• 

  earbot

  

  

Every summer tens of thousands of Americans return to old battlefields where their ancestors fought a bloody civil war from 1861 to 1865. They fight as if they are in combat. But no one gets hurt. America's 19th century civil war (known as 'the war between the states') accounted for more than 700,000 lives, more casualties than all other U.S. wars combined. Some were called "Yankees" – those dressed in blue represent the northern states where most people favored a strong central government and were against the slavery common in south states. America's civil war was not a religious conflict, but it was fought with religious zeal. Re-enactor Max Danial plays the part of the assassinated Union President Abraham Lincoln. "Please don't think we're glorifying war. We point out the horror. We almost committed suicide during those four years." "It was certainly the biggest tragedy this country has every undergone,” says participant Buck Ashburn. “It was brother against brother, families against one another we've never seen such a splitting of the country since." These days there are no casualties in the spirited contests between north and south, as front lines, where once there was so much death, come to life.

Permalink:
Credits:	Voice of America
URL:	http://www.earbot.com
Tags:	army civil re-enactment rebel union us war yankee

MORE

LESS