Conclusion of Stones River, The Highest Percentage of Casualties in the Civil War

Comments · 50

• BR

  @bradanfeasa · 4 years ago

  As a Canadian who, for whatever reason, became fascinated with the American Civil War, I thank Garry Adelman, Chris Mackowski, Jim Lewis, and "Chris-behind-the-camera" for a terrific 4-part series on Stones River. I visited the battlefield some years back -- Before Covid (BC) -- and became as disoriented as the presenters described which, at the time, annoyed me. Thanks to these talks, I can now appreciate to a small degree how it must have been for a participant in the battle (especially since no-one was shooting at me). I have seen a great many battlefield presentations in person and on You Tube, but never have I encountered one with so much erudition matched with such infectious enthusiasm and energy for an historical event as these three delightful gentlemen provided. Bravo!

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• BI

  @bigsarge2085 · 4 years ago

  Ranger Jim really sells the personal stories and the deep meaning of the battle with its strategic implications.

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• EN

  @enso-archery · 4 years ago

  The withdrawal  led rebels  into an artillery ambush

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• MO

  @monitorthis · 4 years ago

  Just remarkable content. How lucky we are to have the videos. Bravo.

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• HE

  @heberfenderful · 4 years ago

  Such a descriptive and touching narration, the loss of life in such a short time is so tragic, on both sides

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• OD

  @Odin029 · 4 years ago

  My grandmother's family was from that area and she would tell stories to me that she heard from her grandfather and great aunts about the battle at Stones River. She remembered her great aunt saying that the water flowing past their home near Smyrna(which is now under Percy Priest Lake) was still red with blood.

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• BE

  @BemusedHumanist · 4 years ago

  Great series on Stone's River, gentlemen.  Gripping history from start to finish.  Kudos!

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• MI

  @missourimole · 4 years ago

  I have learned more about the Civil War, and this battle in particular, than I could have ever hoped. Thank you, you all are amazing,  thank you for the information and insight.

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• NA

  @natturner1002 · 4 years ago

  Jim Lewis is absolutely The GOAT!

• RU

  @russguffee6661 · 4 years ago

  I lived about 3 miles from the battlefield back in the 90's. I've spent countless hours walking the site. It was a lot different back then.

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• RE

  @rexfrommn3316 · 4 years ago (edited)

  The battle of Murfreesboro certainly was a bloody affair. It gets scary to think about a regiment of 400 men going into an attack and then melting away to just a company of 60 to 80 men after the attack. The Union had this carnage happen to its regiments in tough spots too at Murfreesboro. The &nbsp;percussion cap muzzle loading muskets and rifles with the Minie ball, along with big improvements in artillery made weaponry of the Civil War more reliable and more lethal. We saw this happen at Shiloh in April, 1862 with Confederate regiments getting into a tough spot during an attack getting stuck in crossfire from artillery and musketry volleys melting away in a just a few minutes from 400 men down to less than 50 or or 60 men with all the rest killed or wounded. Most of this killing/maiming happened at close range under a 100 meters due to thick clouds of black powder smoke.<br><br>Many of the &quot;missing&quot; were men shot to pieces by artillery and almost vaporized from close range double canister rounds. Artillery rounds with timed fuses exploded cannon balls filled with musket balls mangled human bodies into unrecognizable mincemeat. It was commonplace for herds of pigs to roam rural areas and towns to eat the garbage in frontier antebellum America. We know at times wild herds of pigs ate human remains soon after quiet took over the battlefield. Medical orderlies would hear the screams of wounded men at night being eaten alive by herds of wild pigs and packs of wild dogs. So many of the &quot;missing&quot; may have likely become human carrion for the herds of hungry wild pigs, flocks of crows or packs wild dogs or foxes. It often took days for the wounded to be attended too by exhausted medical orderlies after a big battle. Murfreesboro was a big battle with horrific carnage. It wouldn&apos;t be the last either with Chickamauga just around the corner in the later part of 1863. Chickamauga had three whole days of heavy fighting with long casualty lists in the many thousands each day on both sides.

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• EA

  @Earlyriser1988 · 4 years ago

  great story telling of the battle

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