The Palmyra Massacre

[OldGreyMare]

Sometimes the fog of war can lead to some pretty nasty things. If you've seen your comrades killed, the temptation to retaliate or do something that might keep more of them from getting killed can tempt you to do some questionable acts. And as stated many times before: civil wars are particularly nasty -- probably because there's a sense of betrayal at work in one's emotions that doesn't get triggered by other sorts of wars; the closest emotion to love is hate and vice versa or so it's said. So the temptation is increased tenfold methinks.
Were these fellows guerillas or POWs? Guess it depends upon a person's individual pov. Probably a bit of both: one of the trademarks of civil wars is that the opposing sides are really not going to view each other as quite kosher and legitimate; it makes for a perfect breeding ground for guerilla actions and charges of the same -- a perfect storm of potential abuses, charges of abuse and so forth.
Getting caught by either side probably stunk in a lot of cases.

 

[damYankee]

True enough, I mistakenly related lynchings to this particular massacre, however, I'm doubt the victims of either or their survivors would make a distinction.
Civil Wars are always the most bloody affairs, our Civil War was the result of 70 or so years of antagonism between the combatants, make no mistake about it, Missouri and Kansas were the meat grinders long before the war started, the Missouri Compermise created a literal race between the pro and anti slavers and filled the territory with in many cases the most virulent supporters of both sides.
I have brought this up in other threads on this forums that we have to view these events through the eyes of those who lived at that time. This was a era where public executions was considered a great event for a family outing! So keep in mind life had little value if it was not yours.

 

[M E Wolf]

I wouldn't mind seeing a different 'topic' started where all the incidents of "retaliation executions" could be gathered, studied, discussed. It is a mutual black mark on American Military History--Confederate and Union.

M. E. Wolf

 

[Lost Cause]

Black Flag: Guerrilla Warfare on the Western Border, 1861-1865: A Riveting Account of a Bloody Chapter in Civil War History

Is an excellent, if not exhausting, read on retaliations in that area during the war.

http://www.amazon.com/dp/0253213037/?tag=civilwartalkc-20

 

[M E Wolf]

Lost Cause and all,

I've started a new thread on retaliation executions. May I have you start off by copy & paste onto that Thread so that we can keep this on topic of just Palmyra Massacre?

Thank you much sir!

M. E. Wolf
POSTED IN THE CAPACITY OF MODERATOR
Nov. 24, 2014 -- 11:18 p.m.