They make the civil war more real and tangible. Instead of just reading dry historical facts, we get a personal perspective. For example, a soldier's account of a particular battle can give us a sense of the chaos and confusion on the ground.
There was a soldier who used his wits during the civil war. When his unit was low on supplies, he managed to forage in the woods and find enough food to keep them going for days. His ability to adapt and provide for his fellow soldiers is truly remarkable. He also shared his knowledge of survival with the others, which helped them endure the hardships of war.
A soldier once carried his injured comrade for miles through enemy - infested territory to get him to safety. This selfless act saved his friend's life.
From civil war soldier's stories, we can understand the different reasons soldiers fought. Some fought for the ideals of freedom, others for loyalty to their region. These stories also reveal the psychological toll of war, like the trauma and fear that the soldiers endured.
Yes. There were soldiers who lost their entire families while they were away at war. For example, a young soldier received the news that his parents and siblings had been killed in a raid on their home. This left him heartbroken, but he still fought on, driven by a sense of revenge and the need to end the war that had caused so much destruction.
Sure. There was a soldier who during the civil war managed to hold off an entire enemy platoon single - handedly just by using the terrain cleverly. He hid behind a large boulder and picked off the enemies one by one as they advanced blindly.
One interesting story could be about a group of Confederate soldiers who, while hiding in a forest during the Civil War, encounter a horde of zombies. They have to put aside their differences with the Union soldiers they meet there to fight off the undead. The zombies could be the result of some strange experiment gone wrong in a nearby military camp.
Bierce's war experiences allowed him to understand the soldiers' psyche deeply. He knew the fear, the camaraderie, and the desperation. In his stories, we can see these elements. He could write about how soldiers coped with the stress of war, like through humor or by forming tight - knit groups. Also, his experiences gave him knowledge of the military hierarchy, which is reflected in his stories when he writes about interactions between officers and enlisted men.
They add a human element. We can picture the soldiers better through these stories, not just as historical figures but as individuals who might still be lingering in some form.
The rifled musket was a very important weapon in the civil war. It had much greater accuracy than the smoothbore muskets used before. This led to a change in battle tactics. Soldiers had to start taking cover more often, rather than just standing in lines and firing. For example, at the Battle of Gettysburg, the rifled muskets' accuracy made frontal assaults extremely costly.