This Empty Field

[JCSettle]

A couple years ago, I was visiting the Manassas Battlefield with my mom, sister, and some of her friends. We walked all over battlefield on a hot July day, and I could feel the spirits of the soldiers around me. As we were going home, and even to this day, my mom and sister say it was a worthless day. They say they could have taken a walk around our farm, and have the same experience. I keep explaining to them of the importance of the battlefield. And everytime I talk of about a battlefield, my sister said, "It's just an empty field, and a bunch of dirt." Why does she think that? Why do people look at the battlefields, and say there worthless. Do they not reconize that thousand of men were killed on these field. The feeling of the men and boys who fought the battles, and the hot lead that fills the air. How come some people can't understand it?

 

[ole]

If you try to find a reason for some to feel that way, JC, you will spend the rest of your life wondering. Let it go. Some don't care, some do. You obviously care; you can't fix those who don't.

 

[lakertaker]

My avatar photo shows me standing on a oak savanna prairie bluff in southern Minnesota. For centuries, people camped, hunted, and traversed on this land. There are no monuments stating this, but I can feel it when I walk the terrain. And looking at the land, it only makes sense that this would be a great spot to set-up camp in the summer months. People hunted mastodon, mammoths, and caribou on this land. My wife doesn't feel the connection I do, but is polite when I tell her there is something special about this area.

 

[JerseyBart]

A couple years ago, I was visiting the Manassas Battlefield with my mom, sister, and some of her friends. We walked all over battlefield on a hot July day, and I could feel the spirits of the soldiers around me. As we were going home, and even to this day, my mom and sister say it was a worthless day. They say they could have taken a walk around our farm, and have the same experience. I keep explaining to them of the importance of the battlefield. And everytime I talk of about a battlefield, my sister said, "It's just an empty field, and a bunch of dirt." Why does she think that? Why do people look at the battlefields, and say there worthless. Do they not reconize that thousand of men were killed on these field. The feeling of the men and boys who fought the battles, and the hot lead that fills the air. How come some people can't understand it?

It sounds so common sense and reasonable to us why these people, places, events and stories are importance. Some just don't get it and never will. It's unfortunate, but it is the way some people are. Changing them is a difficult, if not impossible task.

 

[Lefty]

Manassas if one of my favorite NPS Parks. Two for the price of one. 1st & 2nd Bull Run. Plenty of tactics to study. Two completely disparate yet important conflicts. Rookies at the 1st and established veterans at the 2nd.

Most ordinary average American-types prefer the recent Battle of 3rd Manassas where Disney almost ruled and where you can shop, ignore history & have your nails & cutipeds done while spooning stone-crushed ice cream...... conveniently ignoring the century & a half old carnage that took place on the site of the shopping mall they brainlessly indulge in.

http://www.civilwar.org/

 

[JCSettle]

It sounds so common sense and reasonable to us why these people, places, events and stories are importance. Some just don't get it and never will. It's unfortunate, but it is the way some people are. Changing them is a difficult, if not impossible task.

As long as people like us keep it alive, they will matter to others.

 

[ole]

Lefty, Leftyhunter is alive, well, and prowling the board.

 

[JerseyBart]

As long as people like us keep it alive, they will matter to others.

Amen to that!!! Some may not be interested in U.S. History or aspects of it, but touring battlefields and going to lectures at the local county college full of adults, the elderly and college age students lets me know that the love will continue and we are not a dying breed.

 

[M E Wolf]

A couple years ago, I was visiting the Manassas Battlefield with my mom, sister, and some of her friends. We walked all over battlefield on a hot July day, and I could feel the spirits of the soldiers around me. As we were going home, and even to this day, my mom and sister say it was a worthless day. They say they could have taken a walk around our farm, and have the same experience. I keep explaining to them of the importance of the battlefield. And everytime I talk of about a battlefield, my sister said, "It's just an empty field, and a bunch of dirt." Why does she think that? Why do people look at the battlefields, and say there worthless. Do they not reconize that thousand of men were killed on these field. The feeling of the men and boys who fought the battles, and the hot lead that fills the air. How come some people can't understand it?

JCSettle,

You'll go crazy trying to answer 'human' quirks and if you're engulfed in analyzing things to excess, you'll miss life and opportunities around you (in a general sense).

You may also have a relative in your blood lines that have the connection to you in some way. I wouldn't be discouraged by others if you can sense things and others cannot. I too have been around Manassas Battlefield and mounted on one of the many horses I owned through the years, reacted differently as I rode on those trails and near the known sites of awful carnage. I had a horse that was rather unflappable start shaking and prancing in place as if being shocked by a mild cattle prod type reaction. I knew that the artillery was there where Griffin's Battery was--many an artillery horse was killed in that area. As soon as I moved off from that area--the horse was back to his normal self. Another horse I owned, didn't react to that spot but, did go into a side-pass (moving sideways) in an area to which a Ranger said was the general spot where many horses were killed by a hail of gunfire from the Confederates. Rest of the trail was fine and a few other experiences such as that. These horses weren't owned at the same time so, they couldn't have swapped horse tales (pun alert) and, I too have experienced chills and hair rising in spots.

In order to relate, some people have to have a connection to something they care about. Not everybody is interested in war, battlefields, soldiers--history. Not everybody is interested in their own family "roots"--and as one said "to each their own..." Just share with others who appreciate your sentiments.

Just my opinions.

M. E. Wolf

 

[M E Wolf]

Settle in the O.R.s...

O.R.--SERIES I--VOLUME XLI/3 [S# 85]
CONFEDERATE CORRESPONDENCE, ORDERS, AND RETURNS RELATING TO OPERATIONS IN LOUISIANA AND THE TRANS-MISSISSIPPI STATES AND TERRITORIES, FROM SEPTEMBER 1, 1864, TO OCTOBER 15, 1864.--#1

OFFICE OF POST COMMISSARY,
Houston, September 11, 1864.
Capt. A. H. MAY,
Assistant Adjutant-General:
CAPTAIN: I beg leave to report a deficiency of subsistence stores at this post. The duty of procuring supplies devolves upon the chief purchasing commissary, Major Maclin, and his assistants. In obedience to an order from Maj. E. B. Pendleton, chief commissary, headquarters at Galveston, I shipped to the post commissary on the 15th ultimo 15,000 pounds of flour. Draining the post as it did completely, I have been unable to issue other than full rations of corn meal to the sick in hospital, troops, and detailed employés at this post. The bakeries for the manufacture of hard bread have been stopped also for the want of flour; when the supply of flour on hand was adequate the bakery turned out from 1,000 to 1,500 pounds hard bread per day. For the last three or four months soap has ceased to be issued, but once in a while a small amount of soft soap could be purchased from country farmers, which would not last, however, beyond a few days. Daily inquiry is being made for candles, an article much required for the different departments here. A supply was formerly procured from the post commissary at Galveston, but have been unable to procure any during the last three months. Captain Richardson, assistant commissary of subsistence at Harrisburg, is the purchasing agent or assistant of Major Maclin in this district, and from his agent I have been drawing supplies of corn, which stock is now exhausted, and at present I am at a loss to know where or whom to look to for a fresh supply.
Very respectfully, your obedient servant,
J. A. SETTLE,
Captain and Assistant Commissary of Subsistence.
-----

• • Soldiers and Sailors Database -
    
    www.civilwar.nps.gov/ - Similarto Soldiers and Sailors Database -
    The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is a database containing information about the men who served in the Union and Confederate armies during ...

Search For Soldiers
Search For Soldiers. ... Search For Soldiers. The Civil War ... The Civil War
Search For Soldiers - People - Overview - Stories - ...
Search For Regiments
Search For Regiments. ... Search For Regiments ... Search For Cemeteries
Search For Cemeteries. ... Search For Cemeteries ...
Soldiers
The Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System (CWSS) is a database ... 6th Regiment, Ohio Cavalry
Wartime photo of Union regiment of African American soldiers.
[ More results from nps.gov ]

For some reason it is down today (Jan. 26, 2013 8:27 p.m. eastcoast time)

 

[Lefty]

Lefty, Leftyhunter is alive, well, and prowling the board.

Ole,
I hate spies. {WINK}

 

[ole]

The winking is irresistable when we have a Lefty and a Lefthunter posting at the same time.

 

[JerseyBart]

JCSettle,

You'll go crazy trying to answer 'human' quirks and if you're engulfed in analyzing things to excess, you'll miss life and opportunities around you (in a general sense).

M. E. Wolf

So true Wolf. I make it a strict policy no to try changing/fixing adults. I offer advice, if asked or not, twice, if I think that an adult isn't acting like one or should know better than to be doing, thinking and saying what he or she is doing, thinking and saying. After that, they're on their own. I shrug my shoulders at them if they ask me why whatever the event, incident or otherwise went wrong, negatively or blew up in their face. "Sorry...you're an adult. You should know better or think first. And by the way...I told you so." Is what I say in my head.

 

[RebelCause]

JCSettle,

You'll go crazy trying to answer 'human' quirks and if you're engulfed in analyzing things to excess, you'll miss life and opportunities around you (in a general sense).

You may also have a relative in your blood lines that have the connection to you in some way. I wouldn't be discouraged by others if you can sense things and others cannot. I too have been around Manassas Battlefield and mounted on one of the many horses I owned through the years, reacted differently as I rode on those trails and near the known sites of awful carnage. I had a horse that was rather unflappable start shaking and prancing in place as if being shocked by a mild cattle prod type reaction. I knew that the artillery was there where Griffin's Battery was--many an artillery horse was killed in that area. As soon as I moved off from that area--the horse was back to his normal self. Another horse I owned, didn't react to that spot but, did go into a side-pass (moving sideways) in an area to which a Ranger said was the general spot where many horses were killed by a hail of gunfire from the Confederates. Rest of the trail was fine and a few other experiences such as that. These horses weren't owned at the same time so, they couldn't have swapped horse tales (pun alert) and, I too have experienced chills and hair rising in spots.

In order to relate, some people have to have a connection to something they care about. Not everybody is interested in war, battlefields, soldiers--history. Not everybody is interested in their own family "roots"--and as one said "to each their own..." Just share with others who appreciate your sentiments.

Just my opinions.

M. E. Wolf

What an amazing story. Living in Australia I've haven't visited any of the battle sites. One of my main priorities is to travel to America to see many of the battle sites [and New York too] . To those of you who live close by it must be like walking through history every day.

 

[FrazierC]

My brother generally felt the same way as your sister about stuff like that. My family was passing by Gettysburg a few years ago on the way home from a wedding, and they agreed to stop there for a few hours. Something about standing on Little Round Top affected him, though. He seemed to show a little more respect after we visited Gettysburg; perhaps it was the size of the battlefield or looking out across the Picketts Charge field and saying, "They did what!?!?" I'll never know.

 

[Nathanb1]

Luckily, there are groups like the Civil War Trust who don't think that way and who help preserve and enhance our knowledge of battlefields as hallowed ground. Forget the "don't care" folks and hang with us obsessive-compulsives!

 

[Drew]

Some folks get it, others don't. I was brought to Gettysburg as a child, to see a statue of a family member who fought there with distinction. There were feelings of that place that have never left me. I'm sorry to bore the forum, but I really lean on a gg grandfather's account, as a private soldier. He was at Manassas:

"We received orders to proceed to Richmond, where we landed on June 20. 1861. About the 10th day of July we were ordered to Manassas. On the way to Manassas we were in a railroad wreck. The Kentucky troops lost 32 men killed and wounded, but we escaped without the loss of a man. We did not get into the battle at Manassas, but here we saw the first horrors of war. We camped there two or three days and our men went over the battlefield and saw the graves of the soldiers and the destruction of the battle."