On the contrary, the differences between these two forces can be counted on one hand.
Soldiers from both sides felt the same love for their respective regions and families, fought with the same determination, and both feared, above all, being considered a coward. The intensity that these men fought with has not been replicated since the Civil War and is because, unlike some other wars, the men fought not for survival, but for a common cause (4). The love that these men felt for their country was so significant that they would "fight like bulldogs (10)" and do everything in their power to win.
On both sides of the conflict, soldiers were so afraid of being considered a coward that they would rather die than be labeled with dishonor. "Death before dishonor" was a popular rallying cry and was meant very seriously according to countless letters and diary accounts (77). It was so serious that many men went into battle injured or sick just to avoid being labeled a coward. This practice had harsh consequences as many of these men that fought sick did not survive the battle (79).
However, both sides felt the agony of the same problems, especially when it came to deserters and sneaks. Quite often only half of the men in a particular unit would do the fighting. Some men were too scared or cowardice to fight. These men would simply pretend to fight or jump out of the way once the fighting began (7). "When you read of the number of men engaged on our side, strike out at least one third as never having struck a blow (7)" was the response by the captain of the 1st Connecticut Cavalry to a question of how many sneaks the unit had.
When it came to battle, many men would fake sick before the battle began and be sent to the infirmary. Some would even try to run away once the battle began, but both the Union and Confederate armies had remedies to that problem. The officers would stand behind the lines and fire at any man who tried to run from battle (49).
