So, How Come I Couldn't Do My Thesis on Fort Fisher?: Why Did Union Soldiers Enlist?

From the March 6th Northern Star (Northern Illinois University) "Research Rookies explore reasons behind Civil War enlistment" by Lauren Dielman.

Why did they join? Why did the rank and file of Union regiments enlist in the Army during the Civil War?

Wayne Duerkes, a junior history major and his mentor Bradley Bond, Dean of the Graduates, will be looking at letters and diaries written by the soldiers to determine why they went to war.

Said Duerkes, "Researching at a variety of archival repositories in the area have introduced me to several of these men through their letters and diaries, allowing me a window into their lives."

This is a turn from the NIU I was at back in 1980 when I wanted to do my master's thesis on the Battle of Fort Fisher and was not allowed to do so. I imagine a battle (and, at the time, there were no books written on it) just was beneath them and they wanted a higher level kind of research.

Still Not Happy About It. --Old Secesh.