>Anyway, Gist and Cleburne were killed in battle, along with many thousands of others who were equally religious in the war that Davis and the secessionists started.
I forget, who invaded who?
Wars start -- some people start them -- and then countries respond. They don't hold back and say, "Maybe they didn't mean it. Maybe if we do nothing it will all stop."
The US fights back against countries that fight us. The whole Confederate thing of saying "We aren't Americans. We aren't the US. We don't want to be part of your country. ... Wait a minute. Why are you doing this? We're Americans just like you," doesn't work.
When the insurrectionists illegally seized federal properties and threatened United States troops they committed acts of war against the United States.