I only have a small bit to add, I wonder if that passage when Sam sees that dead Southron on the ground was Tolkien reminiscing...
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Then suddenly straight over the rim of their sheltering bank, a man fell, crashing through the slender trees, nearly on top of them. He came to rest in the fern a few feet away, face downward, green arrow-feathers sticking from his neck below a golden collar. His scarlet robes were tattered, his corslet of overlapping brazen plates was rent and hewn, his black plaits of hair braided with gold were drenched with blood. His brown hand still clutched the hilt of his sword.
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A wonderful description of this man, and even though he was "evil" so to say, I tear up when reading through it. Then we have Sam's thoughts...
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It was Sam's first view of a battle of Men against Men, and he did not like it much. He was glad that he could not see the dead face. He wondered what the man's name was and where he came from; and if he was really evil of heart, or what lies or threats had led him on the long march from his home; and if he would not really rather have stayed there in peace-
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The line "battle of men against men" is depressing, gets me thinking about all the past wars. We are in Sam's head, and he seems to be pitying the guy. We see him wondering if this man was truly evil, if he actually WANTED to fight for Sauron, or if he was forced into it. Another weakness of Sauron, his forces weren't united. His orcs fought with eachother, the Southrons might not have liked what they were doing, they were just frightened. Where the people of Middle-earth (especially the unity between Eomer, Theoden, and Aragorn) are actually fighting for a purpose that they believe in. It could mean a lot if you have people fighting for a cause, or something they believe in (American Revolutionists, WWII) vs. people who really don't want to fight (England, Germany).
I think the importance of Sam in this moment is to counter Mablung and Damrod's conversation earlier...
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"Aye, curse the Southrons!" said Damrod. "Tis said that there were dealings of old between Gondor and the kingdoms of Harad in the far South; though there was never friendship...Now of late we have learned that the Enemy has been among them, and they are gone over to Him, or back to Him-they were ever ready to His will-as have so many also in the East..."
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Damrod and Mablung don't think too highly of the Southrons, but this is a clear example of the biased opinions of Men (which we so often see). They see these Southrons marching to aid Sauron, and don't even think about why. (But after all should we really expect them to, they are going to fight for "Him.") The point is, that they don't understand why they aided him. Damrod assumes that the Southrons were ever more excited when Sauron returned, and anxiously awaited to join him.
Where Sam comes in and acts as the neutral thought. He doesn't know about these Southrons, he doesn't know about Faramir and his rangers. As
Estelyn points out Sam is the neutral narrator of this chapter. He doesn't give you the biased thinking of "They must be evil, they are serving Sauron." He gives us the other possibilities of wondering whether these men actually were "truly evil," or were they sort of forced to do it? Because of fear? They were lied to? Wealth? Power?