Serving Country or Self. During the Civil War, thousands of men joined the Union Army. Many of the men who

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1 1 Michael McLain Dr. Slavishak Serving Country or Self During the Civil War, thousands of men joined the Union Army. Many of the men who joined the Union Army volunteered to fight. Did many of these men join just because they were patriotic and wanted to fight against secession? Many men joined the Union Army because they had some ulterior motives that they believed could be accomplished in the army. For some men, the army provided a job and a salary. Some men might have joined in the hope that they could climb the social ranks by becoming an officer. There were a few men who believed that fighting for the Union Army was following God s commands. Charles Tenney, just like many other men, joined the army during the early days of the Civil War and like many other men, he had his own motives for enlisting. Throughout his time in the army Charles Tenney wrote to a young lady named Adelaide Case. In the letters he sent to Adelaide, Tenney talked about troop movements, what he thought about his commanding officers, supply problems, and how much he cared for her and hoped that she would one day consent to become his wife. Another thing that he revealed in his letters was his motivations for joining the army. He did not just join because he was a loyal and patriotic individual. He joined because he wanted to end the division between himself and his family, establish himself as a man of excellent character, alleviate his monetary problems, and win Adelaide Case s love. Tenney was motivated to join the army for several reasons, and these reasons aid in understanding why so many men were willing to join the Union Army.

2 2 Charles Tenney was a young twenty year old man from Ohio when he joined the Union Army in He served in the Seventh Ohio Volunteer Regiment, Company H. Adelaide, or Addie as he called her, corresponded with Tenney during his time in the army. She was from Mecca, Ohio and was a friend of Tenney s before he joined the Union Army. These two individuals exchanged letters with each other from 1861 to Tenney wrote over fifty letters to Addie, one to the editors of a newspaper, and one to Addie s sister Minnie. Most of Tenney s letters to Addie were four pages long. In the beginning of most of his letters, Tenney would give some personal information. This personal information included informing Addie that he had received a letter from her, his feelings for the young lady, and the general nature of his health. Next Tenney would usually talk about the war. This information ranged from troop movements, enemy engagements, or what Tenney thought of his officers. The letter would usually end with more personal information in which Tenney sent his regards to friends back home and asked Addie to write soon. In his letters to Adelaide Case, Tenney wrote about the strained relationship he had with his family. While Tenney never came out and said what caused this estrangement, it can be seen that this separation did upset him. In one letter Tenney told Addie that he had not heard from his sister. In this letter dated January 23, 1862, Tenney wrote, You ask as to the reason my sister does not write to me... I know of no reason unless she partakes of the prejudices which the entire family seem to hold against me. 1 This estrangement with his family did bother Tenney. In some of his other letters Tenney wrote about how he was motivated to join the army because he believed it might alleviate this family division. Tenney believed that both concern for his welfare and pride that his parents might feel in knowing that their son joined the Union Army would help to heal the rift.

3 3 In one letter to Addie, Tenney mentioned that he was motivated to join the Union Army, because of the friction that existed between him and his family. In his letter Tenney wrote,... I passed to the day when I should have had, at least the sympathies of a father when I sprang in my love of justice and liberty, to the defence of my our flag... 2 On several occasions, Tenney mentioned to Addie that he had received no word from his family. In a letter he sent to Adelaide in October, Tenney stated, I often wish my sister would evince as much feeling and interest in my welfare as you have already shown, but though I have written two or three times to her and the rest of the family I can get no reply whatever. 3 Tenney knew there might be a chance that he would fail in his attempt to improve the conditions between his family and himself. Therefore he had another motivation to join the army in case he failed: he would use his time in the service in order to establish himself as a man of good character. Tenney believed that he needed to establish himself as a man of good character. He knew that he had to be seen as a respectable member of society and in order to get permission to marry Adelaide, he needed someone to vouch for his honor. Usually the father would have assured people of his son s character. Since Tenney was not on good terms with his father, he needed someone else to vouch for him. Tenney joined the army in the hope that his comrades would vouch for him as a good man. In a letter to Addie dated February 28, 1862, Tenney wrote, This company, I think to a man, will testify to my good behavior, since I have been in the service. 4 The army helped to establish Tenney as a man of good character and it also helped him achieve another goal. While Tenney did join the army because he wanted to establish himself a man of good character, he was also motivated to enlist because of monetary problems. Tenney was a young man who was estranged from his family. Since he was estranged from his family, he was

4 4 probably not getting any or very little financial support from them. Since he was a young man at the age of twenty, he probably did not have an occupation and never mentioned that he had to leave his job in order to join the army. Tenney even wrote about his financial condition, noting in January 1862, My position in life, it is true, is not an elevated one, but I know and feel that I shall make a mark in life. 5 While he did not specifically state that he had financial difficulties, this statement did show that money was a problem. Tenney was not planning to receive monetary support from his family and did not expect to inherit anything as well. This statement also indicates that Tenney probably did not have an occupation that he could return to after the war. Therefore he needed money to support himself until he was able to find work after the war. The monetary motivation Tenney had for joining the military can be seen in a letter he sent in June Tenney told Addie that he wanted to be promoted. He began by stating that some of the men in the regiment were sent home before they got a chance to go into battle. This did not bother him because it gave him a small chance of being promoted. 6 He hoped for a promotion not only because it would have given him a leadership position, but officers also received better pay than privates. He would need the money after he got out of the army in order to support himself and maybe a family until he found work. Now that Tenney had minimized his financial problem, he was then free to try and achieve another goal he had set before himself. He wanted to win the love of Miss Adelaide Case. Tenney was motivated to join the Union Army in the hope that he could win Addie s respect, admiration, and love. Tenney indicated in his letters that he had already cared deeply for Addie prior to his joining the army. He used several different methods in his letters to further his cause with Addie. One way he tried to make this happen was by talking about his patriotism and loyalty to the Union. An example of how he used his patriotism as a way to win the young

5 5 lady s love was seen in a letter he wrote to Addie dated September 24, In this letter Tenney told about how the company passed the wreckage of a Confederate steamer called the Julia Maffitt. After he explained how the ship had sunk, Tenney told Addie that he was tired of the war. After he made this statement, however, he wrote that he was still loyal to the Union cause. Tenney wrote, Don t think for a moment dear Addie because I say I am tired of war, that I am tired of supporting the glorious old Stars and Stripes on the contrary I would not accept a discharge if one was offered to me... 7 Tenney wanted to impress Addie by showing that even though he was tired of war he felt obliged to continue fighting because it was the patriotic thing to do. Another example of Tenney s attempt to win Addie s admiration by a display of his patriotism can be seen in the letter he wrote a year later, in September 25, In this letter Tenney stated, Indeed in any estimation, the love of our country should be paramount to all but the love of God... Most assuredly I am, and should count myself unworthy the least of your notice, my treasure, were I to sit idly by, at this portentous moment. 8 Tenney believed that Addie might not have accepted his proposal if he had not shown his support for the Union cause by joining the army and proving himself to be a patriotic individual.

6 6 9 The above image shows a soldier holding the Union flag and a sword. This gives the impression that the man was patriotic and was willing to die for his country. The caption at the top of the image, One country, one flag, helped to reinforce this idea. This image was at the top of a letter that Tenney sent to Addie. The image was stamped on the stationery that Tenney used to write his letter to Addie. The stationery was either given or sold to the Union soldiers, so that they could write to family or friends. The picture on this stationery was intended to inspire support for the union cause. In the attempt to win Addie s heart, Tenney used this image in order to emphasize the idea that he was a courageous and patriotic man willing to serve his country. Tenney had a second strategy that he employed in order to get Addie s approval. Tenney tried to prove to her that not only was he patriotic, he was also willing to endure extremely harsh conditions for the army in the hope that he would gain her admiration. In a letter dated December 14, 1861, Tenney wrote about the difficult conditions that confronted all the soldiers when they had been packed into a train. The regiment moved from Parkersburg (located in what is now West Virginia) to Green Spring Run by train. The men in the regiment were crowded

7 7 into freight cars during the middle of winter. He noted that it was really cold in the freight car, and the only heat they had came from a small fire. He also mentioned that the men in the company did not have any tents for shelter. 10 Tenney wanted to tell Addie about his hardships in hope that she would feel sympathetic toward him and that she would also admire him for going through these difficult trials. In another letter written a month later, Tenney once again used this tactic of telling Addie of the hardships that he faced in order to get her admiration. Tenney wrote that the company had to march about twenty-four miles in the mud and rain in order to reach their destination. The Seventh Ohio Regiment had retreated from Romney (located in what is now West Virginia) and had been forced to march about twenty-four miles until they reached Patterson s Creek Station. In the letter Tenney wrote, The march was unusually severe, being about twenty-four miles, over exceeding bad roads. Many of the boys are nearly tired out. 11 However, later on in the letter Tenney stated, I will not complain, if I can serve my country. 12 Tenney wanted Addie to feel sympathy when she read about the difficult march and hoped that she would feel pride in the knowledge that Charles was willing to endure these hardships for the Union. He wanted to prove that he was a strong and capable man who was willing to work hard for his family. Another way that Tenney tried to impress Addie was by showing his loyalty and obedience to his officers. One officer for whom Tenney seemed to have a strong sense of loyalty was Lieutenant Halbert Case, Addie s brother. Tenney often wrote about Lt. Case, or Hallie as he was known, speaking of his bravery and leadership qualities. In one letter Charles Tenney wrote about Lt. Case s performance during a skirmish with the Confederate forces at a place called Cross Lanes. He told Addie how courageous Hallie was during the battle and that all the men under his command obeyed his orders. In a letter to Addie dated September 16, 1861,

8 8 Tenney wrote, Every order was given in a manner that showed he [Hallie] meant to be obeyed. 13 Even though Tenney and Lt. Case were friends, Tenney still obeyed him like he would any other officer. Tenney had a great deal of respect for Addie s brother and wanted to show her that he was loyal to her brother and would take orders even if they were given to him by a friend. Another officer that Tenney had much respect for and admired was General George Brinton McClellan. Tenney thought that General McClellan was a military genius and in one letter actually compared him to Napoleon Bonaparte. 14 In a letter to dated January 30, 1862, Tenney displayed his allegiance and obedience to General McClellan. In the same letter Tenney stated that he would be unable to visit her on furlough anytime soon because of orders from General McClellan. Tenney wrote,... I must not complain, for he is my commander you know. 15 Tenney was disappointed that he could not visit her, because he was obeying the orders of a commanding officer. Tenney continued to praise General McClellan in his letters and defended him on a couple of occasions. In a letter he sent to Addie dated September 25, 1862, Tenney complained about how General McClellan was criticized by northern newspapers, especially the New York Tribune. Tenney stated that the reason General McClellan had been criticized by the New York Tribune was because he did not support everything that was printed in the paper. Tenney assured Addie that the men and officers still admired General McClellan. 16 Tenney s reason for telling this to Addie was because he wanted to show her that he would stand by General McClellan even when the general was attacked by the newspaper. Tenney wanted Addie to see that he was an honorable man and would not switch his loyalties when things started to turn bad.

9 9 In other words, Tenney was not a man who would abandon Addie in times of trouble, just as he did not desert General McClellan when he was criticized by the northern newspapers. Throughout his letters Tenney expressed his motivations for joining the Union Army. He did not just join because he was being patriotic, he joined because the army was a way to achieve several of his goals. Tenney wanted to end the estrangement between himself and his family, he wanted to establish himself as a man of good character, he wanted to impress Addie in order to have her admiration, and also to provide income for himself. However, by looking at all the things that motivated him, it is seen that his affection for Addie was the most important reason he had for enlisting. Even some of his other motivations were partly influenced by Addie. He wanted to end the schism between himself and his family because he wanted to be close to them again, and he hoped to restore honor to his reputation. When he was unable to heal the estrangement with his family, he joined the army in the hope that he could re-establish himself as a man of good character. This was necessary because he knew that Addie would never marry him if she thought he was a dishonorable man. Tenney also joined the army in the hope that he could show himself to be a man that Addie would be proud to marry. Even the monetary concerns were partly influenced by Addie because he would need money in order to support himself and a family. Many soldiers, like Charles Tenney, did not join the Union Army because they were patriotic individuals, they joined because they believed that the army would benefit them in some way. While some of the men who joined did not share Tenney s motives, they still had their own reasons for joining. Some men, especially those who were impoverished, joined because the army would provide them employment. For some adventurous individuals, the army gave them a chance to travel. A few men might have enlisted because their friends were also in the army.

10 10 While men in the Union Army might have portrayed themselves as joining because they were patriotic and loyal to the Union, they really had different wants and needs that they believed the army could satisfy. This was significant because it would help historians get a better understanding of some of the reasons why men volunteered to join the Union Army. In high schools, students are often taught that the reason men joined the Union Army was because they were against slavery and succession. While some men did join because they were against slavery and succession, many others joined the Union Army for many different reasons. This paper s detailed analysis of Tenney s motivations can be used by historians to draw broader conclusions on some of the other reasons, besides slavery and succession, that many men were willing to join the Union Army.

11 11 Notes 1. Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, January 23, 1862, Nettleton Collection, (Electronic Text Center, University of Virginia), (accessed February 17, 2009). 2. Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, October 21, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, October 1, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, February 28, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, January 18, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, June 16, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, September 24, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, September 25, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, December 3, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, December 14, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, January 12, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, January 12, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, September 16, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, December 14, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, January 30, Charles Tenney to Adelaide Case, September 25, 1862.