[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 155 (2009), Part 9]
[House]
[Page 11452]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




                    WILDERNESS BATTLE--MAY 5-7, 1864

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the 
gentleman from Texas (Mr. Poe) is recognized for 5 minutes.
  Mr. POE of Texas. Madam Speaker, May 5, tomorrow, 145 years ago this 
day, May 5, 1864, 90 miles from where we are today and tonight, Madam 
Speaker, there were 160,000 troops assembled on one battlefield. Over 
100,000 from the North and about 25,000 from the South, and they 
participated in the 3-day battle called the Battle of the Wilderness.
  Madam Speaker, this battle was so intense that the wilderness itself, 
the woods, caught on fire during the battle and many from both sides 
burned to death. Casualties were about 30,000.
  And if you take the number of men and women we have in Afghanistan 
and Iraq tonight, 160,000 is approximately the number that we have in 
those two theatres of war. They were assembled on one battlefield in 
the great Civil War.
  Madam Speaker, during the Civil War there were over 600,000 killed. 
If we took that and brought it into today's numbers, that would be 
about 5 million killed.
  Today I had the honor to be with my good friend, Peter Welch of 
Vermont, and actor Robert Duvall, on this sacred hallowed ground. We 
were there for several reasons, but the primary reason was to preserve 
this battlefield.
  During the Battle of the Wilderness, Vermonters had especially high 
casualties. Of the 3,500 that went into battle, 1,234 were killed.
  Peter Welch of Vermont and myself had the privilege to go and see 
that location, that small area where they were protecting the 
crossroads. This was the highest percentage of casualties in Vermont 
history. Most of those that were killed were from the small community 
of Woodstock.
  On the first day of battle, the Union troops were able to push the 
Southern troops away. On the second day of battle, a Texas brigade, led 
by General Longstreet, had arrived at the battle after marching all 
night, 26 miles, at about 6:30 in the morning.
  General Robert E. Lee was excited to see the Texas brigade, and he 
said the Texans always moved them and, yes, they did, they moved the 
Union forces back a great distance. The general for the Texas Army said 
that ``the eyes of General Lee are upon you,'' and Lee rode with Texas. 
About 60 percent of those Texans who went into battle that day were 
killed.
  Madam Speaker, all of the southern States participated in this 
battle. Eighteen of the northern States participated in this battle, 
and there are stories like that from all States, this sacred ground, 
where the Battlefield of the Wilderness, took place.
  But today we are faced with another battle, Madam Speaker, because 
the giant corporation Wal-Mart wants to build a Wal-Mart on that sacred 
ground. You see, during the battle, blood was spilled so much that one 
soldier said you can't tell whose blood it was, and that's exactly 
right, Madam Speaker. Every one of those troops that were killed that 
day, that fought that day and bled that day, whether North or South, 
were all Americans.
  And that's why Peter Welch and myself and Robert Duvall were there 
today to get the attention of Wal-Mart to not build on this sacred 
ground. Yes, they have the legal right to do so, but they should move 
down the street, down the road a bit and build the Wal-Mart that they 
want to build.
  Because, you see, this ground is consecrated by the blood of 
Americans, and we don't want Wal-Mart to pour asphalt over the graves 
that are known only to God himself. So they should be a good corporate 
neighbor and build down the street.
  You know, they need to put respect for history over love for money. 
They need to put dignity for the dead over lust for profit, because 
those that try to destroy history will be tried and convicted by 
history.
  Wal-Mart has got more money than anybody. They can put their store 
anyplace they wish. So we are asking them to be good patriots rather 
than those who seek the profit motive and go somewhere else.
  Peter Welch and I are good friends. We probably disagree on 
everything except this one thing, that this land is consecrated by the 
lives of Americans who stood for some principle and died for that 
principle.
  He said it best today when numerous people were there. He said the 
land, the Battlefield of the Wilderness, is the cathedral of sacrifice.
  I agree with my good friend from Vermont. It is the cathedral of 
sacrifice, and we want to remember and preserve our history. We owe the 
dead that right, and Wal-Mart needs to move away.
  And that's just the way it is.

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