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Civil War Quotes

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Civil War Quotes

“Now, gentlemen, let tomorrow be their Waterloo!”

War Tomorrow Gentleman Civil War Waterloo

Author:P. G. T. Beauregard

“As each brigade emerged from the woods, from 50 to 100 guns opened upon it, tearing great gaps in its ranks; but the heroes pressed on and were shot down by reserves at the guns. It was not war, it was murder.”

War Hero Gun Shots Murder Woods Civil War Gaps Reserves

Author:Daniel Harvey Hill

“This is a hard fight and we had better all die than lose it.”

War Hard Dies Fighting Loses Civil War

Author:James Longstreet

“In an hour, you'll be in hell or glory.”

War Hours Hell Glory Civil War

Author:Cadmus M. Wilcox

“Attention, Texas Brigade! The eyes of General Lee are upon you. Forward, march!”

War Eye Attention Civil War March Texas General Lee

Author:Maxcy Gregg

“Young feller, you will never appreciate the potentialities of the English language until you have heard a Southern mule driver search the soul of a mule.”

War Soul Young Language Heard Appreciate Civil War Drivers Southern English Language Mules

Author:Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr.

“Two persons have been elected to the offices of President and Vice-President exclusively by the people of ONE SECTION of the country...A clearer case of foreign domination could not well be presented.”

People Wells Persons Has Beens Two War Country President Cases Office Vices Civil War Sections Domination Vice President

Author:John Willis Ellis

“My arm extended upward in pleading for peace and the Union of our Fathers... When my hand came down from that impassioned gesticulation, it fell slowly and sadly by the side of a Secessionist.”

War Hands Father Sides Arms Unions Civil War Our Father Pleading

Author:Zebulon Baird Vance

“The prejudice of the race appears stronger in the States that have abolished slaves than in the States where slavery still exists. White carpenters, white bricklayers, and white painters will not work side by side with the blacks in the North but do it in almost every Southern State.”

Stills War States Sides White Race Prejudice Stronger Slavery Slave Painter Civil War Southern Carpenter Bricklayers

Author:Alexis de Tocqueville

“We show our sympathy with slavery by emancipating slaves where we cannot reach them, and holding them in bondage where we can set them free.”

War Shows Slavery Slave Civil War Bondage Emancipation Proclamation

Author:William H. Seward

“A major of colored troops is here with his party capturing negroes, with or without their consent....They are being conscripted.”

War Party Majors Civil War Troops Consent

Author:John A. Logan

“Officers in command of colored troops are in constant habit of pressing all able-bodied slaves into the military service of the U.S.”

War Able Military Habit Constant Slave Command Civil War Officers Troops Military Service

Author:Lovell Rousseau

“Rather than concede to the state of Missouri for one single instant the right to dictate to my government in any matter however unimportant, I would see you, and you, and you, and you, and every man, woman and child in the state, dead and buried. This means war.”

Men Mean Children War Matter States Government Every Man Instant Civil War Buried Men Women Unimportant Missouri

Author:Nathaniel Lyon

“In Sherman's famous march through Georgia, his soldiers left a swath of death and destruction, destroying crops, burning homes and killing civilians. Sherman himself acknowledged that only 20% of the destruction inflicted by his invasion was inflicted on military objectives. Civilian non-combatants, essentially innocents, suffered 80% of the losses.”

War Home Left Loss Military Destruction Killing Soldier Objectives Burning Civil War March Destroying Civilians Invasion Crops Georgia

Author:John Pugsley

“[The South] is ****ed for its virtues and praised for its faults, and there are those who wish its annihilation. But most revealing of all is the fear that it gestates the revolutionary impulse of our future.”

War Wish Virtue Faults South Impulse Revolutionary Civil War Our Future Revealing Annihilation

Author:Richard M. Weaver

“And just think, fellow Southrons, what kind of a Confederate nation we could have, if after independence, politicians abandoned equivocation and spoke honestly and firmly on all issues? If they were to do their duty to God, nation, and people, there would be virtually no need for any form of federal litigation.”

People Ifs Thinking Needs Kind War Would Be Form Nations Issues Duty Politician Fellows Independence Honestly Civil War Spokes Abandoned Confederate Duty To God

Author:Charley Reese

“It is said slavery is all we are fighting for, and if we give it up we give up all. Even if this were true, which we deny, slavery is not all our enemies are fighting for. It is merely the pretense to establish sectional superiority and a more centralized form of government, and to deprive us of our rights and liberties.”

Ifs Giving Said War Government Form Fighting Liberty Enemy Rights Military Giving Up Slavery Deny Civil War Superiority Pretense Forms Of Government Confederate Depriving

Author:Patrick Cleburne

“...So Englishmen saw it. Lincoln's insincerity was regarded as proven by two things: his earlier denial of any lawful right or wish to free the slaves; and, especially, his not freeing the slaves in 'loyal' Kentucky and other United States areas or even in Confederate areas occupied by United States troops, such as New Orleans.”

Two War States Wish United United States Saws Areas Slave Denial Civil War Two Things Loyal Troops Proven New Orleans Englishmen Kentucky Confederate Insincerity

Author:Sheldon Vanauken

“...there are at the present moment many colored men in the Confederate Army...as real soldiers, having muskets on their shoulders, and bullets in their pockets, ready to shoot down loyal troops, and do all that soldiers may do to destroy the Federal government...There were such soldiers at Manassas and they are probably there still.”

Source: The Life and Writings of Frederick Douglass: The Civil War, 1861-1865

“I hope that when I commence that oath, my tongue may cleave to the roof of my mouth. If I ever sign one line to show allegiance, I hope my arm falls paralyzed to my side....Get out. I'm so disgusted I can't endure your presence any longer.”

Ifs May I Can War Shows Fall Sides Lines Arms Mouths Endure Tongue Civil War Roof Allegiance Oath Paralyzed One Line Disgusted Your Presence

Author:Belle Boyd

“Time sets all things right. Error lives but a day. Truth is eternal.”

War Truth Is Eternal All Things Errors Civil War

Author:James Longstreet

“Sir: This point of observation commands an area nearly 50 miles in diameter. The city, with its girdle of encampments, presents a superb scene. I have pleasure in sending you this first dispatch ever telegraphed from an aerial station.”

Firsts War Pleasure Cities Scene Areas Miles Command Observation Civil War Stations Superb Girdles Encampment

Author:Thaddeus S. C. Lowe

“Bring me Longstreet's head on a platter and the war will be over”

Author:Abraham Lincoln

“After all, I think Forrest was the most remarkable man our Civil War produced on either side.”

Thinking Men War Sides Civil War Remarkable

Author:William Tecumseh Sherman

“**** it, holler them across.”

Author:Jubal Early

“...I never heard him abuse an enemy. Some of the cruel things said about President Lincoln, particularly in the North, used to pierce him to the heart; but never in my presence did he evince a revengeful disposition.”

Heart Said War Used President Enemy Heard Abuse Civil War Disposition Pierce Revengeful President Lincoln

Book:Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

Source: Personal Memoirs of Ulysses S. Grant

“I am a little uneasy about the abolishment of slavery in this District of Columbia.”

Littles War Slavery Civil War Uneasy Columbia

Book:Lincoln on Lincoln

Source: Lincoln on Lincoln

“Nothing fills me with deeper sadness than to see a Southerner apologizing for the defense we made of our inheritance.”

Made War Sadness Deeper Defense Civil War Apologizing Inheritance Southerner

Author:Jefferson Davis

“I have broken all ties that bind me to the (U.S.) Army, not suddenly, impulsively, but conscientiously and after due deliberation. I sacrifice more to my principles than any other officer in the Army can do. I would rather carry a musket in the cause of the South than be commander-in-chief under Mr. Lincoln.”

War Causes Can Do Principles Sacrifice Broken Army South Dues Chiefs Ties Civil War Officers Commanders Commander In Chief Deliberation Ties That Bind

Author:Edmund Kirby Smith

“We have an army far better adapted to attack than to defend. Let us fight at advantage before we are forced to fight at disadvantage.”

War Fighting Advantage Army Civil War Disadvantages Adapted

Author:J. E. B. Stuart

“Your little army, derided for its want of arms, derided for its lack of all the essential material of war, has met the grand army of the enemy, routed it at every point, and now it flies, inglorious in retreat before our victorious columns. We have taught them a lesson in their invasion of the sacred soil of Virginia.”

Want Littles War Enemy Taught Materials Arms Lessons Mets Essentials Army Sacred Civil War Soil Retreat Invasion Columns Virginia

Author:Jefferson Davis

“General Longstreet,when once in a fight, was a most brilliant soldier; but he was the hardest man to move I had in my army.”

Men War Moving Fighting Army Soldier Brilliant Hardest Civil War

Author:Robert E. Lee

“Such an executive officer the sun never shone on. I have but to show him my design, and I know that it can be done, it will be done...Straight as the needle to the pole he advanced to the execution of my purpose.”

Knows War Done Shows Purpose Sun Design Civil War Executives Officers Execution Needles

Author:Robert E. Lee

“Colonel Walker, did it ever occur to you that General Jackson is crazy?”

War Crazy Civil War Walkers Colonels

Author:Richard S. Ewell

“We hope never to live in a Republic where one section is pinned to the other section by bayonets.”

War Civil War Republic Sections Bayonets

Author:Horace Greeley

“It would be contrary to the spirit of the American Government to use force to subjugate the South.”

War Use Government Would Be Spirit Force South Contrary Civil War American Government

Author:William H. Seward

“For this war is essentially a war of conquest. If ever a nation did wage such a war, the North is now engaged, with a determination worthy of a more hopeful cause, in endeavoring to conquer the South.”

Ifs War Nations Causes Determination South Worthy Conquer Engaged Civil War Hopeful Conquest

Author:Arthur Fremantle

“I have thought from the time of the cessation of the hostilities, that silence and patience on the part of the South was the true course; and I think so still. Controversy of all kinds will, in my opinion, only serve to continue excitement and passion, and will prevent the public mind from the acknowledgement and acceptance of the truth.”

Thinking Mind Kind Stills War Passion Courses Silence Opinion Acceptance South All Kinds Excitement Civil War Controversy Hostility Acknowledgement

Book:Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee

Source: Recollections and Letters of General Robert E. Lee

“**** the torpedoes! Full speed ahead!”

“You preserve your shame but you kill your glory.”

War Glory Shame Preserves Civil War

Author:Victor Hugo

“I am not in favor of making voters or jurors of Negroes, nor of qualifying them to hold office.”

War Office Favors Civil War Voters White Supremacy Supremacy Secession Jurors Qualifying Causes Of War Confederate Flag Black Race Political Equality

Author:Abraham Lincoln

“This soldiering thing sadly deadens that very good thing, humanity.”

War Humanity Military Good Things Very Good Civil War

Author:Lew Wallace

“Remember, we are all one country now. Dismiss from your mind all sectional feeling, and bring them up to be Americans.”

Mind War Country Feelings Remember Civil War

Book:REBEL YELL: History of the Confederacy, Memoirs and Biographies of the Confederate Leaders & Official Documents: History of the Confederate States, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Heros von Borcke, Constitution of the Confederate States and More

Source: REBEL YELL: History of the Confederacy, Memoirs and Biographies of the Confederate Leaders & Official Documents: History of the Confederate States, The Rise and Fall of the Confederate Government, Jefferson Davis, Robert E. Lee, Heros von Borcke, Constitution of the Confederate States and More

“The time has come when I am for everybody fighting the rebels. Let Indians fight them; let the Negroes fight them; and if you have got any strong-legged jackasses in Iwoa that can kick rebels to death, they have my hearty consent.”

Ifs War Fighting Strong Civil War Kicks Rebel Consent Hearty Jackasses

Author:Abraham Lincoln

“The framers of our Constitution never exhausted so much labor, wisdom, and forbearance in its formation, and surrounded it with so many guards and securities, if it was intended to be broken by every member of the Confederacy at will.”

Ifs War Broken Members Labor Constitution Civil War Exhausted Formation Broken Up Forbearance Framers

Author:Robert E. Lee

“The greatest curse that can befall a free people, is civil war.”

People War Curse Civil War

Book:A

Source: A

“Whither shall I flee? To no country on earth that I know of where there is as much liberty as yet remains to me even in Virginia.”

Knows War Country Earth Liberty Remains Civil War Virginia

Author:Robert E. Lee

“I am not of Virginia blood; she is of mine.”

War Blood Mines Civil War Virginia

Book:The Passing of the Armies: An Account of the Final Campaign of the Army of the Potomac, Based Upon Personal Reminiscences of the Fifth Army Corps

Source: The Passing of the Armies: An Account of the Final Campaign of the Army of the Potomac, Based Upon Personal Reminiscences of the Fifth Army Corps

“Dictatorship played a decisive role in the North's successful effort to maintain the Union by force of arms...one man was the government of the United States...Lincoln was a great dictator....This great constitutional dictator was self appointed.”

Men War Self States Government Force United Effort Roles United States Successful Arms Unions Civil War One Man Dictatorship Dictator

Author:Clinton Rossiter

“The war...must go on till the last man of this generation falls in his tracks...unless you acknowledge our right to self-government. We are not fighting for slavery. We are fighting for Independence,and that, or extermination, we WILL have.”

Men War Self Government Lasts Fall Fighting Generations Goes On Independence Slavery Track Acknowledge Civil War This Generation Self-government Extermination

Author:Jefferson Davis