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The common Soldier in many wars gets overlooked in favor of their grandiouse leaders. The American Civil war is no different. Even Prarie grove, most of the reserch that has been done on the battle has been about the overall battle or the decisions of the leaders. This page is something of a remedy of that, to make sure that this site as a whole does not ignore the experinces of the ordinary soldiers in the story that it tells.

The Common soldier's perspectives and their lives are very important to both Prarie Grove and to the larger war however. Notably, it can show us the bloodshed and violence that was a looming precence over both Prarie Grove and the Civl war. The weapons and the point of views of the soldiers all illistrate bloody reality, and the lives they lived before the battle can offer both a stark contrast to the battle, and an insight on why soldiers were willing to endure the bloodshed of war. 

All in all the lives of the common soldier illuminate the loss and bloodshed present in the civil war, and definitely Prarie Grove. It may not be able to definitively tell us why the battle ended the way it did. What the life of the common soldier can help us understand is why certain decisions were made, and how the experinces of the common soldier effected the battle.