Freely Bleed and Even Die: The Story of a Civil War Soldier

Abstract

This paper tells the story of Adam Marty, a Union soldier who fought in the Civil War from 1861-1864. Marty was a member of the First Minnesota Volunteer Infantry Regiment. He was a resident of Stillwater, Minnesota and volunteered for three years to fight for his country. Marty fought in major battles such as Bull Run, Fair Oaks, Antietam, Fredericksburg, Chancellorsville and Gettysburg amongst others. Yet, much more than battles permeate this paper. Marty's intimate writings to his famous cousin Samuel Bloomer are analyzed and set within their historical context. In general this paper is about the experience of the Civil War soldier. Large portions are dedicated to camp life, marching, politics of the time, and life in a Civil War Hospital. This paper is also about psychological issues Civil War Soldiers faced such as death and suffering, religion, battle, shock, being wounded, romance, manhood, and living up to Victorian ideals. This is how one man experienced the Civil War and it sheds a revealing light on the era and the lives of Civil War soldiers. The paper is written as an analytical narrative.