Henry Wirz

[12th Doctor]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Henry_Wirz

Obvious scapegoat, whose trial allowed the Union to deflect notice away from the equally deplorable conditions in their own prison camps.

First, the Union had the ability to take better care of Confederate prisoners, and Confederates did not.  The Confederates actually followed the rules of war at Andersonville and gave the POW's the same rations their own soldiers in the field received... which at the time was hardly anything.

Second, the overcrowded conditions were so bad because of the end of the prisoner exchange program.  That was a policy that Grant had put in place.  The Confederates had nothing to do with it.

[??????????]

The prisoners in Andersonville were fed better then the local Georgians. On the other side the CS prisoners were fed less then the civilian counterparts in the north.

[Dr. Cynic]

Without condoning how he conducted his prison, as both sides were quite guilty of atrocities to their brothers, Wirz was an obvious scapegoat. He was basically used by the north to get out their frustrations with southern leaders whom they hadn't been able to prosecute.

[??????????]

Did you know that one of the testimonies that was heard at his trial was from a guy who wasn't even imprisoned there, heck, he wasn't even a soldier!

[Dr. Cynic]

Did you know that one of the testimonies that was heard at his trial was from a guy who wasn't even imprisoned there, heck, he wasn't even a soldier!

I think I saw that on the History Channel show on Andersonville, though it's been about a year since I saw that show.

[Wakie]

I always find it interesting that so often on this political forum we find ourselves discussing the Civil War.  We discuss it more than WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam.  Why?  Why are we hanging onto a conflict from 150 years ago?

[Filuwaúrdjan]

I always find it interesting that so often on this political forum we find ourselves discussing the Civil War.  We discuss it more than WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam.  Why?  Why are we hanging onto a conflict from 150 years ago?

Majority of the posters here are Americans and the American Civil War (and the issues over which it was fought) is central to American history, society, identity and (on both sides) secular-nationalist mythology.

[Dr. Cynic]

I always find it interesting that so often on this political forum we find ourselves discussing the Civil War.  We discuss it more than WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam.  Why?  Why are we hanging onto a conflict from 150 years ago?

Nothing is more passionate than a fight in the family.

[12th Doctor]

I think 9-out-of-10 historians woudl agree that the Civil War is the most significant event in US history.

[??????????]

I always find it interesting that so often on this political forum we find ourselves discussing the Civil War.  We discuss it more than WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam.  Why?  Why are we hanging onto a conflict from 150 years ago?

Majority of the posters here are Americans and the American Civil War (and the issues over which it was fought) is central to American history, society, identity and (on both sides) secular-nationalist mythology.

We should just sit down, shut up and move on. (not talking about you Al) And I agree with you BTW, those foreign wars never really affected our lives on a personal level as much as the War of Northern Aggression did.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

I always find it interesting that so often on this political forum we find ourselves discussing the Civil War.  We discuss it more than WWI, WWII, Korea, or Vietnam.  Why?  Why are we hanging onto a conflict from 150 years ago?

Oh my. Did you really just say that. I'm not even American, and I believe that the American Civil War was the most significant event ever to occur in the entire history of the United States. Not to mention, its more so fascinating to discuss compared to the foreign conflicts the United States were involved in during the 20th Century.

[Nixon in '80]

Total scapegoat.

He was a soldier, doing what soldiers do: surviving, and following orders.