I found this very interesting. It helped me understand why those in the South that once had weatlh were robbed, their homes and crops burned. It wasn't enough that they had all their property looted and burned they also burned their food crops along with everything else. Margie Remember, laws passed in 1906 and 1929 gave Confederate soldiers official status as U.S. servicemen. ABSOLUTE PROOF THE NORTH DIDN'T INVADE OVER SLAVERY This amendment is the only one in the history of our nation to be signed by a President, Abe Lincoln. Of even more interest is the fact that all reports acknowledge that black slave labor was used as late as 1865. This means that, according to what is preached by modern, politically correct historians and the NAACP, while the Northern forces of Abraham Lincoln were invading and sacking the South under the guise of freeing slaves, the U.S. government was using slaves to build their government buildings. The hypocrisy in these contradictory actions is too glaring to ignore. There was a bill before the US congress in 1862 which would have abolished slavery. It was "defeated", even though the Southern states were not in the union. Absolute Proof the Southern States were not Traitors Each state was to remain a separate entity and retain their individual sovereignty. Virginia, Rhode Island and New York, in their ratification of the Constitution, stated that they reserved the right to secede from the union whenever the National Government used its powers to the oppression and injury of the people. Were they not admitted without question? Was not the declared right of these States the absolute right of all? 'On the twenty-fourth day of May, 1860,' the United States Senate passed a set of resolutions introduced by Jefferson Davis, of Mississippi, strongly indorsing the right of secession by a vote of thirty-six to nineteen. Twenty States voted for the resolutions, one State divided its vote, four voted against it, and eight refused to vote. The people still remained citizens of the state in which they lived. The "U.S. citizen" did not exist. Daniel Webster himself said that all states are nations. In 1844 the admission of Texas was a question. Did not the Legislature of Massachusetts pass the following resolution, "That the project of the annexation of Texas, unless arrested on the threshold, may drive these States into a dissolution of the Union" And just this week, Rep. Marlin Schneider of Wisconsin informs us that Wisconsin almost seceded over the Dred Scott decision. Forty-six years after the war Charles Stowe, son of Harriet Beecher Stowe, author of "Uncle Tom's Cabin," addressing a negro university in Nashville, Tenn., said: "It is certain there was a rebellion, but the Northerners were the rebels, not the Southerners." 'Jefferson Davis was never tried. That mountain fact lifts its tall testimony to tell the ages that the North waged an unconstitutional war against the constitutional South'. If you are true Southerners, reach back to your Southern roots for enough fortitude to stand up to the mighty naacp attacking our proud Southern heritage. The best answer, I believe, goes back to Nancy Reagan: "Just Say No". Our heritage cannot be saved if they see us as weaklings. During Lincoln's War the South had 104,000 deserters. Think before you join them. The following letter was found in a street in South Carolina as reported by the Columbus, Georgia Sun and Times, in THE STATESMAN, an Alderson, West Virginia newspaper. Later, it appeared in the Southern Historical Society Papers, Vol. XII, page 113,: "Camp near Camden, S. C., Feb 26, 1865. My dear wife--I have no time for particulars. We have had a glorious time in this State. Unrestricted license to burn and plunder was the order of the day. The chivalry [meaning the Honourable & Chivalrous people of the South] have been stripped of most of their valuables. Gold watches, silver pitchers, cups, spoons, forks, &c., are as common in camp as blackberries. The terms of plunder are as follows: Each company is required to exhibit the results of its operations at any given place--one-fifth and first choice falls to the share of the commander-in-chief and staff; one-fifth to the corps commanders and staff; one-fifth to field officers of regiments, and two-fifths to the company. Officers are not allowed to join these expeditions without disguising themselves as privates. One of our corps commanders borrowed a suit of rough clothes from one of my men, and was successful in this place. He got a large quantity of silver (among other things an old-time milk pitcher) and a very fine gold watch from a Mrs DeSaussure, at this place. DeSaussure was one of the F. F. V.s of South Carolina, and was made to fork over liberally.. Officers over the rank of Captain are not made to put their plunder in the estimate for general distribution. This is very unfair, and for that reason, in order to protect themselves, subordinate officers and privates keep back every thing that they can carry about their persons, such as rings, earrings, breast pins, &c., of which, if I ever get home, I have about a quart. I am not joking--I have at least a quart of jewelry for you and all the girls, and some No. 1 diamond rings and pins among them. General Sherman has silver and gold enough to start a bank. His share in gold watches alone at Columbia was two hundred and seventy-five. But I said I could not go into particulars. All the general officers and many besides had valuables of every description, down to embroidered ladies' pocket handkerchiefs. I have my share of them, too. We took gold and silver enough from the damned rebels to have redeemed their infernal currency twice over. This, (the currency), whenever we came across it, we burned, as we considered it utterly worthless. I wish all the jewelry this army has could be carried to the "Old Bay State". It would deck her out in glorious style; but, alas! it will be scattered all over the North and Middle States. The damned niggers, as a general rule, prefer to stay at home, particularly after they found out that we only wanted the able-bodied men, (and to tell the truth, the youngest and best-looking women). Sometimes we took off whole families and plantations of niggers, by way of repaying secessionists. But the useless part of them we soon manage to lose; [one very effective was to "shoot at their bobbing heads as they swam rivers" after the army units crossed over], sometimes in crossing rivers, sometimes in other ways. I shall write to you again from Wilmington, Goldsboro', or some other place in North Carolina. The order to march has arrived, and I must close hurriedly. Love to grandmother and aunt Charlotte. Take care of yourself and children. Don't show this letter out of the family. Your affectionate husband, Thomas J Myers, Lieut., &c. P.S. I will send this by the first flag of truce to be mailed, unless I have an opportunity of sending it at Hilton Head. Tell Sallie I am saving a pearl bracelet and ear-rings for her; but Lambert got the necklace and breast pin of the same set. I am trying to trade him out of them. These were taken from the Misses Jamison, daughters of the President of the South Carolina Secession Convention. We found these on our trip through Georgia." End of Letter. The letter was addressed to Mrs Thomas J. Myers, Boston, Massachusetts. Official U.S. Policy on Confederate POWs: "Rebel prisoners in our hands are to be subjected to a treatment finding its parallels only in the conduct of savage tribes and resulting in the death of multitudes by the slow but designed process of starvation and by mortal diseases occasioned by insufficient and unhealthy food and wanton exposure of their persons to the inclemency of the weather." Preamble to the H.R. 97, passed by both Houses