." Father William Corby offered a ceremony of general absolution bridge at Gettysburg. One soldier said "I came into this war to lay down my life." Another soldier said " I did not go to war to murder. No!"
ReplyDeleteNick-
ReplyDeleteReligious affiiation is a good reason why the soldiers were more prepared to die and not to kill. Many religions believe in different things and religion is a big part in why someone would do something such as a "good death". Religion during that time would invoke their ideas on a "good death".
I agree with what CJ had said. Religion was what made the soldiers more prepared to die than to kill. Because to die a good death, was much better than killing a fellow country man while betraying their own god.
ReplyDeletehank hammond
ReplyDeleteYes, in a sense I do believe that some of the soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. In the first place, most of the soldiers had never killed a man before, so I don't known that they were what you would call looking forward to it. They also wanted to believe that they would have a better after-life depending on thier death. So they were prepared to practice ars morendi and let everyone know of it, including family members, which would explain the letters.
hank hammond
ReplyDeleteIn response to Golight
I agree with what you said about killing and dying. I also liked how you quoted the story numerous amounts of times. The author also stated that there were pre-death baptisms performed.
I do agree with the author that soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. Back than both sides didn't have the best training to prepare them for there upcoming battles. Also the best medical treatment they could offer was amputations, so if you got shot in the arm back than the army surgeons would just cut it off and try to stop the bleeding.last but not least each side was fighting for a cause, and soldiers wanted to die for this cause to show thier support and dedication for their cause in the war.
ReplyDeleteI agree with tanner about how soldiers were more mentally than physicall prepared to die because yes at first most soldiers were thinking of it, but once the bullets started flying and the roar of the cannons they got scared well some of them i believe.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Nick that religion is a big part to why the soldiers where better prepared to die than to kill. But I also believe that another factor is the morality of the soldiers. Some did not want to kill another of there kind. So they didn't and died in the process.
ReplyDeleteIn response to HankOffsprng3097
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement, "most of the soldiers had never killed a man before, so I don't known that they were what you would call looking forward to it" If the soldiers had never killed a man before, I believe they would've rather died than killed another human.
After reading the first chapter I agree that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. Many of the soldiers were Catholic and Protestant, so they were taught to never kill a man because it was a mortal sin. Ars Morendi and the Good death were also a very important part of the soldiers beliefs. That is why the soldiers would rather have a good death in hope that they would go to heaven, instead of committing a sin.
ReplyDeleteIn response to C.J.
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement that "Christianity played a very critical role in the lives of soldiers". They wanted to have a "Good Death" and ascend into heaven instead of commiting a sin.
I entirely agree with the author for two reasons. One, the men were in fact prepared to die. Civil War soldiers did not enlist longing to die; nevertheless they had been prepared for death by loved ones as well as themselves. And even though no one is ever completely ready to die, these men held much more knowledge in this field than the present day public. According to Faust, the soldiers “needed to be both willing and ready to die” (5); this they were. The second reason I agree with Faust is that soldiers were willing to die to serve their god and nation. The men “did not go to war to murder” (6); they went to die. “The rhetoric of service—to nation, to God, to comrades—rationalized the violence . . . soldiers would die for God and Country” (6). Civil War soldiers were willing to part with their lives to change their nation for the better. They were not, however, willing to kill to accomplish this. The men thought it wrong to end someone else’s life for the cause when they themselves had a life available for forfeit. The men who fought in the Civil War recognized the great sacrifice that they were making and were prepared by parents, relatives, religion, etc. to face it.
ReplyDeleteI disagree with the author that the Civil War soldiers were more ready to die than to kill. I think that the soldiers on both the North and South side didn't expect a war to break out at all. Both sides thought the other would simply give up. On the very first page it says, "Northerners and southerners alike expected it to be a brief duration." It also says that both sides entered the first battle of Bull Run expecting a victory, and for that to be the first and last battle of the war. So, they were not prepared for dying, or killing.
ReplyDeleteRE: Sarah Welton
ReplyDeleteAlthough everyone has made excellent points on dying vs. killing, I believe that Sarah has summed it up wonderfully. Sarah, you wrote a fabulous breakdown on how Civil War soldiers were confronted with death every single day. Fantastic job on tying in religion, the honorable death and even past works of literature on the connection between death and religion! It is the major rationale soldiers chose dying over killing.
I agree with the concept that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. This statement can be supported by the fact that soldiers pictured their death and how it was to happen. Many pictured themselves dying peacefully in their home state surrounded by friends and family. Due to the strong religious influence on people in those days, men planned their army days around death, not killing. Many soldiers wrote their wills before fighting and made promises to others to inform their family of their honorable passing. Through the idealistic properties of the “Good Death” and Christian way of life, soldiers abided by the rule to not kill. If a soldier were to kill, it would be considered a moral sin and it would take away from another individual’s idea of a “Good Death.”
ReplyDeleteRe: pstidwell
ReplyDeleteI completely understand what you are saying. One cannot fully explore all the aspects of death and killing unless one is actually on the battlefield. I like the fact that you quoted Winston Churchill. He was a highly intelligent man with great views on war and politics. Anyway, boys were being put into battle at ages as young as ten. Over time, killing for these young boys would become a habit (due to the fact that they watched older guys do it). By conceiving this habit at such a young age, it would become natural for them to kill.
Based upon the context of chapter one, I agree with the author's opinion that the soldiers fighting for each side were very much more prepared to die then to kill. Each soldier went in to battle with his own religious influence and although there was diversity between most, each had a common factor and that was that to kill was a mortal sin. Most of these soldiers were protestant and believed in the ways of a "Good Death" and felt that this mortal sin would neglect their ascension to heaven and likely ensure a painful wrath of God. In a time strongly rooted in religious afflictions the Godly way to go was to not bring the life of another with them.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Mary Harris
ReplyDeleteWhile I do agree with you about neither army expecting this war to be the mass slaughter that it was, I have to disagree with you about this carrying over in to the war. As soon as blood is shed and you are called to duty you must always prepare yourself for death. Ultimately as soon as that first shot is fired it becomes a totally different game.
Based on the content in chapter one, I agree with the author's opinion saying that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. I agree with this because the soldiers were raised with religious beliefs that it was a sin to kill someone else, which shows that they wouldn't want to kill someone. In this chapter it seemed like the soldiers would rather die "a good death" than commit a sin and take someone else's life away.
ReplyDeleteNick-
ReplyDeleteI agree with what you wrote about how religion made the soldiers reluctant to kill someone else, and that they would rather have "a good death" instead of going against God.
In response to Tori Kelly
ReplyDeleteI think that Tori brings up a very good point, that most civil war soldiers were concentrating on learning about "The good death." Also, they thought that by being killed in the war, and dying for their country, they would automatically be sent to heaven, "whatever his opinion might be of the plan of salvation" So they were more focused on dying later in the war, and how to do it the right way.
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading chapter one I do partially believe that many soldiers were more mentally equipped to die for what some of them believed in and later undertake the promised "life after death" rather than kill a fellow countryman who was fighting for a different cause, but was still an American.
ReplyDeleteI agree with what C.J. and Tori Kelly provided because the author makes it clear that during that period of time these men had some very rigid cultural and spiritual beliefs and it was these beliefs which made them fear the act of killing and becoming a sinner, so they were subtly more prepared to dying due to this.
ReplyDeleteLauren O'Brien
ReplyDeleteI completely agree wtih your reasons for why soldiers were prepared to die. When you said: "I agree with Faust is that soldiers were willing to die to serve their god and nation," I also agree because many men back then were very passionate about what they were fighting for. Also, you said "The men thought it wrong to end someone else’s life for the cause when they themselves had a life available for forfeit," that is very well said, I was trying to say that ,but couldn't find the way. This is why they were better prepared to die than to kill someone else.
I agree with the author when he states that soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. I say this because dying is out of our hands and it has to happen to everyone eventually. Whereas killing is an action that we ourselves choose to make. The soldiers knew the consequences of fighting before going into it, whether they liked them or not. Soldiers who had fought saw people dying and they could talk about their experiences to prepare others, but killing seemed something that people didn't want to talk about as much. To sum it up, the author writes "But at the heart of the soldier's understanding of his duty rested the notion of sacrifice," on page 5.
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeleteBy reading both the preface and chapter one, there has been outstanding evidence that supports the author’s idea that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than kill. In the preface, it is stated, “they prepare for death, imagine it, risk it, endure it, seek to understand it” (xiv). Within chapter one, there are many examples that demonstrate the soldiers preparing for death rather than preparing to kill. On page 5, it is said, “As men became soldiers and contemplated battle, they confronted the very real possibility of death. They needed to be both willing and ready to die”. Page 6 verifies this idea by quoting several Civil War Soldiers and their wills to die for their country rather than to kill for it. Therefore, I believe that Civil War soldiers were, in fact, better prepared to die than kill.
ReplyDeleteI do agree with the author when she states that "Civil war soldiers were, in fact, better prepared to die that to kill". It seems to me that they put very, very much thought into how they should die, "the Good Death" or ars moriendi. So much thought, perhaps, that they seemed almost unafraid? Not, of course, that dying on the battlefield could be considered even close to the Good Death. The soldiers, however, seemed to be completely primed for their death in the war. I gather this from numerous passages and quotes in this chapter. One of the more conspicuous quotes I found lay on the sixth page; "I came into this war to lay down my life." Another was that of a Confederate chaplain addressing his troops; "Soldier, your business is to die." From these quotes, along with several others, i gather that if the soldiers were not ready and willing to die, they would not have joined in the Civil War.
ReplyDelete-Anna R. Gibson
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ReplyDeleteResponse to Larissa Davis.
ReplyDeleteI made a note on Ms. Davis' blog post when she says; "A peaceful death and an end to such treachery was the only way for a soldier to make any sense of the vicious slaughter of men just like him". I see a resemblance when she talks about "men just like him", and when Faust states; "As men saw themselves mirrored in the faces of those expiring around them, they struggled to come to terms with the possibility and the significance of their own annihilation." It almost seems as if Ms. Davis is contradicting, or just has a difference of opinion, the author? Davis says, "to make any sense of" whereas Faust says, "struggled to come to terms". I do see the light in both of their passages, but it does make one wonder. Perhaps it was a unique case with each soldier.
-Anna R. Gibson
I agree with the though that soldiers during the Civil War era found it easier to die than to kill. In my opinion, this is for many reasons. One of the majors contributing factors is religious reasons. During that time, the majority of soldiers were either Christian/Catholic, or Protestant. And in all of these religions, killing is considered a sin. But to die for your country and for what you believe, certainly that would hold great rewards for you in the after life.
ReplyDeleteBut in either case- killing or dying- it would be a difficult concept for the soldiers to grasp. Even though soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill, they- and their families- had to realize the fact that most soldiers would not get to experience the "Good Death".
However, going into the war, both the soldiers and their families had to know that there was a good chance of the soldier dying during the war; therefore I must come to the conclusion that the soldiers had to be prepared to die.
Erick
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with your reasoning of why soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. It seems most soldiers were more keen on th idea of having a good reward in the afterlife than being condemned for killing another man.
Tori-
ReplyDeleteI totally agree with you when you said that soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. You made a great point when you said death was different during the Civil War era because people were exposed to more death, therefore preparing them more to die than to kill.
Based upon what I have read, I would have to agree with the author,Drew Gilpin Faust, when she says that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. As many people have stated before me, a soldier's religion played a large part in his willingness to die. "I did not go to war to murder. No! and...Our dear Lord knows it and he will stand by me." (page 6) exemplifies the fact that soldiers were unwilling to kill because it was considered a sin.
ReplyDeleteJenni
ReplyDeleteI feel that quote is an excellent illustration of Civil War soldier’s attitudes concerning taking a life. In their mind, the benefits of going to heaven far outweighed the consequences of killing. This post is a great example of using of the text to support your ideas.
In response to jenni robinson's post:
ReplyDeleteWhile reading your post, I realized that religion truly does affect a soldier's will to die versus his will to kill. Although, as a soldier, it is your duty to fight for your cause, even if that means killing. As you pointed out, killing is considered a sin by most religions, therefore their willingness to commit the sin of killing opposing soldiers would be effected because one of their last acts could be sinning. Your post was very thought provoking.
Anna, you made a good point. “The soldiers, however, seemed to be completely primed for their death in the war.” They did seem to be ready to die. They had written letters that they kept with them should they die, and they had arranged things with their friends should they die. They seemed like they were completely ready to die, but maybe they had to be because of what they saw on the battlefield. Excellent point!
ReplyDeleteBased of the text of Chapter 1, I agree with the author's statement. Soldiers were better prepared to die than to fight. I agree because the text stated that soldiers would go into battle thinking they were ready to die, in case they should be killed instantly. The art of ars moriendi suggested that there was a "good death", and part of this was releasing all fear of death, knowing you are going to a better place; This would run through soldiers minds the entire time they were in battle. Some soldiers even sold all of their belongings when they enlisted.
ReplyDeleteEmily-
ReplyDeleteI agree that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. You made a fantastic point when you said, "During that time, the majority of soldiers were either Christian/Catholic, or Protestant. And in all of these religions, killing is considered a sin. But to die for your country and for what you believe, certainly that would hold great rewards for you in the after life. " It seems a majority of them were there simply to take advantage of the benefits they'd recieve in the after life.
Based on what i read in Chapter One, i agree with the author that the soldiers were more prepared to die thatn to kill. To most soldiers the importance of a "good death" and being accepted into heaven was greater than the need to kill for the cause they believed in. Since most soldiers were either Catholic or Christian, and killing is considered to be a sin, they weren't willing because of how it would affect them in their after life.
ReplyDeleteThis to me seems true. Even nowadays when you think about war you think about the death and danger associated with it, not the glory or the killing. Death is the ultimate sacrifice, and therefore in the forethought of every man's mind as he entered battle. The author even describes the fact that most men who killed someone did so mainly because they were being fred upon themselves, indicating that it was much less their desire to kill rather than to mainly survive.
ReplyDeleteBased upon what I have read in chapter one, I completely agree that the Civil War soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill. As it is made very evident in chapter one, a Good Death was of much importance to the people of the nineteenth century, for they believed that the way in which people died carried on with them forever. I agree with what everyone has said about a soldier's religion having a large part to do with the fact that they were more prepared to die than to kill. I also think that a soldier's preparation for death might have had a lot to do with wanting to have a Good Death.
ReplyDeleteIn response to Sevan Strait-
ReplyDeleteI completely agree with the statements you made in your post about the soldier's preparation for death when going into battle, saying that "the text stated that soldiers would go into battle thinking they were ready to die, in case they should be killed instantly". Based upon what I have read in chapter one, I agree with your statement because you described not only the fact that soldiers were prepared to die, but also part of why they were so prepared.
I agree with the author in her statement that soldiers in the civil war were more prepared to die then kill. I believe this because many of the soldiers in the war were religious, and many religious teach that killing is a great sin, but death is nothing to be afraid of. Being reluctant to kill, soldiers in the war would hope for a “good death” and, they believed, ascension to heaven would follow.
ReplyDeleteKatie-
ReplyDeleteI agree with your statement of
"they weren't willing because of how it would affect them in their after life."
Many soldier would fear that if they killed in the war, they would not have the afterlife they had hoped for.
Katie,
ReplyDeleteI agree with you completely on how much religion influenced whether or not a soldier killed. A soldier is probably more likely to worry about dying, and thus would like to prepare for his death. Seeing as most soldiers were religious, they would probably try to do as little killing as possible in order to avoid mortal sin and to enter the afterlife peacefully.
From the information i have recieved from the author, soldiers had been more prepared to die rather than killin the civil war. This is because, during this war, religion was a big part of the soldiers lives, and as they had been taught, it was a sin to kill. For them death was a part of life and to kill would be much harder than to die, and once agian it was a sin to kill. So this being said, soldiers wanted a "good death" and the possibility of going to heaven, rather than committing the sin of murder.
ReplyDeleteI agree with the author when she states that Civil War soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill. In 1863, a Confederate chaplain reminded his troops, “Soldier, your business is to die.” Many soldiers believed it was their duty to serve the nation, God, and their comrades. These soldiers were willing to die for God and Country. John Weissert wrote, “I did not go to war to murder. No! and…Our dear Lord knows it and he will stand by me.” Soldiers preoccupied themselves with the thoughts of their own deaths rather than the fact they were responsible for the deaths of others. Soldiers were also better prepared to die than to kill because they had ideas about how life should end. They saw dying to be an art and were familiar with the concepts of the Good Death.
ReplyDeleteBrian-
ReplyDeleteI agree that back then soldiers thought more about their death than killing. Nowadays, i think that our soldiers are more prepared to kill because of the intense training they go through and the thoughts of their families at home and not bringing the war to our country.
just a general response
ReplyDeleteI really don't think that soldiers were more prepared to die than to kill, but I don't think that they were prepared to kill either. I don't see how people can think that you can be prepared to face death first hand and that closely in anyway whether dying or killing, unless you were a very very religious person.
I like what Katie said about our soldiers nowadays being more prepared to kill than die though. I think that we've been so exposed to war and killing with all of the wars that our country has gotten itself into that there is now way to not be more prepared for killing.
in response to all who agree with the author. the ones who still beleive that a glorius death. was in the mind of soldeirs who had their guts strewn on the battlefeild have never come close to mortality. I came close falling off a ledge once. It is pure terror I hope to never feel that again with luck I won't
ReplyDeleteBut the fact remains killing a man must be less terifing then your own death.
I agree that that the soliders were prepared to die. They were going into the war knowing that it was unlikley for them to return to their families. Religion played a major factor because it is a sin to kill. Many soliders had seen deaths because it happened to them once before as a relative or friend may have died.The soliders prayed to god and did as much as they could to make sure that they recieved a "good death." They went into battle prepared to face the consequences of murder. The soliders faced the natural fear that most everyone has of dieing and took it in as the days went on. Death was not a big issue; they went in to war to fight for themselves and others who could not. may have been on their minds the whole way through till their death but they knew that they would go to a better place in the end.
ReplyDeleteYes I strongly agree with the author because during the time of the war most of the soldiers were either Protestant or Catholic so they were less likely to kill because it would be in their minds a mortal sin. They preferred the idea of a “good death” so most of the men prepared better for death. That is why men were better prepared to die than kill.
ReplyDeleteCyrus Allen
Tori
ReplyDeleteI agree with the fact that religion affected most of the soldiers’ ability to kill because all men in the war, be they Jews, Catholics or Protestants were all taught that killing was a sin. I also agree that the men were not taught to live in a world of killing, which also affected them. That is why I agree with you when you say soldiers were better prepared to die than to kill.
In response, I agree with Nick. The soliders were of protestant religion. They practiced their religion all their life and are most familiar with it. In their religion they are tought how to recieve and have a "good death". This "good death" made them okay with dieing. Killing on the other hand they are not tought. The soliders were tought not to kill as it is a sin. These men could not fully bring themselves around to the fact that killing people is okay; especially when they know that it is wrong.
ReplyDelete