I would agree at a certain level. But the record shows the U.S. Federal Government was fighting the war to change the Constitution and reform the Union into a nation that NEW ENGLAND wanted and sought for many years- in fact a Revolution did take place. The soldiers you write of fought for ideas important to them, but they were controlled under systems that had different goals than the soldiers. The Northern soldier thought he was fighting to hold on to the "old" Union the Southern soldier thought was fighting to defend his own from the North, to be free from the obligation of that imperfect Union. When in fact the Northern soldier was being used in backing a economic revolution to alter the laws and status of the Union and the Southern soldier was being used in supporting the world wide economic system of King Cotton. I do not fault the soldiers, their causes were both extremely noble, but those who put those young men and boys in harm's way were not as noble as they and should never be put on the alter of honor with them. President Lincoln should not be rated the number one president, he does not deserve it; he should not be compared to the many presidents before him, for they would not have approved at what he did to this country.

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David Upton