Early Photos Capture The Faces Of American Boys Before Going Off To Fight The American Civil War

'Have you ever seen a photograph of a person you knew you would never forget? Has a photograph influenced you to change your opinion on an important issue?' Jason and Brandon Liljenquist set about their Civil War collection to commemorate the young men of the conflict

Boy Soldiers: The Bravery Of Young Civil War Soldiers Before They Were Sent To Face The Horror Of Battle Captured In Poignant Photos -- Daily Mail

Staggered by the youth of the brutal armies which fought for the future of the United States of America, two brothers set about collecting one of the most comprehensive collections of Civil War photography in existence.

Jason and Brandon Liljenquist were both brought up as good Southern boys in thrall to Robert E. Lee and the the myth of the brave Confederate forces outmatched by the relentless and efficient Union armies of the north.

But when they bought a 145-year-old photograph of a young Union drummer boy, the two young men became entranced and set about a collection which became 700 images strong and became so important that they donated it to the Library of Congress.

Read more ....

My Comment: They all have that look of someone who knows that they will be dead in a few weeks.

12 Fascinating U.S. Civil War Sites

In 12 hours, 23,000 soldiers were killed, wounded or missing at Antietam in 1862.

12 Fascinating Civil War Sites -- CNN

No matter how compelling a Ken Burns documentary can be, nothing beats standing on a Civil War battlefield for bearing witness to those four bloody years. Millions of Americans seek out that kind of visceral connection at Civil War sites annually, and the next few years are the time to visit as special events commemorate the conflict's 150th anniversary.

For play-by-play commentary on the battlefield, you can hire a National Park Service-licensed guide at Gettysburg or Vicksburg to ride along for two-hour car tours. Parks also typically offer self-guided tours and orientation films and, on summer weekends, invite re-enactors to stage skirmishes, decked out with muskets and wool uniforms.

Read more ....

My Comment: I had the good fortune of visiting Antietam a few years ago. What was my take .... truly breathtaking.

Marking The 150th Anniversary Of The Start Of The American Civil War

A Currier & Ives drawing of Fort Sumter, South Carolina, from 1861. Re-enactors will fire cannons there to commemorate the first shots of the Civil War. The Daily Mail

Civil War At 150: How A Bloodless Battle Started It All -- National Geographic

A mule was its only fatality, but the Battle of Fort Sumter nevertheless led to the United States' deadliest war, as historian Mark Jenkins recounts.

During the winter of 1860-61, the citizens of Charleston (map), South Carolina, were so sure that no war would follow their recent move to secede from the United States of America that the fiery editor of the Charleston Mercury supposedly vowed to eat the bodies of all who might be slain as a result.

Not to be outdone, former U.S. Senator James Chesnut, Jr., promised to drink any blood spilled. After all, "a lady's thimble," as a common saying had it, "will hold all the blood that will be shed."

Read more ....

More News On Remembering The U.S. Civil War

US marks 150th anniversary of start of Civil War -- AFP
Nation begins 150th anniversary of Civil War -- AP
Nation Begins 150th Anniversary Of Civil War -- NPR/AP
150th Anniversary of start of Civil War -- New York Daily News
'This is the anniversary we have been waiting for': U.S. Civil War re-enactors to gather at Fort Sumter for 150th celebration -- The Daily Mail
US marks 150th anniversary of start of the Civil War -- The Telegraph
Lessons of Fort Sumter -- Bret Stephens, Wall Street Journal

A British Perspective On The American Civil War

'The dead seemed to be piled heaps upon heaps': The four-year struggle between the North and South cost the lives of 620,000 soldiers and 50,000 civilians

The Britons Who Died For The Stars And Stripes: How Thousands Of Volunteers Gave Their Lives In America's Civil War -- The Daily Mail

Submarines, machine guns, bombs... and bloodshed on an epic scale. Now a new book reveals the suffering of soldiers who crossed the Atlantic to fight

At the height of the battle, sparks from artillery shells lit the underbrush, transforming the scrubby wilderness into a roaring furnace.

Men from both sides of the war were lost, confused and trapped together in a living hell as the scrub pine in the woods flared up with a sickening roar.

Soldiers could see their comrades waving ­frantically at them from inside the inferno.

The carnage was so horrific that sworn enemies joined forces to rescue the doomed men. Two implacable foes fought together to try to save a trapped youth. ‘The fire was all around him,’ recalled one.

Read more ....

My Comment: Amazing .... 145 years later, the American Civil War is still being talked about, analyzed, and commented.

Top 20 Great US Civil War Photographs

(Click Image To Expand)
Confederate dead: Starke’s Brigade, battle of Antietam.
Alexander Gardener photographed these dead rebels of Starke’s Brigade of the Army of Northern Virginia where they fell along the Haggerstown Turnpike. Gardner took this picture two days after the battle of Antietam (Sharpsburg to the CSA). Gardener’s boss, Matthew Brady, took his photographs and made them into a display for the public—one that shocked people who had never before seen war dead (which was practically everyone).

From Listverse:

If you ever saw Ken Burns’ “The Civil War” documentary, you might recall it mentioned during the final episode how many photos, daguerreotypes and tintypes were destroyed after the war. Some were used as glass for greenhouses. Among those that survive, though, are some pretty startling ones. (At least for nerdy historians like me.) This is, of course, a subjective list. Hopefully, for the majority of readers here, it will be an insight into one of the most significant events in the history of the United States of America. [Click for full size image.]

Read more ....

Hat Tip: Extra Good Shit

Were Confederate Soldiers Terrorists? (A Commentary)

Confederate prisoners during American Civil War. Photo from Library Of Congress

From CNN:

(CNN) -- Based on the hundreds of e-mails, Facebook comments and Tweets I've read in response to my denunciation of Virginia Gov. Bob McDonnell's decision to honor Confederates for their involvement in the Civil War -- which was based on the desire to continue slavery -- the one consistent thing that supporters of the proclamation offer up as a defense is that these individuals were fighting for what they believed in and defending their homeland.

In criticizing me for saying that celebrating the Confederates was akin to honoring Nazi soldiers for killing of Jews during the Holocaust, Rob Wagner said, "I am simply defending the honor and dignity of men who were given no choice other than to fight, some as young as thirteen."

Read more ....

My Comment: One must read the comments for this CNN article at the bottom of the page .... they are many and they are very passionate in expressing their beliefs.

Amazing .... the American Civil War ended almost 150 years ago .... but it still brings out emotions and feelings that should have been buried a long long long time ago.