Great Coming of Age Novel about the Civil War--The Red Badge of Courage

 “So, it came to pass that as he trudged from the place of blood and wrath his soul changed.”—Stephen Crane 

 The Red Badge of Courage

A Review by James Romano

Hello 1000 Bookies!!  This week our magic portal takes us to the time of the American Civil War.  For me, the Civil War is all around me, I just have to look out my front door and my back door as I live on the hallowed ground where many gave their lives.  Our next stop of the 1,000 Books to Read Before You Die is The Red Badge of Courage by Stephen Crane.  This story of the Civil War is most intriguing because Crane did not fight in the war and was born after the war ended yet captured the essence of a youth fighting in the war.  Unlike other war stories such as The Killer Angels, you really never know what battle our hero is fighting.  Although a year later, Stephen Crane published a short story sequel where readers find out that battle was the Battle of Chancellorsville.  The book is fairly short at 154 pages long.  The emotions of the story are very strong.  I highly recommend every middle school or high school student in the United States should read this book.

When I was in grade school or early middle school one day my mother picked me up a copy of The Red Badge of Courage because she thought I should read it.  Like the typical know it all I was in those days, I wrinkled my nose and popped it on my bookshelf never picking it up. I feel now that if I  had The Red Badge of Courage then, I would have joined ROTC, maybe have looked into West Point or volunteered for the armed services.  I thought you had to be gung-ho to serve, The Red Badge of Courage taught me that does not have to be the case. 

The Civil War to date is the bloodiest conflict that the United States has ever fought, and it was fought over inches of real estate.  According to Battlefields.org, approximately 620,000 men were killed during the US Civil War (about 2% of the population).  The casualties of the Civil War equal those who died in World War II, World War 1, Korea and Vietnam combined, the next 4 largest wars.  Many of the deaths were related to disease and infection. Another 476,000 soldiers were wounded.  The Battle of Gettysburg saw approximately 51,000 deaths, the largest of the war.  The Battle of Chancellorsville, the battle the story is supposed to have taken place during, suffered 24,000 deaths.  General Lee’s victory at Chancellorsville led him to invade the North and to the Battle of Gettysburg in Pennsylvania.  Between these two battles following each other—12% of the battlefield deaths occurred. 

Henry Fleming, or the youth as he is referred throughout the story, volunteered for the Union army. His mother objected and attempted to dissuade him.  However, he was filled with romantic notions or believed in the cause or some other reason, but he volunteered for service. “He had, of course, dreamed of battles all his life—of vague and bloody conflicts that had thrilled him with their sweep and fire.” I enjoyed one particular part of the story, after he volunteered Henry went to say goodbye to his friends at school, there he impressed the girls who were looking at him in his blue uniform. One girl watched him until he was out of sight.  This reminded me of my grandmother telling me that when she met my grandfather, he was in his uniform and she said how handsome he looked.  (He also told her that he was a submarine salesman which totally matched his humor.)

To me, The Red Badge of Courage is a coming of age novel, Henry Fleming is going to fight in his first battle.  Henry Fleming had a good life, “In his life he had taken certain things for granted, never challenging his belief in ultimate success and bothering little about means and roads”.  The story begins with a lot of starts and stops, a lot of potential speculation and a lot of hurry up and wait.  However, the battle finally begins.  Henry and his regiment hold off the Confederates.  However, the Confederates regroup quickly and charge again.  This time the Union line falls apart and the men run.  Henry runs.  He is separated from the men and they have been scattered. 

Henry is ashamed of his behavior, very ashamed.  He begins to work his way back to camp.  His trek seems like a dark night of the soul moment, of Dante through hell (The Divine Comedy) and many other stories.  The phrase “in the wilderness” came to mind, because Henry was traveling through the wilderness where he encounters dead and wounded soldiers.  He comes in contact with his friend Jim Conklin who is wounded by a shot in the side and is bleeding to death.  After the death of his friend, Henry meets up with a caravan of the wounded and is accidently smacked in the head with the butt of a rifle.  Henry makes it back to his camp where he is treated for his “wounds”.  Nobody suspects him of running and Henry vows to redeem himself at the next opportunity.  While Henry does not lie, he does not correct the story. 

The next day in battle Henry is a different man.  He is praised for his prowess with his rifle.  He eventually takes up the flag when the flag bearer is shot and Henry presses forward.  Henry has earned redemption.  That is what I took away from the story. “He had rid himself of the red sickness of battle. The sultry nightmare was in the past.”

I live in Fredericksburg, Virginia.  Our region is filled with history both from the Civil War and the Revolution.  Four Civil War battlefields surround me.  There is the Fredericksburg Battlefield where about 2,000 men were killed; the Battle of Spotsylvania Courthouse where about 4,500 men were killed, the Battle of the Wilderness where about 4,000 men were killed and the Battle of Chancellorsville.  What is interesting in The Red Badge of Courage is according to Henry, the Union carrying the day.  However, the battle is looked at as a Confederate victory, although it can be viewed as a pyrrhic victory because the rebels would lose General Stonewall Jackson who was wounded and would eventually die of his wounds. 

The Battle of Chancellorsville took place from April 30th-May 6th, 1863. Some interesting lore around the battle, at the 50th Anniversary commemoration in 1913, President Wilson sent the Assistant Secretary of the Navy to represent the administration—his name was Franklin Delano Roosevelt.  My twins Erica and Ashley would be baptized on May 5th, 2013, during the 150th Anniversary of the battle.  We sat in our pew at our church which is located at the edge of the Chancellorsville Battlefield.  We heard cannon fire during the service.  Ironically, we sang the Battle Hymn of the Republic that day. 

A year after The Red Badge of Courage was released, Crane released a short story called The Veteran telling the story of an Old Henry Fleming.  The story begins with Old Henry telling war stories to some of the people in town. He has earned a high reputation of heroism.  I do believe the older and older our veterans become the more we hold them in awe.  My grandfather saw no action per se, but his act of serving is proof of valor to me.  However, old Henry regales the men in told with his tales, “That was at Chancellorsville. Of course, afterward I got kind of used to it. A man does. Lots of men, though, seem to feel all right from the start. I did, as soon as I ‘got on to it,’ as they say now; but at first I was pretty flustered.” Interestingly his grandson is named Jimmy.  The name is not lost on me, he named a son James after his friend Jim Conklin and the name was passed on.

Looking back, I wish I had read The Red Badge of Courage in middle school or high school.  I do not know that would have led to a brilliant military career.  But it taught me a lot of mastering fear and everyone should read the book and its short story to understand. 

Keep Reading My Friends!!!