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Wow, what a cool post, Wild Bill!
You know, it's scary how many of those battlefields are being lost to things like shopping mall parking lots, subdivisions, and INterstate highway projects.
I believe the Wilderness campaign was the battle that the idea of what ultimately became the modern day GI dog tag came about. Legend has it that a company of Yankee soldiers, knowing in all likelihood that they weren't going home, got the idea to write their names, addresses, units, and next of kin on armbands so that when someone found them, their loved ones could be notified.
I believe the estimate, too, was that something like 18,000 men died in the first ten minutes of combat.
posted by
strat
on August 3, 2007 at 9:51 AM
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You should be a guide for one of those history tours.
posted by
Holy_Grail
on July 31, 2007 at 7:21 PM
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freemanwalking, I guess you're right.
I forget trees have life spans, being around sequoias and getting to be a little on the mossy side myself!
I remember stories of people occasionally running scross the remains of soldiers who crawled into cover and died, never to be found.
posted by
majroj
on July 30, 2007 at 10:27 AM
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beautiful
posted by
spanish_dragon
on July 29, 2007 at 1:14 PM
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Those are some nice final words
posted by
MiaElla
on July 29, 2007 at 9:24 AM
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Majroj - I don't think there are many "witness trees" left these days. The
lifespan of even big white oaks in open areas seems to be about 150 years. I see the big chinkapin and chestnut oaks falling apart on all these old antebellum farms around Middle Tennessee. Maybe deep woods trees get older.
posted by
FreeManWalking
on July 29, 2007 at 6:20 AM
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Thanks TAPS glad to see you again
posted by
FreeManWalking
on July 29, 2007 at 6:18 AM
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Nice one!
That also was the basis for thee title of the book by Hemmingway (and later a play) "Across the River and Into the Trees".
Be interesting to take a little metal detector there and check trees, up and fallen, over a foot in diameter for shot...except they used lead...nevermind.
posted by
majroj
on July 28, 2007 at 3:22 PM
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FreeManWalking
What an interesting and well-written post. I had forgotten how much I enjoy reading what you write.
posted by
TAPS.
on July 28, 2007 at 12:54 PM
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