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it's NOT my opinion that rape, pillaging and murder were widespread AND tolerated by the leadership of the Yankees, ... it's an historical fact.

A very sad one.



The subject of rape by union forces during the Civil War has been something a number of historians have worked on, and the general consensus is that it was not widespread, was not condoned Sherman or his officers, and was mainly committed by stragglers. I believe that there was something on the order of one dozen documented rapes during Shermans March and those soldiers were court martialded and hanged. That is hardly being tolerated.

Lets get straight on the slavery issue. A person did not have to own slaves to support the institution any more than you need to own a company or stocks to support capitalism. The entire Southern Economy was based on salvery. Slaves made your shoes, cleaned the streets, picked up waste, etc. Most people owed their livlihood to slavery even if they didn't own them.

On top of that, those who did own slaves kept people stirred up in their hate of Yankees and fear of free blacks. Non slave owners were constantly told by the slave owners that the Yankees wanted balcks to kill southerners in their beds at night and rape their women. Shortly before the outbreakd of the Civil War, it was dangerous for a Yankee to travel in the south. There are numerous accounts from the time perioed of Northerners being attacked in by mobs while they were traveling in the south.

Keith
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