Since i gather your a YANKEE iam not going to waste my time to convince you about your greedy Govt.That great US govt that exterminated a whole race of people(PLAINS INDIANS) to get where it is today.You are one of those bright people who believe what they where taught in school and read in the newspapers.
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Not fair to say…I went 3 hours drive (one way) out of my way last Sunday to Santa Anna, TX. to give a talk to the Brownwood TX. SCV Camp about the
Battle of Champion Hill.

Had ancestors there at Champion Hill in Cumming’s 39th Georgia, and Featherston’s 31st Mississippi. The Camp paid me some gas money, and paid for a great chicken fried steak dinner. (I asked payment for neither) It was a small group, with one of the members being a pilot of a B-17 in WW-2.

I have ancestors in the 24th Mississippi, and in the 5th Tennessee Cav. Also some in the 11th Georgia.

I have a lot of money invested in authentic Confederate uniform & gear, been invited to do living history at Vicksburg, and Chickamauga NBP, with boys from all over the country, who also take their Confederate impressions seriously…along with some Yanks from up north who do great Confederate impressions also.

I do not believe in the “Lost Cause” theory, I know what the folk in the South were saying and thinking in the secession period. I have posted documented quotes in the past, (and today) on what they said. I know the reasons that “impel” the states to leave the union.

No matter how I try, I cannot get around the slavery issue. That was the so called straw that broke the camel’s back. The South felt threatened by the Republicans (Guess why they called them “BLACK Republicans”?) wanting to
Free and equalize the slaves. No way was the South willing to part with the slaves they had, no matter how many were in “Northern” states.

After the John Brown fiasco, and rumors of slave insurrections, and a Republican President voted in, the Southern States started to leave, more following after Lincoln calls for volunteers to crush the rebellion. To quote Gen Sherman…” If the United States submits to a division now, it will not stop, but will go on until we reap the fate of Mexico, which is eternal war.”

I have never believed the North invaded the south to free the slaves, but they were not going to let the South take their goods elsewhere, and dictate to the North, the cost of those goods.

Oh, BTW, Texas was doing a good job killing Comanche’s during the war, Texas State troops were having to go after raiding parties of Indians who took advantage of the men folk being gone to the war.

No, neither the south, or the North are innocent here, they both have to bear the responsibility for the bloodshed. Both sides circumvented the system their for-Fathers set up to work out problems with out the bloodshed.

Kevin Dally