Newly Discovered Letters Bring New Insight Into the Life of a Civil War Soldier

[daftandbarmy]

Newly Discovered Letters Bring New Insight Into the Life of a Civil War Soldier

A mysterious package holds long-lost correspondence from a young Union infantryman



Read more: http://www.smithsonianmag.com/smithsonian-institution/newly-discovered-letters-bring-insight-life-civil-war-soldier-180960784/#HLfqsZkB17m7qgHJ.99

 

[tomahawk6]

A nice bit of history residing in our national repository,very fitting.

 

[daftandbarmy]

A nice bit of history residing in our national repository,very fitting.

I found it terribly sad, of course. More politicians should be mandated to read things like that in their 'handover binder'.

 

[dangerboy]

I find it interesting that about 150 years after the US Civil War ended we are still making new discoveries.

 

[tomahawk6]

The Civil War as you know was fought using European tactics of the period.The slaughter was horrific on both sides. Union battlefield deaths were 110,000 vs Confederate 95000. Other death causes for the Union was over 250,000 and Confederate other deaths were over 165,000.The total deaths is between 640,000 and 700,000.Researchers came up with an odd fact , the average Union soldier weighed 143 pounds which surprised me greatly.

http://www.historynet.com/civil-war-casualties

 

[larry Strong]

the average Union soldier weighed 143 pounds which surprised me greatly

Why surprised? 


Cheers
Larry

 

[mariomike]

More not so fun facts,
http://thomaslegioncherokee.tripod.com/soldier.html