Synopsis
A review of Antietam National Battlefield
A review of The Red Badge of Courage by American author Stephen Crane (1871–1900)
- Paul: Burn 🔥
- Matthew: Burn 🔥
A Bible Study on War
Introduction
By Paul Anderson
My son and I have a goal of spending a night in all 50 states. In September 2023, we checked off a couple more states: West Virginia and Pennsylvania. This brought my total to 39 states and his to 26 states. West Virginia and Pennsylvania are the home to a couple of famous, Civil War battlefields: Antietam and Gettysburg. Antietam was fought on September 17, 1862, and Gettysburg was a three-day battle between July 1 and July 3, 1863.
We didn't have enough time to see both. So, if you had to pick one, which would you pick?
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| Observation Tower and Bloody Lane by Paul Anderson |
We chose Antietam. It was closer to our primary goal of seeing my niece, Taylor Schuck, play soccer for Shepard University. It turned out to be a good choice, as the entrance fee ($20 per vehicle or $10 per person) was waived since they were commemorating the 161st Battle Anniversary. So, we got to visit the gift shop, see 26-minute movie, and drive the self-guided 8 1/2 mile auto tour for free. The driving tour is especially nice during inclement weather (like we had) and the 10 stops covers most of the battlefield, beginning with the Dunker Church and ending at the Antietam National Cemetery. We added an extra stop to climb the observation tower, which overlooks Bloody Lane (and slide down the pole!).
Antietam involves some of the more famous Civil War Generals. The Confederate leadership included General Robert E. Lee and General Thomas "Stonewall" Jackson, while the US Army leadership included General George McClellan and Joseph Hooker. Both sides included an Ambrose: Ambrose P. Hill (Confederate) and a blood-relation of mine, Ambrose E. Burnside. I grew out my sideburns just for the occasion.
The Generals liked to use the flanking maneuver to get the advantage in Civil War battles, similar to how I like to use the fianchetto (little flank) in chess. Union General Ambrose Burnside’s IX Corps held the east side of Antietam creek. Burnside’s men spent hours attempting to cross Lower Bridge (stop 8) in the hopes of flanking the Confederate line on the western bank.
Antietam is called The Bloodiest Day in American History, where 23,000 casualties occurred during a span of twelve hours. Casualties include three categories: dead, wounded, and missing or captured. Antietam suffered 21% dead versus 79% wounded, which is similar to the average casualties of Civil War battles. In time, one out of seven died would from his wounds. However, battlefield deaths were the minority, as over 2/3 of the 622,000 men who gave their lives in the Civil War died from disease, not from battle.
Since it was my first visit to a Civil War battlefield, it seemed only fitting to read The Red Badge of Courage (1895), a war novel by Stephen Crane set during the American Civil War. Although Crane was born after the war, he wrote about the battles with realism and naturalism, despite no experience of battle first-hand. The story is about a young private of the Union Army, Henry Fleming. He debates his comrades about their ability to face their fear of battle.
"The tall private waved his hand. "Well," said he profoundly, "I've thought it might get too hot for Jim Conklin in some of them scrimmages, and if a whole lot of boys started and run, why, I s'pose I'd start and run. And if I once started to run, I'd run like the devil, and no mistake. But if everybody was a-standing and a-fighting, why, I'd stand and fight. Be jiminey, I would. I'll bet on it.""
During his first battle Henry flees from the field believing it a lost cause. However, he discovers his error in assuming the outcome and regrets his decision. Overcome with shame, he longs for a wound of his own.
At times he regarded the wounded soldiers in an envious way. He conceived persons with torn bodies to be peculiarly happy. He wished that he, too, had a wound, a red badge of courage.
Henry does get his wound. However, it comes from a retreating, fellow soldier who accidently hits him in the head with his rifle, which his comrades mistake for a battle wound. This incident seems to be the turning point for Henry, who is finally able to muster the courage to face fire in the final battle. I guess you can add a soldier to what must have been a common saying back then:
A dog, a woman, an' a walnut tree, Th' more yeh beat 'em, th' better they be!
This was a book I remember reading in school. If I liked it back then, it did not stand the test of time. It was a enjoyable precursor to visiting the Antietam National Battlefield, but I would probably not read it again. However, it made me think about what is The Bloodiest Day in The Bible.
Here are my top 12 verses on War:
Jesus On War
Luke 12:51-53 King James Version
51 Suppose ye that I am come to give peace on earth? I tell you, Nay; but rather division:
52 For from henceforth there shall be five in one house divided, three against two, and two against three.
53 The father shall be divided against the son, and the son against the father; the mother against the daughter, and the daughter against the mother; the mother in law against her daughter in law, and the daughter in law against her mother in law.
Luke 14:31-32 King James Version
31 Or what king, going to make war against another king, sitteth not down first, and consulteth whether he be able with ten thousand to meet him that cometh against him with twenty thousand?
32 Or else, while the other is yet a great way off, he sendeth an ambassage, and desireth conditions of peace.
Luke 21:8-11 King James Version
8 And he said, Take heed that ye be not deceived: for many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and the time draweth near: go ye not therefore after them.
9 But when ye shall hear of wars and commotions, be not terrified: for these things must first come to pass; but the end is not by and by.
10 Then said he unto them, Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom:
11 And great earthquakes shall be in divers places, and famines, and pestilences; and fearful sights and great signs shall there be from heaven.
Luke 22:35-38 King James Version
35 And he said unto them, When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing? And they said, Nothing.
36 Then said he unto them, But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip: and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.
37 For I say unto you, that this that is written must yet be accomplished in me, And he was reckoned among the transgressors: for the things concerning me have an end.
38 And they said, Lord, behold, here are two swords. And he said unto them, It is enough.
War In The New Testament
1 Timothy 1:18 King James Version
18 This charge I commit unto thee, son Timothy, according to the prophecies which went before on thee, that thou by them mightest war a good warfare
James 4:1-3 King James Version
4 From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
2 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.
3 Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
Revelation 16:14-16 King James Version
14 For they are the spirits of devils, working miracles, which go forth unto the kings of the earth and of the whole world, to gather them to the battle of that great day of God Almighty.
15 Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame.
16 And he gathered them together into a place called in the Hebrew tongue Armageddon.
Revelation 19:11 King James Version
11 And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.
War In The Old Testament
Exodus 15:3 King James Version
3 The Lord is a man of war: the Lord is his name.
2 Chronicles 13:16-18 King James Version
16 And the children of Israel fled before Judah: and God delivered them into their hand.
17 And Abijah and his people slew them with a great slaughter: so there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men.
18 Thus the children of Israel were brought under at that time, and the children of Judah prevailed, because they relied upon the Lord God of their fathers.
Proverbs 20:18 King James Version
18 Every purpose is established by counsel: and with good advice make war.
Joel 2:4-8 King James Version
4 The appearance of them is as the appearance of horses; and as horsemen, so shall they run.
5 Like the noise of chariots on the tops of mountains shall they leap, like the noise of a flame of fire that devoureth the stubble, as a strong people set in battle array.
6 Before their face the people shall be much pained: all faces shall gather blackness.
7 They shall run like mighty men; they shall climb the wall like men of war; and they shall march every one on his ways, and they shall not break their ranks:
8 Neither shall one thrust another; they shall walk every one in his path: and when they fall upon the sword, they shall not be wounded.
Conclusion Of The Whole Matter
The War study does contain some of my favorite verses: Luke 12:51-53, Proverbs 20:18, Luke 14:31-32 & 1 Timothy 6:12 (https://acts512.blogspot.com/2013/04/favorites.html). However, I couldn't get them all in the study since there were a lot of other good ones from which to choose. Many have to with chess since it is a war game. Luke 14:31-32 has 2 Kings like chess, and Joel 2:4-8 has the Knights jumping and the Rooks moving in their Ranks just like the actual chess pieces.
Clearly, God is not opposed to war.
The word "war" dominates the Old Testament with 205 of the 220 occurrences in the Bible, with most of the references having to do with the actual battles the nation of Israel had to fight. The Bloodiest Day in Old Testament is a Civil War contest, during the Battle of Mount Zemaraim, between Judah and Israel (2 Chronicles 13:16-18) when "there fell down slain of Israel five hundred thousand chosen men."
However, the 500,000 dead could be just a drop in the bucket compared to the coming wars found in the New Testament. Jesus said He did not come to bring peace but division, He used war in his parables, He predicted wars to come, and He recommended those who didn't have a sword, get one.
The New Testament writers were more symbolic in their use of the word "war." I was familiar with fighting the good fight, but the King James Version uses the translation "war a good warfare" for keeping the faith. But, by the time we get to Revelation, we are back to the real wars to come and what could be the The Bloodiest Day ever: The Battle of Armageddon
220 Bible results for “war” from King James Version.
- Old Testament (205)
- Genesis (1)
- Exodus (5)
- Numbers (30)
- Deuteronomy (10)
- Joshua (17)
- Judges (11)
- 1 Samuel (8)
- 2 Samuel (9)
- 1 Kings (9)
- 2 Kings (8)
- 1 Chronicles (22)
- 2 Chronicles (18)
- Job (3)
- Psalm (7)
- Proverbs (2)
- Ecclesiastes (3)
- Song of Solomon (1)
- Isaiah (9)
- Jeremiah (19)
- Ezekiel (6)
- Daniel (2)
- Joel (2)
- Micah (3)
- New Testament (15)
- Luke (2)
- 2 Corinthians (1)
- 1 Timothy (1)
- James (2)
- 1 Peter (1)
- Revelation (8)
13 Bible results for “"wars"” from King James Version.
- Old Testament (9)
- Numbers (1)
- Judges (1)
- 2 Samuel (1)
- 1 Kings (1)
- 1 Chronicles (1)
- 2 Chronicles (3)
- Psalm (1)
- New Testament (4)
- Matthew (1)
- Mark (1)
- Luke (1)
- James (1)
Scripture contributions for September 2023 by: Paul Anderson, Matthew Anderson
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