The Sack of Athens

by Sean Busick

Col. John Turchin

Today marks the 150th anniversary of the sack of Athens, Alabama on 2 May 1862 by Union troops serving under the command of Colonel John Turchin, who was born Ivan Vasilovitch Turchinov, near St. Petersburg, Russia. Upon entering Athens, Turchin turned his men loose, telling them “I see nothing for two hours.” The unrestrained Union troops raped a black woman and destroyed over $50,000 in property, including hundreds of bibles that were taken from a store and trampled. Turchin was court-martialed for his actions, but suffered no consequences other than being promoted to Brigadier General. In From Conciliation to Conquest, their recent account of the sack of Athens and the court-martial of Colonel Turchin, George Bradley and Richard Dahlen argue that the sack of Athens marked a turning point in the war. Turchin’s promotion gave other commanders the green light. They conclude: “The nature of the war would change. . . . From this point forward, the people of the South would feel the full weight of the war. On the way to Savannah, every brigade commander in Sherman’s army would be watching his men do the very same things Turchin and his men had been castigated for in the spring of 1862. Those volunteers, free to invade, would offer no apologies for doing that which they had come to do. Turchin’s men never did either.” (Bradley & Dahlen, 243)

One Nation under Bigger Government: The Civil War

Great lecture by Bradley J. Birzer. Watch and learn.

FREEMAN Special on the 150th Anniversary of the Civil War

If TIC readers are interested in the American Civil War, please check out the latest issue of THE FREEMAN (expertly edited by Sheldon Richman).  

The April 2011 issue includes articles by Jeff Hummel, Burton Folsom, Joe Stromberg, and yours truly.

http://www.thefreemanonline.org/featured/gaining-a-nation-losing-the-republic-reconstruction-1863–1877/

I'm happy as a clam about this (actually, growing up in Kansas, I have no idea if clams are really happy.  Frankly, I'm skeptical).  I've wanted to be published in the FREEMAN for nearly thirty years.

--BjB

Kirk on Abraham Lincoln, 1970

One hundred fifty years ago today, the Union—or, what was left of it—was in an uproar.  Two days earlier, after three days of debate, the South Carolina Convention declared itself independent of the American Union. 

Never before or since has a greater threat existed against the cohesiveness and integrity of the United States of America.  The hapless James Buchanan, a liar and a coward, sat in the Oval Office, impotent.  The incoming president would not take the oath of office for another three months. 

It seems appropriate, then, as we begin the 150^th anniversary of the events that led to the American Civil War, we turn to the intellectual and spiritual patron of this website, Russell Kirk, and consider his views on Abraham Lincoln, the man who would become so identified with the four-year noble tragedy.