GETTYSBURG

One hundred and fifty years ago today a battle took place that decided history. That battle was The Battle of Gettysburg.

I remember getting Turner's production of Gettysburg out on video, in either 1995 or 1996. I have no idea why I got it out, but something told me to get it out. At the time I thought it depicted two lots of thugs and vandals shooting at, stabbing and firing cannon at each other.

But now, being a lot more historically and politically aware, I have much respect for both sets of soldiers, but much more for the Union, for what they were fighting for.

As Anton Chaitkin shows so lucidly in Treason in America, plans for the US Civil War began decades before, with agitation, destabilisation and finally provocation, giving the pro-slavery leaders in the South pretext to secede.

The film itself portrays the Southern slaveholding rebels as heroes fighting for freedom. One descendent of Patrick Henry is pointed out fighting for the South. But it wasn't about freedom. It was for the opposite, slavery. Lincoln, in his 1861 inauguration speech said he had no inclination to outlaw slavery, but wanted to preserve the Union. The LPAC film 1932 omits the former statement but covers the latter. But as Spielberg's Lincoln shows because the South decided to start war then he decided to use the opportunity and pushed for the destruction of that most detestable and abominable institution, slavery.

But why was Lincoln prepared at first to tolerate slavery in order to preserve the Union?

The introduction music is very heroic, and at first you might think the music supports the Union. But as the film shows, on the third day of the battle, the rebels make a disastrous decision to march uphill over open ground for a mile or so, believing they had the numbers to survive the Union cannon. As the rebels march up the hill the introduction music is played again and again and developed further to show the rebels as the most heroic beings in the face of relentless Union cannon, shot as they climbed a picket fence, blasted off their horses by cannon. The rebels eventually reach the Union soldiers but by that time have been decimated and are easily defeated.

From being one of the films I detested most, Gettysburg is now one of my favourites.

Webster Tarpley said in last week's World Crisis Radio that one of his ancestors fought at Gettysburg for the Union.

This is the introduction music.