This page is part of The Confederate Infantry Private Website.

The typical Confederate volunteer was a white, Anglo-Saxon, Protestant, illiterate male who was a poor farmer and did NOT own any slaves. 95% of the Confederate army was comprised of men who owned no slaves.. When the War came, the men joined for many different reasons; here are some listed below:

1. Fear of looking the coward in front of wife or sweetheart.

2,. Fear of looking the coward in front of father or brothers or male friends.

3. Desire to defend one's home from Yankee invasion.

4. Didn't want to miss out on the fun before it ended.

5. Wanted to see the "elephant." (Most had never ventured outside thier county)

Maybe some of the officers and politicians joined to defend slavery, but the vast majority of Confederate soldier's had no vested interest in slavery and would not give his life for something so foolhardy. Your typical Confederate soldier believed himself to be a Patriot, fighting against invasion and fighting for his rights, although he may be at a loss to define those rights.

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