Civil War Sesquicentennial Year

[Cannoneer]

The war's first major engagement erupts at Manassas, Virginia (Battle of Bull Run) July 21, 1861.



FROM THE SILENCE OF SORROWFUL HOURS,
THE DESOLATE MOURNERS GO.
LOVINGLY LADEN WITH FLOWERS,
ALIKE FOR THE FRIEND AND THE FOE:
UNDER THE SOD AND THE DEW,
WAITING THE JUDGEMENT DAY.
UNDER THE ROSES THE BLUE
UNDER THE LILIES THE GRAY.

[shooter2]

The 150th year since the start of the Civil War was part of my motivation to attempt the World Cannon Viewing Tour.  Even though I intend to approach the battlefields with the appropriate respect, I have no doubt the level of carnage and death enacted on these fields will have a very sobering effect on me. 

May these events never befall you again.

Lest we forget.

shooter2

[GGaskill]

It seems that since the rise of "civilization," warfare has been the outstanding characteristic of human endeavor, either fighting with ourselves or fighting with our neighbors.

[Cannoneer]

I always remember the date of the Battle of First Manassas because it‘s my birthday, but I hadn’t intended on posting anything until I watched a number of fine programs about the CW on C-SPAN3 over the weekend. More than a few of those shows were historic accounts of the “Battle of Bull Run,” which was the first large battle of the bloodiest of our wars. These figures show how the battles became more brutal as the war proceeded. First Manassas, Union forces: 460 killed, 1,124 wounded, 1,312 missing/captured, and the Confederate forces: 387 killed, 1,582 wounded, 13 missing. At the Battle of  Second Manassas which occurred a little over a year later and lasted for three days (Aug. 28-30, 1862), there were an estimated total casualties of 22,180. At Gettysburg, three days of fighting (July 1-3, 1863) resulted in the combined casualties of both armies reaching somewhere between 46,000 and 51,000 troops.
A historian on one of the C-Span specials commented that staggering losses like these would never be tolerated by present day Americans.

[BUGEYE]

sometimes it seems like the battle plans were made in anger after imbibing at the local pub.
they didn't learn anything from the slaughters of the revolutionary war. you don't march across open fields and expect to live.
I've been to Andersonville prison and Shiloh and always treat the graves of both sides with respect.
both sides were brave men.