“Cliff Notes for an Australian on the Civil War”

The Civil War was a very sad but fascinating time in American history. “Brother against brother” isn’t a cliché, … it actually happened.

1. Let me start by saying slavery is an abomination and should NEVER be tolerated.

2. The south had already lost the war before the first shot was ever fired. The rural Confederates were much better soldiers because they used guns to hunt and fend off “varmints”, but they were outnumbered 3 to 1 by the more urban Yankees, many of whom had never seen a gun. The north also had logistics and communication, (railroads and telegraphs), on their side. Railroads and telegraphs were virtually nonexistent in the south. The railroads provided fresh soldiers and supplies and the telegraphs gave the all-important “intel” to the north.

Whether you use the conservative estimate of 6% or the liberal estimate of 20% of the Confederates who owned slaves, the simple fact of the matter is that the vast majority of them didn’t own slaves. Most had never even seen a black person.

Your average Confederate soldier wasn’t fighting for slavery! They were fighting to protect their homes and families from the invasion, rape, pillaging and murder from the north. (All of these things occur when an area is invaded by an opposing force, … sad but true).

The Confederate leaders were the landowners and politicians, (aka slave owners), who "sold" the war to the average southerner as a “States Rights” issue. Many in the south still believe that today, but it’s obviously not true. It was about slavery. As in all wars, the leaders lied to the men on the lines.

The south was ravaged for decades after the war by the Union troops and the defeat in the war. And since history is written by the victors in EVERY war, it’s colored by the Union historians input.

The History Channel has some great documentaries on the Civil War and you may want to check some of those out.

On a lighter note, good luck with your song! Hehe.

Bob
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http://soundcloud.com/bobcflatpicke/music-in-the-mountains