May 1861, a few weeks after the outbreak of the Civil War, United States union soldiers begin guarding Washington D.C. from rebel attacks as construction of the Capitol Building continues on around them. [850×709]
I love historic photos like this, especially when it comes with some context.
seductus
Lincoln’s private secretaries wrote a biography of Lincoln and a history of the war. They wrote that when the war started, DC was totally undefended. Richmond was just a stone’s throw away and the capital was subject to attack and for the government to be overthrown. It was an extremely dangerous time. A volunteer NY Regiment showed up and the city was relieved. The citizens almost felt like they were protected by a full division of troops.
beefstewforyou
I wonder how many of these guys were killed in the war.
Heritage_Cherry
Weird to think about a rebel insurgency within the US. But that’s exactly what it was.
It just stereotypically sounds like something we’d attribute to some far-away country in another part of the world that we’d never want to visit. Maybe some tiny place that barely has its shit together, and changes forms of government every 10 years with new uprisings. A place with absolutely no stability.
But I’m sure that’s how plenty of people abroad viewed the US civil war at the time. Just crazy to think about.
AsleepModeOn
I love historic photos like this, especially when it comes with some context.
seductus
Lincoln’s private secretaries wrote a biography of Lincoln and a history of the war. They wrote that when the war started, DC was totally undefended. Richmond was just a stone’s throw away and the capital was subject to attack and for the government to be overthrown. It was an extremely dangerous time. A volunteer NY Regiment showed up and the city was relieved. The citizens almost felt like they were protected by a full division of troops.
beefstewforyou
I wonder how many of these guys were killed in the war.
Heritage_Cherry
Weird to think about a rebel insurgency within the US. But that’s exactly what it was.
It just stereotypically sounds like something we’d attribute to some far-away country in another part of the world that we’d never want to visit. Maybe some tiny place that barely has its shit together, and changes forms of government every 10 years with new uprisings. A place with absolutely no stability.
But I’m sure that’s how plenty of people abroad viewed the US civil war at the time. Just crazy to think about.