The Television Companies, and more, including comcast. Think it was just a Community Center . No. Its way more than that. Comcast is partnering with 1000 Community Centers to create wifi enabled lists so students from low income families can get the tools they need to get ready for anything. Comcast, along with these Television Companies, supports cspan 2 as a public service. All right, well, hello and welcome, everybody. Its good seeing you here today at the American Civil War museum. For todays program, im pleased to introduce our guest author, dr. Ken weatherford. Ken weatherford, phd, is a professor at the department of Political Science at James Madison university. He cofounded the Landmine Survivors Network, and escorted Princess Diana on her last humanitarian mission to visit landmine survivors in bosnia and herzegovina. Weatherford was prominent also as a leader in an International Campaign to ban landmines, which won the 1987 nobel peace prize. He has served as director of the center for International Stabilization and recovery. Hes been a peace corps volunteer. Unhcr emergency refugee coordinator in somalia. Humanitarian emergency relief officer in northern kenya and somalia. And as a fulbright scholar in jordan. He holds a phd in government from George County university, a ba in nda from the university of colorado, where he lettered in football and was inducted into their hall of four testing was alumni. Dr. Rutherford has also served on the board of trustees with the Shenandoah Valley battlefield foundation, which preserves and interprets the regions significant Civil War Battlefields and related historic sites. So as a quick note, we will have a questionandanswer period after dr. Rutherfords speech. If youd like to ask ken a question, just please form a line behind the mic to the left. Okay. And ken . The floor is yours. Thank you. Thank you very much. Thank you, bob, and think about for being here on a saturday. Nice weather here in beautiful appomattox. Its an honor and a privilege for me to present this topic to you. Youll soon find out that its been a labor of love. Regarding the civil war, i grew up in colorado, where theres not a lot of civil war history, but i remember our east coast battlefield trips. And then also the landmine issue, an issue that ive been working with for over a quarter of a century. And its matching up two of my passions. So what i hope to do today is highlight the use of landmines in the civil war and the world. Landmines have killed and maimed more people than chemical, biological, Nuclear Weapons combined. Traditionally, it was thought that world war i was the first time that landmines were used. I wrote a book in 2010 on the international landmine issue, and it wasnt until 2011, which ill show you, that i started discovering Civil War Battlefields where landmines were used. And the thesis is that the American Civil War was the first time that victim activated mine, or landmines of many kinds, were used in the World History on a widespread basis. Personal introduction to landmines, this may be some of your first introductions to landmines, or if youve been in the military, youve been introduced to landmines. And then what i hope to do is highlight each year of the American Civil War with one battle where landmines were used. I have found 15 to 17 different battlefields where landmines were used, but i want to draw one battle from each year to show you the evolution that the technology and the tactics in the American Civil War. This is a brief introduction to landmines. If you dont know, landmines are mostly victim activated. Theyre triggered by the footfall of a human being, or the pressure of a vehicle. This is a chinese type 72 anti personal mine. Its pressure sensitive. It does not detonate unless somebody steps on it. On the left is the type 72 brandnew. You can buy it for a couple bucks in cambodia. Usually they call them toll poppers, if an adult steps on it, usually they lose their toes or foot. And on the right, is a study that we did at gnu looking at the deteriorating of facts of explosives in the soil. And this is how the same landmine looks after about a decade in tropical soil. This is an antitank mine, or an antivehicle mine. Theres no explosive agent in it. But its designed to, for a vehicle or car or something heavy to trigger. In other words, it doesnt go off by itself. It goes off when the victim or the vehicle puts pressure on it. So thats the type of weapon well be discussing. Landmines are, in many countries around the world, about 80. And most of those countries are at peace. But dr. Connors, our heavily infested. This map is somewhat old, but its the only one that i could find. Columbia, right here, is now one of the top three or four countries in the world with landmines. Milligan spent 25 years ago, when i entered into the landmine field, it wasnt in the top 10. Americas a little bit yellow, not because of the American Civil War, but because of the japanese use of landmines in alaska. I was just there about 10 days ago. I was in the Aleutian Islands in dutch harbor. Thats where i filmed deadliest catch. But dutch harbor was bombed twice by the japanese in world war two. Pearl harbor once. The only two places in the United States where the United States was bombed in world war ii. But the japanese had taken over two islands and use landmines on a two in kiska, which is the subject of an article i have coming out in october in a journal. So my accidental discovery was in 2012. Actually, i missed dated. 2011. I had a book come out in 2010 on the International Movement to ban landmines. Moved to virginia in 2010. No idea that landmines were used in the American Civil War. A neighbor was the math teacher at Harrisburg High School, and was taking the Robotics Team from Harrisburg High School to vcu, to richmond, for a robotics competition. And they needed a chaperone. In other words, a vehicle to pick some of the students up. So i volunteered. I have no engineering background, and i want to visit for the first time, the richmond area battlefields. I said, ill drop the kids off at vcu, and im going to tour the battlefields. And i was driving down to fort harrison, where the park service has an office, and i pull over at fort johnson, this little sign here. Theres a way marker here, and this house is behind it. Never heard of fort johnson. Im sure some of you never have, but maybe some of you have. It doesnt exist anymore. But the way marker says that artillery shells were repurposed as landmines in 1864 and 1865. And this blew me away. I was like, what . That was a life transforming moment for me, because for the next eight years, i spent researching this subject. That i never took that right turn, i wouldve had a different life the last eight years. 4 00 a. M. To 6 00 to 7 00 a. M. Every day, i wrote, and i wrote, and i research. And landmines were not called landmines in the civil war. They had five or six different names. Stub terrors. Land torpedoes. Infernal devices. So you just cant google civil war landmines. It doesnt show up. And so i chased, for the next eight years, personal records of confederate and Union Soldiers, primarily through the official records of the war of rebellion and other documents the story that im going to share with you today. So this is the beginning of todays presentation. But first , you just had your brief introduction to landmines. Some of you for the first time, some of you, again, training in the military. This is my introduction. The early 1990s, yes, thats me. I was in somalia running a humanitarian aid program. Half 1 Million People had just starved, half 1 Million People were about to die. It was heavily covered by cnn right after gulf war one. Drove, drove all over the southern southeastern part of somalia, southwestern part of somalia. This is right during black hawk down. This happened, theres my vehicle, right front tire hit the landmine. I had no idea it was a landmine. All i know is my right foot came off. I was in the middle front seat. My legs were angled to the right. And what really helped save our lives, beyond the topic of the discussion, but i will share it with you, is that donkey cart in the lower right. We slow down, hit the mind, we slowed down because of this donkey cart, and because we had slowed our speed, our vehicle didnt carryover the explosion. Its almost that a perpendicular angle. My right foot came off, and in somalia, i was trying to put it back on myself. I had a radio to call for help. Kayla romeo, killer romeo for ken rutherford. A landmine, leading, positive, send an airplane. My rest of my right leg came off that night in nairobi, kenya, and my left leg in the United States. Soon after, i was on tv, different news shows about somalia. Then i was interviewed, invited to the white house and the Foreign Relations committee to to testify about landmines. Thats when i started to research about landmines. I really had no idea what a landmine was. Realized that i wasnt unique, that the story you just heard isnt unique, what happens 26,000 times a year. Organize Landmine Survivors Network with a friend of mine, jerry white, who lost his leg in israel. Israel american landmine survivors, different parts, different orders, bosnia, vietnam, korea. Promoting prosthetics to go overseas for the thousands of people who need legs. Some standing before you with no legs, and a lot of people dont know i dont have legs. But thats the american technology. Told my story on oprah. Trying to get the story out about landmine survivors. And then worked with Princess Diana, as you heard in my introduction, to bring her to bosnia. Newly independent country, i think she was one of the first celebrities to visit bosnia. She passed away a couple weeks after this photograph was taken. But the whole world watched. And on the right, her sons, Prince William and prince harry , did a documentary about their mother, which is now on hbo, and they asked me. I look the humanitarian impact of their mother. This is the book i wrote on the Global Movement about landmines, which was published in 2010. Moved to virginia in 2011. Discovered fort johnson and the use of landmines in 2012, and thats where the story begins of americas buried history. So let me just start here. Grab some of my grab some of my notes. At the beginning of the American Civil War, the south new that the union was going to try to shut down the harbors and ports. The union had developed a plan called the anaconda plan and much like the boa constrictor that squeezes its prey, the snake, the anaconda, the union was going to do that to the confederate. The Confederate States of america. Shut down the mississippi, blocked ocean ports so the south cannot export its cotton, and could not import war materials. We dont like. You can press this button and blow it up. Thats a command that made it explosive. As opposed to the victim. It could be the dominos delivery person, it could be a school bus. It could be the nightguard. These were calm, command detonated. So even if you stepped on them, they wouldnt go off. Because theyre triggered by electricity. And confederates did not use them. Because they evacuated their position out of port hudson. This is the first time that land mines were used. But theyre effective. They never the union never attacked they just walked in. Virginia, the state of many firsts. Joe mattelan landed here in i cant see. I cant read. Fort monroe area. And will theyre going to march this is in 1862 the largest rme on soil today was going to march up the peninsula and attack anding take richmond. Part 3. General johnston ordered delaying measures along the peninsula, primarily here at yorktown. The matkpwrager line. To delay or defeat federal forces. But as the federal forces started to pile up, the confederates knew that this was just a delaying action to give the confederate government and the military and commander more time to buildefenses around richmond. Some of the measures the coederate army took were quaker like lincoln logs. Just have a parade here. Marched here. Have them parade there. Create noise. Face a larger argument. In the morning of may 5, 1862, the federals launched a major assault. And the defenders knew they couldnt resist that assault. So on the evening of may 4th. They withdrew. They withdrew from yorktown and the mactkpwraouger line. And the Union Soldiers cheered because they knew they could take your town peacefully and there would be zero casualties. And these are some impressions of Union Soldiers. And im going to read from the book a couple of times. To the armys surprise at dawn, the advancing union troops spend abandoned and muchfilled rebel trenches. No bloody assault would be needed. Your town was in union hands. The news spread like wildfire. And i quote, loud cheers resounded along the line. From york river to the creek. Recalled captain henry blake. And the bands, which had been done for so long, again enliven the soldiers. And the note of a thousand drums and pipes and bugles filled the woods with a discord of melody. The federals raced to win everlasting glory. To be the first to place flags atop confederate. The initial june jubilation proved to be shortlived with advance of enemys works and new countenance. The confederates had activated victimactivated landmines. Topped with friction primers, set to explode when stepped on or moved, just a few inches under the soil. Union soldiers found the mines throughout the area. And i quote, in vicinity of springs, hospitals and other places, which they suppose should visit, recalled one eyewitness. Nearly 30 union shoulders were killed or maimed by what would soon be referred to as inferno devices. Some encountered torpedoes well in front of the towns defenses. In other words, the union faced an enemy that they couldnt see. This is the cover of Congress Weekly of Union Soldiers, stepping on mines. Again, no army in the world had faced such widespread use of victimactivated weapons. This is from the Richmond National park museum, a repurposed confederate artillery shell. Last week at the museum. At the Parks Service headquarters. This is no longer on display. The idea was to shell it out, put explosives, heres the friction primer. Some Union Soldier steps on it, depresses it, ignites, defuse and blows it up. That wasnt the end of the campaign. As the confederate troops were treated towards richmond, the federals were in hot pursuit, and they laid land mines on the yorktown road and the williamsburg road. The idea was the federal would not march quickly or fast to pursue the retreating cavalry. Retreating cav confederates due to the landmines. And it worked. Who is responsible for this use of victimactivated mines, was general gabriel raines. His brother george raines, you may know, was head of the augusta powder arsenal. The number one supplier of gun powder to the confederacy. Theyre born in newborn, North Carolina. Its now a national its balanced. Gabriel raines said explosive. George raines, explosive agents. Heres my pickup truck that i use to show that im doing research. Deductions. To prove i was there. This is their house. General raines. He had experiment with explosives in the seminole board. And he applied his practice of sensitive fuses for the mines in the peninsula campaign. So theres let me just go back here. George raines. Gabriel raines was heavily criticized in june of 1862, one month later. When general mccleland had the union forces said this is, inhumane and uncivilized. This weapon should not be used. And General Johnson agreed with him. General longstreet ordered raines, do not use landmines. Theyre inhumane. Theyre uncivilized. Theyre overruled by defense secretary 24, secretary randolph and davis, who said mines could be used with military purposes. Gabriel raines proved. When they gave him 150,000. Setting up the firstever mine bureau, to develop mines. Theres not a lot known about it because it was called a torpedo bureau. It was to be kept secret. Port hudson, indiana. 1853. The longest siege in americas history, 48 days. The confederate defender was completely surrounded by union forces, general banks. The confederates ran out of food. Running out of fuel, music, dogs. Running out of ammunition. And they repurposed Union Artillery for land mines. And theres a high, unexploded rate in munitions. Even today. The industry says 5 of all munitions do not explode when used. But back then, it was about 30 to 40 . So confederates repurposed union shells here at port dutchput, priest cap and the citadel. Right here were victim activated mines. And up here. The first time in the worlds history that both types of mines are that were victim activated were used. This is fort desperate. You can see how desperate the defenders were theyre in position. Outmanned. Outgunned. The union kept consulting. And for the confederates, you can see hereused explosives. This is an historic marker at port desperate. Subterranean torpedoes is what they were called. This is a line going through the trench, with explosives out here. And that would pull the trigger. In other parts of port hudson. Victimactivated mines were used. The message here was, these were union munitions being used against union troops. This is the port hudson Military Museum or state park. Its a beautiful state park. Highly recommend it. But these are the types of shells that were found that did not go off. And this is not a unique situation of repurposing unexploded ammunition. This is from iraq. Im gog to move to the present. These are American Country bombs that did not go off in iraq. These were brought back from a former student of mine. Its a high dud rate. Just think of port hudson, and all the union unexploded ordinance. They were taken by insurgents. Used by i. E. D. And provide explosive device. And attack in american convoy, with american weapons. This is sort of the same idea that the confederates are using defending port hudson. Taking unexploded shells and repurposing them to attack and defend the enemy. 1864. The photograph on the left is taken by me, at the west point Military Museum basement. Ththese were all the active sea mines at the end of the war. Theyre in the basement. Nobody will see these. This one is right here. This was used on the road to savannah, georgia. General sherman came in contact. His troops came in contact with these mines. And he was very unforgiving to his enemies, as you all know. And several of his men were killed and maimed by land mines in the road, on the way to savannah. He was so upset that he wanted wagon loads of confederate prisoners of war to be dragged over mine fields. And he was talked down from that. But what he did do that didnt happen. But what he did do, as some of you probably know, is he marched confederate prisoners of war in front of his lines. So on the way to savannah. To ensure no land mines would be in the road. And sure enough, he said it was a surprise. We didnt face landmines again. Until Fort Mcallister, which was the 1864 example. Fort mcallister was designed to defend from attacks from the sea. The major guns were pointed at the sea and the river, which goes out to the sea. Never expanding a landbased assault. As general sherman neared savannah, port mcallister is 10 miles south of savannah. Cut down the roads around the fort. And laid hundreds, if not thousands of land mines. This is Fort Mcallister today. And this is really well preserved defensive fortifications. The land mines were out here. Theres a sign out here that says land mines were laid at Fort Mcallister. You can see the sign. So its designed as a fourth multiplier. That Fort Mcallister wasnt designed from the land. But instead from the union forces. And thats the way i start off my introduction because of the assault on Fort Mcallister. And i read this. And i could taste my own blood in my mouth, from my experience, literally, that the soldiers could. And i just want to read you this opening. Soldiers in the 30th ohio volunteer infantry. Knew the dangers they faced on december 16, 1864. But they followed orders and charged nonetheless. Sergeant hartman was moving ahead with his comrades during the afternoon attack, when he was thrown violently to the ground by the explosion. The change of circumstances left him momentarily dazed. When he recovered his senses and realized what happened. He searched his body for wounds and discovered shattered bones in his left foot. Hardin was not the only man from the 30s ohio to fall in that matter. Private f. James horner saw his right foot blown off at the ankle. And i quote, at least five boys in blue were torn into fragments during the battle. And scores were hurtled to the ground. The next morning, a man fighting in the 70th ohio, visited a comrade who had lost both of his legs in the short deadly fight. This is what he wrote. There is no hope for his possibility of living, wroe wrote with sadness. He was torn from his stomach to the bowels which were matched. Port mcallister fell pretty fast. There were a lot of casualties. And right here, general sherman ordered federal prisoners of war to Fort Mcallister. Lets move on to 1865. Gibraltor of the atlantic ocean. Cape fear river. Wilmington North Carolina was the last open port of the confederacy. General lee, who he and his men were defending petersburg, said if wilmington falls, the confederacy falls. It was a last supply line. And fort fisher was holding off the federal forces. Very heavily fortified with a wall down here. Shaped like an l. Across the peninsula and down here. Right here, the largest organized mine field to date in the civil war was laid. These were commanddetonated mines, which allow the federal high confederate to move to the fort. To move them step down here and move them down here. The night before the january 15th attack. On january 14th, the union launched the Largest Naval bombardment of the war. Sort of like pred day. The naval forces stopped nazi defenses on the beaches of normandy. By doing so. The feds had inadvertently snapped all the wires, leading from the command to the fort. The confederates didnt know. And the it union didnt know. So when the Union Soldiers when the federal attacked. The fort fell within a matter of hours. It was predicted it would take weeks to take the fort. Now, when they push the triggers to blow up the unions forces, nothing happened. Theres zero casualties pause theyre a commanddetonated mine. Much like fort hudson or much like columbus, kentucky. At Fort Mcallister, december 1964. You had a mass amount of casualties. It shows you it was more ad hoc. It wasnt centralized. My last battle or battles are now outside of mobile, alabama. Spanish fort. You see the confederates pull expecting to retreat. And they laid land mines right around fort mcdear mont. Spanish fort defended against the water invasion. And fort mcdeermont. I knew there were land mines. And i discovered it by accident. Because i was driving around this neighborhood, called spanish fork. And actually, a police car started following me. In the neighborhood, Walking Around with my mask, looking for mines. And i see this confederate battle flag up here. And i pull my drug in the road right here. Walked up the hill and this is the area where land mines were used. In this direction. The confederates evacuated the night before intel gave them information that the federals were going to attack. Much like what happened in yorktown. Half went into fort blakely. And half crossed the river to mobile. At fort blakely, which ask eight miles up the road, was the last battle of americas major battle of the civil war. And ill talk about that in a second. Port blakely to state park now. This is fort blakely here. Landmines were used right here. U. S. Troops were up here, which is very important part of the story. But the confederate route is like 1300 against 15,000. And land mines were used in this valley, protecting rebound number 4. So ohio. Troops from iowa. And u. S. Colored troops ran over that area, filled with mines. And had wires tied between trees. So when the soldiers would trip, they would fall on the mines. They also lay land mines under things. So when someone stepped on a log or plank board, the whole thing would go off. Infantry, the last of the American Civil War, which occurred april 9, 1965, in the afternoon. They didnt know what happened right down the road here that morning. When general lee surrendered on april 9, 1965. They didnt get the memo or the email that the war was going to be over. But this is the last time that land mines were used in a hospital situation, that american soldiers would face. Until rover 1 and american soldiers wouldnt use again until world war ii. Or another 72 years. And just one other story here. I could talk to you for about an hour about every slide. Im trying not to. Ive already spoken about 40 minutes now. The u. S. Troops were moved to behind. They complained. They wanted be to up front. Much like massachusetts. They want to be moved to the front. And the master of u. S. Colored troops there. Made red bandanas under bayonets and charged. And some were charged by the landmines, planted in the ground. And they kept running. Theres a couple more slides. Two more slides. This is the academic part of the presentation. There is a chart of every single battle where landmines were used that i could find in American Civil War. There may be some more. But this is eight years of research, early in my life on one slide. Commanddetonated mines were used in three different battles. Port hudson. Yellow tavern in virginia. I explained two of them. Trip wire mines, i didnt explain, but these are wires across explosives. Used in every single battle that landmines were used. Nuisance mine. There is not a military utility to these mines. Yorktown around springs. And spanish fork around water wells. Not a defensive purpose. Now in war. They use land mines. In many cases, nuisance mines. Who is doing this now . Russia . Theyre laying farmers fields with land mines. If were never going to use them again. Never going to have these fields again. And if the ukrainians want to farm, go ahead. Were going to want to blow them up. Russians are laying land mines in many spots in ukraine. Theyre using in ukraine. No defense purpose at all. Which is not the case in American Civil War. And then delay tactical is using land mines as a delay weapon. Were going to use land mines to slow down the pursuing forces. Past this prologue, the photographs on the right and left, are from the west point Military Museum. These are different types of explosive devices, designed and used by the confederacy. Mostly in water. Thats all water. But i found three of them that were used on land, including the one in the middle and the right, which was used on the roads in georgia, trying to defend against shermans march. The photograph in the middle is from the iraq police department. And these are modern explosives that are repurposed to use as landmines. And manufactured land mines in the middle. You see this prologue on the argument that i made. First time they were made in American Civil War. And we in the nation want to use them again for another 70 years in world war ii. And our soldiers couldnt face again in world war i. On that note, i want to thank you for your time and listening. It gives me energy to keep pursuing this subject. Thank you very much. [ applause ] here. Research. Did you find any examples of trin your research, did you find any examples of union troops using mines . Thats a great question. The answer is no. You just said in your question, land mines are a defensive weapon. And union was on the offensive most of the time. But also part the union developed a lot of newer technologist. Cannons, you know, more advanced as the war went on. So the union. The answer is no. Theyre more under pressure. But the answer is no. I was thinking more like nashville. Thats a great question. I could not find any any. And just on your questions. Some of the challenges on this project, which ties to your question. Is general raines, who had the torpedo bureau, which was under the secret service bureau. Wanted training landmines to be doesnted to confed rit forces on how you use land mines. And Jefferson Davis said no. Because we dont want our devices to fall into our enemys hands. That could be another, where they never went to federal forces. Maybe they didnt put the money into this explosive technology. And just tied to that. When the confederate government evacuated richmond in the spring of 1865, there was a fire in richmond. But the secret Service Building was purposely burned, to burn all the are wreckers. Including torpedo wreckage. And to go along, the federal arm, the union army, is ordered to execute any confederate officer, ordering the use of mines or any confederate soldier using this. Wouldnt have anything. No maps. No orders. That could be another reason why this information never got out. Secret service. Also explains the ad hoc method and the confederate engineering bureau. And they did not keep records, because they did not want to be held accountable. So there wasnt a lot of information to go on. So i had to dig deep on this. And probably explains what the federal didnt do. Again, the assumption of the question is that land mines are defensive weapons is entirely accurate. If we had a gettysburg every four months, mayday would have developed it. Thats all speculation. Thank you, though. Degree you ever have to worry about unexploded ordnance on the battlefield during your research . Thats a great question. The answer wow. This brings me back to fort blakely in alabama. I went to port blakely, which is a state historic park. Out there in the spring. It rained the night before. Looked like a wednesday. Big state park. I drove and found where the mines were used. Walked away from my truck. And i realized, i walking on a former mine field. And i didnt want to do that. And like, im here by myself. Nobody is out here. And i actually was scared for a second. But the answer is no. And this leads me into a very interesting part. And the answer is this. Its that almost every single case, confederate prisoners of war were used to clear their own mines. And also, many that you saw. There are stories about relic hunters finding land mines once or twice. And i have been in somebodys house. And they askedne if i want to hold it. And i said no. Thats not to say, they could be out there or not out there. But i wasnt that worried about it. Just because the technology and the way they were cleared. Thats why in western europe, we dont have to worry about land mines a lot. Because german prisoners of war were forced to clear them. And it wasnt until 1949 that using prisoners of war to clear mines was illegal. Thats why you cant use isis prisoners to clear all the minds they deployed. Ukraine would be unable to clear the mines that they use. Great question. My question pertains to the foot soldiers viewpoint of the use of mines. Now, during the war, i assume it was seen as a cowardly method of warfare and inferno machines. By world war i, world war ii. It was just a common practice and accepted way to engage war. Today, it seems like through international pressures, abandoning the use of land mines, i dont know if you talked with todays foot soldiers in the u. S. But do they view the use of mines back the way our confederate soldiers thought of them . As far as a cowardly way to engage in warfare . Those are all good questions. I have two sons in the field. One is explosive. So were receiving the certificate in explosives. And he works for one of the Largest Company little. That makes bomb and explosive detectors. Actually, his mother and father blame his career for his decision. He doesnt think like that. He has a job to do. Trip wire. A second son is a weapons commander in the marines, of all things. So he works with the ordinance and calling the strikes and all of that. And he i dont know if i should say it. But hes not trained in nuclear landmarks. So the american soldier, i could assume. Americans have not used land mines since 1991. And we stopped producing mines in 1997. And were the first country in the world that banned export of mines, 1992. Unilaterally. 1000. Voted to export bans on mines. But we didnt sign the treaty. Heavily involved in that effort. And i think the u. S. Government made a decision that were not going to use land mines remember but were going to create a legal slippery slope. Because 90 of victims are civilians. More die after war than during the war because of land mines. They last 100 years. And when the peace treaty is signed between ukraine and russia, and the civilians go home or the soldiers go home, the civilians are going to come back and get blown up by these. So its indiscriminate weapons. So we do use commanddetonated mines, which are not illegal. Because you could discriminate who is going to be targeted. So the treaty only bans indiscriminate weapons. In june and july of 1862. And i actually marked this because i figured there was going to be a question about it. There is a moral debate, whether land mines should be banned or not. And i just wanted to read to you this. So general johnston of the lead general before he got by lee. General long said, they should not use land mines. This getting to your question from the moral debate. I dont know if im drifting from your question or not. But [ inaudible ] okay. Johnson agreed that raines should cease using landmines. In response, raines defended his action. And offered reason for effectiveness. Midmay, secretary randolph. Johnson longstreet were saying this is unethical. Uncivilized. And making argument why it is uncivilized. And he said, this is the decision. It would be this is his words not mine. It would be admissible. Land mines would be admissible, however, to plant shells, not to plant shells to destroy life, and without the design than depraving energy of a few men. What hes saying, landmines can be used with the military purpose. They take hraoeufzs of no other object; hence, inadmissible to shoot centennials and pickets because nothing is obtained for the destruction of life. Randolph. The purpose is military. So back to you, your question. But within two months, the Confederate Congress had given raines 100,000 to develop landmine warfare. Again, most of the world has banned use of land mines every country in nato and be every country in at this time west. And those that didnt. Well, this is just my personal views of being in the field. Is that the pentagon has made a decision not to ban the use of land mines because then it would open up our whole weapons arsenal. Your bolts are too big. Youre dropping bombs too high. That type of stuff. Wa. Okay. Yes, sir . I guess ill go again after nobody else is coming up. In a recent conversation with another researcher, he said e. P. Alexander had planted mines for richmond. And was lee personally against the use of land mines . That is such an awesome question. Ive never heard that before. But it was such a mystery. Why were land mines used outside of richmond . It was like 22,470. Map and mark mine field. Largest mine field in the world until world war i. But they werent used until rich petersburg. I dont know who you just referenced but he was absolutely right, they arent used around petersburg. And i had people who said they were used. But we dug into the research. And it ended north of the river. My opinion is the confederates didnt have nothing further numbers. So they kept their best rpblg ins to protect richmond and not petersburg. Theyre trying to use land mines to defend the capital. And they didnt have enough time or material to use them around petersburg. Ive read almost every major book on peters burg. Could not find one source or reference around petersburg. Its one great mystery of this book. So no findings on how they used the mines. Lee took over for johnson in 1862. After johnson was wounded. And he did not disagree with the use of landmines. But gabriel moved lanes to help defend the drurries river. So theres no opposition to lee at all. I cant find anywhere where he addressed it. Okay. Thanks. And question in a different direction. And i dont know if you addressed this before i came in. But theres a photograph of your vehicle, hitting that mine. Right. Rather horrific. How did you get a photograph of that actually happening . Somebody was actually there . You know, i show that paragraph when i present. And out of 10 years, youre only the second person to ask, how did they shoot that . The after is real. That day, they wanted to figure out what happened. Because all the smally military groups wanted me around. I think they wanted me around. They got rid of me, though. The bbc made a movie about Princess Diana. And about 15 minutes of it is a reenactment of my action. A movie actor. And the filming took place in kenya. But i was blown up in sonallia. Was the car put in such a position that if forced your car into the land mine. Thats it. What happened that morning is december 16, 1993. I can just remember like it was yesterday. Even though it was like 30 years ago. The major source of water was donkey carts. Empty, washedout oil drones, bringing water to the huts. And i was going to double the capacity to have two water tanks on each donkey cart. And only 10 had showed up there was a job offer. Uzbekistan. I called my fiance. And my wife said, the staff could wait. So theres refugees outside. They knew i was in the town. Again, theres only two americans in this region. Me and an american nurse. And so my staff said, lets go visit this refugee project site. Itsine making, what you do with white buildings. So i said sure, lets go. Ive got an hour. Lets go. And were driving out there. And i had all the paper in my lap. And i looked up, when the car slowed down. And theres this donkey cart. And i was coming in. But yet it really saved our lives. Because we slowed down, went a little bit to the right. And thats when everything went blind. I couldnt see. Mohammed hoffman dually. He was black but covered with dust. I was like, is that your foot . Its my foot. He got out and i cooperate move. Thats when i called in and got out, tight tourniquet on my leg. But i drift. Why did i go into that . It was the car. So it wasnt intentionally placed. I lived out accidents every day. Every day. And im grateful every day to be above ground. I had 19 blood transfusions in five hospitals in four countries. I had a plane come get me. I should have been dead three or four times. I dont even know why im standing here. All i know is every day is a great day to be alive. When i read the what the soldiers went through in American Civil War, i can just taste what theyre going through. I actually gave myself up. Like im ready to go. Coughing up blood. My foot was gone. And i said, god, i love you so much. Im willing to cross the river. Ready to go. I thought it was seven hours. But it wasnt until i was in the hospital in geneva, they said i was only out there for 45 minutes. And i thought, if i live, i want to marry my girl i just went to kenya. Asked her if she wants to get married. And now shes stuck with a guy with no legs. I asked her to leave me. She wouldnt leave me. So we have a bunch of kids now. And i said i wanted to be a teacher. And that morning, being a teacher was one of my top 100 goals. And i wanted to be a father. And it cleared out all the noise. My goals went out the window and cleared out in me to be a teacher and father and husband. And i said, god, whatever after that is icing on the case. And i breathe the slow and fought for every breath. I thought, i have a life to live. And god gave me that strength. Back to the picture. That was a movie. If we would have been over it, we would have been torn up in a blender. Great eyes, man. Wow. Well, were glad you made it. Thank you, sir. Thank you all so much. Weekends on cspan 2 are intellectual. Every saturday, americas story. And on sunday, book tv brings you the latest s. Friends dont have to be. This is jo. When youre connected, youre not alone. 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