Friday, March 19, 2010

Gamble Plantation Vist Continued

.The American Civil War (1861–1865) was a major war between the United States (the "Union") and eleven Southern slave states that declared their secession and formed the Confederate States of America, led by President Jefferson Davis. The Union, led by President Abraham Lincoln and the Republican Party
On the grounds of the plantation, there were several Confederate Army tents and soldiers to help us relate to how the soldiers survived 150 years ago in the swamp lands of Florida. this is the Gunner, he was the powder man for this cannon, which they fired when my back was turned and made me jump 2 feet high.

In 1865, the Confederacy collapsed after Lee surrendered to Grant at Appomattox Court House.


The war produced about 970,000 casualties (3% of the population), including approximately 620,000 soldier deaths—two-thirds by disease. The causes of the war, the reasons for its outcome, and even the name of the war itself are subjects of lingering controversy even today. Wikpedia


. By the end of the war, Federal funds had paid for an estimated 840,000 horses and more than 430,000 mules. Confederates officers and mounted troopers were required to provide their own horses although they were reimbursed at a daily rate of forty cents. If the horse was killed, he was required to find a new one or he might be transferred to infantry service.


 During the American Civil War, more men died from disease than died from actual combat. Exact numbers are hard to come by especially on the Confederate side since many of the records were lost or destroyed. Estimates, however, put the total number of Civil War deaths at over 600,000 for both sides combined. Of that number, just over 200,000 were from combat and the rest were from disease and other causes.


soldiers cleaned the camp, built roads, dug trenches for latrines, and gathered wood for cooking and heating. Finding clean water was a constant goal: the lack of potable water was a problem that led to widespread disease in both armies

The campgrounds themselves were often abysmal, especially in the South where wet weather produced thick mud for extended periods in the spring and summer; in the winter and fall, the mud turned to dust and living  in tents would have been a terrible hardship due to mosquitos and other bugs, fleas and ticks and chiggers that are common in Florida and also extreme heat would be very uncomfortable, 

"If there is any place on God's fair earth where wickedness 'stalketh abroad in daylight' it is in the army," wrote a Confederate soldier in a letter to his family back home. Indeed, life in the army camps of the Civil War was fraught with boredom, mischief, fear, disease, and death.

Camp musician and the woman was hand piecing a quilt.

On the light side.........One of the most popular questions park rangers get when giving tours around Civil War battlefields is: “Did the soldiers have to fight around all of these monuments?” They could only smile and say yes: They knew exactly were to die

General Robert E. Lee, commander of the Confederate forces, traveled with a pet hen that laid one egg under his cot every morning


One more blog coming up and I will be off the subject of my visit to the plantaiton.

What is the item in the middle of this photo with the wooden bottom? Answer tomorrow.

12 comments:

Anonymous said...

American history is fascinating - this is a really informative and well illustrated post.

I wish I knew what that object was. Now I realise the agonies I put you all through in my Mystery Picture competition ;)

Is it something for getting stones out of horse's hooves?

DawnTreader said...

Wow, you got a lot out of that visit to the plantation. Nice pictures, and interesting facts and reminders of American history.

That object... I'm just making a wild guess here, because I've never heard of such a tool, but could it be used for making splints to light fires with?

DawnTreader said...

On second thought... I just remembered that this was a sugar cane plantation... So maybe a tool for splitting sugar canes rather than firewood?

Catherine said...

Very interesting. Thanks for all your research.

Ginny Hartzler said...

I adore the chicken story!! It's awful what soldiers will do when they get together, men can be horrible in groups, whereas women will just gossip or quilt. I was wondering what diseases they would get, but you pretty much explained that. Everything the soldiers did, our government would hire specialists to do that stuff now! Now to the thing. First, I want to know what that little square metal thing with feet to the left of it is. After clicking on it and staring awhile, all I can do is guess. It could be a dull knife in a holder, likely not. Or maybe a knife sharpening steel.

MadSnapper said...

Ginny, the little square thing is the candle snipper box from the mystery picture 2 post back.

photowannabe said...

Fascinating travel journal. Lots of interesting historical information. Great pictures too. Thanks for posting.

George said...

Thanks for a great post on the Civil War. Your pictures are wonderful as well.

Unknown said...

Wish I could have gone to the plantation with you, I realy like stuff like that. I can see you've been busy while my computer has been down, I've a lot of catching up to do.

Dawning Inspiration said...

You are definitely getting a history lesson! Very interesting and I have not a clue what that "thing" is in the wood block!

Betsy Banks Adams said...

George is the expert on the Civil War --especially Robert E. Lee..... You need to ask him to tell the 'chicken' story to you----and ask him what happened to the hen!!!!!!???????

I have seen that thing with the wood bottom --but cannot remember right now what it is.... Hopefully, someone has it right.

Have a great weekend.
Hugs,
Betsy

Chandrika Shubham said...

Thanks for sharing such nice information. :)
Interesting object. (the last pic)