On this day in 1866 President Andrew Johnson formally declared an end to the American Civil War. I decided a week ago to post a Battlefield block today and write a few words about the war. I’m finding it harder than I’d expected. When my siblings and I were young our parents took us to visit several places where Civil War battles were fought. I studied the war in school. For years I helped fifth graders struggle with names, dates and the difficult concepts surrounding this period in history. My problem isn’t that I have too few words to write about it; I have too many. I want this to be primarily a spot for positive, uplifting thoughts. But it’s hard to be upbeat about one of America’s bloodiest conflicts. I’ll say this: I’m glad the war ended and the Union was preserved. And I hope and pray that someday we all “ain’t gonna study war no more.”
I remember hearing a newscaster call 9/11 the bloodiest day in American History. He wasn't even close. There were 23,000 casualties in one day at Antietam. I agree, it was a terrible time in American History.
ReplyDeleteWe're coming up on the tenth anniversary, aren't we? Don't know what I'll post. I won't think about that now. I'll think about that tomorrow.
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