The biggest problem with studying the Civil War

[Rob9641]

Is there is so MUCH to learn. Trying to learn the nuances of a single battle is daunting - trying to follow the culture and politics going into the war is virtually impossible, and then there's reconstruction. Getting the facts straight is like lifting weights, and then you have so many different VIEWS of the facts. I get discouraged sometimes.

 

[K Hale]

Aw! That's like saying eating ice cream is discouraging because there's so much of it in the world.

 

[wilber6150]

Is there is so MUCH to learn. Trying to learn the nuances of a single battle is daunting - trying to follow the culture and politics going into the war is virtually impossible, and then there's reconstruction. Getting the facts straight is like lifting weights, and then you have so many different VIEWS of the facts. I get discouraged sometimes.

What you see as a problem is actually its biggest strength, you will never run out of things to learn or discover, and there are always new places to see and explore that you never knew existed.. Also, you can tie so many other hobbies into this one, like travel and photography.. Studying the Civil War is like eating a never ending turkey buffet, it might tire you out after a while but when you wake up hungry again there will always be more to take in..

 

[Rob9641]

Aw! That's like saying eating ice cream is discouraging because there's so much of it in the world.

I'm lactose intolerant.

 

[Rob9641]

What you see as a problem is actually its biggest strength, you will never run out of things to learn or discover, and there are always new places to see and explore that you never knew existed.. Also, you can tie so many other hobbies into this one, like travel and photography.. Studying the Civil War is like eating a never ending turkey buffet, it might tire you out after a while but when you wake up hungry again there will always be more to take in..

I'm not turkey intolerant. I want to UNDERSTAND, tho, you know, how one thing led to another, what one side's view meant to the other side, how McClellan couldn't see what others saw in him, all that kind of stuff. That's really, really hard.

 

[ole]

So you understand the obsession, Rob. It don't get better. Climb on the CW hook and you're bait. So we're all a touch wierd. At least we have a board that understands and tolerates us. And there is no guarantee about understanding. Maybe it will come to you and maybe it won't. But you've signed on and we get to go roundy round. Forever.

 

[wilber6150]

I'm not turkey intolerant. I want to UNDERSTAND, tho, you know, how one thing led to another, what one side's view meant to the other side, how McClellan couldn't see what others saw in him, all that kind of stuff. That's really, really hard.

Just realize that you will never get everyone to agree with your conclusions and you will never agree with everyone else's so dont go crasy trying to change that and you will be ok.

 

[Elennsar]

I kind of do have to agree that there's so darn much to wade through.

Even assuming one can sort out fact from fiction more or less easily (lucky you, whoever you are), there's still so much information - this was a period filled with a LOT going on.

In some ways that's good, but I do think I agree in part with Rob here.

 

[Will Posey]

I'm not turkey intolerant. I want to UNDERSTAND, tho, you know, how one thing led to another, what one side's view meant to the other side, how McClellan couldn't see what others saw in him, all that kind of stuff. That's really, really hard.

Relax and enjoy the ride.


Will

 

[proud texan]

It's great!!; the whole ball of wax. It's difficult for me to try and remain in the middle and not be biased. As some can see by some of my posts.

 

[captainrlm]

I disagree...

Seriously, just look at the variety of books available. Some have hundreds of pages to discuss the entire war; others have hundreds of pages to describe one battle (or one day of one battle, such as Gettysburg.) While the amount of information can be frustrating, it can also be beneficial by allowing you to find the aspects which interest you and to focus on them. For instance, I generally like the social and political aspects a bit better than the technical military details. Obviously, it's probably ideal to study all aspects, but if you're studying for your own enjoyment or knowledge, there are plenty of areas to choose from.

Just realize that you will never get everyone to agree with your conclusions and you will never agree with everyone else's so dont go crasy trying to change that and you will be ok.

 

[The Iron Duke]

The vast amount of primary sources available on the ACW means that there is always something new to read about. World War 2 is the same way. Many other time periods, particularly if they are from the Ancient or Medieval eras, have so little source material that once you read 2 or 3 books on a subject you've covered all the bases. For example, I am often left feeling flat about particular Roman generals because I want to know more about them but the information simply isn't there.

 

[Glorybound]

I wish I could learn how to picture distances in my mind's eye. When I read about a 7 mile defensive perimeter, or a 17 mile long wagon train, I can't picture it, at least accurately. The Shiloh battlefield - is miles long and miles wide, and there was a little bitty church on it, yet when I read about the battle I can't picture the distance...it's all clustered up. When I went to Antietam Creek battlefield the only reference point was the little Dunker church building. I wandered about in parts of the remainder of the huge battlefield but could not get my bearings or an accurate picture. I think I might be terrain-challenged.

 

[Elennsar]

The vast amount of primary sources available on the ACW means that there is always something new to read about. World War 2 is the same way. Many other time periods, particularly if they are from the Ancient or Medieval eras, have so little source material that once you read 2 or 3 books on a subject you've covered all the bases. For example, I am often left feeling flat about particular Roman generals because I want to know more about them but the information simply isn't there.

So true. And even if there is more information, it gets increasingly difficult as you go back to sort out what's an incurable bias vs. someone really being as hateful as the chronicler portrays them as. We have enough sources to balance out on say, Robert E. Lee. We don't on say, Richard III.

Which brings up another good thing. We can argue endlessly on what Hannibal did with no real way of pinning down what he was going on because we literally don't have the information.

Picking Hannibal as something where the next (known) primary source written to praise Hannibal would be the first, so we get a particularly slanted - yet with no way to sift it other than raw good judgment - view.

With so much written by both sides on the Civil War, we get much more to work with.

I feel torn between this and the fact I kind of agree that there's just a colossal amount out there (in the sense that's daunting). But it is ultimately more of a plus than a minus, however overwhelming it feels when approaching it, to actually understanding it.

 

[Brenal]

I wish I could learn how to picture distances in my mind's eye. When I read about a 7 mile defensive perimeter, or a 17 mile long wagon train, I can't picture it, at least accurately. The Shiloh battlefield - is miles long and miles wide, and there was a little bitty church on it, yet when I read about the battle I can't picture the distance...it's all clustered up. When I went to Antietam Creek battlefield the only reference point was the little Dunker church building. I wandered about in parts of the remainder of the huge battlefield but could not get my bearings or an accurate picture. I think I might be terrain-challenged.

Sounds a bit worrying coming from a truck driver..

 

[wilber6150]

In addition, with this period there is always a chance that new information will turn up in someones attic or other places unexpectedly...

 

[Rob9641]

I wish I could learn how to picture distances in my mind's eye. When I read about a 7 mile defensive perimeter, or a 17 mile long wagon train, I can't picture it, at least accurately. The Shiloh battlefield - is miles long and miles wide, and there was a little bitty church on it, yet when I read about the battle I can't picture the distance...it's all clustered up. When I went to Antietam Creek battlefield the only reference point was the little Dunker church building. I wandered about in parts of the remainder of the huge battlefield but could not get my bearings or an accurate picture. I think I might be terrain-challenged.

I never really understood Pickett's Charge until I saw the film "Gettysburg" and those shots of the reenactors on the real field, spread so wide but STILL less than half as wide as the real thing. I remember thinking "Holy cow - now I understand why one of the UNION soldiers said it was the most beautiful thing he ever saw." Visualization really helps (and it helped that the film tried to keep the timing accurate, too).

As for Antietam, you weren't the only one who couldn't get your bearings. The terrain, adding the smoke, messed those armies too - one of the reasons the Sunken Lane action happened when it did.

 

[Glorybound]

Sounds a bit worrying coming from a truck driver..

Yeah, tell me about it. Luckily I have my atlas and my trusty sidekick "Cecily" the wonder GPS girl.

I've found that satellite images of battlefields helps give the size a little perspective, Google maps etc. One time I reset my trip-ometer to zero and marked off 17 miles to try to get a better idea of the length of the Confederate wagon train on its retreat from Gettysburg. That was one long train.

 

[Brenal]

Yeah, tell me about it. Luckily I have my atlas and my trusty sidekick "Cecily" the wonder GPS girl.

I've found that satellite images of battlefields helps give the size a little perspective, Google maps etc. One time I reset my trip-ometer to zero and marked off 17 miles to try to get a better idea of the length of the Confederate wagon train on its retreat from Gettysburg. That was one long train.

I've always been amazed at the length of those trains, that 17 miles example is just a few yards short of my commute to work so easy for me to picture. Awesome.

 

[Southland]

17 miles was just one wagon train of General Imboden's. Don't know how long the others were.