Civil War History - Secession and PoliticsWas it Slavery, or was it States Rights? Perhaps it was the election of Lincoln? What were the real reasons for Southern Secession and what were the political issues in this time of war? Find your answers here in the Secession and Politics Disussion.
It is a hard case that my money is beyond my reach in this time of need. I have no claim upon this family, do not even teach the children since Cousin S. commenced his school, & Sister C. often tells me she wishes me to do nothing but what I find necessary for exercise. Still I have ever been treated with the utmost kindness and assured of a home as long as they have one.
We have much to be grateful for. For months we were under frequent apprehensions that the Yankees would come in & get posession of the Valley, but the Lord mercifully preserved us from the danger, & has delivered us from the fear. In our circumstances it would probably have been death to some of us. How many pleasant homes have these barbarians desolated, strewing the gardens with fragments of glass & china, filling the air with feathers from the beds, hewing up for wood, or boxing them up to send home.
How many churches have they polluted, how many graves desecrated. How have they soaked our soil with the blood of our noblest & best & then to cap the climax of injury & insult, talk of reconstructing the union. May the righteous Lord plead our cause against an ungodly nation, as he has done already, glory to his name. Render not to them their deserts O Lord. The Lord be gracious to all there as well as here who have shown me kindness by wishing me well, & reward them a thousandfold, & if any of them are polluted with their guilt, cleanse them & deliver them from the doom that hangs over that land. A just God will visit sooner or later, & there will be no escape but by deep repentance. I cherish the cheering conviction howeverm that most if not all of my friends are clear from this guilt.
We hear a good deal of late about the S. W.
"Valley of the Shadow"
Ruins in Charleston, S.C.
"Resolved, that the women of this nation in 1876, have greater cause for discontent, rebellion and revolution than the men of 1776." ~Susan B. Anthony~
"Mr. President, at this time it is suicide, murder, and will lose us every friend at the North. The firing upon that fort will inaugurate a civil war greater than any the world has yet seen." [Robert Toombs speaking to Jefferson Davis in confederate cabinet meeting, 11 Apr 1861, quoted in W. A. Swanberg, First Blood: The Story of Fort Sumter, p. 286]
I talked to a black man three months ago, who lives in S.C. He told me a little of his family history and I told him mine. His ancestors`(older slaves) quickly ran to a burning church and the Court House (County unknown) to retrieve papers & documents. Sherman's men had set the places on fire. This man said his family history as well as whites and other black folks valuable family history were saved. Had his ancestors not done this, he would not have some vital & precious papers about his history. More importantly, his family wouldn't have a document which listed them as the legal owners of a few acres of land promised legally by their masters probate. We both agreed that truly, Sherman's men burning everything was doing a very humane thing for his people & mine. This man and I shook hands and shook our heads.
Y'all sure have gotten your point across to me in a very jovial manner. Congratulations on the victory.
War sucks...there's no other way to put it. I find that most people who show enthusiasm for war have never been involved in one. I, personally, am always offended by those who gloat over body counts. Once you kill another human being, the nightmares begin and never stop. I know this as a fact. South Carolina bore the brunt of Union anger; but the attack on Fort Sumner was not called for either. Hotheads reap what hotheads sow. War IS hell. Ask the people of Wounded Knee, Hiroshima, Hanoi, Fallujah and countless other places. The United States military has never been a fan of finesse
Calicoboy
__________________ My dear mother:- I have come safely through two more terrible engagements with the enemy, that at South Mountain and the great battle of yesterday (Antietam). Our splendid regiment is almost destroyed. We have had nearly 400 men killed and wounded in the battles. Seven of our officers were shot and three killed in yesterday's battle and nearly 150 men killed and wounded. All from less than 300 engaged. The men have stood like iron....Maj. Rufus Dawes, 6th Wisconsin Volunteers
__________________ My dear mother:- I have come safely through two more terrible engagements with the enemy, that at South Mountain and the great battle of yesterday (Antietam). Our splendid regiment is almost destroyed. We have had nearly 400 men killed and wounded in the battles. Seven of our officers were shot and three killed in yesterday's battle and nearly 150 men killed and wounded. All from less than 300 engaged. The men have stood like iron....Maj. Rufus Dawes, 6th Wisconsin Volunteers
Excellent Post Calico Boy,
As a Southern sympathizer I am just grateful that Robert E. Lee showed to have superior character to most of his Northern counterparts.While I am embarrassed about slavery,I at least don't have to be ashamed of my ancestors making war on women and children.I've never felt morally superior to anyone(okay Bill Clinton and Michael Jackson),but reading this board is helping me to believe my parents did a better job than I originally thought.I am so thankful I don't hear Confederate sympathizers holding up Bloody Bill Anderson as a heroe ,nor defending his tactics.Of course like they say the South is the Bible belt.Rob these poeple probably think murdering Indian women and children was heroic as well and a part of war.
I am so thankful I don't hear Confederate sympathizers holding up Bloody Bill Anderson as a heroe ,nor defending his tactics.Of course like they say the South is the Bible belt.Rob these poeple probably think murdering Indian women and children was heroic as well and a part of war.
I've personally seen, in other groups, confederate sympathizers holding up Bloody Bill Anderson, William C. Quantrill, and John Wilkes Booth as heroes, and not only defending their tactics but celebrating them.
As to murdering Indian women and children, one might ask what JEB Stuart and Robert E. Lee were doing in Texas before the war.
"Please try to understand this. It's not an easy thing to hear, but please
listen. There is no morality in warfare. You kill children. You kill women.
You kill old men. You don't seek them out, but they die. That's what happens
in war." - Paul Tibbets
I'm sure you have seen some Confederate sympathizers who hold up Bloody Bill Anderson,Quantrill, etch..Not that anyone cares my friend ,but I would respond to them the same way.I realize it's maybe impractical to totally spare civilians any discomfort but destroying homes of women and children while the men are dead or away is immoral and cowardly in my opinion..I guess I'm just an idealist Cash who wants America and all Americans to be a shining light to the world.When I see behavior which brings shame to Old Glory I certainly don't exalt it.I know Jeb Stuart fought the Commanchees in Texas, but I've never read about him killing women and children but I'll admit it's possible.Robert E Lee from my primitive studies seems to be almost the most perfect human I've ever met.Note I said human and not commander.I can't believe he'd do that but anything is possible.Please don't provide evidence to the contrary on Lee if you have it.There are so few Americans who I really admire, I'd rather not know his sins if real or imagined.I'd be interested to see info on Suart though.Time to go to football practice Cash.It does wonders for my self-esteem as a coach when players can't remember the plays I thought I expertly taught them.
Charleston was seen as the flash point for the WTBS by many Northerners. Its destruction would have been seen as a psychological boost to Northern morale.
BTW Calicoboy, as a 21 year veteran of the USAF (both Active and Reserve), I know for a fact that todays US Armed Forces have gone out of ourway, even at a risk to our own lives, to prevent civilian casualties (not redily reported, as the media would rather report our mistakes and failures). A far cry from the atrocities committed by both sides (I think another thread talks about this) in the WTBS.
__________________ F. S. Powers
Union Ancersor: Pvt Arnuah Norton, 60th Ohio. (G-G-G Grandfather) Died at Salisbury NC, November 3, 1864
Confederate Ancestors: Captain Thomas A. Morrow, 29th Texas Cavalry (G-G-G- Uncle) and 2LT George W. Morrow, 31st Texas Cavalry (G-G-G Grandfather). Both survived the war
Hey Cash,
That was a rather appropriate quote.I apologize for the idiots out there with Confederate sympathies celebrating the criminals you mentioned.There acts were despicable as well.I'll holler at you later friend ,I must go to football practice.It does wonders for my self-esteem as a coach to have to keep reteaching the same plays over and over.
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