The story of The Red Badge of Courage chronicles the life of Henry Fleming, a private in the Union army during the Civil War. In the book the reader follows his life through battles, boredom, and the utter terrors of war. His wartime experiences are very similar to those of thousands of young men throughout the Civil War. He felt the excitement of leaving on his first campaign, the fear of going into battle, and the elation of having won the field. The Red Badge of Courage is a microcosm of experiences and sentiments towards the Civil War felt by millions of loyal Unionists on the battlefield and on the home front.

The Declaration of War by the Union against the Confederate States of America (CSA) was received by an excited public ready to preserve the "republican experiment" of the United States against fragmentation, while at the same...