Heroes and Cowards demonstrates the role that social capital plays in people's decisions. The makeup of various companies--whether soldiers were of the same ethnicity, age, and occupation--influenced whether soldiers remained loyal or whether they deserted. Costa and Kahn discuss how the soldiers benefited from friendships, what social factors allowed some to survive the POW camps while others died, and how punishments meted out for breaking codes of conduct affected men after the war. The book also examines the experience of African-American soldiers and makes important observations about how their comrades shaped their lives. --from publisher description.

1. Loyalty and Sacrifice -- 2. Why the U.S. Civil War? -- 3. Building the Armies -- 4. Heroes and Cowards -- 5. POW Camp Survivors -- 6. The Homecoming of Heroes and Cowards -- 7. Slaves Become Freemen -- 8. Learning from the Past -- Appendix. Records and Collection Methods.