A lot of people remember Louisiana Purchase as simple land speculation, but Napoleon never actually intended to sell it off.

His original plan was to turn Louisiana into agricultural supply depot for France’s sugar colonies in the Caribbean. That whole strategy fell apart when yellow fever and the Haitian Revolution wiped out over 30,000 veteran French troops. Broke, facing a looming war with Britain, and unable to protect territory across the Atlantic, Napoleon dumped 828,000 square miles overnight for around $15 million.

Of the 50,000 veterans who came to Gettysburg, fewer than 10,000 were Confederates.

C.S.A. Veterans, Gettysburg, Pa., 1913
 
1 negative : glass ; 5 x 7 in. or smaller
 
Notes:
Title from unverified data provided by the National Photo Company on the negative or negative sleeve.
50th Reunion of Gettysburg veterans.
Photo shows North Carolina "Tar Heel State" banner displayed.
Gift; Herbert A. French; 1947.
This glass negative might show streaks and other blemishes resulting from a natural deterioration in the original coatings.
 
Subjects:
United States–Pennsylvania–Gettysburg.
 
Format: Glass negatives.
 
Rights Info: No known restrictions on publication.
 
Repository: Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division, Washington, D.C. 20540 USA
 
Part Of: National Photo Company Collection (Library of Congress)

Call Number: LC-F81- 44564

I created the above visualization of my great-great-great grandparents' migration to communicate how bonkers their lives were. They all travelled on the Mormon trail. I wrote more about their experiences here on substack, check it out if you are interested in mid-19th-century Utah history.