Today's History Lesson...America's Footsteps
From one year to the next, historical events fill the calendar...from the past to the present into the future. Some are remembered on a annual basis, even to having their own day of celebration being designated as a special calendar event. Others are remembered only when reminded of their significance in America's poignant history.
From one year to the next, historical events fill the calendar...from the past to the present into the future. Some are remembered on a annual basis, even to having their own day of celebration being designated as a special calendar event. Others are remembered only when reminded of their significance in America's poignant history.
On this day, June 25, first reflect on historical footprints, tears follow...
It took war for America to win its independence in 1776; then, civil war almost tore a nation apart!
On this day in history. . .
June 25, 1864: Pennsylvania troops begin digging a tunnel toward the Rebels at Petersburg, Virginia, in order to blow a hole in the Confederate lines and break the stalemate. . .
Footsteps
of History
It is a sad day when events provoke attacks
that set brother against brother and father against son.
How heart rendering
that must be;
yet, it is a decisive turning point in America’s history.
Take a myriad of steps back in time
When brother fought against brother
An era that
terrified the country
Every father,
every mother
Unimaginable
circumstances
Sent sons of one
nation into battle
Internal war
raging unmercifully
Bore conflicts
that to this day still rattle
Family, friends,
loved ones
Separated or
parted forever
Thousands
suffered and died
All on behalf of
freedom’s endeavor
Soldiers hungry,
ragged and dirty
Fell exhausted
from heavy artillery
Freezing, drizzling, miserable rains
Contributed to
life’s daily misery
Away from the
battlefields
A sense of calm
lulled
Within panoramic
views
Thoughts
lingered and mulled
In the wake of
faint dawn
Soldiers shared
last desires
Snuggling close
to stay warm
Beside the
bivouac fires
Walk in the
footsteps of history
Relive vivid
stories that do declare
Tales of morbid pain and suffering
Connecting the past to the present…
"I am passionately interested in understanding how my country works.
And if you want to know about this thing called the United States of America
you have to know about the Civil War."
—Ken Burns (1953-Present)
And if you want to know about this thing called the United States of America
you have to know about the Civil War."
—Ken Burns (1953-Present)
Also on this day in history. . .
June 25, 1876: Native American forces led by Chiefs Crazy Horse and Sitting Bull defeat the U.S. Army troops of Lieutenant Colonel George Armstrong Custer in a bloody battle near southern Montana's Little Bighorn River. . .
 |
| George Armstrong Custer |
 |
| Sitting Bull |
 |
| Custer and his troops in 1864 |
 |
| Custer's Last Stand |
Prelude to Indian Uprising
 |
| Painting by Robert Lindneux in 1942 commemorating the suffering of the Cherokee people under forced removal. (Image Credit: The Granger Collection, New York) |
(The Trail Where They Cried)
The forced relocation of the Cherokee Nation stemmed from
tensions between Georgia (not yet a state) and the United States.
One of the saddest moves in American history
forced the Cherokee to march one thousand miles
under horrible conditions to the Western United States.
the Cherokee Nation
tensions between Georgia (not yet a state) and the United States.
One of the saddest moves in American history
forced the Cherokee to march one thousand miles
under horrible conditions to the Western United States.
the Cherokee Nation
gave up its epic lands
not solely of free will
but government demands
coerced to march overland
sadness loomed, many died
Indians hailed the journey
hungry, cold and exhausted
they lumbered onward
they lumbered onward
saying nothing, feeling lost
heads tilted downward
images of the old nation
give way to somber wails
bodies of family and friends
lay buried near the trail
men, women, and children all cry
as many, many days pass
from the Mississippi River
to Oklahoma, alas
for one to picture
such a dismal plight
it would have to be
the darkest of night
visions of desolation
were endlessly seen
only memories remained
of their native scene
On Trail of Tears:
But their land, located in parts of Georgia, Alabama, North Carolina, Florida and Tennessee, was valuable, and it grew to be more coveted as white settlers flooded the region.
“I fought through the Civil War and have seen
men shot to
pieces and slaughtered by thousands
but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew.”
but the Cherokee removal was the cruelest work I ever knew.”
—Georgia militiaman who participated in the “roundup” of the Cherokee
Indians
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