In Bruce Catton's "This Hallowed Ground: A History of the Civil War," he highlights the challenges faced by inexperienced soldiers during battle. Many men, unfamiliar with the realities of combat, engaged blindly, reacting without comprehension of their actions. This chaos often resulted in contradictory behaviors, as demonstrated by one soldier who frantically loaded and fired his musket directly into the sky, driven purely by instinct.

Catton's description captures the tumult of war, revealing how untrained troops struggled to grasp the gravity of their situation. The imagery of a soldier acting like a machine, devoid of intention or strategy, underscores the confusion prevalent on the battlefield. This poignant observation brings to light the harsh realities faced by those thrown into the horrors of conflict without adequate preparation.