University Press of Kansas Honoring the Civil War Dead: Commemoration and the Problem of Reconciliation (Modern War Studies)

By the end of the Civil War, fatalities from that conflict had far exceeded previous American experience, devastating families and communities alike. As John Neff shows, commemorating the 620,000 lives lost proved to be a persistent obstacle to the hard work of reuniting the nation, as every memorial observation compelled recollections of the war. Review �A moving and detailed look at how our ancestors dealt with war deaths and how they worked their feelings into the fabric of their national personality, thereby shaping not only remembrance, but their own understanding of history. A very important work.�--William C. Davis, author of The Cause Lost�A persuasive revision of the 'road to reunion' thesis that has dominated recent historiography.�--James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom �Imaginative, thoughtful, and well written. A superb book."--Phillip Shaw Paludan, author of A People's Contest �A profoundly thought-provoking work.�--Steven E. Woodworth, author of While God Is Marching On "A moving and detailed look at how our ancestors dealt with war deaths and how they worked their feelings into the fabric of their national personality, thereby shaping not only remembrance, but their own understanding of history. A very important work."--William C. Davis, author of The Cause Lost"A persuasive revision of the 'road to reunion' thesis that has dominated recent historiography."--James M. McPherson, author of Battle Cry of Freedom "Imaginative, thoughtful, and well written. A superb book."--Phillip Shaw Paludan, author of A People's Contest "A profoundly thought-provoking work."--Steven E. Woodworth, author of While God Is Marching On "A boon for anyone interested in the origins, effects or memories of the Civil War. It explores issues surrounding burial of Civil War soldiers to reveal racist, political and sectional divisions related to the war and its memory. . . . Brilliant and lucid analysis of a myriad of complex issues growing out of the Civil War. Every American needs to read it."--Civil War News"This is an extremely well-researched, thoughtful, and engaging exploration of public commemoration for this war's unprecedented losses. . . . Neff's refreshing perspective challenges numerous myths that have become entrenched in American war memory, but he does so without getting mired in messy theoretical abstractions. This is an exciting narrative and a welcome contribution to American Civil War historiography and to the literature on memory and memorialization, one that should be considered essential reading by all earnest scholars of the period."--H-Net Reviews "This informative book concentrates on one of the most important ways in which Americans remembered the Civil War, their disposition of the dead bodies that the war left in its wake. Neff's approach to the topic provides a useful perspective on the sectional dynamics of Civil War commemoration and identifies valuable opportunities for examining other transformations wrought by the war. . . . When Neff . . . reflects on the pervasive, profound challenge of death in the Civil War, he points toward a vital line for future exploration. Scholars who follow that line through literature, religion, political science, and other fields will benefit from his thoughtful and assiduous research."--Journal of Interdisciplinary History