Six Myths About Civil War History...
History is NOT Written by the Victors...
When it comes to understanding the Civil War, many Americans think they know it all. Indeed, American collective memory tells them that this was a conflict fought between equally brave men who waged four years of bloody war. This national remembrance has been underscored by the over 800 Confederate monuments that were constructed in the United States between 1890 and 1950. Since one in twelve of these monuments were erected in states that formerly pledged Union loyalty how could Confederates be considered traitors right? Surely the Civil War was fought to settle questions regarding the interpretation of the U.S. Constitution and not to settle the questions surrounding the Peculiar Institution. The idea that the Civil War was not fought over slavery is just one of the many myths Americans have woven into their collective memory of the Civil War.
Myth Number 1: The Civil War Was Not Fought Over Slavery...
While it may be true that in the early days of the Civil War the Union was not fighting to end slavery it is an absolute truth that from the very beginning, the eleven seceding states were fighting to preserve it. This can be seen by examining each of their Declarations of Secession. Within these declarations, each of the states that rebelled against the Union made it clear that their positions were "thoroughly identified with the institution of slavery--the greatest material interest of the world." So where did the idea that the Confederate states seceded over the question of States' rights come from then? Simply put, this phrase became a nice way to sugarcoat the reality that the seceding states were fighting to maintain the institution of slavery because it was highly profitable. It seems that the Confederacy was absolutely fighting for States' rights...and the specific right that they were fighting for was to hold another person in bondage based solely on skin color and Southern tradition.
The Great Emancipator and Constitutionalist...
It is true that Lincoln did not initially enter into the Civil War to end slavery. Instead, Lincoln the Constitutionalists argued that it was against the principles set forth by the U.S. Constitution for states to secede. Because of his unwillingness to label the Civil War as a moral conflict over the institution of slavery, he has thus been raked over the coals in recent days. His legacy has even been tarnished with cries of racism courtesy of quotes such as "If I could save the Union without freeing any slave I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing all the slaves I would do it, and if I could save it by freeing some and leaving others alone I would also do that." What we forget is that Lincoln also declared in the same speech that slavery was a monstrous injustice. The reality then is that Lincoln was a complicated man and a skillful politician who understood that "ideas had meaning primarily in terms of the conduct they might inspire, and he understood as few men have, the problem of leading people along new and untried paths." For Lincoln then, it was not enough to declare that slavery was evil and put a direct end to it. He has to lead the people to draw that conclusion for themselves.
Myth Number 2: Confederate Soldiers Are Considered Veterans...
Because of the sheer number of Confederate memorials scattered across the United States, it is easy to believe that Confederate soldiers are considered veterans. After all, what country would erect monuments to traitors right? The fact is that Confederate soldiers were indeed traitors to the Union who were in open rebellion against the Federal Government. This means that they were never, nor are they now, considered U.S. veterans. So, besides the monuments, what would make so many Americans think that Confederate traitors are considered U.S. veterans? The answer is simple: U.S. Public Law 85-425, Section 10. This law was an amendment to the Veterans' Benefits Act of 1957, and it granted a pension to Confederate widows (or the children of Confederate soldiers should there be no widow). The language of the law is very specific though.
The Devil is in the Details...
While Public Law 85 does grant a pension to Confederate widows and children, the language narrows the scope of veteran designation. Specifically, the law states that "a person who served in the military or naval forces of the Confederate States of America during the Civil War" may be termed a veteran, that term shall only apply "for the purpose of [Section 10], and section 433" which are the ones referring to pensions and requests for headstones. The definition specified by the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs also does not include anyone who was part of the Confederate Armed Forces. Public Law 810, which states, in Part II, Ch. 23 of U.S. Code 38, that the Federal government will pay for headstones or monuments for unmarked graves, upon request, does not designate Confederate soldiers as veterans either. President Grant may have granted the Confederate soldiers a pardon in 1868, but they were not designated as veterans then, nor have they been to this day.
Myth Number 3: 40 Acres and a Mule Was Government Policy...
With all of the talk surrounding reparations for slavery in recent days, this myth has once again been brought to the forefront of American consciousness. We all know how this story goes. As part of Reconstruction, the Federal Government was going to offer 40 acres and a mule to newly emancipated male slaves. The fact is that this is not now, nor was it ever true. That is not to say that some freedmen weren't given 40 acres and a mule, but the reasons behind it were more or less selfish ones on the part of General William Tecumseh Sherman. Weary from a long 285-mile march...known as Sherman's March to the Sea...Sherman found himself on the coast of Georgia in possession of several lame mules and a lot of black refugees in tow. His solution to the problem was Special Field Order 15.
Special Field Order 15...
On January 16, 1865, General Sherman issued Special Order 15 which confiscated a strip of land along the Atlantic coast stretching from Charleston, South Carolina to Jacksonville, Florida. The Order also gave forty-acre parcels to the newly emancipated slaves. Sherman did not do this out of the kindness of his heart, nor was he on some moral crusade to make things right for freedmen who had suffered under slavery. In fact, Sherman despised black people and had an equal distaste for Confederates who had dared to rebel against the Union. The proof of the former can be seen in how he treated black refugees at Ebenezer Creek in December of 1864.
Facing the Facts...
The reality is that Sherman would have been perfectly happy to preserve the Union with slavery if the truth be known. Why did he give freedmen 40 acres then? The answer is twofold. First, he needed to be rid of the refugees who were expensive to feed and care for. Secondly, giving the land of former slave owners to newly freed slaves seemed like the perfect comeuppance. So where did the mule come in? It is not mentioned in Sherman's Special order, but he did have a mass of lame mules who had made the long journey with him so he simply offloaded them onto the freedmen who took a parcel of land. These freedmen made a great go of their start in life as free persons of color until President Andrew Johnson rescinded Special Field Order 15 after Lincoln's death later that year and much of the land was returned to the former slave owners.
Myth Number 4: There Were Black Confederate Soldiers...
As often happens when debates regarding race come up, misinterpretations of the historical record often occur. The myth of the black Confederate soldier is one such case. For the record, there were NEVER ANY black Confederate soldiers. It is, however, easy to look at pictures such as the one on the left here and then draw that conclusion. The reality is that Southern whites were terrified of arming black people. Yes, even when their cause became desperate in 1864. So why are there photos of black men in Confederate Uniforms? Because the rich white men who went off to war often took their persona black slaves with them. These white men then gave the slaves uniforms so that the unit would look cohesive when marching. These black men served as Stewarts, cooks, stable hands, or laborers, but they were never armed and sent to fight against the Union.
A More Perfect Union...
While the Confederacy may have been terrified by armed black men, the Union showed no such aversion towards arming them by 1864. It might even have armed them sooner if Lincoln had not been afraid that such an act would alienate the much-needed border states. Instead of arming black men outright, Lincoln took smaller steps in the beginning such as the passage of the Second Confiscation and Militia Act in July of 1862. This act freed all slaves who had masters serving in the Confederate army. It would not be until after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed that open recruitment of black men for the Union Army would begin. This brings us to our fifth myth regarding the Civil War.
Myth Number 5: The Emancipation Proclamation Freed All of The Slaves...
We have all heard this one. Lincoln freed the slaves with his signing of the Emancipation Proclamation in January 1863. That is only a half-truth though. The reality is that the proclamation only freed the slaves in Rebelling states. This meant that the precious border states, such as Maryland, could maintain the right to hold men and women in bondage so long as they remained loyal to the Union. Maryland would outlaw slavery the following year though, to their credit. For the rest of the nation, slavery would not end officially until the passage of the 13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution in January 1865. Even then since the war was not over slavery continued in the seceding states until the end of the War in April of that same year. Texas carried it well into June of 1865 by simply not telling slaves they were free until the 19th of that month which is where Juneteenth comes from.
Worth Noting...
The picture to your left is that of Whipped Peter. The image of his flayed back (circa 1863) caused outrage and gave fuel to the abolitionist and Emancipation causes during the Civil War. What many don't realize is that Whipped Peter was actually an enslaved man who escaped from a Louisiana plantation the year the photo was taken. He hung around the Union camp in Baton Rouge for a time and joined the Union Army after the Emancipation Proclamation was signed. Like so many of his fellow black men of the day, Whipped Peter, or Gordon as he was known, fought bravely to ensure freedom and equality for generations of black men and women to come.
Myth Number 6: Gettysburg Was the Turning Point in the Civil War...
This final myth, when challenged, stirs up controversy when you bring it to the attention of military historians because they like to point to statistics and battle tactics. It also causes some trouble when you tell regular Americans that Gettysburg was not the actual turning point in the war because Gettysburg fits nicely into the American collective memory of the conflict. While Gettysburg does represent the mid-point of the Civil War, and the fact that it ended with a Union victory on July 4, 1863, adds a nice patriotic touch, the war still raged for over 18 months once the dust settled. So what was the actual turning point? U.S. Grant's battle of the Wilderness in Spotsylvania and Orange Counties, VA which unfolded between May 5 to 7, 1864.
The Man, The Myth, The Legend...
Many Americans remember U.S. Grant as a bloody butcher, belligerent drunk, or inept president. In recent days he has even been labeled a racist slave owner as well. The reality is that he was a mixture of all of these things but the last one. In his lifetime, Grant owned one slave which was gifted to him by his father-in-law. Grant worked alongside this slave in the fields, and at the height of his own poverty, Grant freed the man. Grant also drank as a means of self-medicating his depression which was worsened when he spent long days in the field away from his beloved wife Julia. As for being an inept president, Grant was simply too trusting and it left open the possibility that his cabinet members were involving themselves in sketchy deals behind his back. While president though, Grant almost completely dismantled the KKK. Was Grant a bloody butcher then? The answer is yes and no. He never led his men into a fight for the sole purpose of gaining himself honor, but once engaged in the battle he threw as many men as needed at the situation until he could get the job done. His men loved him for it too even though this is why he incurred such heavy losses at Shiloh. Grant would also incur heavy losses at Spotsylvania, even as the battle was considered inconclusive.
May the Best Man Win...
When the battles at Spotsylvania and Orange Counties ended Grant had a choice to make. In Grant’s day, it was customary for each general to remove their troops from the field and take stock of their gains or losses. This explains why the Battle of Gettysburg failed to advance the Union objective in a significant way. Grant’s actions at the Battle of the Wilderness would prove that he was a different type of leader though. His actions here would also help underscore President Lincoln’s assertions about him a year earlier when General Halleck quarreled with Lincoln over Grant’s actions at Shiloh. Here Lincoln rebutted by stating simply “I can’t spare this man—he fights.” After the Battle of the Wilderness, it would become clear just how right Lincoln had been. Grant would continue to pursue Lee until Lee's final capitulation on April 9, 1865, which ended the Civil War.
History's Mysteries...
As you can see, history is not always written by the victor. Sometimes forming a collective memory means collectively forgetting the bad. Sometimes it means simply dumbing down reality or holding onto folk tales that bring us comfort or are easy to remember. Chasing historical facts can be exhausting, but due diligence where American history is concerned is required if this nation even hopes to heal from the wound of the past. The right path is not always the easiest, but it is the most rewarding. Until next time, feel free to visit Grace Slick and me over on Instagram by clicking any of the pictures in this post, and remember to always chase joy!
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