Through the lens of war

[Commander CMG]

The Civil War holds many firsts within the pages of history – the first and only American civil war, and the first implementation of income tax to fund it.

But it was also the first war that was captured on film, with the advent of black and white cameras allowing photographers to illustrate the true carnage of the battlefield in ways that had not previously been seen.

More than 200 pictures, which are now on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, also serve as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by millions of soldiers as they fought to make slaves ‘forever free.’

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[wolfknight]

Nothing Civil about 500.000 dead

[Kowalski]

More than 200 pictures, which are now on display at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, also serve as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made by millions of soldiers as they fought to make slaves ‘forever free.’

If the Civil War was about freeing the slaves, then I'm the Queen of England...

[ninjadude]

If the Civil War was about freeing the slaves, then I'm the Queen of England...

Your majesty should read some actual history then and not the "revisionist" claptrap.

[Kowalski]

Your majesty should read some actual history then and not the "revisionist" claptrap.

Oh, you made a funny...

Look, I have read a lot on the Civil War, and pretty much have watched as many Civil War documentaries that I can get my hands on. I'm a amateur family genealogist, and I had MANY ancestors who fought for the Confederacy (My husband's ancestors fought for the Union, because they were all from Indiana and Illinois) and VERY many of the didn't own a SINGLE SLAVE according to the census records I have. (On my grandpa's side, we had some family from Louisiana that owned a huge plantation before and after the Civil War, so yes, these individuals did own slaves)

Pretty much MOST Yankees were fighting for the preservation of Union. Not to "free all men". Lincoln freed the slaves, to make the South lose all credibility with foreign powers such as Britain, and France, while we were seeking help from them. Then of course, you did have some Yankees who thought that slaves should be free, but they DID NOT think them equal, or many Northern states continued to not allow blacks the right to vote. Robert E Lee detested slavery. So, did Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, who actually taught his slaves to read the Bible, and held Bible studies with them. At this time, allowing slaves to read or write was against the law.

[Ashotep]

The one where they removed that poor mans foot put me in pain. Having an amputation in that point in history wasn't pleasant and then you still might die from infection. So much suffering and killing.

Here's some more pictures and some are the same but number 8 really got me. It looked like they burying a bunch of bones. I guess they laid out on the battlefield so long that was all that was left. No wonder some of those battlefields are haunted.

Photographs of the American Civil War

[Kowalski]

The one where they removed that poor mans foot put me in pain. Having an amputation in that point in history wasn't pleasant and then you still might die from infection. So much suffering and killing.

Here's some more pictures and some are the same but number 8 really got me. It looked like they burying a bunch of bones. I guess they laid out on the battlefield so long that was all that was left. No wonder some of those battlefields are haunted.

Photographs of the American Civil War

Thanks for posting this. I really love to read about anything to do with the Civil War. It's really hard to imagine my ancestors going through such battles as Antietam or Little Round Top at Gettysburg is just mind boggling. I can't imagine going through that type of carnage and death. It took a special type of courage to deal with what they had to deal with. Not to mention the camp conditions they had to deal with...

[ninjadude]

Pretty much MOST Yankees were fighting for the preservation of Union.

First, I am most of what you said as well. Amateur family genealogist, had relatives that fought in the Union. Just because people didn't own slaves doesn't mean they were not passionate about it. Or that they were not passionate about preserving the Union.

But that aside, the quote above is the critical part. WHY would they need to preserve the Union. The answer is at least partially brought about by slavery. The idea of abolition of slavery didn't suddenly occur to Lincoln or to the country. It had been a sore point for decades. Yes there was political motivation. And while there are many reasons for the civil war, dismissing slavery as you have done, is the height of revisionist ridiculousness.

and the fact that this even comes up 160 years later goggles the mind

Edited April 6, 2013 by ninjadude

[ninjadude]

. It took a special type of courage to deal with what they had to deal with.

I would say a special type of stupidity to stand across from each other in open lines and fire back and forth.

[F3SS]

What's so civil about war anyway?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YMxrq1lThPM&sns=em

Edited April 6, 2013 by -Mr_Fess-

[Kowalski]

I would say a special type of stupidity to stand across from each other in open lines and fire back and forth.

There is no use in arguing with someone who could support Obama. It's like arguing with a brick wall.

[F3SS]

I think you're both right. Courage/stupidity but that's how it was done back then.

[Kowalski]

I think you're both right. Courage/stupidity but that's how it was done back then.

Custer is a good example of that. You don't know whether to call it stupidity or bravery...

[F3SS]

For thousands of years thousands of troops stood in opposing lines each with spears and knowing their only job was to run as hard as they could directly into eachother. There was always the great possibility that you would get clubbed in the face with something hard and/or spikey. In the 1800's they still did it even knowing on top of pointy things there are lines of men with guns and cannons and they're going to fire right at you unless you kill them. Way out in the middle of the ocean two gigantic slow clipper ships would face eachother and fire cannons and shoot flaming arrows into eachothers sails.

Those are by far the dumbest things to do in the world but that's how it was always done until planes and vehicles came along.

[No Censorship]

Nothing Civil about 500.000 dead

It indeed wasn't a civil war. It was a war for secession. It was nothing like the English or Spanish civil wars. It was more like Chechnya. The southern states did not want control and power over the northern states. They wanted to break away from them. I always thought that it was ridiculous to call it a civil war, when it definitely wasn't. You didn't need to be a pedant to be bothered by this inaccurate term.