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Post by director on Jul 12, 2017 13:55:00 GMT -6
To give Lincoln credit, he did try to get border state support for gradual or paid-for emancipation, but got no takers.
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Post by oldpop2000 on Jul 12, 2017 20:43:47 GMT -6
To give Lincoln credit, he did try to get border state support for gradual or paid-for emancipation, but got no takers. I believe that Lincoln, while a politician, did try to head off this Civil War that he saw coming. however, the proclamation was a political event to maintain support for the War Between the States. Lincoln was still a clever politician. The South was poorly led by Davis and Lee's performance did not help the situation.
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Post by oldpop2000 on Jun 25, 2020 20:41:30 GMT -6
Ok, here's one for you. At the beginning of the Civil War, the Union army used balloons. Both sides used them. They were used mostly in the Eastern theatre. The Chief Aeronaut, as he was called, was Thaddeus Sobieski Constantine Lowe. Ok that is a brief history. Now the interesting part.
As we know, the plan for the Gettysburg Campaign was to move northwest to Culpepper Courthouse then cross the Rappahannock River, move through three passes into the Shenandoah Valley. They would move north towards Harrisburg Pennsylvania. The plan was to do this so that Hooker, across the river, would not realize Lee was gone until it was too late. When he did, Lee was certain that Hooker would move north quickly to get between Lee and Washington. So surprise was paramount. lee's plan was to occupy a good piece of ground and take out Hooker's corps individually as they move north.
Well, so much for surprise. On the 4th of June when Richard Ewell began his march toward Culpepper Court house, his men saw a balloon on the other side of the river. This observation balloon had spotted Ewell and informed Hooker. Hooker then notified Halleck and then Lincoln. Essentially, the surprise was gone, almost immediately. Hooker did not know what Lee was planning, but he was moving so Hooker, began to move his army north, one corps at a time.
For Lee, he had no idea that Hooker was moving and that his plan had failed in its primary strategic method, surprise. Hooker, along with other intelligence now had the information he needed by the 15th of June, and his army was on the move.
It is my personal view, that this one important event, probably doomed the invasion as much as anything. Aviation does it again.
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