… Shows His Admiration For The Common Soldier.
"On August 22, 1864, President Abraham Lincoln addressed the Union soldiers of the 166th Ohio Regiment as they passed through Washington, D.C. It was three years into the Civil War and during this time Lincoln had gained a reputation for giving memorable speeches to Union troops.
For those of you who have received a (good) pre-deployment brief from a battalion commander, there's a recognizable tone. It is one balanced by appreciation for what might be lost in the fight to come, yet tempered by the resolve that the successful completion of your mission is worth the sacrifice. By the war's conclusion in 1865, it had claimed more than 620,000 lives and left more than a million casualties in its wake.
What stands out about this speech is Lincoln's capacity for empathy for the everyday soldier. His position as the president never required him to encourage the soldiers who fought for the Union, but he chose to do so. While expressing his gratitude for their service, Lincoln impressed upon the men of the all-volunteer infantry regiment that their role in the war would demand sacrifice and likely take a heavy toll, but that the continued existence of a country where all men had an equal claim to freedom and liberty was worth the cost…"
Main page
link
Amicalement
Armand
completes his initial Union force in 1:72nd scale.
