150 Years since beginning of Civil War

[AU_Tiger_2000]

Found this by David Petzal's blog (writer for Field and Stream)

I’ve been a student of the Civil War since I was 13 and read a book by Mackinlay Kantor on the Battle of Gettysburg. What has never ceased to astound me throughout all my reading is how so many men showed so much steadfastness through so much adversity for so long.

Total killed for both sides was 620,000. That would be the equivalent of over 3,000,000 men today. In World War II, our total military deaths numbered 416,000. As Bruce Catton pointed out, simply to be in either army was dangerous.

If you were a Union soldier, and captured, you would go to Andersonville, or some place like it. If you were Confederate, you would go to Camp Douglas, near Chicago, or Elmira (NY) Prison, which were possibly worse than Andersonville.

If you were wounded, you could lie where you fell for days before anyone came to help. If you got help, the field hospitals to which you would be taken frightened many soldiers more than death.

If you were Confederate, you would be starving and in rags for much of the war. If you were a farmer, your family would starve as well.

If you were Union, you would have a uniform and enough to eat most of the time, but you would probably go into battle with the certain knowledge that your general commanding was a fool who would throw your life away.

Several times a year, for four years, there would be a battle with casualties of 20 to 30 percent. Today, a general who suffers 10 percent casualties would be relieved. Some regiments took 70 and 80 percent casualties in one battle. Some were virtually wiped out.

And they did this for four years. To paraphrase James Michener, where did we find such men?

[Saniflush]

One thing the that is left out by most people (especially northerners) about Andersonville is that the the death rate for confederate guards was the same as if you were imprisoned there.  Roughly 25%.  Things were tough for everyone.

[CCTAU]

One thing the that is left out by most people (especially northerners) about Andersonville is that the the death rate for confederate guards was the same as if you were imprisoned there.  Roughly 25%.  Things were tough for everyone.

Look up information on Camp Douglas. Horrible place. Goes to show that the War of Northern Aggression was perpetuated by evil Yankees deserving of the beating they should have received. Damn English. Abandoned us at the last moment, ensuring our demise. Now we have to have our children taught about it from Yankee books spreading Yankee lies......

[AUTailgatingRules]

Kind of off topic, but i believe that we will see another civil war in our lifetime.  This one will be between the haves and the have nots

[GH2001]

Kind of off topic, but i believe that we will see another civil war in our lifetime.  This one will be between the haves and the have nots

That war begin in 2008 economically. "Spread the wealth".

[AUTiger1]

That war begin in 2008 economically. "Spread the wealth".

Problem with that, is eventually the gov't will run out of other peoples money. 

[GH2001]

Problem with that, is eventually the gov't will run out of other peoples money.

Thats the way it should happen. But they just keep borrowing and printing more. Fiat money. An economy based on credit, socialism and entitlements (economic war) will eventually collapse. Then the physical war will begin.

[AU_Tiger_2000]

Kind of off topic, but i believe that we will see another civil war in our lifetime.  This one will be between the haves and the have nots

Yeah but it will be over real fast.  Everybody knows poor people can't afford ammo these days.