To the Soldiers of the Union

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

How quickly do memories fade? Were the citizens of the United States forgetting about the Civil War in the immediate decades following the close of the conflict? Union veterans certainly thought so. In fact, they expressed a palpable anxiety when it came to remembrance...when it came to etching permanently their trials on to the national narrative.

This December 1877 column from the National Tribune, a veterans' publication, illustrates the troubling perception of memories fading - not the memories of those who fought and bled for Union, but those of the citizenry in general:

The events of the war, and the men of the war, are fast fading from the public attention. Its history is growing to be an "Old, Old Story." Public interest is weakening day by day. The memory of march, and camp, and battle-field, of the long and manly endurance, of the superb and uncomplaining courage, of the mass of sacrifice that redeemed the Nation, is fast dying out. Those who rejoice in the liberty and peace secured by the soldier's suffering and privation, accept the benefits, but deny or forget the benefactor.

Reflections such as these were typical; veterans seized the initiative and launched a number of campaigns to ensure that what they saw happening was corrected. Patriotic instruction spearheaded by the GAR, for instance, informed school age children of the causes and consequences of the fight to suppress rebellion. How do we gauge the success of their efforts? In the context of Civil War commemorations coexisting with an exponential increase in population, can we too  sense retrospectively that veterans were losing touch with the national character - especially since many new arrivals to the American shores had no real personal connection to the Civil War? Did Americans forget (or in certain instances, really never know) the benefactor?

I will be working through some of these questions and addressing the old intersecting with the new in upcoming posts. So stay tuned.

Peace,

Keith

Civil War Institute Conference 2012 - A Brief Debriefing

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Well - I braved yesterday's delayed flights in relatively good humor and arrived back home in Hollywood last night marking the official end of the Civil War Institute 2012 conference. From where I sit, fun was had by all - squeaky mattresses and "that" dorm smell notwithstanding.

This year the CWI offered a lineup of first-rate speakers and panelists. Clever folks one and all...the conversations over beers at the end of the day were scintillating to say the least.

The topic this year was the war in 1862. Emancipation naturally figured centrally. But we broached a number of other topics as well. The use of imagery of well known leaders and the dead at Antietam, campaign strategies, military executions, the lives of civilians during wartime, and border state identity crises found a home in the general conference narrative - a narrative that spanned the social, cultural, and political landscape of the Civil War broadly defined.

Approximately 350 attendees - all well informed Civil War enthusiasts, many of whom are (or were)  teachers - converged on Gettysburg with questions at the ready. As I stated at our last panel, I speak often to anyone who will listen about how important it is to be on board with the Web 2.0...how it is clearly the significant tool in terms of personal connections and the dissemination of information. We are currently living through a great educational paradigm shift in which Internet access instantaneously links academics with the public, accelerating the humanities in ways few could have imagined even ten years ago. But we need not lose sight of personal, face to face interaction. It might be the traditional (read: old) way of doing things...but that is not necessarily a bad thing.

I took quite a bit away from a week of engaging with the faculty and attendees at CWI this summer reminding me of just that and I have come to the conclusion that interaction should never be limited to one format. And thus, I suppose there will always be many ways to skin a cat (if any of my cats see this...fear not, you're safe).

Peace,

Keith

 

Ed Bearss at Fredericksburg

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Yesterday I spent the day touring the Fredericksburg battlefield with retired National Park Service chief historian, WWII Marine Corps veteran, and all-around fascinating speaker Ed Bearss. In this video segment, Mr. Bearss discusses some of the battle's opening actions - namely Union engineers constructing pontoon brdges across the Rappahannock River on December 11, 1862.

Mr. Bearss has a distinctive style and seems to possess unlimited enthusiasm and energy. Seriously - I could barely keep up with him...and he is almost 90. I you ever get the opportunity to tour a battlefield with him, jump on the chance - you won't regret it.

Peace,
Keith

When You've Gotta Go....

...you should consider your sectional loyalties carefully.

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

You probably all know by now that I am an avid runner. Yesterday I ran the battlefield at Gettysburg - the College to Cemetery Hill, along the Union line on Cemetery Ridge to Little Round Top, down the hill to the extreme right flank of the Confederate line, the entire Rebel line along Seminary Ridge to the Lutheran Seminary, then I turned around and reversed the route. Suffice it to say, I really got to see the battlefield.

On foot, you begin to notice things you might otherwise miss touring this ground by car. Here is my observation from yesterday. The Union line has three separate restroom areas - two portable and one permanent - and running water with a drinking fountain. The Confederate line has nothing.

This could mean a number of things. In a practical sense one could dismiss any sectional implications simply because the facilities are located in high-traffic areas - on either slope of LRT and smack in the middle of Cemetery Ridge by the Pennsylvania Memorial. Also, for those partaking in the guided tour by car, all three restrooms appear closer to the end of the tour...when people might need them most. But I am not convinced that practicality is at work here. Plenty of people stop and spend a good deal of time at the Virginia Memorial and other spots on the Confederate side...and there are picnic areas and other gathering places as well. And still - no facilities.

From a Confederate perspective - maybe northerners are of a weaker constitution and would need access to fancy-schmancy restrooms and running water that a southerner could do just fine without. On the other hand, if you are of the Federal persuasion, perhaps such luxuries are a way to entice misguided Lost Causers over to the universe of righteous triumph...where they could see the error in their ways while enjoying indoor plumbing. But I wonder if this is just a proverbial middle finger gestured in the southerly direction at a national (read: United States) park. Still rallying behind treason? On board with a slaveholders' war? You can use the woods, Johnnie Reb. Watch out for ticks and have a nice day.

Peace,

Ketih

Blogging the Civil War

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

In a few hours yours truly, along with fellow bloggers Brooks Simpson and Kevin Levin, will be part of a Civil War Institute panel on Civil War blogging. I am quite certain the questions will be first rate...and we are on our best games - there may even be a few moments worth noting. I plan on discussing the utility of blogging as a means to bridge the gulf between academics and an informed public, and how I have used blogging and social media of all kinds to further my research.

If you have any questions about blogging the Civil War - now is your last chance to ask. I will be sure to include them in the panel. And make sure to check out all the latest updates from the conference by following Twitter hashtag #cwi1862
And speaking of an informed public - the photo is a view of the 2012 CWI attendees - patiently waiting for a panel on Lincoln and the Emancipation Proclamation.

A Thought (or two) on Turning Points

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Gettysburg, my place of residence for the next few days, is a wonderful place to contemplate turning points. Not because I believe the battlefield represents one (or the, as it were), but precisely because the field persists as the culmination of the Confederate war effort in public memory - as the turning point of the Civil War.

I find this troubling primarily because nobody thought this in July 1863. The "high water mark" is a post war construction - written into history by those looking retrospectively for the exact moment when the Rebel cause came at last crashing down...never to rise again. I suppose if you tilt your head to the side, squint, and ignore 1864 entirely, you might arrive at a similar conclusion. But even then the logic is more than slightly flawed.

It might be instructive at this juncture to provide my definition of Civil War turning points - so as not to ruffle too many "high water mark" feathers. A turning point represents a contemporary sea change in opinion, attitude, strategy, or tactics. The battle of Gettysburg does not suggest this to me - nor did it suggest it to the soldiers who fought there (for the most part).

As part of the Civil War Institute Conference, I will be speaking on - and leading a discussion about - turning points in 1862. My talk, titled - strangely enough, 1862: A Year of Turning Points, will cover topics from Ironclads to Emancipation...but not the Battle of Gettysburg  There is also an analytical component to the talk that might surprise the audience. I do not want to give away too much before the fact, so I will save the slam dunk for the debriefing next week.

Until then - be sure to follow the Civil War Institute Twitter feed at #cwi1862 and as always - Peace,

Keith

Artillery Duel at Gettysburg

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

After a grueling day of travel (yesterday) I am now happily in Gettysburg.  The Civil War Institute conference is about to get under way....as a short precursor, I spent the morning with historians Peter Carmichael and Keith Bohannon going over some of the action on July 2nd. Here they are studiously engaging Confederate artillerist Edward Porter Alexander's account of Rebel gun emplacements facing the Peach Orchard.

Standing in the spot Alexander describes (as we did - near the modern day Mississippi monument) it becomes all too striking how close the Confederate and Union positions were. I'll let Alexander do the talking:

Hood, on McLaw's right, first moved out to cross the Emmitsburg Pike and attack Sickle's left flank in the rough ground in front of Round Top. Henry's battalion moved out with him, & they were both heavily opened on by the enemy's artillery, from the Peach Orchard & beyond. To help them out I immediately put in Cabell's whole 18 guns, as one battery, from teh edge of the woods about 700 yards from the Peach Orchard, & then, selecting 18 of my own 26, I put them in action at the nearest point, Warfield's House, where McLaws's line was within 500 yards of the Peach Orchard.

Rarely does one find an artillery duel of such close proximity - it is little wonder that each side sustained the casualties that they did. There will be more battlefield action and news from the conference coming up - be sure to follow Twiiter hashtag #cwi1862 to stay up to date.

Peace,
Keith

 

On to Gettysburg!

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I am spending the day preparing my house for the catsitter and putting a few finishing touches on some presentations I'll be delivering in a few days - then its on to the Civil War Institute conference at Gettysburg College.

Like last year, I will be tweeting the whole thing: quotes, photos, and videos. So you can follow me on Twitter or just follow the hashtag #cwi1862 to keep up with all the goings on.

Also, since I will be surrounded by some of the top Civil War historians in the field, you might think of using Cosmic America to your advantage by sending questions along through yours truly. Who knows...maybe I can convince a few folks to make guest appearances on Office Hours. I can be very convincing you know...

So - the next post will be from the Keystone State - see you then,

Keith

Juneteenth

Greetings Cosmic Americans and happy Juneteenth to all. If you did not already know, a Senator in Texas (where Juneteenth originated) is calling for a national holiday to commemorate emancipation. What do you think?

Peace,
Keith

A Deluge of Victories

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

"A Deluge of Victories" in the West is how the New York Tribune characterized February through May, 1862. During these months, Union forces gained control of 1,000 miles of navigable rivers, conquered 30,000 miles of enemy territory, captured a state capital and the South's largest city, and put 30,000 Confederate soldiers out of action. As one might imagine - these events elevated morale in the North.

In the South, the situation to many seemed bleak indeed. The now famous diarist, Mary Boykin Chesnut, had this to say about the troubling times:

Battle after battle - disaster after disaster...How could I sleep? The power they are bringing to bear against our country is tremendous...Every morning's paper enough to kill a well woman of age a strong and hearty one...New Orleans gone - and with it the Confederacy. Are we not cut in two? I have nothing to chronicle but disasters...The reality is hideous.

Things were not going so well for the Rebels in the East either. For Confederates, the threat of McClellan's army against Richmond loomed larger than disasters in the West. Things were going so well for the Unites States, in fact, that many northerners forecast an inevitable - and speedy - victory. U. S. Secretary of War Edwin Stanton even closed recruiting offices across the North. He were clearly not anticipating any future turn of events. Ahhhh how things can suddenly change...

Peace,

Keith

 

Reenacting the American Civil War in the UK

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I came across a short documentary featuring British who reenact the American Civil War. Reeancating is a worldwide phenomenon and the American conflict ranks high on the interest meter for many. What I found fascinating, is that most became aware of the US war by first watching American westerns and then moving into other aspects of American history. Many reenactors in the UK also note that they know little to nothing about their own Civil War. Hmmmm.

Anyway - you can watch the documentary HERE.

Peace,

Keith

Which is the Odder Monument?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I have a hunch which one is going to win but I am curious of your opinion nonetheless. So is it...

Stonewall at Manassas or....

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Old Pete at Gettysburg?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Inquiring minds want to know.

Peace,

Keith

Death of a Veteran

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Confederate Veteran has been my go-to source for all things Rebel for the last decade. Published between 1893 and 1932, it is a valuable postwar historical resource when it comes to deciphering the attitudes and sentiments of former Confederate soldiers, civilians, and politicians. In addition to the battle narratives, opinion pieces, and biographies, the obituary section, The Last Roll, offers a great place for biographical notes on all sort s of people - prominent and otherwise. Most obituaries will allow the researcher to peer into a veteran's life somewhat beyond his military exploits  and also provide a starting point for further research on the veteran's post war activities: church and business affiliations, family, etc.

Here is a sample picked at random from a 1922 edition of Confederate Veteran. I knew little about this individual before I read his brief obituary - but it offers quite a bit to work with: he was  a border state Confederate who served on A.P. Hill's Staff and saw action through much of the war. He became a Texas farmer in the postwar years...read on:

A prominent citizen of Chillicothe, Tex., and possibly the oldest Confederate veteran of Hardeman County, is mourned in the death of Jesse Ferguson Allensworth, which occurred during the month of June. He was born in Christian County, Ky., July 5, 1842.

At the age of nineteen young Allensworth entered the Confederate army as a member of Company H, 14th Tennessee Regiment, Archer's Brigade, A. P. Hill's Division. He was later made a courier for General Hill, and was in the battle of Chancellorsville when Jackson was wounded, his own horse being shot from under him. He was wounded twice during the great conflict, once receiving a sword cut on the head, and a Minie ball which struck his shoulder finally lodged in his elbow, and he carried it to the grave. Though his service was interrupted by these wounds, he returned to the ranks as soon as able to do so, and was still wearing the gray when General Lee surrendered.

In 1884 Comrade Allensworth was married to Miss Mallic Reynolds, of Clarksville, Tenn., and in January, 1888, they removed to Wilbarger County, Tex., and settled on a farm, going later, in 1904, to Chillicothe, which had since been his home. Two sons and a daughter were born to this union, all surviving him. His wife died in 1914.

At the age of seventeen he became a member of the Christian Church, and through the threescore years since then he had lived a consistent Christian life.

So we know his wife's name, we know that he had two children, and we know where he lived and what he did after the war. It might be fun to see what else he was up to in the last decades of his life. Maybe I will check out the rest of the Veteran run to see if he turns up anywhere else. The whole thing has been reprinted and indexed - what a boon for historians!

Peace,

Keith

Union, Emancipation, and the Observance of Lincoln's Birthday

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

There are those among us who persist in decrying Union veterans for whitewashing Civil War commemoration in the name of reconciliation. I have provided a number of examples to the contrary right here on Cosmic America - but from time to time feel the need to add another voice to illustrate what I have been arguing for some time: Union veterans commemorated emancipation right alongside Union as a virtuous cause.

Of course, they did so after the war - between 1861-65 Union was paramount, and the extrication of slavery helped in the effort to further this cause. So, as the war progressed, more and more soldiers agreed that destroying the institution was a good idea.

Does this mean that white soldiers embraced black people as equals? No it most certainly does not. Racism prevailed among nearly all white people in the nineteenth century. But to many, the war illustrated that the Union was on the right side of history - that despotism was on the way out (worldwide) and that freedoms promised by the "last best hope of earth" and secured by Union victory proved emancipation was the right move.

So was slavery and emancipation written out of Civil War memory? Not if the GAR could help it. Here is a short excerpt from a 1909 celebration of their commander-in-chief's 100th birthday:

He was inspired of God, as Moses was inspired; that was why he could see clear through the maze, and select the very means which would extricate slavery and division and renew union and prosperity. Knowing he was right, he never changed his principles or policies. The whole gigantic problem was solved exactly as he predicted. The house ceased to be divided; the Union was forever welded together, and the sign was lifted up high on the wall, which tells all usurpers what it will cost if one class ever attempts to enslave any portion of the American people. Lincoln made Liberty of the people immortal. Had Lincoln's foresight betrayed him, the autocrats of Europe would have become more despotic. The victory which Lincoln achieved for the people has marched on like 'John Brown's soul,' dimming every sceptre, undermining every throne. That victory of the people over oligarchy means eventually exile for all autocrats. Lincoln has nailed to the sky where all the world reads, 'The right of the people everywhere to govern themselves.'

Union and Emancipation dominated postwar commemoration in the North, despite racist attitudes.

Peace,

Keith

The Confederate Naval Strategy

[caption id="attachment_2851" align="alignleft" width="319" caption="CSS Alabama"][/caption]

 

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

We have talked a little about relative advantages and disadvantages for the United States and the Confederate States at the beginning of the war. One of the most striking advantages for the United States was their Navy. In short, they had one and the Confederacy did not. True, the US Navy was small and dispersed, but in April 1861 they could at least muster a few ships into service against the Rebels. Further, the US had an established officer corps and a vast capacity to build a great fleet (which they did in short order). The Confederates did not and could never match the naval strength of the United States. They had no ships (at first), only a  handful of officers from the prewar Navy, and no merchant marine. So how does a nation prepare a naval strategy with such limited assets?

The Confederates used innovation, privateers, and commerce raiding - and put forth a pretty decent effort at that. The Rebel navy employed torpedoes (mines) to guard the entrances to their harbors, developed and utilized ironclad, ram, and submarine technology, and privateers and commerce raiders on the high seas pulled US ship off of blockade duty to deal with the Confederate nuisance.

[caption id="attachment_2856" align="alignright" width="220" caption="CSS Hunley"][/caption]

And while all of these things took their toll on the US Navy, in the end the Confederate strategy inflicted minimal damage on the overall United States war effort. The torpedoes (in at least one case) were "damned," ironclads and rams were underpowered (the Rebs had no capacity to build the big steam engines needed to power these heavier vessels) and not effective on the high seas, their one and only submarine, the CSS Hunley, inexplicably sank after sending its first victim to the bottom, privateers had nowhere really to sell their captured prizes, and commerce raiders like the CSS Alabama, while crippling to the US merchant marine, could not engage vessels from other countries - and the US had shifted much of its shipping to foreign bottoms.

There are a number of "might haves" in the story of the CS Naval strategy - ironclads under construction in Britain and Denmark that either never made it into Confederate hands or arrived too late to be of service makes for a good example. I guess we'll never know what would have happened if the Rebs had gotten their ships. Could they have broken the Union blockade? I tend not to speculate about such things.

Peace,

Keith

Was Lincoln's Plan for Reconstruction Too Lenient?

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Well, a lot of Radical Republicans thought so. By 1863, with much of Louisiana, Arkansas, Tennessee, Mississippi, and parts of Virginia under Union control, Lincoln was working toward easing the southern states back into the Union.

His plan was simple. His Proclamation of Amnesty and Reconstruction offered full pardons and restoration of all property except slaves to all of those who would swear allegiance to the United States and accept all laws and proclamations of the President and U.S. government concerning slavery and emancipation. Once 10% of the voting population of 1860 met these conditions, they could "reestablish" a recognized state government. Political and civil leaders as well as high ranking Confederate officers were excluded from this plan, but otherwise Lincoln's reconstruction policy was remarkably lenient - no punishment for treason.

Naturally, radicals in the republican party were incensed. Under Lincoln's pan, free black people were to be kept in a subservient state - landless laborers. Southern states were even allowed to enact labor laws restricting movement of freed people. Furthermore, traitors were let off the hook. Radicals in Congress insisted on harsh measures.

But what could they do? If, as Republicans had argued, the states could not, and thus had not seceded from the Union, then Congress had no authority to interpose any plan against state constitutions. Well, clever minds among the radicals in Congress came up with a couple of things. Thadeus Stevens viewed the southern states as "conquered provinces" and wanted to treat them accordingly. But that was too radical even for the radicals. So Charles Sumner came up with the idea of "state suicide." The states, by the act of secession, had essentially given up their statehood and reverted to territorial status, which meant that Congress had every right to step in and have their way. Still, many in the North thought this was too radical as well.

The debate raged on and on between the wings of the Republican Party. Bills were introduced (and vetoed), compromises reached (that fell apart) and just when Lincoln hinted that he might be moving toward a new plan for reconstruction, an assassin's bullet cut him down. We will never know what Lincoln had in mind

So when it comes to wartime reconstruction - what do you think? Do you think Lincoln should have come down harder?

Peace,

Keith

James McPherson on Causes

Greetings Cosmic Americans!
Here, historian James McPherson offers his assessment on how former Confederates moved way from the slavery issue when they tried to explain the cause of the Civil War. He highlights state rights and cultural nationalism. What do you think?

Peace,
Keith

Flags....Blowing in the Wind

 

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

I spend a lot of time scouring the Internet looking for interesting things to write about. For example, the new Poet Laureate, Natasha Trethewey, writes on reflections of the South, memory, and the racial legacies of yes, you guessed it, the Civil War. You can expect a post about her work coming up in the near future...just as soon as I have had a closer look at her poetry.

But my point today is meant to be a service for all of those in cyberspace who identify to the various Confederate flags incorrectly. So many refer to the "Stars and Bars" when they actually mean something else, and this practice is something of a pet peeve of mine...I know, it's the little things , right? But anyway, and in an altruistic spirit of education, I offer the flags...and their proper names. (PS - the title of this post is an obscure reference that has nothing to do with Confederate flags but everything to do with an 80s band from Santa Barbara - guess who they are and get a Cosmic shout out).


First Confederate National Flag aka "The Stars and Bars"

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Army of Northern Virginia Battle Flag

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Second National Confederate Flag aka "The Stainless Banner"

 

 

 

 

 

 



 

Third National Confederate Flag

 

 

 

 



 

Confederate Navy Jack

 

 

 

 

So there you are - a test will commence shortly.

Peace,

Keith

Statue Honoring Dred Scott Unveiled Today

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Today at the Old Courthouse in St. Louis, the Dred Scott Heritage Foundation will unveil a statue honoring one of the central figures in the antebellum crisis surrounding slavery.

I suspect that my readers will know already the story of the Dred Scott decision, so I will not delve into it too deeply. For more information on this landmark Supreme Court decision, click HERE.

In the decision, Chief Justice Roger B. Taney made two rulings that we need to keep in mind. First, Scott had no right to sue because neither slaves nor free blacks were citizens of the United States. Taney noted that at the time the Constitution was ratified that black were regarded "as beings of an inferior order with no rights which the white man was bound to respect." Second, Taney ruled that excluding slavery from the territories violated the fifth amendment prohibiting seizure of property without due process. Here is an excerpt from the ruling that will shed a little light on the atmosphere around the Supreme Court concerning slavery:

The right of property in a slave is distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution. The right to traffic in it, like an ordinary article of merchandise and property, was guaranteed to the citizens of the United States, in every state that might desire it, for twenty years. And the government in express terms is pledged to protect it in all future time if the slave escapes from his owner. This is done in plain words--too plain to be misunderstood. And no word can be found in the Constitution which gives Congress a greater power over slave property or which entitles property of that kind to less protection than property of any other description....

Upon these considerations it is the opinion of the Court that the act of Congress which prohibited a citizen from holding and owning property of this kind in the territory of the United States north of the line therein mentioned is not warranted by the Constitution and is therefore void; and that neither Dred Scott himself, nor any of his family, were made free by being carried into this territory; even if they had been carried there by the owner with the intention of becoming a permanent resident.

The 1857 Supreme Court decision was an effort to solve the slavery question once and for, but in effect galvanized both sides of the issue and caused further strife between the sections. But what I ultimately find most fascinating is that in just over a decade, the 14th amendment (adopted in 1868) guaranteed citizenship for all persons born or naturalized in the United States (that means black people too, ya'll, former slaves as well). That is quite a jump in policy - illustrating that a civil war can change some things very quickly indeed.

I look forward to reading more about the Scott statue and the unveiling ceremony.

Peace,

Keith

Substitute Swindling - A "Nefarious Trade"

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

On April 16, 1862, the Confederacy enacted the first American military draft. The Confederate Conscription Act allowed for those with means to hire a substitute, and thereby avoid military service (much to the chagrin of those less fortunate). One could pay an individual who was exempt from the draft because of trade or profession as stipulated by the act, someone outside of the mandatory conscription age, or a foreign national.

Well it did not take long for the less scrupulous among the Confederate citizenry to figure out how to profit from the substitute business. Below is a June 24th  article from the Richmond Daily Dispatch exposing the scoundrels and outlining some of their trickery.

A few days ago we alluded to the immense frauds and villainy being carried on in this city in buying and selling substitutes by men who make a regular business of the nefarious trade. Although frequently spoken of and condemned by this paper and others, the evil still continues, and, if anything, is rather on the increase. It should be put a stop to by the authorities, and some of the swindlers, both the men who furnish them, and the substitutes themselves, who sell their service with the deliberate intention of deserting as soon as the purchase money is safely in their pockets, summarily punished. Too strong terms cannot be used in condemnation of this pernicious practice. It has a bad influence upon the army, for it these rascals can elude the service, and desert when they please without being punished, why cannot other do the same? Another case has come to our knowledge. A few days ago a man by the name of Levasseur went to the 3d Alabama regiment and bargained to furnish a substitute for a man then in service. The price fixed upon was $00 the dealer in substitutes receiving $300 for his services. The man's name was Byrnes who came with a certificate from the British Consul and recommendations from others; but as soon as the bargain was concluded, the substitute absconded, returning, probably, to the person who originally brought him to be sold over to other parties. With in the last three weeks seven men from this one regiment alone have been purchased, all of whom have since deserted. Such conduct is no more or less than stealing, and it is time due check should be put upon such operations by the police. The morale of such conduct is bad, and, if allowed to go on, our army will be reduced very materially.

Now this is not to suggest that Confederates had a monopoly on shady activities - this kind of thing went on north of the Potomac as well. Substitute swindling, bounty jumping, and other kinds of fraud weakened the fighting strength of both armies.

Peace,

Keith

 

An Emblem of Treason

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Since soon after the close of the Civil War, it has been customary for those in league with the Confederate Cause to fly Confederate battle flags. This practice was extremely popular among Confederate veterans. Whenever they gathered, whether it be for a speech, commemorative meeting, monument dedication, or patriotic gathering, former Rebels were sure to unfurl the banners under which they had once marched into battle.

As you might imagine, Union veterans were not especially pleased with this practice - thinking such a display of treasonous emblems insulted the cause for which they had fought...and won. Veterans of the Grand Army of the Republic and other groups worked tirelessly to prevent the display of Confederate flags in public - particularly those where the colors of the United States were also present. They spoke at length expressing their concerns. Today I offer an excerpt from the minutes of G.A.R. N.Y. Department, Brooklyn City Post 233, recorded on March 11, 1905:

Loyalty and treason cannot harmoniously march ‘elbow to elbow’ in the same column under ‘Old Glory’ and the ‘Secesh’ emblems. The future generations of the South, by this proposed transfer, should not have their minds fired with false admiration of what emblems of treason stand for, on the contrary, if it is esteemed a graciousness to do so, rather let such emblems be totally destroyed…Now, if the flags, emblematic of treason and disunion, are to be returned, should not we, also, be required to detach our beloved emblem of loyalty and unionism from our breasts, so that the metal of the captured cannon may likewise be restored to those who turned them against the Nation’s life? Let it preserve a manly respect for the valor of our formerly mistaken foes of the ‘lost cause,’ without exhibition of maudling sentiment that would apparently place treason and loyalty on level. Forgiveness and restoration to all rights of good citizenship and fostering of love for the Union is a laudable aim – and to this desideration, ‘let us have peace!’

Clearly, the author favored reconciliation, but did so with decidedly Union terms in mind. These days, the Confederate Battle Flag is used for all sorts of purposes - from a "stick it to the man" symbol of rebellion to racist hatred. But something to think about: not too terribly long ago, it was primarily an emblem of treason.

Peace,

Keith

Reactions to the Battle of Gettysburg

[caption id="attachment_2806" align="aligncenter" width="673" caption="From Harper's Weekly, July 25, 1863"][/caption]

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

We all know that Gettysburg was the turning point of the Civil War, right? At least...a lot of people who reminisced after the war would have us believe exactly that. But at the time, things were a little different. Certainly, northerners were very happy with the victory. But many were frustrated with Meade's failure to follow up and crush the Rebels. Whether this was possible or not seemed to escape northerners who were looking for a way to hasten the end of the war. Even Lincoln himself wrote a letter to Meade expressing his dissatisfaction (and never sent it).

In the South, people saw it as a setback for sure. Lee lost his momentum, and the enormous casualties suffered both in men and officers was troubling as well - few replacements were available. Further, if European nations had any remaining interest in somehow coming on board with the Confederate, it was more or less gone. But...Lee was not driven from the field - he left on the day after the battle and crossed the Potomac back in to Virginia virtually unmolested. So was it a crushing defeat?

Here is what the citizens of the United States and the Confederacy did not know in the summer of 1863: Gettysburg was the biggest battle of the war, it was the last time Lee invaded the North, and Lincoln would use the battlefield to redefine the conflict - thus adding to its importance.

Only after the war did Gettysburg serve as the war's decisive turning point. Lost Cause warriors (and some northerners too) saw to it that July 1863 (in Pennsylvania) marked the beginning of the end of the Confederate cause - the high water mark....slighting everything that happened over the next two years. This idea found its way in to popular culture and cemented itself in the national vernacular for quite some time. When you have a few hours to kill, have a look at Gone With the Wind, one of the highest grossing films of all time. In one of the many heated conversations between Rhett and Scarlett, Rhett notes that "a battle was going on that should decide things one way or another...in a little town in Pennsylvania called Gettysburg (cue dramatic music now)." Scarlett was really only worried if her beloved Ashley Wilkes was in the fight (he was - with Cobb's Legion) but despite her disregard, the rest of the film was a downhill slide to inevitable defeat...just like the Lost Cause authors in the 1870s and 80s and so on recorded.

But the Rebs had plenty of fight left in them in July 1863 - and Lee's reputation did not suffer. You will not have to look hard for soldiers' letters late in the war claiming that Lee had never been defeated.

Peace,

Keith

Marilyn, My Marilyn

Greetings Cosmic Americans!

Something a little light and refreshing for a late Friday afternoon - and evidence that pretty much everything reminds me (sort of) of some aspect of  the Civil War...today I went to Grauman's Chinese Theater for the celebration of the 50th anniversary of Marilyn Monroe's last living birthday (she would be 86). And what do you know, a whole pack of would be Marilyns turned up.

Well, I do not believe that this sort of spectacle is what Robert E. Lee's men had in mind when the marched northward from Virginia in the fall of 1862 singing Maryland, My Maryland - but the fake (some really fake) Marilyns made me think of the tune. In fact, I even whistled a few bars on the short walk from the Chinese back to my house in Hollywood.

You know, dear readers - it can be really fun living here. There is always something interesting to do. Grauman's will be showing Monroe films for the next week...maybe I will catch one or three.

And on Sunday, I promise to talk about something a tad more closely connected to the Civil War. Until then...

Peace,

Keith