The US Civil War was a dreadful conflict that occurred more than 150 years ago. But even so, a group of researchers found a mass grave of 15 soldiers who fought in those times that lasted between 1861 and 1865. In that conflict, the Union of the north defeated the Confederates of the south.
The location of the horrendous site is in the Mississippi state, where the collapse of a hill from the Vicksburg National Cemetery became the burial place for the brave former soldiers.
DNA testing needed
There’s a good chance that DNA testing may be needed for ensuring the identification of each dead soldier’s remains.
Vicksburg National Military Park Superintendent Bill Justice declared:
“I am deeply grateful to these women and men for being willing to take on this important work, especially now.
“The collapse of the Cemetery Road in February created tremendous challenges. None are more important than protecting the remains of those who fell in the service of our country.
“These archaeologists stepped forward to ensure that happens. They are a special group.”
The war began in April 1861 when secessionist forces launched an attack over Fort Sumter in South Carolina. This happened shortly after Abraham Lincoln was inaugurated as the United States President.
The loyalists of the Union in the North proclaimed support for the Constitution. This group also included some geographically western and southern states. They confronted secessionists of the Confederate States from the South, who stood for states’ rights to support slavery.
As the Union of the north won the war, the results were obvious: slavery abolished, dissolution of the Confederate States, US territorial integrity preserved, and passage and ratification of the 13th, the 14th, and the 15th amendments to the Constitution of the US.
