Like I've always said, in the North you paid to not go to war, I think for $300 (it could have been more) you could have "bought" your way out of the draft in the Union and appoint someone to serve in your place. If you were poor you went to war when your name was drawn. In the South, money got you a commission in the CSA Army as a Colonel or higher. Hell Nathan Bedford Forrest had ZERO military training before the war, but he made so much money slave trading he was able to "start" his own cavalry and became a General right off the bat. Like you said bro, the rich ones started the war and the poor ones fought it. It's still like that today, look at the majority of the kids that join the Services, they do so because they can't afford schooling and let the government pay for it and take their chances at going to war.
Thanks for the correction. It was all hands on deck in the South, so money wouldn't have gotten you a pass, but a position far from the front lines.
The world is so polarized now with "side" vs "side" that some Southerners are afraid to publicly clarify some of these points and their take on the flag issue. I say let people speak for themselves and draw your own conclusion.
I brought up the social class issue because pezzo's doing the same thing today. Insults my intelligence to see "hawks" speak on political shows about what "we" should be doing...""WE" "US" "OUR" when nan one of them (yes,nan one of them, told you I grew up with Southerners) or anyone in their family will enlist to fight and they will be the only ones benefiting from the conflict.MFers are geniuses the way they are able to craft their messages via the media and convince joe average that national interests and security are what the potential conflicts are about. "WE" "US" "OUR" There are times when military might is needed to protect national interests and security long term and short term but not as much as we are being lead to believe.
