LePage said 7,600 Mainers fought for the Confederacy. It was maybe 30.

[jpak]

http://stateandcapitol.bangordailynews.com/2017/08/22/lepage-said-7600-mainers-fought-for-the-confederacy-it-was-maybe-30/

Calling himself “a history buff,” Gov. Paul LePage revised Civil War history as we know it in a Tuesday radio interview when discussing the racially charged violence in Virginia and saying “7,600 Mainers fought for the Confederacy.”

There is just a kernel of truth: Maine State Archivist David Cheever said that approximately 30 people are confirmed to have gone from Maine to the Confederacy, including students who left Bowdoin College in Brunswick and what is now Colby College in Waterville to fight, but they could have been from other parts of the country.

Maine’s history as one of the proudest Union states is well-documented. It sent about 73,000 people to war — a higher proportion than any other state — and more than 9,000 died, though there were some pockets of Southern sympathizers.

A few men with Maine ties became Confederate generals, including the Leeds-born Danville Leadbetter, the Avon-born Zebulon York and Josiah Gorgas, who controlled the Kennebec Arsenal in Augusta from 1856 to 1858.

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[muntrv]

1. So 7600 Mainers shot at American soldiers, LePage?

[madokie]

4. My born and raised Georgia born Grand Father

was one of the Union Soldiers that they were shooting at. Bastards anyway

Prior to the civil war my great grand father was a slave owner but by the time the war started he gave them their freedom. Most stayed with him as they had no place to go and he always treated them well. As well as a person held in bondage can be treated that is.

We have all the papers from my Grand Fathers Union Army enlistment etc because my Dad was the youngest kid so they were all passed down to him.


Grand Father was born in 1840

Dad was born in 1897

I was born in 1948

The youngest in my family was born in 1952

[LeftInTX]

11. Wow!! Your grandfather was 108 years older than you!

[madokie]

12. Died 38 years before I was born

I'm from a line of long living people on my dads side of the family. Dad was 77 when he died, Mother was 73.

[jberryhill]

2. And they should have been hung

So?

[Orrex]

3. Leave their genitalia out of this

Heigh-o!

[Lochloosa]

9. ....

[Lithos]

5. Bull**it

Last edited Wed Aug 23, 2017, 02:29 PM - Edit history (1)

Maine contributed the highest percentage of men to Union than any other State. They were the truest of the true believers in the Union.

L-

[nycbos]

6. We all owe a debt to the 20th Maine.

[Lithos]

8. Also the Sailors

Maine gave a very large number of Sailors. The US Navy's blockade was probably the most strategic advantage the North had and easily shaved years off of the war.

[oasis]

10. Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain, received Medal of Honor for action

at Gettysburg. I'm guessing he's the foremost hero of the Civil War from Maine.

LePage goes out of his way to salute a few traitorous Johnny Rebs.

[Lithos]

13. There were a lot of winners of the MoH from Maine

http://www.datasync.com/~bouchard/civilwar/MaineMOH.html

[jpak]

7. The number of names on small town Maine Civil War monuments is truly shocking

LePage dishonors them - yup