Patriot Paradox

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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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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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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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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Old Simon, the massive forty-four foot seven inch, 250-ton center statue in the Antietam National Cemetery, honors the individual soldiers who died during this dreadful conflict. Dedicated September 17, 1880, this monument officially bears the name “The Private Soldier”. He forever stands watch over the 4,776 Union soldiers buried on these grounds while he faces North, towards home.
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Monument to the 24th Michigan Infantry
on McPherson’s Ridge at Gettysburg
Elsewhere on the field, along the southwestern edge of Culp’s Hill, a small marker notes the location where the remnants of the 24th Michigan dug in after a brutal first days fighting. The simple stone reads:
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