Patriot Paradox

The Bloody Angle in Spotsylvania where soldiers unleashed so ferocious a fire that the bullets themselves sawed down an oak tree 22 inches in diameter during the Battle of Spotsylvania.

Sincerely,

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One of the earliest monuments erected to the men who sacrificed during the American Civil War. Union veterans placed this monument on the fields of Manassas / Bull Run in 1865. The inscription reads simply, “In Memory of the Patriots who fell at Bull Run July 21 1861”. This view shows a portion on the monument as seen through one of the windows of the Judith Henry house.
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A rarely visited marker on the Gettysburg Battlefield noting the location where Colonel George Willard lost his life leading his brigade into the maelstrom wrought by General William Barksdale’s Mississippians. The marker reads,
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The Confederate Memorial on the grounds of Arlington National Cemetery, former home of Confederate General Robert E. Lee. The Arlington National Cemetery web site explains its presence by stating:
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The above images provide a small glimpse into the chaos of the battlefield and what soldiers endured as they fought for our nation’s identity. The first offers an idea of just how the bullets swarmed during some of these colossal conflicts. These malformed pieces of lead are minnie balls found on the Petersburg battlefield that collided mid-air.
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During a recent visit to Sharpsburg, I discovered a heavy, thick fog which lent an eerie feeling to the battlefield, as if the smoke of battle lingered still.
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According to the current Cashtown Inn website, this witness to the events of 1863 was “Built circa 1797. The Cashtown Inn served as the first stagecoach stop west of Gettysburg.

During the Gettysburg campaign of 1863, the Inn served as Confederate headquarters for General A.P. Hill.”
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Deep in the woods along the ridge of Maryland’s South Mountain rests this monument to the men of North Carolina who gave their lives during the Confederate’s first campaign into the north. Dedicated only 3 years ago, it highlights the darker sides of war often painted over by a preferred romanticism. The inscription reads:
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