Transcript
Lindsey Graham (0:00)
There are more ways than ever to listen to History Daily ad free. Listen with Wondry plus in the Wondery app as a member of Noiser plus at noiser.com or in Apple Podcasts. Or you can get all of History Daily plus other fantastic history podcasts@intohristory.com It's September 20, 1863, on a battlefield near Chickamauga Creek in northwest Georgia, two years into the American Civil War. Eighteen year old Thomas Cole wipes sweat from his brow as he sets down the last cannon in a group pointing downhill. Though he's from the South, Thomas is a black Union soldier. Just days ago, he escaped his Alabama slaveholder, but before he could cross over to the north on his own, he ran into two Union spies who helped him enlist with the Union army. Now Thomas happily assists his fellow troops prepare for battle against the Confederates in Georgia. As he surveys the line of cannons he helped arrange, Thomas breathes a sigh of relief. It's been a hard day's work, but his job is done and he can finally take a break. He begins to walk away from the cannon and head back to camp, but the sound of gunfire suddenly halts him in his tracks. He looks around frantically until down the hill he spots the soldiers of the Confederate army marching toward the Union line. The cannons around Thomas boom as the soldiers try to stop the advance, and with bullets flying from every direction, Thomas drops to the ground trying to keep himself safe. But one of the Union soldiers orders him to get back to work. Loading the cannons, Thomas pulls himself up, summons all his bravery and tries to keep his stomach as men all around him fall, sometimes in hideous explosions of gunpowder and blood. The hill is littered with pieces of what once were whole men and and Thomas can't help but wonder if he escaped to freedom just so he could die on the battlefield. Thomas Cole stays at his post all through the night. But the next morning, the Rebels break through the Union battle lines. Thomas and his fellow Union soldiers are forced to retreat. The Battle of Chickamauga, as this skirmish will come to be known, will be Georgia's biggest battle during the American Civil War and the second bloodiest of the whole conflict. While Confederate troops will eventually prevail at Chickamauga, ultimately the Confederate army will surrender to the Union in May 1865. Thomas Cole will be just one of almost 200,000 black soldiers who will contribute to the North's victory and thereby help bring an end to the institution of slavery. But abolition of forced servitude will not mean the end of oppression for black Americans. As the Civil War closes, a new conflict will emerge on how to bring the south back into the United States political system. Central to this fight will be the debate over whether to grant emancipated black men full and equal rights as citizens. While many will argue in favor of this, they will be met with fierce resistance and violence from white supremacists who will wage one of their bloodiest attacks almost five years to the day after the Battle of Chickamauga in the town of Camilla, Georgia on September 19th on 1868. History Daily is sponsored by atRuby. Lately you may have been hearing about a serious but rare heart condition called attr Cardiac Amyloidosis or attrcm. Because symptoms can be similar to other heart conditions, it may take time to be diagnosed, but learning more about ATTRCM and a treatment called a truby, also called Acharamatis, could be important for you or a loved one. Atruby is a prescription medicine used to treat adults with ATTRCM to reduce death and hospitalization due to heart issues. In one study, people taking a truby saw an impact on their health related quality of life and 50% fewer hospitalizations due to heart issues than people who didn't take a truby, giving you more chances to do what you love with who you love. Tell your doctor if you're pregnant, plan to become pregnant or are breastfeeding and about the medications you take. The most common side effects were mild and included diarrhea and abdominal pain. If you have attrcm, talk to your cardiologist about attruby or visit attruby.com that's att r u b-y.com to learn more.
