The Musings of A Simple Country Man
By Hobie Morris
(Brookfield, NY – May 2015) A small army of rambunctious and excited boys and girls decorated with colorful small American flags and bouquets of yellow daffodils, the grey gravestones of Civil War veterans lying in state in the quiet and peaceful Brookfield rural cemetery located at the edge of the village. Decoration Day was a full day unique American celebration. Hundreds of area people came into the village early that morning. The day included a parade to the cemetery to honor the veterans, numerous patriotic speeches often given by veterans themselves and mountains of food for all in attendance.
The Town of Brookfield provided 350 soldiers and sailors to the Union cause; the last known Civil War veteran passing in 1933. These were the men who had rallied to President Lincoln’s call and the nation’s Old Glory.
It was decided soon after the cannons grew cold and the muskets were laid down that the sacrifices of the nearly 450,000 New Yorkers who served in the Union cause would be remembered and their contributions preserved and passed on the future generations through such remembrance activities. Soon, of course, there would be other wars, new veterans and graves joining those of the past.
The great American Civil War ended in April, 1865, 150 years ago. While the war ended in 1865, in fact America is still “paying for it” through Civil War pensions to survivors of Civil War veterans. Officially then the Civil War is still alive—albeit barely.
In July of 1913 some of Brookfield’s Union veterans attended the greatest and last celebration of the men who wore the Blue and Gray. Nearly 50,000 men from all the States converged on Gettysburg and camped out in 5,000 tents. This reunion was in remembrance of the 50,000 casualties in this epic three-day crucial battle.
During these centennial years, 1911-1915, 200,000 men living in 1911 had fought their final battle. A Civil War veteran died every 10 minutes. In another 10 years only a few stragglers were left; strangers to the post World War I and Roaring Twenties generation.
It’s difficult for today’s generation to realize just how gigantic a conflict the Civil War was. While the Civil War lasted a little less than 1,500 days, there were 3,261 engagements in which life was lost and with minor actions and skirmishes, the total came to 6,800. There were on average two battles fought every 24 hours. The total death figure is between 750,000 and one million casualties, including civilians. There was one Civil War death every three-and-a-half minutes. Both the Union and Confederate armies lost nearly 14 percent of their fighting men during the war. At Shiloh the combined casualties amounted to 30 percent. The 1st Texas Regiment at Antietam lost 82.3 percent of its men.
If miraculously we could return to life all those Civil War “Billy Yanks” and “Johnny Rebs” for one final fall-in tribute to each other, what an amazing scene it would be. There would be no muskets, swords, pistols or cannons present. Just the flower of youth who perished young and those valiant veterans who survived the war and had their individual battles during the aging years until called home to reunite with friends and foes, and now all brothers.
First, I’ll line up my two Central New York great uncles and brothers. I’ll put them four-and-a-half feet apart and continue on, each Union soldier four-and-a-half feet from his comrade in blue. The not so numerous Confederates I’ll place 12 feet apart, facing their one-time Yankee foes. On and on I’ll place these two lines. If I got them all on one flat plain, it would have to be 1,700 miles long.
America can never forget the men and women in both war and peace who put their country first in time of danger. America’s history, although with flaws, has been a continual striving for betterment. While we have occasionally failed, far more often we have succeeded and we continue to push on. Our veterans, beginning with the honored Civil War soldiers, gave us time to make America better and provide new opportunities for all, regardless of color, religion, nationality, etc. We salute and thank you, all, you silent heroes.
Hobie Morris is a Brookfield resident and simple country man.