The Civil War

THERE'S A PHOTOGRAPH I'M VERY FOND OF.

IT SHOWS 3 CONFEDERATE SOLDIERS

WHO WERE CAPTURED AT GETTYSBURG,

AND THEY HAVE POSED IN FRONT OF OR ALONGSIDE

A SNAKE-RAIL FENCE.

AND YOU SEE EXACTLY HOW

THE CONFEDERATE SOLDIER WAS DRESSED.

YOU SEE SOMETHING IN HIS ATTITUDE TOWARD THE CAMERA

THAT'S REVEALING OF HIS NATURE,

AND ONE OF THEM HAS HIS ARMS LIKE THIS,

AS IF HE'S HAVING HIS PICTURE MADE,

BUT HE'S DETERMINED TO BE THE INDIVIDUAL HE IS.

AND THERE'S SOMETHING ABOUT THAT PICTURE

THAT DRAWS ME STRONGLY AS AN IMAGE OF THE WAR.

MORE THAN ONCE DURING THE CIVIL WAR,

NEWSPAPERS REPORTED A STRANGE PHENOMENON.

FROM ONLY A FEW MILES AWAY,

A BATTLE SOMETIMES MADE NO SOUND,

DESPITE THE FLASH AND SMOKE OF CANNON

AND THE FACT THAT MORE-DISTANT OBSERVERS

COULD HEAR IT CLEARLY.

THESE EERIE SILENCES WERE CALLED ACOUSTIC SHADOWS.

IN THE SUMMER OF 1863,

A UNION WARSHIP,

HUNTING A CONFEDERATE COMMERCE RAIDER OFF YOKOHAMA,

ATTACKED A JAPANESE FLEET

FOR HARASSING THE COLONY OF WESTERNERS THERE.

THE UNITED STATES WON ITS FIRST NAVAL BATTLE

AGAINST THE EMPIRE OF JAPAN,

BUT THE CON FEDERATES GOT AWAY.

IN PARIS THAT YEAR,

NEW PAINTINGS BY CEZANNE, WHISTLER, AND MANET

WERE SHOWN AT A SPECIAL EXHIBIT FOR OUTCASTS.

IN RUSSIA, DOSTOYEVSKY FINISHED

NOTES FROM THE UNDERGROUND,

AND IN LONDON,

KARL MARX LABORED TO COMPLETE HIS MASTERPIECE,

DAS KAPITAL.

FOR THE FIRST 6 MONTHS OF 1863,

ROBERT E. LEE AND STONEWALL JACKSON

HAD CARRIED OUT ONE OF THE MOST EXTRAORDINARY

MILITARY CAMPAIGNS IN HISTORY,

SMASHING HUGE FEDERAL ARMIES

AT FREDERICKSBURG AND CHANCELLORSVILLE

AND WINNING THE UNDYING LOVE OF THE SOUTH.

BUT BY LATE MAY, CONFEDERATE LUCK HAD CHANGED.

JACKSON WAS DEAD.

A THOUSAND MILES TO THE WEST, ULYSSES S. GRANT'S SIEGE

OF THE REBEL STRONGHOLD AT VICKSBURG

HAD GONE ON SO LONG

THAT GRANT HIMSELF HAD TAKEN TO THE BOTTLE OUT OF BOREDOM.

AS JUNE BEGAN,

THE CONFEDERATES INSIDE THE TOWN

SOMEHOW MANAGED TO HOLD ON.

NOW, TO DRAW FEDERAL TROOPS AWAY FROM VICKSBURG,

LEE LED HIS ARMY ONTO NORTHERN SOIL AGAIN,

LOOKING FOR THE RIGHT MOMENT TO ATTACK.

WHEN IT CAME, ON THE MORNING OF JULY 1, 1863,

IT WOULD BE IN THE MOST ORDINARY OF PLACES.

FOR 3 DAYS,

150,000 MEN WOULD MAKE WAR ON EACH OTHER

IN THE GENTLE FARMLAND OF SOUTH PENNSYLVANIA.

WHEN THE THIRD DAY WAS OVER, IT WOULD PROVE TO HAVE BEEN

THE MOST CRUCIAL DAY OF THE ENTIRE WAR.

IN THE SOUTH, THE WAR HAD RUINED THE ECONOMY,

AND YET THE SOUTHERN FIGHTING SPIRIT

WAS STRONGER THAN EVER BEFORE.

IN THE NORTH, WHERE INDUSTRY WAS BOOMING,

ANGRY WORKING MEN WOULD SOON TAKE TO THE STREETS

IN PROTEST AGAINST EMANCIPATION AND THE WAR.

AT THE END OF THE YEAR, ABRAHAM LINCOLN WOULD TRAVEL

TO THE NOW-QUIET FIELDS AT GETTYSBURG

AND STRUGGLE TO PUT INTO WORDS

WHAT WAS HAPPENING TO HIS PEOPLE.

WHEN A BLACK SOLDIER IN NEW ORLEANS SAID,

"LIBERTY MUST TAKE THE DAY, NOTHING SHORTER,"

HE SAID, IN EFFECT,

THAT WHEN WE COUNT UP THOSE WHO HAVE DIED,

WHEN WE SURVEY THE CARNAGE,

IT MUST BE FOR SOMETHING HIGHER

THAN UNION AND FREE NAVIGATION OF THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER.

DURING THE SUMMER OF 1863,

A CONVENTION OF FREE BLACK PEOPLE DEMANDED THE RIGHT

FOR BLACK MEN TO TAKE PART IN THE STRUGGLE AS SOLDIERS,

AND THEIR KEY RESOLUTION SAID,

"IT IS TIME NOW FOR MORE EFFECTIVE REMEDIES

"TO BE THOROUGHLY TRIED

"IN THE SHAPE OF WARM LEAD AND COLD STEEL

DULY ADMINISTERED BY 100,000 BLACK DOCTORS."

EARLY IN THE WAR,

A FUGITIVE SLAVE NAMED ALEX TURNER

HAD MADE HIS WAY NORTH

AND JOINED THE 1st NEW JERSEY CAVALRY.

IN THE SPRING OF 1863,

HE GUIDED HIS REGIMENT BACK TO HIS OLD PLANTATION

AT PORT ROYAL, VIRGINIA, AND KILLED HIS FORMER OVERSEER.

WHEN THE WAR WAS OVER,

HE WENT TO NEW ENGLAND AND FOUND WORK AS A LOGGER.

IN 1883, HIS DAUGHTER DAISY WAS BORN.

"DEAR MADAM,

"I AM A SOLDIER,

"AND MY SPEECH IS ROUGH AND PLAIN.

"I'M NOT MUCH USED TO WRITING,

"AND I HATE TO GIVE YOU PAIN,

"BUT I PROMISED I WOULD DO IT,

"AND HE THOUGHT IT MIGHT BE SO,

"IF IT CAME FROM ONE THAT LOVED HIM

"PERHAPS IT WOULD EASE THE BLOW.

"BY THIS TIME, YOU MUST SURELY GUESS

"THE TRUTH I FEIGN WOULD HIDE,

"AND YOU PARDON ME FOR ROUGH SOLDIER WORDS,

WHILE I TELL YOU HOW HE DIED."

"THIS ARMY HAS NEVER DONE SUCH FIGHTING

"AS IT WILL DO NOW.

"WE MUST CONQUER A PEACE.

WE WILL SHOW THE YANKEES THIS TIME HOW WE CAN FIGHT."

PRIVATE WILLIAM CHRISTIAN.

LATE IN MAY, LEE'S ARMY

MARCHED TOWARD PENNSYLVANIA.

UNION TROOPS SENT TO SEE WHAT THEY WERE UP TO

COMPLETELY SURPRISED JEB STUART AND HIS CONFEDERATE CAVALRY

AT BRANDY STATION, VIRGINIA.

21,000 MOUNTED MEN CLASHED ALONG THE RAPPAHANNOCK

FOR 12 HOURS.

IT WAS THE BIGGEST CAVALRY ENGAGEMENT

IN AMERICAN HISTORY,

AND IT WAS A STAND-OFF,

BUT THE NORTH HAD LEARNED

THE CONFEDERATES WERE ON THE MOVE.

THE FLAMBOYANT STUART,

EMBARRASSED AT HAVING BEEN CAUGHT OFF GUARD

AND DETERMINED TO REDEEM HIMSELF,

NOW TOOK OFF ON ANOTHER DARING RIDE AROUND THE UNION ARMY

WITH STRICT ORDERS TO STAY IN CLOSE TOUCH WITH LEE.

LEE'S 70,000 MEN WERE DIVIDED INTO 3 CORPS.

THE FIRST WAS COMMANDED BY JAMES LONGSTREET, "OLD PETE,"

WHOM LEE CALLED "MY WARHORSE."

THE SECOND CORPS, STONEWALL JACKSON'S OLD COMMAND,

WAS UNDER RICHARD "BALDY" EWELL,

WHO HAD LOST A LEG AT SECOND MANASSAS.

THE THIRD WAS LED BY A.P. HILL,

A NEW CORPS COMMANDER FROM VIRGINIA

WHO HAD HELPED STAVE OFF DISASTER AT SHARPSBURG IN 1862.

ON JUNE 16, LEE'S ADVANCE COLUMN

CROSSED THE POTOMAC INTO MARYLAND.

AN EVEN LARGER UNION ARMY FOLLOWED,

CAREFUL TO KEEP BETWEEN THE CONFEDERATES AND WASHINGTON.

THE NEW UNION COMMANDER WAS GEORGE MEADE.

BLUNT AND BOOKISH, HE WAS REFERRED TO BY SUBORDINATES

AS "A DAMNED, OLD, GOGGLE-EYED SNAPPING TURTLE."

IF THE UNION GENERALS WERE NOT SURE WHERE LEE WAS GOING,

LEE HAD NO IDEA WHERE THE UNION ARMY EVEN WAS.

JEB STUART'S CAVALRY

HAD RIDDEN TOO FAR FROM THE ADVANCING ARMY

TO KEEP HIM INFORMED.

THE CONFEDERATES MARCHED THROUGH MARYLAND ON INTO PENNSYLVANIA.

IT'S VERY HANDSOME COUNTRY THERE.

THE BARNS ARE MAGNIFICENT

AND THE GREEN FIELDS AND EVERYTHING,

AND THE PEOPLE WATCHING THESE CONFEDERATES GO BY.

AND THERE WAS A BLACK BODY SERVANT

IN THE COLUMN,

AND THEY STOPPED, JUST A HALT,

AND THE PEOPLE IN THE HOUSE ASKED HIM

WHAT HE THOUGHT OF THIS COUNTRY AROUND HERE.

AND HE SAID, "THIS IS A BEAUTIFUL COUNTRY,

BUT IT DOESN'T COME UP TO HOME IN MY EYES."

PANIC SPREAD THROUGHOUT THE COUNTRYSIDE.

LEE'S MEN SEIZED LIVESTOCK, FOOD, WAGONS, AND CLOTHING

FROM CIVILIANS,

GIVING THEM WORTHLESS CONFEDERATE SCRIP IN EXCHANGE.

THEY ALSO SEIZED FREE BLACKS

AND SENT THEM SOUTH INTO SLAVERY.

"MY FRIENDS," A SOUTHERN OFFICER ASKED

THE FRIGHTENED INHABITANTS OF ONE PENNSYLVANIA TOWN,

"HOW DO YOU LIKE THIS WAY

OF OUR COMING BACK INTO THE UNION?"

"IT WAS IN THE MORROW'S BATTLE

"FAST RAINED THE SHOT AND SHELL,

"I WAS STANDING CLOSE BESIDE HIM,

AND I SAW HIM WHEN HE FELL."

"AND SO I TOOK HIM IN MY ARMS,

"AND LAID HIM ON THE GRASS.

"IT WAS GOING AGAINST ORDERS,

"BUT I THINK THEY LET IT PASS.

"'TWAS A MINIE BALL THAT STRUCK HIM,

"IT ENTERED AT HIS SIDE,

"BUT WE DIDN'T THINK IT FATAL,

TILL THIS MORNING, WHEN HE DIED."

THE GREATEST BATTLE EVER FOUGHT IN THE WESTERN HEMISPHERE

BEGAN AS A CLASH OVER SHOES.

AT DAWN ON JULY 1,

A CONFEDERATE INFANTRY OFFICER LED HIS MEN TOWARD

THE LITTLE CROSSROADS TOWN OF GETTYSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA,

WITHIN VIEW OF A LUTHERAN SEMINARY,

WHOSE HIGH CUPOLA OFFERED A FINE PROSPECT

OF THE SURROUNDING FARMS AND ROLLING HILLS.

THERE WAS RUMORED TO BE A SUPPLY OF SHOES AT GETTYSBURG,

AND THE FOOTSORE REBELS WERE THERE TO COMMANDEER THEM.

THE SOUTH CAME IN FROM THE NORTH THAT DAY,