hrobalabama
First Sergeant
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
- Location
- Andalusia, AL
I have not thought about the mutilating of dead and wounded soldiers during the war of 1861-65.
I just finished reading a novel about the war and how the dead and wounded Southern soldiers were mutilated by
Northern soldiers by the cutting off the ears, noses, scalps;eyes gouged out and other horrible atrocities.
Now I am sure if it was done by one side. it was also performed by the other side as well. Was this just fiction or was it widespread during this negative period of American history? Was this sort of a "scalping" tendency carried over from the Native aborigines? In this story, a medical doctor observed this after major battles. He stated the"dead soldiers were mutilated and personal effects were put in their hands; eyeballs gouged out...etc."
I realize war is very cruel and human nature is very capable of perpetrating bizarre deeds, but this is hard to believe when "Billy Yank" and Johnny Reb" were amicable on picket duty and when taken prisoner by either side.
Is there ample evidence of these atrocities?
I just finished reading a novel about the war and how the dead and wounded Southern soldiers were mutilated by
Northern soldiers by the cutting off the ears, noses, scalps;eyes gouged out and other horrible atrocities.
Now I am sure if it was done by one side. it was also performed by the other side as well. Was this just fiction or was it widespread during this negative period of American history? Was this sort of a "scalping" tendency carried over from the Native aborigines? In this story, a medical doctor observed this after major battles. He stated the"dead soldiers were mutilated and personal effects were put in their hands; eyeballs gouged out...etc."
I realize war is very cruel and human nature is very capable of perpetrating bizarre deeds, but this is hard to believe when "Billy Yank" and Johnny Reb" were amicable on picket duty and when taken prisoner by either side.
Is there ample evidence of these atrocities?