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/r/HistoryPorn/comments/1p1du6h/a_harvest_of_death_photograph_of_the_dead_taken/
A Harvest of Death. Photograph of the dead taken in the aftermath of the Battle of Gettysburg (July 1863)[1600X1600]. : r/HistoryPorn
aid2000iscool
20-25 minutes
I highly recommend people visit the battlefield and museum if they can. The battlefield is pretty well preserved as nothing much was built on it since the battle. You can clearly see the high-ground advantage the Union had and how charging over terrain like that would lead to a slaughter.
I’ve been, it really is worth a trip
We went there earlier this year. It was all very interesting. We even did the audio guided tour around the areas of the battlefield.
(Not sure if it’s possible to do anymore) but I walked picketts charge when I was younger and that really puts things into perspective of the futility (for lack of a better term) of that maneuver
I went with my scout troop and we toured all of Pickett’s charge and the peach orchard on horseback. It’s one of the coolest experiences I’ve ever had.
Great write up. I enjoyed your article as well :)
Crazy to think about that death toll with just muskets and bayonets. Also, the Battle of Antietam is up there for bloodiest battles, having about 23,000 casualties in just one day, compared to Gettysburg’s three days.
Oh right, not sure how I forgot that. smooth brain moment.
People massively underestimate what a rifled musket can do. The most common rifled musket for the Union was the Springfield Model 1861, shooting a freaking .58 caliber round. It's "effective" range was 500 yards, just most battlefields don't end up being fought on open flat terrain, leading to engagements much closer. But any trained soldier was expected to hit a man sized target 500 yards away and shoot up to three bullets a minute. Also, to note, you only need to hit someone once with that to either kill or severely maim them, making them combat ineffective. Hell, even a smoothbore musket is more accurate than probably what most people assume. Although I don't want to paint a picture that all the soldiers were well trained, they certainly were not. I just want to highlight some of the modern-day myths when people think of what a "musket" is.
Cold Harbor has entered the chat.
All that because a bunch of racists wanted to own people.
Wait until you hear about the second World War...
That is probably 80+% of all wars humans have ever waged.
No, 80+% of all wars humans have ever waged have not been over the institution of slavery. Especially not the institution of slavery as it existed in the United States of America at the time of the civil war. Most wars have been fought over resources. Slaves are potentially a type of resource, but the point still stands that it's not about the concept as such, one side being pro and one side being against, that most wars have been fought.
“bUt StAtEs RiGhTs AnD tHe WaR oF nOrThErN aGgReSsIoN!” Sherman should’ve been left to finish the job.
If Sherman had finished, we wouldn't be in the mess we are today
Should have wiped them all out
Crisis actors had to hold those poses for hours so the camera could get a quality shot. Kids nowadays dont know the struggle /s
“I killed my brother with malice in my heart. Hatred destroyed my family.”
I don't know how this is going to come across, I'm not sure if I'm articulate enough to describe this properly.
I never really thought about this before, but the grass of all things is giving me a feeling that I don't have the right word for. When I think of an old battle like the one at Gettysburg, I think of blood, mud, dirt, and grime, not grass. I've been to parties that looked close to this, the next morning. Random people drunkenly passed out in a field. But that's not what this is, this is pain and suffering, it's the exact opposite of those parties.
I wish I was articulate enough to properly describe what I mean.
The same way, the Ravensbrück women concentration camp in nazi Germany for instance was known for its idyllic scenary with forests around a large lake, and well tended alleys with flowers, imagine in spring/summer.
Those last years movies depicting concentration camps are always dark and muddy and cold and rainy but in reality sometimes it was more a midsommar (the movie) kind of horror (and Ravensbrück was also known for its medical experiments..)
(and I dare not mention that in places like in Auschwitz from what I read you had big panels with company names on it like "Siemens" for factories inside the camp that used concentration camp inmates as workers)
I think the word you’re looking for is surreal.
You should think of grass... The the grass in the picture, which would have been green and living like grass on preserved battlefields, contrasts with the lifeless bodies.
The "mud and dirt" image of battle is much more modern and comes artillery bombardment with high explosive shells. From WWI and II. It comes from Hollywood having adapted that imagery as it's visual representation of battle, even when it's not appropriate.
https://acoup.blog/2019/10/18/collections-the-battlefield-after-the-battle/
Every man on his back. I’m sure that’s for a reason.
Probably got turned over so they could be identified.
The glory of battle? Sorry, i dont see any glory in that photo.
Whoa, that mindablowing detail totally reframed the whole battle for me.
Man, am I sick of "everything's a bot" or "AI".
You post a well thought out statement, and it's "ChatGPT".
You accidentally repost an interesting image somewhere, and you're a bot that's karma farming.
Really getting annoying.
“Oppressive summer heat”
“November 19th”
🤔
The picture is from July in the aftermath of the battle. The Gettysburg Address happened in November
Don't worry, the commenter can't read.
Thanks for clarifying. Not operating on much sleep today 🙃
"Reading comprehension"
"Huh? Comparison to what?"
Yeah that seems to be an important part I missed!
Good luck in life. I think you're going to need it.
Too late buddy. Appreciate it though