Saw this online yesterday and thought it might interest a few on here…Punkin in particular.

Thanks Vince! According to some quick research the last confirmed Confederate veteran was Pleasant Crump, 10th Alabama Infantry, who died at the age of 104 in Dec. 1951. There are others who claimed to be veterans but I gather that they can't be confirmed.

Wouldn't have been something to visit those Gettysburg reunions that occurred in 1913 and 1938!

Had to be a very hard war, with brothers fighting brothers. A couple more years left before the WW2 veterans will be that low in number.

Growing up there was just one WW1 vet left in my town. The WW2 vets were the old timers in town. Now the Korea vets are as rare as the WW1 vets were, and the Desert Storm vets are as old as the WW2 vets.

We have no WW I vets left now, very few WW II vets left, and even Vietnam vets are getting thin on the ground with those that haven’t died from cancer, courtesy of Agent Orange, and other illnesses. Biggest problem we seem to be facing now with vets is suicide. We have lost more Afghanistan vets to suicide with PTSD than we lost on the battlefield.

I often wonder how many WW I, WW II and Vietnam vets suffering PTSD took their own life after returning home, but it was recorded as death by illness or similar. It’s only now that PTSD suicide is being recognised as war caused.

Getting back on track…the three Civil War vets above look like they would have been a force to be reckoned with on the battlefield. I wouldn’t like to have gone “toe to toe” with them. Slim is right when he says it was a terrible war with brother fighting brother. Entire family lines would have been ended.

when you look at PTSD.....I believe it was known as shell shock back in the day.... and plenty of returned servicemen drank far too much to forget the horrors they had seen.... many abandoned young families...many died far to young from one thing or another.
we had places for recovery,weird buildings,I know of some here just out of geraldine,some in south Dunedin and the queen Mary buildings in hamner springs...all have same octagonal rooms (bad spirits dwell in corners) they were quiet places QM is weird even now...50-60 years ago it was the place to go to dry out-alcohol rehab...and hamner springs the town its in is now touristy spot. I walked around the grounds of QM and it gives off a weird vibe,but very peaceful,just over the fence from hustle n bustle of town life.
God bless all service folk....sleep well all you weary soldiers,you have earned the right to rest.

You good folks might like the link below of U.S. Civil War veterans giving the rebel yell. All the best...
Gil


www.dailymail.co.uk/vi...-Yell.html

[quote="Gil Martin"]You good folks might like the link below of U.S. Civil War veterans giving the rebel yell. All the best...
Gil

Thanks Gil! There are a couple video and audio clips like that.

A number of years ago I was in a reenactment of the Battle of Cedar Creek, VA. We marched up a ridge in battle line and, when we reached the top, we saw the whole Federal "army" lined up waiting for us. All the Confederate troops started giving the "Rebel yell" simultaneously. After the battle I was walking back to the parking area and struck up a conversation with a Union reenactor. He said "When you guys came into sight and started yelling, the hair on the back of my neck stood up! I knew it was just a reenactment but I wanted to run away any way!"