Having grown up near a small battlefield of the Civil War, I’ve had a life-long interest in it. That interest has led me to read and collect lots of books and to visit as many of the battlefields and historic sites as I could. I would call myself a serious student of the war, though not necessarily a scholar and certainly not an authority. Strategies, tactics, generals and troop movements have not interested me nearly so much as trying to gain an understanding of what it was like for the men who fought on both sides, how they endured what they endured, and how they were able to march straight into almost certain death with no hesitation. It’s hard for me to imagine marching all night, with no shoes and no coat, through a freezing rain, or lying wounded on a battlefield for two or three days.
I wonder about those southern soldiers---that ragged, hungry, barefoot remnant who, though surrounded at Appomattox---would have fought on if Lee had asked them to. I am fascinated by the many instances in which acts of noble humanity were juxtaposed against the murderous , savage fury that occurred in the heat of battle. It really was a war of brother against brother.
Then I wonder about my own great grandpa, who with his brothers signed up in a Louisiana infantry regiment in December of 1861. He fought at the Hornet’s Nest at Shiloh; he fought at Corinth, Chickamauga, Chattanooga, Franklin, Resaca, Atlanta, and a dozen other places before he was captured in 1865. Why? He wasn’t even a landowner, much less a slave owner, and he likely would not have flourished in the plutocracy that the South would have become had secession been achieved.
In a perverse irony, great grandpa dodged thousands of bullets (except for one at Chickamauga) only to be shot in the back on the streets of his hometown ten years later. I now own the blood-stained, buckshot-riddled shirt he was wearing that day.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - A Question for Dads This recent topic from the Tractor Talk discussion board is being highlighted because it is an awesome display of the caliber of individuals that have made this site their own. The young person asking questions received positive feedback and advice from total strangers who "told it like it is" with the care many reserve for their own kids. The advice is timeless... so although it isn't necessarily antique tractor related, it will be prominently displayed in our archives to honor those who have the courage to ask and those who have the courage to respond in an honest, positive manner.
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
1964 I-H 140 tractor with cultivators and sidedresser. Starts and runs good. Asking 2650. CALL RON AT 502-319-1952
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.
