{"id":17701,"date":"2016-11-02T12:37:41","date_gmt":"2016-11-02T16:37:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blog.genealogybank.com\/?p=17701"},"modified":"2019-05-14T10:58:53","modified_gmt":"2019-05-14T14:58:53","slug":"quotes-from-the-civil-war-a-fun-quiz","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.genealogybank.com\/blog\/quotes-from-the-civil-war-a-fun-quiz.html","title":{"rendered":"Quotes from the Civil War: A Fun Quiz"},"content":{"rendered":"

Introduction<\/em><\/strong>: In this article, Mary Harrell-Sesniak searches old newspapers to place some Civil War quotes into a fuller context. Mary is a genealogist, author and editor with a strong technology background.<\/em><\/p>\n

Much has been written about the Civil War and its impact on the United States \u2013 and many have quoted the words of the great leaders of the time. But sometimes those leaders\u2019 words are not put into the context of the speech itself. A good way to correct that is to read those words as they were reported in newspaper articles of the time.<\/p>\n

To do this research, I searched through the online collection of GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, and found the newspaper articles shown below that contain some interesting quotes from the Civil War. To read each article in full, and thereby see the quotes in the fullest context, just click on the clipping itself.<\/p>\n

Before browsing the articles (which identify the speaker for each quote), see if you\u2019re a quote guru by matching the statements to their authors in this quiz I\u2019ve created. Just for fun, I\u2019ve included a quote I liked from an unknown author.<\/p>\n

The newspaper clippings are shown below in chronological order. None are added as a political statement, but rather to illustrate the importance of confirming historical statements by reading the reports of the time.<\/p>\n

Good luck!<\/p>\n

Civil War Quote Quiz (free to share)<\/strong><\/p>\n

by Mary Harrell-Sesniak<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
A<\/td>\n\u201cA house divided against itself cannot stand.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n1<\/td>\nBraxton Bragg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
B<\/td>\n\u201cA restitution of the Union has been rendered forever impossible…\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n2<\/td>\nHarriet Beecher Stowe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C<\/td>\n\u201cAll free people know, that if they would remain free, they must compel the Government to keep its hands off their private property…\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n3<\/td>\nUnknown<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
D<\/td>\n\u201cDo your duty in all things like the old Puritan. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less. Never let me and your mother wear one gray hair for any lack of duty on your part.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n4<\/td>\nA Union captain in General Grant\u2019s army<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
E<\/td>\n\u201cFree speech is as necessary as the vital air.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n5<\/td>\nRobert E. Lee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
F<\/td>\n\u201cI prefer, gentlemen, to speak as little as possible, lest what I may say should be tortured and construed into something wrong.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n6<\/td>\nAbraham Lincoln<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
G<\/td>\n“Stand your ground; are you cowards; stand your ground and maintain your rights, or die…\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n7<\/td>\nWilliam Tecumseh Sherman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H<\/td>\n\u201cWe shall show you that we are stronger than you, and that we will beat you in the long run.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n8<\/td>\nJefferson Davis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I<\/td>\n\u201cWe shall take it with as little loss of life as possible, but take it anyhow.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n9<\/td>\nStephen A. Douglas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
J<\/td>\n\u201cWe thank God for mothers that cheer on their sons, for young wives that have said \u2018go\u2019 to their husbands, for widows who have given their only sons.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\n10<\/td>\nCadwallader C. Washburn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Stephen A. Douglas<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Stephen A. Douglas. Credit: Mathew Brady\/Alexander Hesler; U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One has to recognize that our country was in the midst of a great debate for many years leading up to the Civil War. One of the great spokesmen was Stephen A. Douglas, an Illinois politician and designer of the Kansas-Nebraska Act. He did not live to see the end of the Civil War. Early in 1860, he was quoted as saying:<\/p>\n

All free people know, that if they would remain free, they must compel the Government to keep its hands off their private property; and this can be done only by tying them up with careful restrictions.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Pioneer and Democrat (Olympia, Washington), 6 January 1860, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

An Unknown Author<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Illustration:<\/a>
Illustration: \u201cSlave sale, Charleston, South Carolina,\u201d wood engraving, by an unknown engraver, page taken from the Illustrated London News, 1856. Courtesy of the British Museum, London. Credit: Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The author of the quote \u201cFree speech is as necessary as the vital air\u201d is unknown, but the words resonate \u2013 especially when read in this 1860 newspaper article titled \u201cFree Speech \u2013 The Right to Discuss Slavery in Slaveholding States.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"An<\/a>
Columbian Register (New Haven, Connecticut), 12 May 1860, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Cadwallader C. Washburn<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Cadwallader C. Washburn. Credit: Mathew Brady\/Levin Corbin Handy; U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Prior to the 1860 presidential election, Cadwallader C. Washburn \u2013 the American businessman and congressman who founded General Mills \u2013 supported Abraham Lincoln for president. During the Civil War he served as a colonel, brigadier general and finally major general. In an 1860 speech he said:<\/p>\n

Stand your ground; are you cowards; stand your ground and maintain your rights, or die; stand like your own brave standard bearer, Abraham Lincoln.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Evening Star (Washington, D.C.), 21 May 1860, page 3<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Abraham Lincoln<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Abraham Lincoln. Credit: Alexander Gardner; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Abraham Lincoln\u2019s statements and sayings are widely quoted and many have become famous. Here are some quotes from 1860, with the first one lesser known than the others.<\/p>\n

[I suppose] that the friends of popular sovereignty would say \u2013 if they dared speak out \u2013 that polygamy was wrong and slavery right; and therefore one might thus be put down and the other not.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Daily Illinois State Register (Springfield, Illinois), 17 April 1860, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

One of Lincoln\u2019s most famous statements was \u201cA house divided against itself cannot stand.\u201d It is even more interesting if you read this 1860 newspaper article containing that quote, beginning with his statement that:<\/p>\n

I believe that the right of property in a slave is not distinctly and expressly affirmed in the Constitution.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Albany Evening Journal (Albany, New York), 19 May 1860, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Harriet Beecher Stowe<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Harriet Beecher Stowe. Credit: Gurney & Sons; Wikimedia Commons.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1861, Harriet Beecher Stowe, the well-known abolitionist and author of Uncle Tom\u2019s Cabin<\/em>, wrote words which reminded this 1861 newspaper article\u2019s author of the devotion of women during the American Revolution:<\/p>\n

We thank God for mothers that cheer on their sons, for young wives that have said \u201cgo\u201d to their husbands, for widows who have given their only sons.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Lowell Daily Citizen and News (Lowell, Massachusetts), 27 April 1861, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Braxton Bragg<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Braxton Bragg. Credit: U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1861, Confederate General Braxton Bragg was confident in the South\u2019s ability to win the war. He said:<\/p>\n

We shall show you that we are stronger than you, and that we will beat you in the long run.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Daily National Republican (Washington, D.C.), 30 November 1861, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

William Tecumseh Sherman<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: William Tecumseh Sherman. Credit: Mathew Brady; U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

William Tecumseh Sherman, the Union general famous for his march to the sea, was not fond of public speaking. In 1861, while in Cincinnati, he said:<\/p>\n

I prefer, gentlemen, to speak as little as possible, lest what I may say should be tortured and construed into something wrong.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Boston Herald (Boston, Massachusetts), 29 December 1863, page 2<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Jefferson Davis<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Jefferson Davis. Credit: Mathew Brady; U.S. National Archives and Records Administration.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

In 1863, President of the Confederate States Jefferson Davis was reported by a northern newspaper as saying this quote to the Southern Congress:<\/p>\n

A restitution of the Union has been rendered forever impossible…<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Boston Traveler (Boston, Massachusetts), 22 January 1863, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

A Union Captain in General Grant\u2019s Army<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Illustration:<\/a>
Illustration: \u201cSiege of Vicksburg \u2013 13, 15, & 17 Corps, commanded by Gen. U.S. Grant, assisted by the Navy under Admiral Porter \u2013 Surrender, July 4, 1863,\u201d by Kurz and Allison. Credit: U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Before he became the 18th U.S. President, Ulysses S. Grant was Commanding General of the Union Army, and led the campaign against Vicksburg. In 1863, while giving a speech about the strength of the enemy prior to the Battle of Vicksburg, a captain in General Grant\u2019s army said:<\/p>\n

We shall take it with as little loss of life as possible, but take it anyhow.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"An<\/a>
National Aegis (Worcester, Massachusetts), 21 March 1863, page 1<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Robert E. Lee<\/strong><\/p>\n

\"Photo:<\/a>
Photo: Robert E. Lee. Credit: Julian Vannerson; U.S. Library of Congress, Prints and Photographs Division.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Confederate Army of Northern Virginia General Robert E. Lee wrote a touching letter to his son G. W. Custis Lee in 1864. Among his other fatherly advice statements was:<\/p>\n

Do your duty in all things like the old Puritan. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less. Never let me and your mother wear one gray hair for any lack of duty on your part.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

\"A<\/a>
Crisis (Columbus, Ohio), 30 November 1864, page 352<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Answers to the Quiz<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
A<\/td>\n\u201cA house divided against itself cannot stand.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nAbraham Lincoln<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
B<\/td>\n\u201cA restitution of the Union has been rendered forever impossible…\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nJefferson Davis<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
C<\/td>\n\u201cAll free people know, that if they would remain free, they must compel the Government to keep its hands off their private property…\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nStephen A. Douglas<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
D<\/td>\n\u201cDo your duty in all things like the old Puritan. You cannot do more; you should never wish to do less. Never let me and your mother wear one gray hair for any lack of duty on your part.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nRobert E. Lee<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
E<\/td>\n\u201cFree speech is as necessary as the vital air.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nUnknown author<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
F<\/td>\n\u201cI prefer, gentlemen, to speak as little as possible, lest what I may say should be tortured and construed into something wrong.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nWilliam Tecumseh Sherman<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
G<\/td>\n“Stand your ground; are you cowards; stand your ground and maintain your rights, or die…\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nCadwallader C. Washburn<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
H<\/td>\n\u201cWe shall show you that we are stronger than you, and that we will beat you in the long run.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nBraxton Bragg<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
I<\/td>\n\u201cWe shall take it with as little loss of life as possible, but take it anyhow.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nA Union captain in General Grant\u2019s army<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
J<\/td>\n\u201cWe thank God for mothers that cheer on their sons, for young wives that have said \u2018go\u2019 to their husbands, for widows who have given their only sons.\u201d<\/em><\/td>\nHarriet Beecher Stowe<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

Note:<\/em><\/strong> An online collection of newspapers, such as GenealogyBank\u2019s Historical Newspaper Archives<\/a>, is not only a great way to learn about the lives of your ancestors \u2013 the old newspaper articles also help you understand American history and the times your ancestors lived in, and the news they talked about and read in their local papers. Did any of your ancestors serve in the Civil War? Please share your stories with us in the comments section.<\/p>\n

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