One means of dealing with human remains that seems bizarre today is the ossuary- the disinterment, collection, and often decorative display, of human bones. The macabre practice might seem bizarre to the modern world, but it is surprisingly common throughout history, occurring on multiple continents and in multiple cultures from prehistory to surprisingly modern times.
In August of 1918, as the armies of Europe neared exhaustion, American troops of the 28th “Keystone” division were thrown into a nearly forgotten battle that fully represented the horrors of the War to End All Wars.
Of the vaunted ironclad warships of the US Civil War perhaps the mightiest and most terrifying was the confederate ram Tennessee. On August 5, 1864, she would be put to the test in the largest naval engagement of the war, an engagement that defined the divided loyalties of the War of the Rebellion.