Back to War Part two

Stephen Burbridge nicknamed "Butcher". During his rule in Kentucky, he directed execution and imprisonment of numerous people, including public figures on charges of treason and other high crimes, many which were baseless. He declared Order # 59 that stated "whenever an unarmed  Union citizen is murdered, four guerrillas (Confederates) will be selected from the prison and publicly shot to death at the most convenient place near the scene of the outrage. 
All of these men (previous post) made reputations for themselves from killing civilians without trial or evidence. They looted homes in the name of the U S Government and took anything they wanted no matter what it was or its use. 
The following is a part of a paragraph from the previous story on Nathan B. Forrest  in the Confederate Veteran Magazine: 
"First Lt. W. H. Nelson, 5th Tennessee Cavalry, US, kept a diary in which he recorded the killing of prisoners as routine: 
May 18, 1964, Lieut. Creasy killed two prisoners, one unknown. Warm and pleasant. Nothing important happening. 
June 14,1864. We were in a fight today. We burned the houses where the fight took place and took the men of the houses to Lynchburg.
June 15, 1864. We killed the prisoners we took yesterday. 
HUMAN LIFE had become cheap in Tennessee by 1864, and the debaser of its value were not Confederates."
Of the men I have written about, Nathan B Forrest is the one who is the villain  in today's historical facts. Nathan attacked a fort of  military men at 4 P.M. and at 4:30 P.M. 182 of the men were dead and 398 US soldiers survived. Maybe he should have killed all of them then it could have been what it is called a massacre.  He did not but alas it was trout ed as massacre. 
I am not saying that our Southern Gentlemen who were in charge never committed a crime against humanity but from all I have read so far, they were the most civil and honorable of the commanding officers on both sides of the issue. 
The Kitty Justice is  who were the real Terrorist of the Civil War.  

Comments

I don't know who the REAL terrorists of any war really is. Both sides are killing and killing and killing. I never understood the wanton killing of civilians or the torching of property. War is hell as has been said. MB
Lady Di Tn said…
MB
Thanks for getting the point. It was a horrible time especially in the South, one of which I hope is never repeated. I would think people. Would not judge unless they they look in the mirror and see a squeaky clean soul. My question was who of those men have most Americans heard about? Peace

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