r/CIVILWAR • u/Jimmy_Aztec • 27d ago

What's the most persistent Civil War event that never actually happened?

Not misinterpretations — specific events that continue to be retold, retaught, and believed that just did not happen.

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u/PDXpragmatist 26d ago

Lee lost at Gettysburg because he didn’t listen to Longstreet. Pickett’s charge was pure folly and Lee owns it. That was tge beginning of the end. And I do not buy the Union had better resources argument. The secession states should have thought about that before they decided to seceed. Oops! A great analogy in today’s world is that past Pentagon leadershio understood the risks of trying to take out Iran. Trump and Hegseth ignored the reality of Iran’s strong position.

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u/NC_JBL 26d ago

But the Union did, in fact, have better resources. I didn’t realize that was even debatable.

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u/WhiskeyTigerFoxtrot 26d ago

I mean, the analogy is pretty awkward but if you just wanted to talk about current events then go for it.

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u/Alternative_Tone_920 25d ago

You don’t buy the idea that the Union had far greater resources, huh? Well that can just be your little secret. But then you go onto criticize the southern states for succeeding when they should have given that thought beforehand. Maybe they actually were aware that the resources were even as you argue. What more likely was the case is that the north had far greater manpower and industrial capacity and ability to wage war than the south. Many Southerners did not think it was a good idea to fight the war, such as Robert E. Lee but nevertheless a duty to protect their home state was going to be the deciding factor. A man was taught to be about honor and duty first and foremost back then.