Civil War History - "What if..." DiscussionsWhat if they had attacked instead of digging in...? What if he was in charge of the army instead...? Did you ever have a "What if..." question, and you weren't sure where to post it? Here's the place to ask these speculative questions!
Actually Brooks seemed like a formidable enough character by his lonesome. Maybe a better approach would be to talk to Sumner before the speech.
"Chuck, instead of the bit about South Carolineans being barbarians--I know, I know, its a great bit--why not start with a joke?" If this didn't work, I'd say, "OK, fine, go with barbarian--really compared with the other stuff in the speech it isn't that bad. Just sit with your back to the wall for the next few days."
I would have done everything in and out of my power to prevent the assassination of Abraham Lincoln.
I would have looked a Burnsides during Fredericksburg said, A., "Great idea waiting for those pontoons to arrive huh. I told you so." and B., "Do you really think sending one more advance up Marye's Heights is going to do a blessed thing?" Then when he sent it anyway, I would have said, "I told you so," again. Then sent him back to his headquarters and let the adults handle it.
During the filming of Gettysburg, as Longstreet is riding on horseback on July 3rd and the middle of his beard flopped around like Rollie Fingers' mustache, I would have yelled cut, given Berenger a comb to fix it and fired the beard guy. I would have then sent him back in time and forced him to participate in Pickett's Charge, on horseback, wearing something neon.
Bart
__________________ "Thank You....Noooo."
Major Charles Emerson Winchester III M.A.S.H. 4077th
I'll have to say that the assassination of Lincoln was probably the worst possible event, considering it's future ramifications.
Other than that, the general idea by the Southern elite to make war, at the expense of the devastation of the South, must be something to be reconsidered; not just at Sumter, as I think they would have done so elsewhere. Those so-called 'fire-eaters' must surely be eating it in Hell for the death and destruction they sowed amongst their countrymen.
__________________ -
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
I would definately like to go back to the groups that douped others to fight this war (North and South), let them look at what the consequences of their actions...say from April 1865, somewhere in the mid 1870s or 1880s, jump ahead to the early 1900s, the 1930s or 1940s, then the 1950s or 1960s. Then say, "way to go. Someone actually trusted you to do the right thing."
Bart
__________________ "Thank You....Noooo."
Major Charles Emerson Winchester III M.A.S.H. 4077th
On the other hand, there are those who believe that this conflict was enevitable and could only be resolved by bloodshed, in order to finally scourge the nation of the institution of slavery.
__________________ -
"It was a very peculiar time." - Franklin D. Cossitt
Ancestors in USA Army: 6th IA Inf, 11th IL Cav, 1st AL Cav; 122nd NY Inf; 6th MI Cav; 35th MA Inf; 100th IL Inf; 1st CO Inf/Cav; 22nd IN Inf
I'll have to agree with SAMGRANT, just like the wars in our lifetime reason did not prevail. And while my sympathies are southern, I don't think this nation, or the world for that matter would not have been better off had the Confederacy prevailed. I do agree that preventing Lincoln's assination would have been a good thing.
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