Killer Angels 2

I was really torn by the thought that the soldiers knew and had a relationship with those that they fought, prior to the war. When we talk about the battle at Ft Sumner my students love the idea that the generals leading each side were once teacher and student. I imagine it was very difficult to fight those who you were raised with, educated with and fought along side of during the Mexican War. However, I am sure that it made it easier to understand and exploit their strengths and weaknesses.
Personalizing the battle is done well and I love to think about, if faced with challenges of today how would those who fought in the Civil War reply. I loved reading about the cowardice of Sickles and the bravery of Chamberlain. Even Chamberlain’s concern for his brother adds a nice human element to war.
It was very powerful to read about the different leaders and how their choices and the choices of those following them determined the outcome of the battle. For instance Lee was considered to be great tactician and as such created a battle plan that his generals, for various reasons, were unable to execute – their inability to follow his plan cost the South the battle and many lives. Conversely in the North they began the battle without their leader. However, they had men such as Chamberlain who fought valiantly and did whatever it took to protect themselves and the men they were fighting beside.