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Soldiers' National Cemetery at Gettysburg

To properly bury the Union soldiers who died at Gettysburg, a "Soldiers Cemetery" was established on the battleground near the center of the Union line. Pennsylvania Governor Andrew Curtin supported the proposal with state funds to purchase the cemetery grounds and pay for the re-interment of Union dead from inadequate grave sites that covered the battlefield. It was here during the dedication ceremony on November 19, 1863, that President Abraham Lincoln spoke of "these honored dead..." and renewed the Union cause to reunite the war-torn nation with his most famous speech, the "Gettysburg Address". The cemetery was landscaped by William Saunders, founder of the National Grange. The Cemetery was completed by 1872, and turned over to the care of the Federal government. In 1933 responsibility of the cemetery was transferred from the War Department to the National Park Service.

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14 pdr. James Rifle

The James Rifle was not a widely used cannon in either army, though the 2nd Connecticut Battery was armed them at Gettysburg. All James Rifles fired 14-pound elongated shells and were accurate up to 1,500 yards.

The James Rifle, Type I. is actually a remanufactured M1841 6 Pounder that has been rifled using the James Rifling System, typically using 15 rifle grooves. These guns are not pure James Rifles, and are externally the same as the typical M1841 6 Pounder.

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State of Virginia Monument (Gettysburg)

The Virginia monument was the first of the Confederate State monuments at Gettysburg. It was unveiled by Miss Virginia Carter, a niece of Robert E. Lee.

It is also the largest of the Confederate monuments, a fitting tribute for the state that provided the largest contingent to the Army of Northern Virginia, its commander, and its name. Lee's figure, topping the monument astride his favorite horse, Traveller, was created by sculptor Frederick Sievers from photographs and life masks of the general. He even went to Lexington, Virginia to study Traveller's skeleton, preserved at Washington and Lee University.

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CivilWarWiki is divided into many different Categories containing pages filled with articles, photos, media, and information. You can start your search in one of the following featured categories:

The Civil War In the News

• Wittenberg: Reflections on Lincoln
• GburgDaily: Gettysburg at Arlington Part 20: Gettysburg Licensed Battlefield Guide Ri
• TOCWOC: Short Takes
• CWBA: Lewis: "TRAILING CLOUDS OF GLORY: Zachary Taylor's Mexican War Campaign and His
• Cannonball: Another of Jubal Early's victims in York
• GburgDaily: Point of Woods Panorama: September 2010
• Cannonball: Last York election of the Civil War goes to the Democrats
• CWBA: CWTR returns
• GburgDaily: North Carolina Monument Panorama: September 2010
• Scourge: Taking Leave with Sam Watkins

Current Civil War Discussions

Anyone every heard of the "Jackson LA. Rifles"

I believe they may have fought at Shiloh. [?]

Speaking of Food and the Civil War

I came across a "prayer" by a soldier in the 1st Minnesota at the museum in Gettysburg today. It included: "....give us this day our daily ration of crackers and pork, and forgive our shortcomings as we forgive our quartermasters." [?]

Forgotten Leaders

As the title says. This is about those men who either in historical memory or to their peers somehow have remained obscure, but whose accomplishments are worthy to be listed as much as the famous ones. Providing sources for further reading would be greatly appreciated. [?]

Refusal to Sign a POW camp Parole

---Quote--- Givin, Charles, Pvt. Co. A, 23rd La. Inf. On Roll of Prisoners of War, Captured Vicksburg, Miss., July 4, 1863, and *refused to sign parole*. ---End Quote--- Do we have a Union parole document today. What on it would Mr. Givin, objection to in not signing because of it? Would he not... [?]

If Bucanan reenforced Sumter early would it have stopped the war

In a letter by Sherman on Christmas 1860 he writes this ---Quote--- I do think Buchanan made a fatal mistake. He should have reinforced Anderson, "My old Captain, at my old post Fort Moultrie" and with steam frigates made Fort Sumter impregnable: This instead of exciting the... [?]

Slavery and race: At what point do you separate them?

Slavery and race are frequently misused or somehow combined in may posts to help defend arguments. I often have to backtrack on arguments to figure out if the two things are being combined. Lincoln was racist in many ways... and so were several abolitionists at the time. Most Americans the 19th... [?]

Why don't they teach American kids the truth about the origins of the Civil War?

Students today are taught that the Civil War was all about slavery, I think it's absolute rubbish! Most intelligent people know that the war started because the Southern States felt they didn't have a strong enough voice in government and they were being used by the Northern States. Do you... [?]

Davis vs. Lee, why the disagreement?

In the American Civil War, Jefferson Davis and Robert E. Lee disagreed about the surrender to the Union. What was their dissagreement? What did each side want? [?]

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