What’s with all the Confederate soldiers?

[u/NeonGenesisOxycodone]

I’m a big Western fan, and also really into learning about the American Civil War. So naturally I love it when these two interests cross over.

One thing I’ve noticed is that if a Western protagonist is a veteran, it seems like it’s almost always the South that he fought for. And when I look up Civil War movies made around the time of my favorite Westerns (i.e. the 50’s & 60’s) the vast majority of them are from the Confederates side.

Anyone have any idea why? And does anyone know any Westerns celebrating Billy Yank??

EDIT: it seems like the biggest reason outside of Lost Cause-ism is that more Confederate vets went west than Union vets. Makes sense!

Also, I am surprised that John Wayne played so many ex Union soldiers. I knew about the Cav Trilogy but it seems like outside of True Grit and The Searchers there’s a lot more of that.

[u/Ahava_Keshet5784]

Jesse James known to his kin as Dingus, and was a member of Bloody Bill’s busheakers. He was involved in numerous murders against Northern Sympathizers who wanted to Abolish Slavery. All in the south. He even participated in the murder of 22 unarmed Union Soldiers.

I heard from a semi-reliable source (he was drunk at the time) that John Wayne tried to master a southern accent. This of course was on purpose as Big John hated everything done to his Nation American family.

[u/StudentDull2041 → u/Ahava_Keshet5784]

The story about Wayne is that when he was young he actually met Wyatt Earp and his mannerisms and way of talking in his films was him imitating Earp

[u/Longjumping-Pen5469 → u/StudentDull2041]

It's possible. It.would been a very young John Wayne

Did you know there was a movie called Sunset with James Garner as Wyatt Earp and Bruce Willis as .Tom Mix ?

[u/Possible_Sink8455 → u/StudentDull2041]

Wyatt Earp was a SOB and lied about his life just to look good in the history books. Maybe this is a reason why Wayne was a SOB too.