July 4, 1865: A Confederate Soldier Arrives Home and Reflects on What the War Meant

[@kendelvalle8299]

Vietnam vet. Three Purple Hearts. When speaking with my fellow veterans and others I never fail to note that we aren't the first to have undergone war... nor will we be the last. You come home, put down the sword and pick up the plow.

[@maxsparks5183]

Thank you for serving the rest of us Sir.

[@mpojr]

l to am a vietnam vet l came home but l left alittle of my self over there

[@mrjuvy49]

We all have to remember the ones who did not come back, I always think of them permanently 19 or 20 years old.

[@joedyer5486]

I've been trying to pick up that plow since 2010 but my heart still burns and I miss my fellows.

[@theshadow5800]

Better yet, refuse to go in the first place unless you're absolutely sure it's the only option left to literally defend home and hearth.

[@bruiser6479]

Surprisingly he doesn’t punctuate every second sentence with “like”. The quality of writing from this era is quite striking. Thanks for sharing it with us.

[@deepcosmiclove]

Civilization is in a slow, fairly steady decline over the centuries onto the present nadir.

[@aguy559]

And he didn’t misuse or overuse “literally.”

[@mpojr]

totally agree,,this veteran knows how to write

[@lvvalleyrez]

Because people READ BOOKS. They actually had vocabularies to clearly express their thoughts.

[@NoelyBob]

I weakened and gave you a LIKE

[@SEPARATIONATION]

A soldier and a poet. I am glad he made it through the war physically intact, and enjoyed the remainder of his life.

[@genevawhite3178]

Me too.

[@jimmymcclure4549]

He died a former traitor to his country.

[@la_old_salt2241]

​@@jimmymcclure4549 You were not asked.

[@mumbles215]

G-d doesn’t care about countries, he judges a man’s heart.

[@Bingbing611]

@@jimmymcclure4549 Wrong

[@aguy559]

I can’t believe it! He managed to convey all that WITHOUT using the word, “literally.” Amazing what we can do when we value language.

[@megladon89]

Literally!

[@gregsaracino3252]

The word "literally" has lost all meaning thanks to everyone overusing it and almost always using it incorrectly.

[@CamaroSS-sy2ei]

It’s interesting to see how education has changed since then. He was described as a common man back then. Anybody who could speak like that today would be considered a poet.

[@carrollcaldwell4570]

All Southerners are not illiterate Hillbillies!

[@leonceboudreauxwolf]

​​@@megladon89Beat me to it 🤣🤣 literally.

[@crippledcrow2384]

It's is good to hear from the Southern side of the war.

[@gregshirley-jeffersonboule6258]

Why? That's all we've heard since the war ended.

[@JrWilson-nd7oj]

5:10 ​@@gregshirley-jeffersonboule6258

[@mgreen9092]

They lost, the slaves were freed what else do we need to know?

[@joca4344]

What more?????? Among other things, perhaps that there were souls on each side that fought and suffered.... because they believed they were doing right.....not because they were wicked .... its easy to look back and say flippant things... its hard to live in difficult times and find a path through.... judge not ......

[@jackshaftoe1715]

Hearing from people who were willing to kill to defend their "Right" to own other humans ? Ya that's pretty sick.

[@mattpiepenburg8769]

As a Virginian, my biases run deep on the often misunderstood profiles of the CSA, but this only added to my already deep respect for the good men on both sides of this tragic war. The feeling one gets walking these fields and heights is indeed special, and having these words to compliment them just makes this all the more felt.

[@georgemiller151]

A good man who fights for a bad cause is not a good man. He fought for the 2 worst causes: sedition and slavery. The suffering of the war was caused by people like him and the nobility lay in those who stood against him and for America and the freedom of all. Too be that George Neese seemed to find his concience and desire to reconciliation after 4 years of war. I wonder what hateful and bloodthirsty lines were in his diary entries from 4 years earlier?

[@SocratesTheWiseOne-tr3uf]

What about the good men and women chattle slaves?? Are you a white supremacist?

[@jimmymcclure4549]

There were only good men on the U.S. side buddy. The males on the other side were traitors then and traitors now. 159 years has not washed the shame of being a confederate traitor away nor will another 159 years.

[@Michael-dj4iq]

The civil war was all about cotton . Colors didn't play a part , slaves were not why it was fought. Lincoln in the emancipation proclamation threat. Said he would release 50,000 slaves in the south . None in the north

[@Bingbing611]

Virginia has and will forever be my home

[@dianatrott5359]

Articulate and a timeless message. It is sad that this intelligent, deep, courageous and hearful man never had children. He would have made a wonderful father. Blessings to you for bringing such magnificent stories to life. Thank you.

[@davidfosca1044]

In this world the better people have always had no children or few children. The opposite can be said of bad people.

[@dianatrott5359]

@@davidfosca1044 Not always. It depends on the character of the man. A man is not necessarily a better man if he is childless. IMHO, sure sounds like this guy probably had what it takes to be a great father.

[@johnwarren8032]

Maybe he was gay. I mean that as a totally neutral, respectful statement.

[@libertymoving7411]

A great poet!

[@rnedlo9909]

If you want a chance at being remembered, keep a diary. I would have liked to had the chance to talk with him. Thank you for brining him to life for us viewers.

[@terrydanks]

Any diary I would have written would pale beside what this man wrote!

[@user-yu1zp2vu9x]

Talk with him? Yes!!! Oh, the stories that this gentleman could tell. I wish that he had the opportunity to go to every military school and government headquarters and speak out on what war really is and the effects that war has on the warriors, the civilians, and country that it occurs in……. And that whoever hears him would listen and understand.

[@thommysides4616]

People from that era had a much better command of the English language. Penmanship was also taught! He seemed like a man who was glad to be home, and was not bitter one bit! God bless him and his memory!!!

[@JohnOliver100]

Thank you for sharing George Neese's words. Very touching.

[@casablanca2745]

Wow! Every American should read and hear this. Especially our young generation.

[@richardmonson8657]

I like the words of people who lived it….beats fiction everyday.

[@unbreakable7633]

History is always more interesting than what anybody can imagine.

[@knightwatchman]

His book can be downloaded as a PDF.

[@Paul-lm5gv]

The 'humble private' was a poet worthy of laureate status!

[@hoytoy100]

People were much more literate then. Today it would be poorly spelled, half word tweets with bad emojis. I weep for the future.

[@moncorp1]

@@hoytoy100 ~ Not really. More than 20% of the population was illiterate in the 1860s, and only 57% of the population attended school after age 10. But those that stayed with it received a better education than we offer these days, that's for sure.

[@brendahooten5519]

Humble... "Yes". Simple...unquestionably "No"!

[@lentzfax9534]

I have two graduate degrees and can't express myself as well as this Confederate enlisted man. I cannot help but to note that he never mentioned slavery. He said he was defending his homeland. This is what a lot of folks totally ignore when discussing the cause of the war. While slavery may have been the match that lit the fuse the situation ultimately became much more complex and unquestionably also involved states rights, the 3/5 ths compromise...and its implicit promise to allow slavery... and the then unanswered question of whether the union itself was only a voluntary association that could be left by any state at any time for any reason

[@VictoryOrValhalla14]

Imagine believing slavery had anything to do with the civil war😂

[@Ureconstructed]

@@VictoryOrValhalla14imagine believing it didn’t. 🤨

[@VictoryOrValhalla14]

@@Ureconstructed showing your high school history book propaganda isn’t a good look.

[@Ureconstructed]

@@VictoryOrValhalla14 😂 ok. 👌🏻

[@lamontpearce170]

Why was every country able to get rid of slavery without bloodshed? All wars are bankers wars.

[@conradnelson5283]

Very eloquent. For a simple artillery man, he certainly knew how to write.

[@rnedlo9909]

I think wordsmithery reached its height in the in the 19th century here in the USA. The average person back then used many more words than the average person does today.

[@oilman7718]

@@rnedlo9909 I’m not sure about that. I think it’s more likely that KZbin history channels and historical documentaries select only the most eloquent letters and journals for distribution. I’m fairly sure the level of erudition of a randomly selected soldier letter wouldn’t be impressive.

[@karlk9316]

The literacy rate in the US at that time was much greater than it is today as our educational systems continue their nearly sixty year decline. There are numerous examples of very eloquent letters from soldiers on both sides of the conflict and from every walk of life. Generally, these were robust men familiar with hard labor who used horses for transportation, regularly walked long distances, and endured daily discomforts commonly unknown today.

[@rnedlo9909]

@@oilman7718 I'm an old man and knew people from the 19th century personally. Overall, they had a greater grasp of English than most of us do today.

[@johndeesmith183]

​@@rnedlo9909... 71 years old here and I agree ... Im constantly amazed at the lack communication skills in the younger generation. If it isn't in a app or a video game , they have no interest...

[@davidtvedt7597]

The ability of this era of people to articulate their remembrances in such a constructive prose never ceases to amaze! When did we lose the ability to express are thoughts/memories in such an intelligent manner? This past generation, many times removed, certainly brought one into the revelation of their emotions, exposing their collective sentiments in a most informative way! Too bad these life experiences are not part of our educational curriculum, for maybe it would give people a time to pause, giving thought to what others committed themselves to, for a cause, honorable in their dedication to preserving what they believed was proper, be it right or wrong!

[@bjohnson515]

" When did we lose the ability to express are thoughts/memories in such an intelligent manner? " When education was diluted with things other than LEARNING

[@roykey3422]

Those people were taught first and foremost to love God, country and life in that order. They were also taught to excel in everything they did. They simply knew no better.

[@bjohnson515]

@@roykey3422 Family is near the top

[@user-yu1zp2vu9x]

Well put sir. I agree with you 100%.

[@TheRustyLM]

The eloquence of that gentleman! 😮

[@richardbrown7968]

A Lincoln only had 2 years of education in a one room school house And his mother home school him somewhat He was self taught and passed the Illinois state bar by correspondence course. That's the way education was intense. Modern public school is now basically a complete failure. The only benefit of public school nowadays is Kids do learn to read write and cipher. somewhat In many statemist public school teachers How no love for our beloved country. And cast their votes for communists

[@curtgomes]

Thanks Ron. It's nice to see your channel growing slowly and steadily. Great story from this Southern gentleman.

[@DLYChicago]

One late afternoon/early evening August, 20+ years ago, I drove north on US 81 up the Shenandoah Valley. The sunlight was spectral; the sky was deep blue; the hills and the valley were a glowing green. I could see why the Virginians fought so hard for it and how heartbreaking it was to see it wrecked.

[@carywest9256]

Sir or Ma'am, l have an eye for detail. US81 travels no where near the State of Virginia. Are you referring to I-81?as in interstate.

[@DLYChicago]

@@carywest9256 I think you are correct; it was I-81. It was an alternate route to avoid going anywhere near the beltway which was a big mistake I made the way down. The speed limit was 75 so, of course, everyone was doing 90. I was driving a Honda Civic (stick), on a spare tire, sandwiched between road construction and semi trucks, working the gas with my left foot because my sciatica was off-the-charts bad. And then I saw this sunlight break through the clouds and illuminate the entire valley.

[@danielcobbins8861]

While visiting my brother, last spring, we went to the battlefield at Newmarket, where the Commonwealth of Virginia has and maintains a museum. This museum tells the objective story of the war, without bias for or against one side or another. When I headed home, to Florida, I stopped at the National D-Day museum, in Bedford, VA, and a few hours later, Appomatox, the scene of Lee's surrender to Grant.

[@calgreg2569]

Who did they fight for it?the First Nations?

[@DLYChicago]

@@calgreg2569 The Yankees.

[@tumbleweed6658]

Thank you for sharing this. I wish I could write so eloquently I too Journaled all my three combat tours in Iraq and Afghanistan I think and believe that it helped me keep my sanity. I to was a gunner on a 105mm Howitzer close infantry Support howitzer what a blessing to listen to this journal entry thank you.

[@MyelinProductions]

Thank You. Deep & Insightful. GOD Bless All who serve or served and their families and loved ones. As a former military officer and descendant of confederate veterans I appreciate and respect what you do on this channel. Be Safe out there folks ~ Peace & Health to Us All.

[@daveminion6209]

Great job. This is my favorite video you've done so far, for your Civil War series!!! This is very moving, very touching, cespecially for me a US veteran. and I think it will help to heal many wounds.

[@PhilKelley]

In my visits to Civil War battlefields, watching the excellent presentations at the accompanying museums, I would say Mr. Neese sums up what most, if not all, of these men thought about their former enemies. These National Battlefield Parks, with their monuments erected by both sides, were intended to be an expression of their desire for reconciliation and lasting peace. And they met in annual reunions to reconfirm those intentions. Thank you for your excellent presentation of this historically important journal entry.

[@John3_16Believe]

Thanks for producing Life on the Civil War Research Trail! Great to learn about the personal side of the people of that day. 👍👍

[@maxsparks5183]

LEAVE THE PLAQUES, STATUES and MEMORIALS of warrior citizens such as this humble man ALONE! The ignorant people who think they are somehow serving a noble cause by attempting to erase the past have no understanding, nor do they have any compassion for those who fought in, were affected by or are descendants of those who served in the War Between The States. My ancestors fought on both sides of that horrible conflict. My Southern ancestors owned no slaves and had no reason to want to perpetuate slavery. They did, however, feel a deep duty and loyalty to the state they were born in, and when it was invaded, they stood and defense their homes and families. Honor is due the participants of both sides of this conflict. The vast majority did what they believed was their duty. No one has the right to tear down memorials erected by their families, survivors and those who believe commemorating their sacrifices is appropriate . 🇺🇸

[@hacc220able]

I agree, we should not "erase" the past and it's memorials but to continue to venerate the politicians, hotheads, generals and uninformed who started this great catastrophe is setting up up for another even greater catastrophe.

[@marcusaurelius9631]

Amen!

[@SandfordSmythe]

Unfortunately, many of these monuments were erected to glorify the Lost Cause. Nobody is fooling anyone.

[@marcusaurelius9631]

@@SandfordSmythe I CALL BULLSHIT

[@SandfordSmythe]

@marcusaurelius9631 The day long programs for the dedication of these monuments.

[@k.e.mayfield8303]

I am always amazed at the vocabulary of common men from days gone by. We have lost much.

[@knightwatchman]

I am reading Neese's book now. Found it downloadable online. It is so vividly descriptive in a Dickensian like style.

[@dadeo8957]

I was 10 years old the first and last time I saw the Shenandoah valley. 50+ years later I still remember how beautiful it was.

[@robertrobert7924]

This poet has once again told the story of how politics has brought an enemy to the gate of a homeland which men fought to defend regardless of their station in life. Tribal self-defense from invasion is an innate character in all humans.

[@teresacastro1263]

So is wanting to be free. The most important aspect of the Civil War was that it facilitated the freedom of millions from slavery. Not some imagined integrity of fighting to preserve it.

[@robertrobert7924]

@@teresacastro1263 When the wolf is at your door, your 1st innate reaction is self defense. If you are not a slave owner you are not fighting to preserve slavery. Life is complicated and not merely a matter of black and white decisions.

[@44thala49]

You should read the last line of the post again. You might need to read it a few times. Not every confederate soldier was fighting to preserve slavery. To say so would be ignorant.

[@teresacastro1263]

@@44thala49 To say that their cause to defend their land was somehow noble when the consequense of a successful defense of the land would have extended and preserved slavery is ignorant and lacking and understanding of the wider picture.

[@hubertwalters4300]

​@@teresacastro1263And not long afterwards they were reeslaved by way of share cropping,then eventually freed from that,and a few years down the road reenslaved with the War on Poverty programs of a southerner named Lyndon B.Johnson,and the Democrat Party, this slavery continues to this day.

[@jamesdellaneve9005]

I’ve read many accounts from soldiers of the Civil War. I was struck by the lack of bitterness toward their former enemies.

[@haroldbeck4351]

As you say, I humble man, but not a simple one. I wish I could write like that.

[@johngeverett]

I am often moved by the eloquence of Civil War era soldiers. I don't think any 25-ish fellow nowadays could put such expressive prose to page. This is common in the writing of the men of that time.

[@la_old_salt2241]

They generally can't. Most can't complete a whole, coherent sentence speaking, much less that written. Yes, a few can, but for the most part, no.

[@bradleymosman8325]

A bit off topic, but: Some important author from the North commented that the South had no great writers. After that, the South produced the likes of William Faulkner, Eudora Welty, Flannery O'Connor, Walker Percy, Thomas Wolfe, John Kennedy Toole, Carson McCullers, Katherine Anne Porter, and Mister Neese.

[@JesusIsKingAndSavior]

It might had been that they had many a great writer, perhaps, they had no great cultural or social need or desire for far reaching publishing.

[@SandfordSmythe]

@@bradleymosman8325 I like the Southern Gothic genre. The story of my wife's Southern family tradition. But seriously, they are some great writers.

[@miguelservetus9534]

Which Northern author said that?

[@dmeacom4688]

@@miguelservetus9534probably the author of my two dads

[@whowahska]

So who was this important author of the North? Apparently not that important if nameless.

[@amcguigan2389]

Thank you for bringing all this to light! What an enlightened man. Very well done episode.

[@jimgordon6629]

Very moving. He was far from being a “simple man.” He expressed himself remarkably well, and his words on sectional hatred are quite meaningful today. I hope his life after he returned was good-he should have been better known.

[@geoffjohnson2152]

Very interesting article, warmest regards from the UK

[@mikepetersen5024]

Very moving words from a humble man.

[@jvmccracken]

I love your 1st person accounts of history!

[@lonnieclemens8028]

You always do such a good job presenting historical information. Thank you for sharing.

[@terrydanks]

I'm an old man. Have read of The War since The Centennial Years. Never actually heard the name of that mountain pronounced and always read it in my mind as "Mass-a-Newton." Thanks for educating me on the point.

[@manleynelson9419]

Mass a nutten. Thanks for caring. I grew up there. Went to vmi as did grandfather. GG grandfather George Nelson fought with Stonewall for 4 years as a private. My great great grandfather on my mom's side who is also my ggg uncle was a surgeon with Stonewall. The milner tariff led to the war. Now price fixing, 25% unrealized gain tax etc is more dangerous than the tea tax and Milner tariff combined.

[@geraldblackburn4883]

I will share this, you have a sub and the writing was eloquent, this is the remarkable education that was given back then. This is not the first I have read or heard like this, I also watch another channel, History Underground and there are letters there, so well written in longhand, it embarrasses me. What America has lost in the ability to express with the written word.

[@williamhornsey7302]

What an excellent writing!

[@thomasarcher4034]

Humbling. I have a doctorate degree and am not nearly as articulate as he was.

[@flatcat6676]

I have a Bachelors degree, and can say the same. We live in a vulgar age. Recently, I've taken up writing a personal journal with pen and paper. It helps to slow and steady my thoughts, which allows me to better consider my words while constructing them on the page.

[@loretopettini5560]

I was thinking the same thing.

[@timmcquerry6068]

Humble indeed ,Good Sir, Bravo 👏!

[@unbreakable7633]

@@flatcat6676 Studies show that the vocabulary of the average person is contracting. Education is now indoctrination.

[@JohahnDiechter]

​@@unbreakable7633"studies show" is a weasel argument. Just tell us one study.

[@AllenPaulTrego]

Man love your channel. Love history. Thanks from Aiken Sc

[@jude999]

Respectful tribute to this soldier. Thank you, Ron

[@pomyao]

Very meaningful and moving. Thank you for sharing this.

[@carlcrisp8700]

Thank you for posting this veteran's words. He fully expresses the saying that "For those who have fought for it, life has a flavor the projected will never know."

[@greetnypd]

Thanks!

[@dextersreeflab]

Thanks for sharing this great work.

[@triumphofihm525]

Listening to this simple man I’m reminded how poor our education system is in this country. I can imagine an average 25 year old having spent 4 years in bloody war writing so beautifully 🙏🏻❤️

[@jimjones9740]

New to your channel! Thank you for what you're doing Well Done 👍

[@davidkeith7087]

Very interesting, thank you!

[@KpxUrz5745]

George Neese wasn't such a simple man after all, if he could write like this. Quite eloquent. I see that this is a great channel here, to provide us with such important glimpses into our not-so-distant past. Thank you, sir!

[@RadioMan666]

Wonderful!! 👍👍

[@stevepeace3892]

Very instructive. Perhaps we need an explanation as to how he became such a literate penman without the benefit of today’s public school system; common core, the National Education Association, bussing to achieve racial balance, increased property taxes for more football helmets and shoulder pads.

[@williamkholmes]

This wonderful human being makes me even more proud of my own well educated and truly fine ancestors from that era and before, who were proud Americans who merely fought for their homeland against the British as well as having fought for the South in the War Between The States. May they all rest in peace. I also hope your wonderful presentations will lead to a deeper and more meaningful understanding and respect for and between Americans from all regions. We all have helped make this the strongest Nation in the world today. As a child growing up in Georgia in the 1950s, the TV news tended to make me feel that the rest of America thought we were all of some evil origin. I knew far better then and now, as my parents and Grandparents all taught me to love and respect all human beings. I have passed these humane beliefs down to my descendants, as I'm quite certain most of those of you now reading this have done as well. It is my most sincere hope that no children anywhere in the world will ever again be forced to experience such degrading and unfounded critical misperceptions.

[@michaellaverty1844]

Oh how I wish I had the gift of language . My lack of education keeps me from expressing myself so. Love this video.

[@wmschooley1234]

Ron: Thank you for bringing “Three Years in the Confederate Horse Artillery." By Neese to our attention. Downloaded it today from the internet archive. It’s a great, easy to read, first person narrative from his enlistment, capture, imprisonment as a pow, release and return home. Any rebel re-enactor could find a lot of insightful character development and almost verbatim stories from this diary. Respectfully, W.S.

[@danhillman4523]

Mr. Neese was very eloquent. An incredible description of his feelings.

[@jimflores9098]

Civil War is not to be taken lightly. The horrors are never beheld in nightmares by the ones who fan the flames. Respect the dead and the ones who suffered, learn from them.

[@jeffkercheval4010]

Here is a man, who elegantly wrote words of unity and beauty over 100 years ago. Not a scholar, just a member of society. I have to ask myself if a graduate of high school could do the same today. I think not, and this should be concerning to all of us, because the education of our society foreshadows our future.

[@junefields1512]

Awesome words from an awesome man from awesome times…how well he saw the horizon from where he stood.

[@theallseeingmaster]

Quite reflective and sincere; a good man.

[@francisebbecke2727]

Love the fellows flowery descriptions.

[@MusicLiberates]

It’s great to once again observe how very articulate people were in that time period. That Confederate fellow was a wonderful writer, with an enviably rich vocabulary. Great episode!

[@JohnAmoss]

Hi Ron- John Amoss from the AJC days. Nice to see you again!

[@hikerdoc1478]

Something there for us to keep in mind for our present times.

[@ehayes5217]

Really interesting & thanks!👍😃🇺🇸

[@richardmitchell2527]

Wasn't the prison in Point Lookout in Maryland, not Va., my Great Grandfather was also there ?

[@tobystamps2920]

It’s always interesting listening to how people spoke, or rather wrote way back then. They often sound more educated than people today although this man probably had not had a college education.

[@bonanzatime]

Not 'more educated', 'better educated'.

[@bobby-ov9qn]

@@bonanzatime And, they even taught cursive writing back then.

[@donb7113]

So far I’ve purchased two books based on your references. The Black Phalanx, and now this gentleman’s. Thank you for your fascinating videos.

[@karlkoznoski4785]

Wow how brilliant, those men, the men we owe so much too, I salute you.

[@josephphoenix1376]

Excellent Episode 👍

[@christopherscarpino8994]

Wow, what a beautiful quote about war.

[@Bob.W.]

Impressive. Thx.

[@shj2000]

Humble man. But, far from simple.

[@markadkins9290]

Thanks for the history! SCV

[@tcarroll3954]

What a good and honorable man.

[@alabamabandofbrotherscampb8777]

Beautiful!

[@ken2tou]

Vietnam vet here. Father was a Korean War vet. My ancestors were engaged on both sides of this conflict. Father’s side were recent German emigrants from Ohio. They were farmers and knew little more than it was necessary for them to step up and fight. Mother’s side were decedents harking back to the earliest days of Colonial America. They’d emigrated from Stirling Kentucky to settle in the now Kansas City MO, area. They were confederates and escaped to Tarrant County Texas, when it got too contentious for the families to stay. My 2nd G Grandfather was Stephen Carter Ragan. He served as a Captain in the Army of Texas. Upon succession, he formed a Calvary unit that fought many battles all the way from (the siege of) Vicksburg, Chickamauga, and defended Atlanta from Sherman. At they’d of hostilities, they surrendered in Mobile, Alabama. None had to give up arms or surrender their swords. They just packed up and headed home to Texas.

[@dlpine71]

Your “mother’s side” is much like my late dad’s - coming across to Missouri and eventually the KCMO area by way of Kentucky and Tennessee in our case. Hence, the Southern influences.

[@user-yu1zp2vu9x]

My 3rd grandfather fought in the civil war, along with his brother. They were full blooded Cherokee men living in Indian Territory (Oklahoma). They owned a small store on the Canadian River and left it for their wives to maintain it. The unusual thing is that my grandfather went and fought for the confederacy. His brother fought for the union. Their units actually met up at the Battle of Pea Ridge although they were never in direct contact. Both were wounded at some point during the war and returned home. The family story is that neither would speak of the war for the rest of their lives but tried to help any exsoldier that passed by.

[@johnaugsburger6192]

Thanks

[@tubulardude44]

Just imagine how he would have felt to know his words would be appreciated so much, 159 years and many wars later!

[@bertvosburg558]

Love the 19th century prose from a man that was obviously well read and a poet and author in his own right. I speculate he was a very thoughtful, shy young man from the country that loved to read and thought on a higher level possibly than those around him.

[@Jhuntermorgan1516]

Also have visited signal knob many times... can feel these words

[@flowerofson-shine3539]

Much respect for him. I would love to have known him.

[@johnhenry1395]

I had an ancestor that similarly spent the duration in Stuart’s Horse Artillery. He was with Hart’s (later Halsey’s) Battery of Hampton’s Legion from Livingston, SC.

[@kevinahern7818]

I have a question Ron. I have seen many accounts of diaries and letters home of soldiers on both sides that are so eloquent. How is it that the young private from rule VA in 1860s is so well spoken? This is not a rare thing, many of the accounts are like this.

[@lifeonthecivilwarresearchtrail]

Hi Kevin. For all the letters, diaries, and other writings highlighted in this channel, there are many others that are not shared because they are less quotable, or less noteworthy for one reason or another. This having been stated, I believe that because writing was the primary form of communication, 19th century Americans developed and honed their skills, their vocabularies, and their style, all part of an effort to express themselves-from the farmer giving instructions about how to take care of his land while he was away to the private soldier describing his first battle. I think today's Americans are more than capable of the same abilities, but there is less need to do so.

[@richiephillips1541]

Excellent!

[@Degenxdta]

I live in nelson co va visit that area every summer

[@charlessupp2543]

Well-said Mr. Neece.😊

[@michaellicavoli3921]

That initial photo is exceptional!

[@josephfahner6778]

Well spoken words that should have been broadcast upon the wider world and enjoined those of like-minded individuals. Unfortunately the peace and harmony he envisioned was far from complete, and sectional prejudices were still rampant.

[@Paul-lm5gv]

Well done! The 'humble private' was a poet worthy of laureate status!

[@radamson1]

It is hard to believe how articulate and well-spoken this Confederate private was. I doubt if you could find many today his equal.

[@unbreakable7633]

Most Southerners fought to defend their homes and families from Northern aggression. Read Clifford Dowdey's THE LAND THEY FOUGHT FOR. Slavery was a cause of the war but it wasn't what most Southerners fought for, not the reason for the war to them.

[@MrIrrepressible]

Absolute bs. They fought to preserve white supremacy and slavery.

[@peterwhite7428]

Words of a smart, observant, brave soldier

[@cliffordpearsonjr.9748]

You really Find some Good ones Ron. This was very Good to hear From One of our Honored Southern Heroes!

[@marycahill546]

Most old soldiers hate war -- they have seen the carnage of it and understand its futility.

[@TruthIsHardToTake]

What amazes me about fellows as Neese from his era, is that although most only had an eighth grade education, their command of the English language and their ability to so articulately be able to convey their thoughts and experiences, in the written word. Most college graduates these days, would not be able to do the same. Which is testimony to the fruitlessness of their education.