A window into time

[demiurge]

Sorry to put my scifi inclinations into a historical forum, but for those who like to play along...

If you had a window into time just for the period in and around the ACW, what would you want to see? What would you want to know more about?

If you could actually travel back to that time, would you? And if so, would you attempt to alter anything?

What are the insteresting points in time where change could happen? The nexus points of probabilities?

 

[Patrick H]

Somebody has to be the first to take this plunge--or at least among the first. I've thought about this quite a bit, because many interesting events happened right here in my home town and many interesting people came through during the war. However, if I could really do this, I think I'd drop into Howard County, Missouri--just across the river from where I live--and peek in on my ancestor's farm to see their life during that era.

 

[civilwarincolor]

If you could actually travel back to that time, would you? And if so, would you attempt to alter anything?

I did actually travel back in time. I left Special Orders 191 nicely wrapped around a few cigars for McClellan's men to find, but he just didn't seem to get it. Could have ended the war or at least saved a bunch of lives. When Lincoln sacked McClellan I gave up on time travel. What's the point? Should have left the cigars for Grant. Now there is someone that appreciates good cigars!

 

[demiurge]

Well, as long as Harry Turtledove doesn't go back in time and give the Confederates AK-47s.

 

[TFSmith121]

Sorry to put my scifi inclinations into a historical forum, but for those who like to play along...

If you had a window into time just for the period in and around the ACW, what would you want to see? What would you want to know more about?

If you could actually travel back to that time, would you? And if so, would you attempt to alter anything?

What are the insteresting points in time where change could happen? The nexus points of probabilities?

It's a fun thing to think about; setting aside the "if you could change something in the past" question because - if one could, given the long list of improbable events that led to the time traveler even existing, said time traveler would not exist - the option would be what would be rewarding or illuminating to see first-hand...

There are plenty to chose from, ranging from seeing what actually happened at a given event - Little Round Top and the 20th Maine's part in it, for example - to simply being able to observe a historic act - Lincoln walking through liberated Richmond, for example.

Best,

 

[Michael W.]

From a nice, safe distance, I would have loved to witness Pickett's Charge. I would have loved to been with Buford in the cupola of the seminary as he watched the Confederate advance up the Chambersburg Pike on day 1, but what I wish I could have witnessed the most was the Grand Review of Grant's and Sherman's Armies in Washington, D.C.

 

[Aussie Billy Sherman]

I'd trip John Wilkes Booth going up the stairs to kill Lincoln and hope he lands on his own knife

 

[JPK Huson 1863]

I'd got further back than that. Do some calculations on Booth's birthday, then show up at Mr. and Mrs. Edwin Booth's home around 300 days previous to that offering Edwin a long, long running play out of town.