Civil War Veterans


The end of the Civil War brought another set of problems for returning soldiers. For one thing, most of them were keenly aware of how much they'd changed. Some worried how they'd fit in and if they could still be what their families needed. They had seen horrible things, and many of their friends and family members who had gone into the military with them would never return. From 618,000 to 700,000 men were killed, leaving more Americans dead than in any other war America has ever participated in. Of course, soldiers on both sides were American. In addition, many were wounded and maimed, so many of the ones who went home, had missing limbs or other handicaps.

PTSD was a big problem for these men, but no one named the problem, and there was no support or help set up for those suffering. Some related part of their stories, and some refused to talk about the war. Reunion groups sprang up to help the veterans stay in touch with each other. The last large one met at Gettysburg in 1913. 54,000 attended.

In my novel, Uprooted by War, Luke experiences much of this. Here're three short excerpts from the book: 
             

(From Luke's point of view)
            “I’m not the same man who rode off to war, Leah. I’ll probably never be. I don’t even know if I can be the husband you need anymore. I’m not sure I even remember how.”

            “You’ll always be the husband I need, Luke. You never have to worry about that. I’ve changed too. Time and the war have changed us all, but you and I still love each other. I feel it as strongly now as ever, and that love won’t fail us. Besides”—she smiled at him—“it’ll be fun discovering each other all over again.”

            He managed to smile too. “Was it terribly hard here?”

(From Leah's point of view)

            Luke remained tentative and unsure of himself. Leah kept reminding herself to give him time. She slowly got him to talk about prison life. It came out little by little, but it enabled her to understand the man before her, and it helped Luke dispel some of the ghosts from the dreadful images engraved in his mind.

(From Luke's friend's point of view when talking to Leah)

           “I know he loves you that much too. You and his faith are what got him through his time in prison, and he forced me to get through it with him. We both came out sounder than most. I know some of those men will end up in insane asylums. One even killed his own brother for food and buried the bones underneath where he slept. Neither Luke nor I ever intentionally harmed anyone else off the battlefield, and that’s made it easier for us to readjust.”

(All my profits from my books go to a scholarship fund for missionary children.)

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