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- Joined
- Feb 6, 2010
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OK, when somebody asks you when the Civil War ended, what do you say?
- Alan
- Alan
It most certainly WAS THE CENTRAL issue that most our Southern boys were fighting and dying for. The Federal/Executive branch of Government was overstepping its boundaries at that time and hungry for more power OVER each individual State, as history has clearly shown and documented.Especially since it was not an issue fought over in the Civil War.
It most certainly WAS THE CENTRAL issue that most our Southern boys were fighting and dying for. The Federal/Executive branch of Government was overstepping its boundaries at that time and hungry for more power OVER each individual State, as history has clearly shown and documented.
But that's a horse of a different color on this thread...
I agree, June 1865Confederate General Stand Watie, commanding Indian troops, did not surrender until late June 1865. The dude would not give up. It was only over when he agreed it was over.
I couldn't disagree more with the "centralization vs decentralization" argument that it is shared by all polities. Only in the US is centralization vs decentralization tied to civil rights - ie voting. Centralization is valid in a state if it wants to suppress (control, restrict, limit, pick a word) voting despite what local authorities might want to do.
It's over?
From a military point of view, I'll take August 2, 1865, when CSS Shenandoah received confirmation from the British bark Barracouta that the war was over; she struck her battery below and ceased offensive operations. Although it was in large part due to the slow speed of communications, it was a long-standing principle that wars ended when the news of the end reached the fighting units (the classic example being the Battle of New Orleans in 1815), and up to that moment, the Shenandoah was still an active fighting unit operating under orders.
She would not have engaged an American ship if she had encountered one during the voyage to England.
I'm going for June 23rd ( my birthday!) 1865 when Brig.Gen. Stand Watie's Native Americans, being the last significant Confederate land force, surrenders at Doaksville near Fort Towson in Indian Territory.
In July, Gen. Jo Shelby did lead several hundred Confederates to the Rio Grande & Mexico.
I am not 100% sure about that but I have always considered him to be the most Successful Field Commander in the Trans-Mississippi West !One thing I'm curious about - wasn't Watie's command part of the Trans-Mississippi? Should he not have been included in Kirby Smith's surrender? Did it just take that long for the word to get to him?
One thing I'm curious about - wasn't Watie's command part of the Trans-Mississippi? Should he not have been included in Kirby Smith's surrender? Did it just take that long for the word to get to him?