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Role Of Music During The Civil War

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Emily Weis Mr. Highton US History I Honors 27 February 2015 Did music play a significant role in motivating soldiers to overcome their hardships in both the Union and Confederate armies during the Civil War? General Lee once remarked, “Without music, there would have been no army” (Kehoe). The New York Herald concurred with Lee in 1862 when a reporter wrote, “All history proves that music is as indispensable to warfare as money; and money has been called the sinews of war. Music is the soul of Mars...” (Bowman). It is evident from these quotes the important role music played in helping soldiers from both armies cope during the war. The Civil War would have been immensely different without the considerable influence that music had on both the Union and Confederate armies. Music played a significant role in motivating soldiers to overcome their hardships in both the Union and the Confederate armies by entertaining and comforting, bringing back memories of home and family, and strengthening the bonds between comrades and helping forge new bonds. At the beginning of the Civil War the armies needed to provide entertainment and comfort to their soldiers. There were many reasons music alleviated the negative experiences the soldiers were facing, but all mainly had the same goal, and that was to keep encouraging the soldiers to continue marching and fighting. Brass bands played inspiring songs designed to lift the spirits of the troops and the civilians who were listening, or

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