the mid-nineteenth century attitudes towards death and dying for a noble cause were considerably different than modern thinking. men saw going to war as a chance for glory and honor. they thought that giving one's life for their country or cause was the highest calling. but dying of disease was considered a horrible way to die and most feared it more than dying in battle. war was presented to soldiers as a way to die "for god and country". it represented both christian and nationalist reasons for going to war. as most were christians, they were far better prepared to die than to kill. american society in general, and soldiers in particular, believed in the "ars moriendi" (the art of dying) or the "good death." these attitudes left soldiers to believe that a good death was glorious and at the same time a last act of redemption. also, by dying well a person showed others how to die well.