On the battlefield in Cold
Harbor, Virginia, the bones of both friends and enemies were being collected
this day in April 1865. The soldiers' bones were from the battle of Chancellorsville
which took place in 1862. These brave men were killed in the battle because
they fought for a cause in which they believed.
This photograph was taken when African-American males were picking up the corpses of bodies that had been laying there for nearly three years. All that remains of the bodies are just bones. In this picture you can see an example of the skulls and bones, that just lay wasting.
The soldiers bodies have never and will never have a proper burial. One reason they will not have a proper burial is some of their families will never be informed that these individuals have died. As a sign that a battle took place in Cold Harbor, gun powder is all over the battlefield.
The battle of Chancellorsville has been known as Lee's greatest victory, but everyone should remember it for all the individuals who fought, were wounded, and died. The battle is another example of the huge loss of life during our Civil War.
The war is coming to an end. And a startling event has happened. Abraham Lincoln was shot by John Wilkes Booth. This took place at a theater in Washington. Lincoln died from his wound. General Lee surrendered at Appomattox Courthouse in Virginia, and the war has ended, leaving the country to heal its own wounds.
Sources:
"Cold Harbor, Battle of." Microsoft Encarta 98 Encyclopedia. CD-ROM: 1998.
Joe H. Kirchberger. "The End Of The War: April 1865." The Civil War and Reconstruction. New York: Facts on File, 1991.