MARK FLEMING
  • Home
  • 1976
  • Blog
  • About me
  • My bands
    • 4 Minute Warning
    • Desperation A.M.
    • Little Big Dig
    • Axidents
    • Noniconic
  • Contact
  • Home
  • 1976
  • Blog
  • About me
  • My bands
    • 4 Minute Warning
    • Desperation A.M.
    • Little Big Dig
    • Axidents
    • Noniconic
  • Contact

turning the tide against U.S. slavery

3/7/2020

 
Gettysburg veterans at the 50th anniversary
On July 3 1863, 157 years ago today, the US Army of the Potomac (c.105,000 men) and the Confederate Army of Northern Virginia (c.75,000) clashed outside Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. By the end of three days of intense conflict, 51,116 Americans were casualties.

The crux of the Civil War that had sparked the bloodiest battle ever fought on the American continent was the secession of 11 southern states from the USA, primarily over the issue of the right of those states to run their economies using slave labour. 


Between 1861 and 1865, the total Union casualties were 642,427, while the Condeferate casualties were 483,026. Given the brutal nature of the war, frequently involving hand-to-hand combat, between combatants sharing the same social backgrounds (and sometimes family blood) post traumatic stress disorder would have been rife.

"During the American Civil War, soldiers were particularly vulnerable to intimate violence. Family members and friends were often assigned to the same company of around 100 men, who were not replaced as they died. When companies suffered substantial losses, survivors were left with few remaining friends or male family members. Soldiers readily identified with the enemy (who were sometimes from the same state or county), making the sight of mutilated corpses even more gruesome. Although guns and cannons were used, frontal assault was common, and hand-to-hand combat, with no trenches or barriers, resulted in row after row of dead bodies and the sight of comrades blown apart. Unlike in other documented wars, young adolescents and older men were allowed entry into military service (ranging from under 10 to over 70 years).
 
Overall, the Civil War qualifies as one of the bloodiest in American history, exposing thousands to incomparable traumatic experiences. If intimate violence is particularly detrimental, increased exposure to such violence should consistently predict negative health outcomes."
 
Physical and Mental Health Costs of Traumatic War Experiences Among Civil War Veterans.
US National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health
Given the brutal nature of the war, frequently involving hand-to-hand combat, between combatants sharing the same social backgrounds (and sometimes family blood) post traumatic stress disorder would have been rife.
The photograph was taken during the commemorations for Gettysburg's 50th anniversary, in 1913, when 53,000 veterans from both armies met for a week of events at the site of the battle. Veterans of the Army of North Virginia re-enacted 'Pickett's Charge,' when 12,500 rebel soldiers advanced over open-ground in a last-gasp attempt to turn the battle's tide. They were repelled, suffering 50% casualties, an action that became known as the 'high-tide of the Confederacy,' effectively sealing victory for the US Army. In 1913, the veterans marched over the same ground and were met with the outstretched hands of friendship of their former enemies.

President Woodrow Wilson said, "We have found one another again as brothers and comrades in arms, enemies no longer, generous friends rather, our battles long past, the quarrel forgotten."

The spirit of peace and reconciliation exemplified by those proud handshakes is the horrific war's enduring legacy; that, and the fact slavery was abolished by the US 13th Amendment, ratified on December 6 1865.

Comments are closed.
    Picture
    MARK FLEMING
    ​EDINBURGH | SCOTLAND


    ​Categories

    All
    404 Ink - Space
    9/11
    Alan Brazil
    Albums Of 2021
    Albums Of 2022
    Amanda Prowse
    Amy Winehouse
    Andrew Mitchell
    Anna B Savage: A Common Tern
    Ari Up
    Armistice
    Arts Festival
    Balconing
    Barack Obama
    Berlin Wall
    Best Books 2016
    Blackshirts
    Bobby Smith 'One Love Two Colours'
    Book Censorship
    Britains Got Talent
    Can: Flow Motion
    Caroline Flack
    Changing Room; Transforming Lives
    Chavs And Filthy Rich
    Child Cage Fight
    Christmas Truce 1914
    Citizens Advice Scotland
    City Boys Deride NHS
    Claire Connor: Art In Scots
    Clinton STD Scandal
    David Walliams
    Denise Johnson RIP
    Depression Awareness
    Desperation A.M.
    Dick Smith RIP
    Disability
    DOK Exhibitions
    Domestic Violence
    Edinburgh Festival
    Faisal Shahzad
    Falklands War
    Featuring Mark Fleming
    Fisherrow At Night
    Fortitude
    Frankie Abbbott
    Gaelic Suppression
    Game Of Thrones
    Garry O'Connor: Highs/lows
    Gary Alikivi: Northeast Culture
    Gary Speed
    Gerry Anderson
    Gettysburg
    Gore Vidal
    Graham Crowden
    Ground Zero
    Hacking Scandal
    Helga Etsby
    Hillsborough Justice
    Hiroshima 75th
    Homelessness
    Ian Curtis: 40 Years On
    Ibiza
    Ibrox Disaster
    Idlewild - 25th Anniversary
    Internet Petitions
    Ireland's Rocky Journey
    It's A Kind Of A Funny Story
    Ivor Tiefenbrun
    Jake Bugg
    Jenny Saville
    Jeremy Clarkson
    Jeremy Clarkson On PQ17
    Joe Strummer
    John Cormack
    John Hume RIP
    John Peel
    John Terry
    Keira Knightley
    Keith Levene RIP
    Kelly Lee Owens: Inner Song
    Kelvin MacKenzie: Wants Police Apology
    Kirkcaldy High School: Writer In Residence
    Kristallnacht
    Lemmy
    Llyr George
    Lovely Eggs
    Lying About Mental Health
    Malvinas V Falklands
    Manic Street Preachers: Ultra Vivid Lament
    Mark E Smith RIP
    Mental Health And Fat-shaming
    Mental Health Awareness Week 2018
    Mental Health During COVID-19
    Mental Health Prejudice
    Michael Portillo: Death Of A School Friend
    Middle East Peace Process
    Mosley
    Musselburgh Mudflats
    Mysterines: Love's Not Enough
    National Rifle Association
    Neo Fascism
    News International
    Newtown Killings
    Nicolas Winding Refn
    Noel Edmunds
    Organ Donation
    Ozark: Bipolar Disorder
    Paddy Ashdown Delusions
    Paul Research: Skate The Royal Mile
    Paul Weller: On Sunset
    Pete Shelley RIP
    Picnics And Paedophiles
    Poly Styrene
    Porty Shore
    Porty Sunrise
    Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
    Predator Drones
    Primal Scream
    Private Ellison
    Protestant Action 1930s
    PTSD
    Public Service Broadcasting: Bright Magic
    Public Service Broadcasting: Lit Up
    Punishment Of Luxury
    Punk's Impact 35 Years On
    Quadrophenia And The 1979 Mod Revival
    Racism In Football
    Revenant
    Richard Ashcroft
    Richey Edwards
    Rick Perry
    Robbie Hance
    Rupert Murdoch
    Samaritans
    Sarrazin
    Saughton Prison Visit
    Scars Reunion
    Scottish Tories
    Seafield Sunrise
    Seafield Waste Plant
    Self Harm And Ronaldo
    Sepp Blatter
    Sex And Violence
    Shane Meadows
    Shaw Trust
    She Drew The Gun
    Shoegaze: 30 Years Of Loud Dream Pop
    Simon Cowell
    Simon Weston
    Slaughter And The Dogs
    Soldiers Suffering Breakdowns
    SS Mendi Disaster
    Stigma
    Storm Arwen
    Stranglers Live Review
    Suicide
    Suicide And Ignorance
    Surgeon's Hall And The Edinburgh Seven
    Susan Boyle
    Swearing: Dead Man's Shoes
    Syria - Crossing The Red Line
    Teleman: Brilliant Sanity
    Terry Jones
    The Chase
    The Clash Debut
    The Damned
    The Responder: Freeman's Tour-de-force
    The Slits
    The Sun - One-finger Salute To Lord Leveson
    The Wolf Warriors And Werewolves
    This Is England
    This Is England 86 Review
    Time To Change
    Tombstoning
    Tom Chapman
    Tony Scott
    Tories
    Tragedy House And 90s Leith
    Troy Davis
    Unloved: Heartbreak
    Urban Noir Photo Exhibition
    U.S. Slavery Ends 1865
    US War Hystria
    Vic And Bob's Shooting Stars
    Voyager
    Wags
    Wayne Bridge
    Web Trolls
    'When Two Sevens Clash' By Andrew Watson
    Wolf Alice: Space And Time
    World Alzheimer's Day
    World Suicide Prevention Day 2020
    X Factor
    X Ray Spex

    RSS Feed

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.