The American Civil War mobilized hundreds of thousands of young men, North and South, and hurled them into some of the most vicious ground combat the world had ever seen. These volunteers and conscripts were not professional soldiers. Most had never heard a shot fired in anger, and many were leaving home for the first time.

Why did they join? What was their experience in the armies and on the march like? Most importantly, how did so many men—farmhands, schoolteachers, shopkeepers,  factory workers—with no professional military training manage to endure the brutal fighting of the Civil War battlefield?

Historian Christopher Hamner delves into the gripping stories of the young men who answered the call to arms and offers a poignant and unforgettable glimpse into the human side of this pivotal period in American history.

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