This Republic of Suffering: Death and the American Civil War

This chapter opens with a return to religious themes—specifically, the question of the fate of the soul. The author includes statistics about the extent of religiosity practiced by Americans in the Civil-War era. Religious practice was popular and widespread, she writes: “Nearly four times as many attended church every Sunday in 1860 as voted in that year’s critical presidential election” (2686-87).

Yet as the author points out, questions about the veracity or the sanctity of the Bible were not uncommon. The slavery issue created a sharp divide in scriptural interpretation. For many devout Christians, these scriptural divisions proved troubling. Elsewhere, the primary scientific challenge to long-held creation traditions was the set of arguments put forward by Charles Darwin, Thomas Henry Huxley, and others that humans evolved from more primitive species. Such ideas challenged the popular belief that every word in the Bible was true.

Another reality that challenged many people’s beliefs was the sheer number of people dying at the hands of their fellow countrymen. The belief that a good Christian living a good life would have a good afterlife made it easier to accept the idea that he or she could have a Good Death. Therefore, it was easier to risk one’s life on the field of battle.