American Civil War Quotes - Page 6

• I suppose this work is part of the devil that is in us all.

  Ulysses S. Grant

  War, History, Devil

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• Rapid change of conditions in all human affairs bring unexpected results.

  William C. Oates

  War, History, Unexpected

  Frank Haskell, Franklin Aretas Haskell, William C. Oates (1992). “Gettysburg: Two Eyewitness Accounts”, Bantam Books

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• What a general could do, Thomas did; no more dependable soldier for a moment of crisis existed on the North American continent, or ever did exist... Thomas comes down in history as the Rock of Chickamauga, the great defensive fighter, the man who could never be driven away but who was not much on the offensive. That may be a correct appraisal, Yet it may also be worth making note that just twice in all the war was a major Confederate army driven away from a prepared position in complete rout - at Chattanooga and at Nashville. Each time the blow that routed it was launched by Thomas.

  Bruce Catton

  War, Army, Blow

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• I find I like it too much.

  Stonewall Jackson

  War, History, Too Much

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• I've been reading and researching various aspects of history - Dickens' London, Nelson's sea battles, Magellan's nautical explorations, the weapons and battles and key figures of the American Civil War - for most of my life. I pick up a book here or there or see a documentary or talk with an expert in the subject, and my curiosity about the one area of study and discovery always leads to another.

  Gary Paulsen

  War, Book, Reading

  "Author Interview: Gary Paulsen". Interview with Amanda Lynch, www.thechildrensbookreview.com. January 26, 2009.

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• Thus ended the great American Civil War, which must upon the whole be considered the noblest and least avoidable of all the great mass conflicts of which till then there was record.

  Winston Churchill

  War, Records, Conflict

  Winston Churchill (1958). “A History of the English-speaking Peoples: The Great democracies”

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• From a long view of the history of mankind, seen from, say, ten thousand years from now, there can be little doubt that the most significant event of the 19th century will be judged as Maxwell's discovery of the laws of electrodynamics. The American Civil War will pale into provincial insignificance in comparison with this important scientific event of the same decade.

  Richard P. Feynman

  War, Discovery, Views

  Richard P. Feynman (2015). “The Quotable Feynman”, p.13, Princeton University Press

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• Nathan Bedford Forrest ... used his horsemen as a modern general would use motorized infantry. He liked horses because he liked fast movement, and his mounted men could get from here to there much faster than any infantry could; but when they reached the field they usually tied their horses to trees and fought on foot, and they were as good as the very best infantry. Not for nothing did Forrest say the essence of strategy was to git thar fust with the most men.

  Bruce Catton

  Horse, War, Men

  Bruce Catton, James M. McPherson (2014). “American Heritage History of the Civil War”, p.105, New Word City

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• Between 1861 and 1865, Americans made war on each other and killed each other in great numbers - if only to become the kind of country that could no longer conceive of how that was possible.

  Bruce Catton

  Country, War, Numbers

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• The 1860 election became a referendum on the southern way of life.

  Bruce Catton

  War, History, Southern

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• The Confederate Constitution was almost identical to that of the United States.

  Bruce Catton

  War, History, United States

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• Like most Rebel soldiers, Sam Watkins owned no slaves.

  Bruce Catton

  War, History, Soldier

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• I have been blind expecting everything to stay the same.

  Philibert Orry

  War, History, Blind

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