At the dedication of a monument in the Soldiers’ National Cemetery at Gettysburg, July 1, 1869, Reverend Henry Ward Beecher drew apocalyptic imagery, “heroic devotion,” “mothers,” and “orphans” into a single prayerful message to the next generation. “May the soldiers’ children never prove unworthy of their fathers’ name,” said Beecher; “let them be willing to shed their blood, to lay down their lives, for the sake of their country.” The transfer of a nationalistic legacy of heroism to the next generation took hold early. Veterans would struggle with this burden—as they laid it on their
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