During the Civil War, Americans confronted profound moral problems about how to fight in the conflict. In this innovative book, D. H. Dilbeck reveals how the Union sought to wage a just war against the Confederacy. He shows that northerners fought according to a distinct "moral vision of war," an array of ideas about the nature of a truly just and humane military effort. Dilbeck tells how Union commanders crafted rules of conduct to ensure their soldiers defeated the Confederacy as swiftly as possible while also limiting the total destruction unleashed by the fighting. Dilbeck explores how...

During the Civil War, Americans confronted profound moral problems about how to fight in the conflict. In this innovative book, D.H. Dilbeck reveals how the Union sought to wage a just war, showing that northerners fought according to a distinct ""moral vision of war"", an array of ideas about the nature of a just and humane military effort.