In Bruce Catton's "Mr. Lincoln's Army," the author captures the chaotic and frenzied nature of warfare during the American Civil War, particularly in the cornfield battles. The soldiers from both the North and the South exhibited a kind of primal ferocity as they clashed, almost losing their grip on sanity. Their actions seemed driven not just by the conflict but also by an uncontrollable urge to engage in battle, transcending normal human endurance and reason.

This portrayal highlights the emotional and psychological toll of warfare on the men involved. Catton emphasizes how the brutality of the fight pushed soldiers to extremes, suggesting that the violence of the moment became a spectacle unto itself, independent of the larger war's political context. This descent into madness underscored the horrors of the Civil War, where the desire to fight sometimes overshadowed the underlying causes and consequences of their actions.