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- Jan 16, 2015
From time immemorial people have wrestled with the concept of “civilized warfare.” In the Civil War it was generally held that a prisoner should not be mistreated or harmed, but even so, there existed a gray area. For instance, should an enemy soldier be allowed to discharge his weapon at very close range, and then expect instantaneous mercy when captured? We can hold a philosophical debate in the comfort of peace, but war is intensely brutal. Can we reasonably expect a soldier filled with emotions like rage, hatred and fear, and who just witnessed comrades shot down by his side (some of whom might be close relatives), suddenly display a humane regard for a surrendered foe? We might excuse some cases, yet our human consciousness tells us when the line has clearly been crossed.
The following (slightly edited) examples from Gettysburg show a range of such circumstances for each reader to decide for themselves.
(I went around a rock) right on to the muzzle of the Yank’s gun. He could easily put his gun in my face; he stuck the gun out and fired and never touched me, then threw his gun up and begged for me to spare his life. And I told him alright, that I was not hurt, and at that instant a comrade came on the other side of the rock and would have shot him had I not kept him from it. (Private john R. Wilkerson, 3rd Arkansas)
(After surrendering) I came up to a big, burly Irishman, who presented his gun at my breast and was pulling the trigger, cursing me. A file closer saw what he would do and pushed the gun aside just as it fired, cursing him and bidding him to go forward and fight those who had not surrendered. (E. H. Sutton, 24th Georgia)
A Confederate soldier arrived at the foot of Christ Lutheran Church and called out for Chaplain Howell to surrender (Howell wore the uniform of a Union captain instead of the regulation black chaplain’s uniform). Instead of throwing up his hands, he attempted to explain that he was a non-combatant and thus exempt from capture. The soldier fired, killing Howell. He fell upon the landing at the top of the steps. (90th Pennsylvania account)
Lying wounded out in front of the lines on July 1, a group of rebel stragglers appeared. After telling them that the First Army Corps of the Army of the Potomac had held the position they appeared to be astounded. One burly Southerner, after telling me that I lied and saluting me with very opprobrious epithets, raised his musket to brain me. As he did so a General, handsomely uniformed and attended by a large staff, burst upon the scene. “What are you doing with that man,” he demanded. “He has lied to me; he says he belongs to the First Army Corps,” replied my would-be assailant. “So he does,” said the General. “Don’t you see the badge on his cap? Go away and let him alone. Go to your regiment.” (“Carleton,” 12th Massachusetts)
A Rebel lying behind a rock and firing at us surrendered [when] we got right up to him. Cal Dixon was about to shoot him. I said not to shoot. Dixon [afterwards told me] it had made him so mad to think he could lay behind the rock and fire at us, and then surrender. (Capt. Jacob B. Rumbaugh, 148th Pennsylvania)
As I approached the hospital [at the Eagle Hotel], I found a line of about a dozen of the 14th Brooklyn men formed across the entrance, disputing possession of their building with about 20 Rebels … I ordered the men to give up their arms and return into the hospital; all but four or five did so … I succeeded in saving all but one, who was shot through the heart. (Surgeon Algernon S. Coe, 147th New York)
Chamberlain was wounded, and while lying on the battlefield a Confederate soldier, seeing him, fired, intending to kill him. Chamberlain, seeing the Rebel soldier halt, instinctively raised his hand to his head and thereby saved his life, as the ball lodged in the back of his hand. During the remainder of his life the hand was withered and useless. (concerning William H. Chamberlain, 56th Pennsylvania)
One Confederate rose and fired at Maj. Boynton’s (13th Vermont) back after he had passed him. Several Vermonters took aim at the wounded Rebel, but Boynton told them not to shoot and the man was taken prisoner. (Benedict, Vermont Brigade)
After the battle my comrade shot a Rebel right in the head because he would not give up his gun. (Edward Freeman, 13th Vermont)
Captain M. W. B. Ellegood was mortally wounded and fell on the field. As the enemy’s line passed over, a Rebel soldier seeing the captain not yet dead, raised his musket to bayonet him, but his commanding officer called on him to desist and threatened to run him through if he ever knew him to injure a wounded or fallen foe. (Murphey, 1st Delaware)
I went about 30 rods after I was hit, got over a stone wall and laid down there. In a short time the enemy came over the wall where I lay. I asked one of them for a drink of water; he gave it to me, but while I was drinking he was loading his gun. He said he hated our men, then went off about eight rods and shot at me, but I happened to lay down so he did not hit me. He was the only one who saw me. The bushes were so thick I kept out of their sight. (Sergeant J. A. Bosworth, 141st Pennsylvania)
After being wounded on July 1, a Rebel straggler, unkempt and powder-begrimed, came along, and seeing an officer before him in the hated blue coat, demanded my arms. As no one but an officer had a right to disarm me, I told him to “Go to h---.” But instead of minding my admonition, he raised his gun, as if to club me. Luckily for my brain, however, as I was grabbing at my revolver, an officer on Gen. Gordon’s staff appeared, and stopped him. The officer rode up to me, demanding my arms, which I reluctantly surrendered. (Theodore Dodge, 119th New York)
I was stunned but not hurt. In coming to, I found myself inside the Rebel lines. A soldier shouted several times, “where is an officer?” Upon seeing me lying on the ground, he leveled his gun and was about to pull the trigger, when an officer of his company stepped in front of me and beckoning to his men said: “Come on, my brave boys, come on.” (Lt. Albert Wallber, 26th Wisconsin)
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