Compare And Contrast The Legends And Tales Of The American Civil War

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Legends & Tales of The American Civil War The American Civil War is a very important event in U.S. History, it determined a lot for the future of our country, especially slavery. During the war one important topic was Legends and Tales, because they effected a lot during the war. During the Civil War Legends and Tales were important for many reasons, first they gave people during the war an idea of what the war was like for different lifestyles. Legends and Tales were also important after the war, they made stories for future generations to tell, and made an easier way for us to learn and understand about the Civil War today. The Civil War was experienced differently for different people, for example a soldier had a different …show more content…

For example, the legend of the shot from a mile away is one we still talk about. It is a story said to have happened during the Red River Campaign involving Union sharpshooter John H. Metcalf and Confederate General George Lainhart. What the legend told was that in the days leading up to the battle Metcalf noticed from his tent that over a mile away Lainhart stood outside his own tent every morning shaving. Metcalf decided to grab his rifle one morning in April and shoot Lainhart in the head which killed him. This legend was actually all pure fiction; it was just a story passed on that many still believe today. Another Legend we still talk about is the lost Confederate gold. Basically after the war the North was looking for the Confederate treasury, because they needed money to rebuild the country, but when they went too look for it, it was nowhere to be found. There are many different legends about what happened to it, the first one was that it was divided and buried by many plantation owners for the day the south would rise again. The other legend was that it was robbed by a team of Confederate and Union deserters. These legends and tales and many others were passed on to today and sometimes help us learn about the