Dread Danger
Cowardice and Combat in the American Civil War

The dramatic yet forgotten story of soldiers expected to perform bravely in battle; but who faltered and failed.

Lesley J. Gordon (Author)

9781108492287, Cambridge University Press

Hardback, published 21 November 2024

328 pages
23.5 x 15.9 x 2.5 cm, 0.62 kg

'Deeply researched and persuasively argued, Dread Danger deserves to be widely read.' David Silkenat, American Nineteenth Century History

When confronted with the abject fear of going into battle, Civil War soldiers were expected to overcome the dread of the oncoming danger with feats of courage and victory on the battlefield. The Fire Zouaves and the 2nd Texas Infantry went to war with high expectations that they would perform bravely; they had famed commanders and enthusiastic community support. How could they possibly fail? Yet falter they did, facing humiliating charges of cowardice thereafter that cast a lingering shadow on the two regiments, despite their best efforts at redemption. By the end of the war, however, these charges were largely forgotten, replaced with the jingoistic rhetoric of martial heroism, a legacy that led many, including historians, to insist that all Civil War soldiers were heroes. Dread Danger creates a fuller understanding of the soldier experience and the overall costs and sufferings of war.

Introduction: 'Almost Enough to Make Cowards of the Bravest Men'
Part I. The 11th New York Volunteer Infantry Regiment: 1. 'Soldiers, and Yet Not Soldiers': New York & Washington, D. C.
2. 'Effervescent Courage': Virginia
3. 'Soul Sick': Virginia & New York
Part II. The 2nd Texas Volunteer Infantry Regiment: 4. 'The Display of Soldiery': Texas
5. 'A Pack of Cowards': Tennessee & Mississippi
6. 'A Skeleton of Itself': Mississippi & Texas
Conclusion: 'When Cowards Shrink and Brave Men Die'
Bibliography.

Subject Areas: History of the Americas [HBJK]