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Book Review: The Killer Angels
by William Anderson
22 April 2004
[Ballantine, 384 pp. ISBN: 0345348109]
Decent book. Written by a Civil War buff, not a professional author. The
writing style is choppy. It attempts to "take you there" and capture the
action minute by minute. Good for anyone who wants to delve into the major
characters and events of the particularly important Battle of Gettysburg of
the Civil War. The Killer Angels takes a sympathetic look at Southern
interests in the War of Northern Aggression. The book chronicles the three
days of this terrible southern defeat. Each chapter is named after a
prominent officer on either side and these chapters relive each officer's
unique experience as the battle unfolds. The Civil War was, obviously, a
turning point in American history. America is a nation more racially diverse
and multicultural than any other nation in the world. Diversity is not our
strength. The jew-controlled media has told you wrong. Racial diversity is
our curse as white folks. VNN tells you right. Let's face it folks, America
is a synthetic nation-propped up by the lies and misinformation which are
disseminated by the Jew-controlled mass media. For if race is nation, then
America is not a nation. It is an accident happening all around us. Why?
Because RACE IS NATION. Whites have bestowed incalculable benefits on the
third-worlders who are here in our country. What have they done for us
besides the "favor" of providing cheap labor and foreign cuisine? Nothing.
What we need is ethnocentrism en masse. Nearly all of Europe, Russia, the
United States, Australia, and Canada should have long ago been named
"Whitefolksville." But the ewige juden were always there, steering our
nations into disaster, and away from the fact that the White Gene Pool is a
great, extended family, rather than a collection of arbitrary borders.
For those of you who aren't too familiar (or just don't care anymore) with
the events of the Civil War, Gettysburg is believed to be the decisive
battle of the over 2,000 land engagements which occurred during that war.
Why? Because Lincunt the Mass Murderer of White Men made his speech "Four
score and seven years ago..." No, not really. Basically the South had won
every major battle up to that point. In fact, the Southern soldier had
whipped the northern one in every category and had sent the northern invader
running crabwise in each and every major engagement. However, all these
southern victories had taken place on southern soil. At Gettysburg, for the
first time, the Rebs had gone north over the Mason-Dixon. So it was the
north's turn to play defender. In a defensive battle, the defender has
certain advantages. Morale is generally better because the soldier is on
home ground and is protecting his women, children, land, home, and
livestock. Supplies are more abundant. The populace is supportive rather
than hostile. The all important ground is usually advantageous to the
defending forces. And time is often on the side of the defender as well.
Robert E. Lee, the commander of the southern forces, wanted the war to end.
He believed that one final, decisive battle was the best way to send the
Union army scurrying off to Washington to forever leave the Southern states
alone and in peace. He knew that the longer the war dragged on, the greater
the odds against the South became since the north had such huge advantages
in its manufacturing base, infantry numbers, and naval superiority, among
other things. And so he forced his hand at a town called Gettysburg, located
in southeastern Pennsylvania. I'm not sure about you folks, but New England
and much of the northern U.S. might as well be a foreign country as far as
I'm concerned. We speak the same language, but that's about it. And that's
exactly how you're average Southerner felt circa 1840.
What if the South had won? It's a tantalizing prospect for Southerners like
myself. Many writers of alternate history have attempted to tackle this
question. The South wanted to keep power in the hands of the states.
Southerners have/had an instinctual aversion to a powerful central
government. Examples throughout the ages had shown that local rule and local
lawmakers are better for locals than a massive central bureacracy far away.
It was essentially a case of Southern pride not liking being told what to
do. As in: "free those niggers or else". To which the south replied: "free
niggers? ha ha ha ha ha!" Virginians know what's best for Virginia, Texans
know what's best for Texas, that sort of thing. The common soldier felt that
Lincoln was a big-government federal asshole who didn't care for anything
but enriching himself and his cronies at taxpayer expense. Kind of like how
many of us feel about Bush and his pointless (unless you're an Israeli or a
stockholder in Halliburton, Bechtel, Amoco, etc.) warmongering in the Middle
East. We know it's for Israel and oil barons-regardless of what the media
say (and particularly what they don't say). A lot of "truthful" reporters
can tell you the simple fact that there are no weapons of mass destruction
in Iraq (and if there are they probably came from the US in the early '80s).
Then they surmise with the greatest shock that Dubya lied. A lying
politician? Gee willickers! Holy rusted metal Batman! Who could imagine
such a thing? But these same reporters won't tell you what it is actually
about. They're just too busy being shocked and awed that national leaders
could dare be dishonest with the "citizens of the republic" about their
reasons for going to war. Simpletons, provincials, bourgeois, gullible
minds - the Kwa has no shortage of these types of people.
If the South had won, the American negro would eventually have been deported
back to its continent of origin as slavery became outmoded and various
agricultural machines took its place. Free at last! A massive central
bureacracy would not be dictating laws and policies to distant states and
the thing we call democracy would take the form of popular referendums
whereby the voting public (educated white males) would determine the course
of state development and policy. Democracy as it is today is hardly more
than choosing between two privileged figureheads who read speeches. In a
perfect democracy the educated, racially-aware white male population forms the
executive, legislative, and judicial branches deciding important matters
through the polls. Early on, the carpetbagging Jews would have been banned
from entering, as Washington and Franklin and others advised during the
founding. They wanted Israel, they got it. Now go live in your desert
holy-land jews and stay away from us and our children. A 20-foot-high
electrified fence would run the entire length of our southern border. Our
navy would be concentrated in the Gulf of Mexico and the mid-Atlantic with
orders to sink any vessel holding illegal invaders bound for Florida. There
would be a large standing Army ready to re-defeat those scumbags up North if
they ever decided to dictate to us again. Utopia only needs to be white,
separate, educated, and racially aware for it to happen. Who knows what
else? The above are just fantasies of mine. It's hard to say what might have
happened and it's ultimately irrelevant since, in this thing we call
reality, the South lost.
So back to the book which explains why. It was in July of 1963 -- the three
days before Independence Day in fact. General Robert E. Lee's Army of
Northern Virginia had 73,000 men. The Union Army, under General George C.
Meade, was composed of 97,000 men. The country is very hilly. A major
problem for the South was the lack of effective communication, making it
difficult to coordinate attacks and transmit orders and reports. Their
cavalry, commanded by Jeb Stuart, apparently decided to go joyriding, leaving
the South without the ability to scout the Union forces and determine
numbers and exact locations. In those times, the cavalry was the "eyes" of
the army. Many high officers would call for a court martial of Stuart, but
he was a favorite of General Lee and would only receive a mild scolding when
he finally returned on the night after the second day of the battle. So to
summarize events -- as a Southerner who dearly wishes the South had won. The
Army of Northern Virginia takes the offensive and marches into Pennsylvania
in June, only tens of miles north and west of the northern capital of
Washington. Southern vanguard forces spot dismounted Union cavalry south of
town called Gettysburg (population 2,400). The northern cavalry stays put
because they believe their Army is due shortly. The Rebels gather sufficient
numbers to attack this cavalry as the rest of the army marches hard to join.
Attack commences but cavalry bravely holds for hours while Union infantry
moves in to reinforce. Eventually the Rebels mount enough pressure to send
Union troops running. Thousands of Yankees captured in ensuing confusion.
The South is unable to press the advantage as Union forces rally along
Cemetery ridge. Day ends. Union forces spend much of night digging in and
reinforcing high ground. Both armies then amass for pitched battle the next
day.
Day 2 finds both armies arrayed along parallel high ridges about a mile
apart. The Confederate line is five miles long and curves through town
eastwards. The Union is more bunched, entrenched in a defensive fishhook
posture to the southeast occupying a series of connected hills. The Rebels
maneuver about unseen behind western Seminary ridge. Lee decides to attack
both flanks of the enemy. Various commanders, particularly General
Longstreet, request that Lee allow them to swing around further south and
east to the Union left but Lee refuses. Longstreet knows that if they can
just crush the flank then they can take the Union army lengthwise. They
might have to spread thin to do so, but the risk is minimal since it is
apparent the North is not going to attack. Remember, one more crushing
Yankee defeat and the war is won - so Lee believes. The missing cavalry is
felt keenly by all Southern commanders. The Confederates attack broadly on
both flanks but Union colonel Chamberlain, who history would record as a
truly remarkable soldier, manages to repulse several waves of southern
attacks along the Union far left. He knows that if his flank goes, so goes
the army. He would become a great hero of the Northern army that day and in
the future. General Ewell is unable to break the entrenched union right just
south of Gettysburg. Union resistance is the most stubborn the south has
seen. Ewell comes within a few hundred yards of the North's crucial supply
train, but he doesn't know this as it is shielded by a woods and there is no
cavalry present to scout. Poor communication also means needed
reinforcements do not come when called. Many thousands of casualties on both
sides this day. Not really an outright loss for the South, but no victory
either. The Union army is elated at their first true repulse of a
concentrated Confederate assault. Night falls. Lee decides to press on while
Longstreet (2nd in command) pleads with him to leave the field and find
better ground. He is a very defensive-minded general who correctly sees no
point in a mass assault on entrenched high ground. Lee refuses to retreat,
thinking his army is invulnerable. He feels the North will now heavily
reinforce flanks so decides to mass attack the center of Union line,
following a concentrated artillery bombardment. There is a mile of upward
sloping open ground to march over before Union lines (now comfortably behind
a stone wall) can be reached. Longstreet senses the coming disaster but Lee
cannot be persuaded. He feels the center will be weak and that the Yankees
will break and run as usual. He is overconfident after two years of victory
after victory. Jeb Stuart returns from from his jaunt through the
countryside (along with a few thousand of his riders) and Lee has a word
with him regarding his complete absence.
Day 3 dawns. Pickett will lead the long assault up the hill, along with
Generals Pettigrew and Trimble. At 1 p.m. an enormous artillery barrage
begins. Southern artillery of around 200 cannon opens up on Union center. It
is surely deafening and impressive, but does little to soften up the Union
lines. Southern artillery was not greatly respected by the North. The North
answered with over 400 guns of its own. A great duel goes on for over an
hour. The southern infantry lays low and waits it out. Then comes the sad
climax. With a salute from Longstreet, Picket leads 15,000 men out of the
woods and up the long hill into a constant hail of rifle and artillery fire.
Courage the likes of which our gelded mass-men know nothing! Massive
casualties ensue as Longstreet weeps his eyes out. Through it all, Pickett's
men reach the Union line but fail to break it. In under an hour, 10,000 of
this assauting force become casualties. Pickett's Charge fails. And with
it the hopes of Confederate victory. The Union is saved. Lee's retreat
begins the next day. Meade does not follow it up. The battle leaves over
56,000 casualties in its wake, including 5,000 horses. The South bore the
brunt of these frightening numbers. The scene was total devastation. The
Confederate army that staggered away was completely exhausted in every way.
The South would never recover from this loss, though the war raged on for
two more years. Gettysburg was the apex of the South's attempt at independence,
the high-water mark.
And all of it so Darnell and Tamika don't have to work for the bossman no
more. The book is worth a look if you're interested in the Civil War. Thanks
for reading.
WILLIAM ANDERSON
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