This is a picture of the diary of a man who was killed in the battle of Cold Harbor, June 3rd 1864. In case you can not read it, the night before he died this man "June 3rd, I was killed." This man knew he was going to die. He knew he was committed to the service of his country and did not even attempt to flee his impending death. His comrades pinned their names to their jackets the eve of the day they would be killed so that they would be identified. It makes me wonder what kind of trust one has to have in the people and ideas of their society to be able submit to the possibility of death to protect it. I highly respect that drive and sacrifice and I know I will never be able to make it, and I wonder where that bravery comes from. Which is why I find it incredibly appalling that these people, these HUMAN BEINGS that fought for their country were left to rot for on the battle field on which they gave their lives. There was no respect for their sacrifice, or for their lives. And it is highly disturbing to me.
The events of Cold Harbor are indeed appalling. Perhaps the soldiers' bravery is drawn from the very cause for which they are fighting, coupled with the leadership capabilities of both the North and South. The Civil War was indeed populated with very capable leaders, and this contributed greatly to the morale of the soldiers.
ReplyDeleteI am in total agreement with you Zoe. The fact that soldiers were left to rot away, dead or wounded for a full two days made me cringe when I heard it. On your other point, I believe the bravery the soldiers of the Civil War showed comes from passion. Passion for their country or passion for what the war was fighting for. I guess, for the soldiers, dying for what you believe can be enlightening in some ways.
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing, Spencer and Sonya! As a former infantryman, I have to admit that most of the motivation comes not from the cause, but commitment to the soldiers on either side of you. For most of us, our buddies were what was worth fighting for.
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