My newest acquisition: F-256/433, Horrors of War/Blessings of Peace. This token is so distinct from many of the patriotic CWTs. I just love the creepy obverse.
The obverse is quite appropriate for that date. By that time the North had seen many of Alexander Gardner's (Brady's photographer) photographs of Antietam. It's been written the pictures "shocked the nation". Nice find.
Quite a few with the same repunched letters. Seems like someone got lazy polishing out all the letters.
Civil War token collectors call this piece, along with several other varieties, the "UN-patriotic." These pieces were called for a negotiated settlement between the North and the Confederacy. They were issued in the New York City area where many merchants were looking forward to getting back to doing business with the slaveholding South. A one point New York City politicians considered seceding from the Union to become an independent state that could trade with both sides. This obverse is paired with other reverses. The "Union forever" on the reverse of this one may have been a way to cover the issuer's butt in case the authorities didn't like the message on the obverse. You could end up on in jail for supporting the South. Fort Lafayette, in New York Harbor was cold, miserable place where you could serve an open-ended sentence.
You are so correct. It is a wonderful battlefield to visit. It was at Antietam that I heard my fist Civil War cannon fired. I was surprised at the noise and on the day of the battle over 300 cannons were being fired. More soldiers died at Antietam in one day than any other battle of the entire war. Have you been there? If not, it's well worth the visit and Harpers Ferry is close by. Another wonderful place to see.
Yes and I live 70 miles from Gettysburg. I also reenacted for several years. Didn't do Antietam but i've done Gettysburg, Cedar Creek and some others. The Brady Collection can be viewed on line. (Library of Congress).
My wife and I went to the Gettysburg reenactment years ago. My car died turning onto the parking lot. The guy was yelling me to move it and I told him to push but he refused. I got the fastest tow I think I've ever had. I needed a new alternator. My BMW had no warning so we never made it to the reenactment. Been to Gettysburg several times. It's positively wonderful considering the history. Before my knee surgeries my wife and I did the 12.2 mile hike through the battlefield. Incredible! Absolutely Incredible. We parked at the old cyclorama and walked down the Union lines passed all of the monuments. Through the woods and you end up at roundtop. You finally get to the Rebal lines and back to Pickett's charge. Lots of other good stuff in between of course. From Pickett's charge you hike across the battlefield as the Rebal forces did. There is no place to hide, not even a slight depression or a ditch. All a soldier could do was hide behind a dead body. About half way I stopped and used my imagination. I felt like I was in the battle. I could smell gunpowder. I could hear cannons on both sides being fired. I broke out in goosebumps when I heard bullets whizzing past my head. I've never experienced anything like that. My wife couldn't believe I had goosebumps. It was in late July so it was 90 plus with higher humidity. Sweating was normal and we were both wet. It was an experience I'll never forget and I understand what those 5,000 men went through. The history is incredible. If you can do it I fully recommend it.
Reading The Fateful Lighting by Jeff Shaara. Sherman's march to the sea brought the horrors of war to the citizens of Georgia. I love collecting CWTs because they have a more direct connection to our history, and a pivotal one at that. As soon as this is all over I'm going to take my kids to Gettysburg, just a short trip from NYC.
Every year for 10+ years I was with a Pennsylvania Union outfit that reenacted at Gettysburg. Mostly at or near Spangler Spring and near the entrance area. I can't remember one year the temps in July were under 90. Sorry to hear about your car but glad you made it to 'Old Pennsylvania'.
And how many reenactors get or want to be Confederates? I might have to check out these tokens since I had great grandfathers on both sides of my family in the Confederacy.
We were camping at Caledonia state park so we never would have made it home. Not sure which was better, breaking down at the reenactment or on route 30. It cost about $300 to get a new alternator but we had a nice week despite the problem. I just wish we could have seen the reenactment.
My son lives in Hagerstown and I live in Martinsburg. If I have time, I drive home on Sharpsburg Pike which goes right thru Antietam Battlefield. Very moving!
Sorry about your vehicle. Had my Equinox suffer a break down on the way to the Cedar Creek, VA reenactment. Got it fixed in time to make the battle. Did you know that while on National Park Service grounds like Gettysburg reenactors cannot mount their bayonets on their muskets; anywhere. Care to guess why?
I have no idea but I'm thinking it's dumb since the government is involved. Like it's fine to carry a loaded musket but you can't attach a bayonet because you might slip on a banana peel and stab someone. Lol
This thread reminds me of the 1962 Topps bubble gum card series called Civil War News - each card depicted a grisly scene from a specific battle or other dramatic image with a written 'news report' on the reverse - pretty graphic stuff for young kids back in the day - this one is less gory than most of the others: https://www.pinterest.com/zamda68/civil-war-news-topps-cards/
Many years ago, on one of the National Park battlefields they had a battle reenactment that involved a large amount of Union reenactors charging a Confederate position. One Union fellow got his foot caught up in a woodchuck hole and fell forward. Needless to say he "skewered the boy from Kokomo" in front of him. A very deadly incident if you've ever seen a Springfield musket bayonet.