history
From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in June 1865:
The Papers.
The war is over! and yet we hardly appreciate the fact. We have become so accustomed to look for and read attentively the details of battles, that the daily papers seem dull already; and this no doubt will be the case for sometime to come.
The great questions growing out of the war, such as re-construction, negro suffrage, etc., will now occupy the public mind; and these matters are of vital importance to all classes of our people; and although these discussions will not be read with as much avidity as war news, still every citizen will do wise to keep himself familiarized with the questions at issue, and be at all times ready to act and vote with a clear understanding of the whole subject.
Let no one, therefore, discontinue taking papers because the war is over. Intelligence is still needed, yes, even demanded, more in the future than in the past. We shall live faster, and be wiser in the future than ever before.
I have loved this Sesquicentennial, and, as a matter of fact, I’m somewhat disappointed I won’t be … available … for the Centennial of the Norman Conquest of England – with maybe a battle of Hastings re-enactment!
I have loved this Sesquicentennial, but is time to do other things. The world and even history are much bigger than the American Civil War. I’m somewhat disappointed that already this year I’ve forgotten about the Battle of New Orleans, the sinking of the Lusitania, and Magna Carta. I wouldn’t even have thought about the big battle in Europe 200 years ago today, but I guess we have always wanted to commemorate major anniversaries of significant historical events. From a Seneca County, New York newspaper in June 1865:
A Survivor of the Battle of Waterloo.
The 50th anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo, fought by the forces of Wellington and Blucher with Napoleon occurred on Sunday last, June 18th inst.
Among the survivors of that battle, who reside in this country, is Rev. D. Willers, of Varick, in this county,who has preached at Bearytown and vicinity for more than 44 years past, and who in the course of his discourse last Sabbath feelingly alluded to his celebration of the Semi-Centennial anniversary of one of the greatest and most decisive battles (for the fate of Europe,) of the Century.
I know even less about Reconstruction than I do about the Civil War, so I probably should learn more about the “great questions growing out of the war” as they were taking place 150 years ago. Reconstruction probably wasn’t as flashy as a war’s battles and even NCpedia refers to “The complexity of the Reconstruction period”. Sounds interesting.
at the commencement exercises
Edwin Forbes’ drawing resides at the Library of Congress, as does the photo in Philadelphia on June 10, 1865 when returning veterans paraded.
