I found Logue’s discussion of the Confederate veterans extremely interesting. In many ways these men reacted similarly to Union veterans. They both used voting to influence the country in the years after the war, they both were concerned with establishing a legacy, they both felt misunderstood in the late 19th century, and they both established veteran groups. However, the Union seemed to establish and a positive reputation and reputable veteran groups while the Confederate veterans established the KKK and established a legacy of racism and inequality. How did two groups with so much in common react so differently. Was it due to the shame Confederate veterans felt when they lost the war? Did their pent up aggression release itself in hatred towards society’s outcasts. Don’t get me wrong Union veterans mistreated African Americans, refused to recognize their efforts, and denied them many rights. However, most Union soldiers stopped short of actually hunting down and killing African Americans. The way Logue portrayed it Confederate veterans felt they could redeem themselves by ensuring that African Americans were given as few rights as possible.
The returning Confederate soldiers were faced with a unique set of hardships. They had lost the war, and they were now forced to integrate into the society they had fought against for many long hard years. They had to deal with the shame of defeat, the destruction of war, and they had little help from a largely unsympathetic North. I understand that all of this must have made them very resentful and angry. Is this the reason why they seem to lash out with such hostility? I don’t understand how two groups with so many similarities react so differently.
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