The most amazing thing about the 150th anniversary of the end of the American Civil War

[malaise]

lack of coverage from the corporate media and their hacks. They remember every other war every fugging year - why isn't this a major event this week?

http://www.newrepublic.com/article/121406/civil-war-150th-anniversary-confederacy-defeat-should-be-holiday

It should be a National Holiday and all should re-enact by burning their fugging flag.

[el_bryanto]

1. I suppose because a significant part of the country

believes that that the wrong side won. The media cowards know that they would have only a few options. They could portray the civil war as it happened, which would upset those invested in the idea that the South were fighting for a noble cause. They could portray it in a "gone with the wind" style, which would naturally be offensive to African Americans and other people with a passing familiarity with history. They can try and do both, which would probably piss off everybody. Or they can duck the issue in a cowardly style.

So what will the media cowards do?

Bryant

[malaise]

6. That's not good enough

And yes they are cowards

[el_bryanto]

10. I agree it's not good enough

I live in the south and I've regularly heard the argument that the Confederacy was fighting for Freedom against the growing power of the Federal Government. You can throw a monkeywrench in that argument if you ask them "Yes, but the freedom to do what? What specific freedom did they feel that the election of Lincoln would take away?" (They will then do backflips to avoid saying "The Freedom to own other people).

I think allowing the South to believe that the Confederacy was some sort of noble failure or that they were victimized has caused so many problems in this nation that I don't know where to start categorizing them.

But the rotten fruit from that decision is all around us, and part of that is that the media won't talk about the Civil War in an honest and accurate way.

bryant

[rurallib]

2. the official war is over, but the unofficial war goes on

so maybe they are just acknowledging that?

[eShirl]

3. They don't want to offend the crybabies.

[malaise]

7. I'd love to head to FR and post a

You lost scumbags - get over it.

[eShirl]

8. Do it!

[cali]

4. agreed. you'd think there would be a lot more coverage.

and it should be a holiday. Also a ceremony with the President at the Lincoln Memorial would be great.

[malaise]

5. Agreed n/t

[ieoeja]

9. It is a holiday. It's called Memorial Day. Last Confederate forces surrendered May 30th. n/t

[Avalux]

11. Shhh.....a lot of people are still bitter about who won, and behave as if the Civil War never ended.

Their 'sore loser' mentality has been handed down through the generations and it continues to divide this country.

We absolutely should be celebrating the end of that horrific war.

[malaise]

12. LOL

I understand

[Avalux]

13. BTW, if you're interested....

My great-great-great (not sure how many) grandfather and family lived on a farm in Gettysburg, the Trostle Farm.
Unfortunately, their home ended up being ground zero and they had to flee (as the story goes, they left food on the table). The house was used as a hospital; General Sickles lost his leg there.
When the family returned, they found a huge mess and their orchards were destroyed. They petitioned the government for 8k in damages and never got a penny so they sold it, then packed up and moved north. Very sad.

The house and barn (complete with cannonball holes) are still standing and a popular tourist attraction.

Here are original photos of the house and barn after the battle (July 6, 1863):





How the farm looks now:

http://gettysburg.stonesentinels.com/battlefield-farms/trostle-farm/

[malaise]

14. Freaking wow

Fascinating - thanks!

[kwassa]

15. My great-grandfather was in the battle.

First Maine Cavalry serving as courier for the Pennsylvania Bucktails fighting a retreating action to delay the Confederate forces. First day of the battle.

[edhopper]

19. Was he

at Little Roundtop?

[kwassa]

20. No, they were out fighting in open farm fields.

There was no shelter except rail fences.

60-70% casualties, my great-grandfather was the last man on a horse. These were usually the first targets because it was usually commanding officers on horses. Col. Roy Stone was shot out of his saddle partway through the battle.

This delaying action gave time to other Union units to take the high ground, which eventually won them the battle.

From what I can piece together, they retreated through the town of Gettysburg, and up onto Cemetery Ridge. With such high casualties, they went out of action, but the reformed units were the third line of defense at Pickett's Charge, which meant they didn't fight, probably, but saw everything in the final deciding action of the battle.

[edhopper]

21. Must have been horrendous.

I visited the battlefield and it is amazing how close it could have gone the other way.

It was very much a "for want of a nail..." situation.

[kwassa]

23. and most of Gettysburg is really not dramatic at all.

I was surprised Cemetery Ridge was just this little bump in the ground.

Reading Civil War history is really depressing, as many of the battles are decided by really bad leadership that results in massive and stupid death totals. Particularly in the Union army, until they finally got their act together.

[edhopper]

27. yes

The tactics of pre-firearm armies against rifles and canons. Large advances in open fields.
I think re-enactors just sanatize it and try to make the foolhardy noble.

And I can't stand how it is glorified in the South.

[kwassa]

28. 600,000 men died, and the victory was undone in Reconstruction ...

by the myth of the "Lost Cause" and by legal and extra-legal terrorism that took away the recently-granted rights of black Americans, their disenfranchisement and continued subjugation for the next 100 years. The historical results are still with us.

[indie9197]

29. We haven't evolved much in 150 years, have we?

My great-great grandfather got his leg blown off below the knee at that battle. He was taken prisoner and spent the rest of the war in a floating prison in New York harbor. He made it back to North Carolina after the war and lived a long life. Am pretty sure he didn't enjoy telling war stories.

[kwassa]

16. WaPo has done special sections on the war ...

The last, on the end of the war, came out about a week ago. There was a very sobering article about how the gains of the war were undone by Reconstruction.

[malaise]

22. Thanks

I'll have a look

[Blue_Tires]

17. I liked this essay:

http://wesclark.com/jw/queenan.html

[Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin]

18. Some students in Florida decided to follow your re-enactment suggestion

Sort of

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10026485395

[malaise]

25. Saw it

Sweet

[Skidmore]

24. The problem is that we are still fighting it.

With words and guns and in law. Disgusting.

[Rex]

26. They leave it up to the American people to pick their favorite cosplay.

Notice how the master of air takes down the ogre, splendid technique.