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!
There's the rub. The rebellion was initiated by the landed slave holding oligarchy and it swept most of the remainder of the South with it. They fancied themselves a "government" and sat back and watched, as their trusting youth and their sacred states were devastated.
This was no popular uprising in any respect.
I won't disagree with any of that Ya'll and what ole and Borderruffian said too.
You don't have to be a DangYankee to see that Johnny got swept up in a whole bunch of stuff that, in ordinary times, he couldn't have cared less about.
ole
__________________ I never knew a man who wished to be himself a slave. Consider if you know any good thing that no man desires for himself. A. Lincoln
I'm in agreement that it has nothing to do with bein a Dang Yankee, UnionBlue or wearing Blue tinted glasses etc. etc..
I'd do nothing to disparage the memory of those rank and file Johnnies and I hold them with all respect due to them.
The Southern leadership on the other hand and by this I mean Davis and cronies I hold with nothing but total Contempt.
My sentiments exactly.
I feel obliged to inform you all that I ain't the big unreconstructed Rebel I claim to be. Would you beleive I sang the National Anthem at a Mounted Shooting event on Saturday? I had a retired USAF Colonel tell me it brought tears to his eyes. He also said it made his horse sick. I ain't sure if that was a good thing or not, but I took it as a compliment.
Last edited by Ozark Iron John; 09-19-2007 at 09:03 AM.
I'd say they didn't lack the fortitude so long as someone else was doing the fighting.
ole
ERROR! error! ERROR! error! (well, you get the idea.)
Ole, there went your A for the semester. The "landed gentry" did in fact join the fracas hundreds, perhaps thousands of times in the South. Not the politicians, but the men of means, the plantation owners, doctors, even lawyers, Indian chiefs and bankers all across the South. Many of them were buried where they fell.
__________________ Ancestors in US Army: 13th TN Cav; 10th TN Cav; 3rd NC Inf
Ancestors in CSA Army: 48th VA; 63rd VA, 5th NC Cav; 37th NC
Wife and Grandson's CSA: 15th AL, 51st GA, 41st TN; 36th TN; GA Mil 1197 Dist
ERROR! error! ERROR! error! (well, you get the idea.)
Ole, there went your A for the semester. The "landed gentry" did in fact join the fracas hundreds, perhaps thousands of times in the South. Not the politicians, but the men of means, the plantation owners, doctors, even lawyers, Indian chiefs and bankers all across the South. Many of them were buried where they fell.
The young sons of them, perhaps.
__________________ -
"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
The biggest mark against the southern oligarchy (leadership) was their willingness to sacrifice the lives of their children for the confederacy, but not their slaves.
As noted previously, the hearts of the southern leadership simply was not in 'Any' war that did not guarantee slavery.
The biggest mark against the southern oligarchy (leadership) was their willingness to sacrifice the lives of their children for the confederacy, but not their slaves.
As noted previously, the hearts of the southern leadership simply was not in 'Any' war that did not guarantee slavery.
Slaves were expensive. You could always make more kids.
__________________ Ancestors in US Army: 13th TN Cav; 10th TN Cav; 3rd NC Inf
Ancestors in CSA Army: 48th VA; 63rd VA, 5th NC Cav; 37th NC
Wife and Grandson's CSA: 15th AL, 51st GA, 41st TN; 36th TN; GA Mil 1197 Dist
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