American Civil War: Facts and Fictions

246 Pages·2018·16.146 MB·English

by  James R Hedtke

American Civil War
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American Civil War
Facts and Fictions
James R. Hedtke
Historical Facts and Fictions
Copyright © 2018 by ABC-CLIO, LLC
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
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permission in writing from the publisher.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Hedtke, James R., author.
Title: American Civil War : facts and fictions / James R. Hedtke.
Description: Santa Barbara, California : ABC-CLIO, 2018. | Series: Historical
facts and fictions | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2018018948 (print) | LCCN 2018022589 (ebook) | ISBN
9781440860744 (eBook) | ISBN 9781440860737 (hardcopy : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: United States—History—Civil War, 1861–1865—Juvenile literature.
Classification: LCC E468 (ebook) | LCC E468 . H447 2018 (print) | DDC 973.7— dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2018018948
ISBN: 978-1-4408-6073-7 (print)
978-1-4408-6074-4 (ebook)
22 21 20 19 18 1 2 3 4 5
This book is also available as an eBook.
ABC-CLIO
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ABC-CLIO, LLC
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This book is printed on acid-free paper
Manufactured in the United States of America
To my daughters, Lisa, Kristi, and Lori. Thank you for your boundless
love and the immense joy you have brought into my life.

Contents
Preface ix
Acknowledgments xi
Introduction xiii
1. The Main Reason the Southern States Seceded from
the Union Was States’ Rights 1
2. Edmund Ruffin Fired the First Shot at Fort Sumter 23
3. Black Regiments Fought in Combat for the Confederate
States of America 41
4. There Were No Female Combat Soldiers in the Civil War 61
5. Lincoln Freed the Slaves 79
6. The Gettysburg Address Was Written on a Train 101
7. Grant Was a Butcher 121
8. Civil War Medicine Was Barbaric 143
9. Freed Slaves Were Promised 40 Acres and a Mule 163
10. Lincoln’s Assassination Was the Result of a Conspiracy 187
Bibliography 211
Index 217

Preface
Even though the American Civil War ended more than 150 years ago, it
still fascinates and intrigues the American public. Authors have written
more books about the Civil War than any other event or conflict in
American history. Bibliographers estimate that writers have produced over
50,000 books and pamphlets about the struggle between the states. On
average, one book on the Civil War has been published every day since the
end of the conflict in 1865. The Pew Research Center for the People &
the Press conducted a survey in 2011 that revealed that 56 percent of
Americans thought the Civil War was still relevant to American politics.
Another 36 percent of the respondents believed the war was a histori-
cally important event. The Civil War still commands the attention of the
American people.
In their works, authors have written about almost every conceivable
topic and aspect of the Civil War. The purpose of this work is relatively
unique. This book will expose and debunk 10 popular misconceptions
related to the Civil War. A misconception is a false or mistaken view,
opinion, or idea based on incorrect facts or faulty reasoning. Each chapter
will examine the misconceptions through the same analytical lens and
separate fact from fiction. The chapter will describe the misconception
and explain how it arose and became ensconced in the American popular
memory. Primary sources and documents will be used to demonstrate
the rise and spread of the misconception. The author will then provide
the reader with historical facts, primary sources, and documents that
will correct the misconception and establish an accurate account about
what happened during the war. Each chapter will conclude with a short