The Civil War Legacy: Landmines and History

Regardless of all that has been revealed on the American Civil Warfare, one facet that has by no means obtained the in-depth consideration it deserves is the widespread use of landmines throughout the Confederacy. These “infernal units” dealt demise and damage in practically each Accomplice state and influenced the course of the conflict. Kenneth R. Rutherford rectifies this oversight with
America’s Buried Historical past: Landmines within the Civil Warfare , the primary e-book dedicated to a complete evaluation and historical past of the fascinating and essential subject.

During the Civil War, landmines emerged as a new and controversial weapon. The Confederacy, facing material and manpower shortages, turned to this innovative technology for military advantage. The first documented American casualty from a victim-activated landmine occurred in early 1862 on the Virginia Peninsula during the siege of Yorktown. This use of landmines sparked heated debates within the Confederate government and military regarding the ethics of deploying such "waiting" weapons. As the Confederacy's fortunes waned, the utilization of cost-effective weapons like landmines became not only acceptable but also desirable.

During the Civil War, Accomplice Common Gabriel J. Rains developed a variety of landmines, inspired by his earlier work with explosive booby traps in Florida. These mines, including command-controlled and victim-activated types, were widely used in Virginia, Louisiana's Port Hudson, Georgia, the Trans-Mississippi Theater, the Carolinas, and various harbors and rivers. The ethical debates surrounding mine warfare, initiated during this early historical period, have continued to spark discussions to this day.

Dr. Rutherford, a renowned figure in the field of landmine research, is recognized globally for his expertise. Having lost his own legs to a landmine in Africa, he conducts in-depth primary and secondary analyses to uncover the origins, deployment, impacts, and aftermath of these destructive weapons. His book, "America’s Buried History," is a significant addition to the discourse on landmines, shedding light on their historical significance and ongoing controversies. By the early 1990s, landmines were claiming over 26,000 lives annually worldwide, making them one of the deadliest weapons in modern warfare.

Landmines, argues Dr. Rutherford, transitioned from “instruments of cowards” and “offenses in opposition to democracy and civilized warfare” to an accepted type of warfare till the early Nineteen Nineties. The genesis of this acceptance started throughout the American Civil Warfare.