1. Joseph Hooker
Born November 1814, in Hadley, Massachusetts, Joseph Hooker was a major general of the Union Army during the Civil War. After graduating the U.S. Military Academy in 1837, Hooker then fought in the Seminole Wars, in addition to the Mexican-American War. He is most well- known for his failure against Confederate General Robert E. Lee in 1863 at the Battle of Chancellorsville. There has been a myth regarding the prostitutes who gathered around his camp, a possible point of origin for the slang term, "hookers."
2. President Taylor
Zachary Taylor was the twelfth president of the United States. He served approximately one year (actually, 16 months), beginning March of 1849 and ending July of 1850 (at his death). However, what was most peculiar about him was his cause of death: after attending activities at the site of the to-be erected Washington Monument, Taylor consumed a large number of cherries, washing them down with glasses of milk upon returning to the White House. Outbreaks of cholera, a deadly disease caused by bacteria was extremely common in the 1800s. This bacteria would flourish in the warm, refrigerated milk that Taylor drank. Another theory was that Taylor died of gastroenteritis, caused by a reaction between the acidic cherries and the milk. Four days later, Taylor died after experiencing a series of symptoms that included diarrhea, cramps, dehydration, and nausea. An examination of the body afterwards proved that there had been a bacterial infection in his small intestine. Moral? Eat a banana next time.
3. Slavery
The other day, we debated whether or not a slave would be free after having resided in a free state for an extended period of time. This was a lead-in formed to prepare us for the discussion on the results of the Dred Scott Decision (Dred Scott, the Missouri slave who attempted to sue for his freedom in the Supreme Court). Though I saw the train of thought that led the judges to decide that he was to remain a slave, I could not help but how unfair and immoral it was that the slave, but nonetheless, a MAN, was being discussed as if he were an animal or a possession. (A hypothetical argument that was brought up was: if you brought your dog to *random state* and they had a law there banning dogs and you had to leave him in *another state*, all on his own, and when you went to pick him up to go home, is he still your dog? Or does he belong to *another state* now? Whichever way this argument is directed, why is a man being compared to a dog?
not 4. The Railroad
The railroad was, prior to the Civil War used for the transport of goods (and men, women, children, and families) from location A to location B. A service used for commuting or the expansion of business. It was a marvelous invention, efficient and productive, for the sake of growing, building, improving, and expanding. And yet, along came the Civil War and soon, men discovered that they could harness its abilities and use it for transporting soldiers, machinery, and weapons from one area, where they're made, to where they're needed, in the field. (Mostly the railroads were used by the Union, as the government took control of all the train stations.) It's a sad thing when a magnificent invention created with such good intentions, is turned around and used to harm and destroy. A good example of the disease of war spreading and infecting the peace.
5. The Telegraph
Upon discovering the telegraph, the Union had a foot up from the Confederacy, who still had to get messages from one place to another by horserider on horseback. Messages could be sent anywhere (there were lines) and at at any time. Along with the invention of Morse Code, now even if Confederates intercepted the messages, it would not matter, as they would not be able to comprehend the series of tapping sounds. The way was foolproof! It also opened spots for men to help the war effort but did not want to go out into battle. They could sit at the desk and send the messages written out by their superiors (like generals, explaining the situation and possible battle tactics) and receive messages and copy them down for their superiors to read and act upon. The weather conditions would have almost no impact as well, unlike the unfortunate rider who would have to wait out a storm. (Though what I don't understand it why the Confederates did not simply chop down the lines and interrupt the signal going to and fro...)
6. Nurse Clara Barton
In the early 1600s, Clara Barton was one of the first women to volunteer to go be a nurse to show up at the Washington Infirmary to care for the wounded soldiers there. Later on, Barton left the infirmary to go work with soldiers on the field of battle (or at least near it). Her calm demeanor, peaceful presence, and supplies were welcomed at the Battle of Antietam, where she helped the overworked surgeons there (who were trying to create bandages out of corn husks!). She organized the performance of first aid and provisions of food and water for the wounded. Throughout the entire progression of the Civil war, Barton traveled all around, saving Union soldiers and fixing up Confederate prisoners. In January of 1865, she traveled back up to the North, whereupon her arrival (in March), Lincoln appointed her General Correspondent for the Friends of Paroled Prisoners. Then, in 1880, Barton founded the American Red Cross.
7. Minie Balls (There should be an accent aigu/acute on the "e")
Invented by French army officer, Claude-Etienne Minie, in 1849, the Minie bullet was the most effective bullet used in the Civil War. The original design was not Minie's, rather he simplified and based it off designs of British Captain John Norton and William Greener. It was quite accurate, even over a long distance, and extremely lethal--it had a cylindrical shape with a hollow base that expanded after being fired, causing more damage. First used by the British army against Russians in the Crimean War, both Union and Confederate soldiers soon began arming their muzzle-loaded rifles with these bullets. As a result, the muzzle-loaded rifles could now be used in combat, as they originally were not because of how difficult it was to load them (by the time one reloaded, they were probably dead, so it wouldn't exactly be helping them much, really...). The Minie ball made for easier loading into the gun, as it had a smaller diameter than other bullets allowing the gun to continue firing off properly, even when the barrel became dirty. On its way of hurtling out the barrel of the gun, the bullet would expand, spinning so tightly against the ridges inside increasing both range and accuracy to 200-250 yards. In fact, so much so, that 150 British soldiers utilizing the Minie would have the same firepower as more than 500 Russian soldiers using the traditional musket and ammunition. Then in the 1850s, James Burton of the U.S. Army improved it further by making easier (and cheaper) to mass produce. The Minie bullet would account for 90% of the casualties of soldiers in the Civil War.
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