Having lived four years in Georgia, I have seen a fair number of Civil War battlefields. And while I am very interested in history, I just don't get battlefields. (Maybe if I went to Normandie or something it would be different, I don't know.) Too me, it is really just grass. Even if they put a cannon there. I do enjoy visiting museums and houses in connection with battlefields, like the Carter House in Franklin, Tennessee, but the fields themselves? I am sorry...
To illustrate my point, here are a couple of shots:
Edited to add: For a hilarious take on the phenomenon of reenactments, there is a really funny book called "Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War" that I will highly recommend.
Comments (6)
I've lived in the South my whole life and I don't get the battlefield thing either. Especially the "reinactment"(sp?) events. Why would you want to re-live a battle where lots of men died?
But I guess the best thing is that it keeps people from developing that land and leaves us with a few grassy areas!
Posted by Annie | February 13, 2008 2:38 PM
Posted on February 13, 2008 14:38
Great post! I also don't get the whole battlefield thing.
Posted by girasoli | February 13, 2008 10:47 PM
Posted on February 13, 2008 22:47
I am glad I am not alone on this! And Annie, I totally agree - it does leave nice greenspace and that is great.
As for the reenactments, I don't really get that either... For a hilarious take on this phenomenon, however, there is a really funny book called "Confederates in the Attic: Dispatches from the Unfinished Civil War" which follows some reenacters.
Posted by Chiocciola | February 13, 2008 11:08 PM
Posted on February 13, 2008 23:08
At least they are not building housing on the fields.
Posted by angie | February 14, 2008 3:46 AM
Posted on February 14, 2008 03:46
"At least they are not building housing on the fields"
That's how I feel about golf courses here in Hawaii :-)
Posted by girasoli | February 14, 2008 2:22 PM
Posted on February 14, 2008 14:22
Thanks for the head's up about that book - I'll have to check it out!
Posted by Annie | February 14, 2008 3:39 PM
Posted on February 14, 2008 15:39