Civil War Veterans Talking and Telling Stories: Filmed in 1930 - Enhanced Video & Audio [60 fps]

For this video, I enhanced it using AI optimization software, interpolated it to 60 frames/second, speed-adjusted it and refined it with De Blur, Sharpness and Stabilization. For the audio, I remastered it using noise gate, compression, loudness normalization, EQ and a Limiter.

Veterans of the Civil War gathering together on May 30, 1930, Memorial Day.
At 0:44, one veteran describes the history of celebrating Memorial Day and how his corps commander, John A. Logan, was the key figure involved in starting the tradition. Logan (February 9, 1826 – December 26, 1886) was an American soldier and politician. He served in the Mexican–American War and was a general in the Union Army in the American Civil War. He served the state of Illinois as a State Senator, a Congressman, and a U.S. Senator and was an unsuccessful candidate for Vice President of the United States with James G. Blaine in the election of 1884. As the 3rd Commander-in-Chief of the Grand Army of the Republic, he is regarded as the most important figure in the movement to recognize Memorial Day (originally known as Decoration Day) as an official holiday.

This video is made for educational purposes for fair use under section 107 of the Copyright Act 1976.

[flyer]

I find it hard to grasp how we living today can actually hear and see the men who fought in a war that long ago but I'm so glad we can. Technology arrived just in time before these men were gone for good

[Materva-hvsz]

Whenever I see footage of Civil War veterans they always seem to have a dark sense of humor about the whole thing. Amazing men who lived through amazing times

[melbrew]

"Worse..they shot me". Too funny!!
The character of these men. Amazing to see civil war veterans, as im a veteran myself. I remember in 2007 I met the last WWI vet, i was greatful and amazed, as i am to see these men.

[andrew]

It’s not just the audio. It’s the way they’re all interacting with each other. It gives me chills. These were real human beings. And the way they laugh and cut up with one another isn’t all that different from the way the old men I’ve known during my life behaved. It really humanizes history on another level.

[palmetej]

It won't be much longer until we run out of WWII vets. Cherish the time we have with them now and hear their stories.

[johnharrington]

So grateful we have this footage of this amazing generation of Americans.

[dmg]

These testimonials are so incredible. This is the kind of stuff they should show in school. This says so much more than any history book can.

[charliebrown]

"back in my day, the ships were made of wood and the men were made of steel. Today the ships are made of steel..."

[markl]

These men were still alive when my father was born.
Men who fought in the First World War were younger than I am now (I'm 65) when I was born. I remember many of those men still living at our local VA Hospital when I was in high school. My uncle served as a combat medic in France in WWII. I myself served during the Cold War in the late 70s. Veterans who landed in Afghanistan in 2001, are already reaching retirement age.
Time goes a lot faster than you realize. And it's a terrible shame that we can measure our time by the wars we've fought.

[PlantagenetIV]

When I was a boy, my grandmother told me stories of HER grandfather’s discussing and arguing about their civil war experiences. She also told me of the old Pawnee Indian braves who often visited her school teacher Father’s place and chase the chickens around. It wasn’t that long ago that all these people lived, breathed, loved and suffered. History is truly a continuum and we are simply participants on the timeline.

[CountAudio]

Fascinated by these accents. These men grew up without being influenced by the speech patterns of radio or movies. These men sound very distinct from the “transatlantic” accent that came to dominate movies, film and radio around this time. The man who said he served in Logan’s Corps (15th Corps) was likely from Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, or Ohio. There were also a couple Missouri regiments in that corps.

[genesmolko]

Now the old veterans are the boys of this time, future WW2 veterans. Just crazy

[pocu]

I see a black veteran in the line of them. That is cool. It's awesome we can see what they looked like and hear their voices and accents. What an awesome treasure.

[tila]

i am actually so fascinated with the 1800s and 1900s it’s crazy

[jesseusgrantcanales]

I as a Civil War Reenactor am humbled to see and hear these boys turned old men, to have this direct tie to the terrible war among ourselves, to see them joke and smile despite the horrors they witnessed. What I would give to have spoke with these men, not to relive the war they fought only sharing horrid experiences, but to know the men themselves and the warmer stories they had.. Invaluable, priceless, and precious as gold. :')

[maryfarwell-uragallo]

In 10 more years the Vietnam Vets of the 1960's could be telling their stories like these vets from the 1860's were telling theirs in 1930. It's an interesting grounding in timeline reference.

[ellebelle]

For me in my early 60s, it is mind boggling to think that these gentlemen would have been contemporaries of my great great grandparents whom I don't even have photos of. But, I can now imagine how much in character I can imagine these forgotten ancestors possibly speaking and relating to one another. Times change, but people stay much the same in many ways.

[capoever]

They saw some messed up stuff and not a single one of them on anti depressants due to them not existing. The mental fortitude of these men

[Chris-lhwj]

Interesting seeing their grandkids around, the civil war must have seemed so distant to these kids. Of course they would see their own war in about another decade.

[Inkubun]

They have such a youthfulness about them, they're just having a good ole time and smiling through the memories of one of the bloodiest times in American history. I could listen to these men talk for hours.