I have my great grandfathers civil war discharge hanging on the wall, 103rd West Pa vol inf, Company C. A few local movers & shakers raised over 1500 local plow boys; mostly 16 & 17 year olds into units. After 3 years of battles in Virginia; they were captured and sent to Andersonville for a year and a half. William was one of 28 members of company C (out of 140) to be discharged at end of the war. My aunt knew him in 1920's when she was young. She told me he blamed everything on the politicians & government; felt he was fighting to save the union, not free any slaves, or anything else. Detested the government until he died in 1926; blamed his war disabilities on Washington.
JUst another side to it all.