Chapter 11, Vengeance Will be Our Motto Summary and Analysis

A conception of masculinity animated both Union and Confederate troops, and this code included revenge for insults and injury. Hatred typically followed this commitment to revenge. And despite these soldiers' Christian commitments working against revenge and hatred, hatred and vengeance often won out. These sentiments played out more often among Confederate soldiers, as they suffered more and their homes were devastated. After large-scale invasions began, both sides began to de-humanize one another, seeing them as demons, hordes, and so on. Texans were particularly nasty in their pursuit of revenge and Confederate soldiers generally expected eye-for-an-eye retaliation for the destruction of their homes.

In 1863, the thirst for revenge already ran high, but things went particularly bad during 1864, leading to plunder, rape, arson and so on. Confederate passion for revenge often became pathological...