Will the South rise again?

Eddie Shell, local defense attorney, history buff and descendent of a Confederate soldier, offered  the Marble Falls Daybreak Rotary an interesting perspective on the Civil War. "The War of Northern Aggression," as Eddie's grandfather called it, was lost long before the South actually surrendered, when the Confederates lost the Battle of Gettysburg.  Lee's army suffered enormous casualties as a result of Pickett's Charge, the last day of the Battle of Gettysburg. 

 

Shown here with one of the many books in his Civil War library, Eddie also shows off one of his many pieces of historical information and art. Eddie mesmerized the Rotary members with his explanation of what led General Lee to order the fatal charge on Union forces known as Pickett's Charge. The "fog of battle" was the culprit, consisting of poor intelligence, overshooting cannon fire, and the resulting dust that obscured the fact that fortifications had not been destroyed.
 
After suffering the loss at Gettysburg, the South never fully recovered and lost many battles more battles. One such battle was the Battle of Bristoe Station, where George Washington Shell, Eddie's great grandfather, was captured and held prisoner until the surrender by the South and the end of the Civil War.  Upon his release, Shell migrated to Briggs, Texas where many generations of Shells have since inhabited.