To folks who don't stay up late, please post your thoughts here during the day, etc. There is no magic time to post. We want to read your comments here.

 

Once again, the strange situations and relationships of the Civil War. Much like Pickett and Lincoln, this is the story and irony of the Civil War. Two men, closer than brothers waiting to face each other.

I wonder if the ordinary soldier on either side knew exactly what he was fighting for. The author touches on this later on, but for now it seems that even the generals are each fighting perhaps without a clear notion of what they are fighting for. Certainly each one has his own reasons.

 

That is exactly what I was trying to say.

 

And the irony of it all. I think one of R.E. Lee's relatives was a Revolutionary War hero, Lighthorse Harry Lee. Lee's father-in-law is the grandson of Martha Washington. One of Armistead's relatives defended Fort McHenry, and was the guardian of "the original" Star Spangled Banner. Hancock named after General Winfield Scott, hero in the War of 1812 and the Mexican War. And here they all are, ready to fight each other. Their ancestors fought to create/defend the Constitution, and here they are. Some fighting to defend the Constitution, preserve the Union (these men wore blue), some fighting against it?

 

What is so very interesting about Lee is that he is perhaps the only member of the Confederacy who is respected in the north as well as the south. There is something about the man, his character perhaps, that brought him universal admiration and respect.

I had heard an ancedote about him. After the war an insurance company wanted to pay him a great deal of money to use his name in association with their policies. His reply was something like, "I will work for you for money, but my name, sir, is not for sale."

 

Rob, I agree. I think they all "chose" to wear blue or gray for various reasons (some to abolish slavery, some to preserve state rights, some because they were career soldiers, many other reasons). Once the fighting began in earnest, I believe the common soldier fought to stay alive, and to help his buddy stay alive.

What makes any soldier march up a hill defended by cannon and rifled muskets?

 

Bill,

Are we staying on the foreward for the next few days or are we moving forward? I would think we should probably wait another day or two. I'm sure others are reading the book but have not yet commented.

I assume the next topic is The Spy. When do you anticipate starting that?

 

You are absolutely right. I wonder if this isn't true of most wars.

 

^^ You have defined valor to its highest degree.

As an aside, its really interesting reading along in this book and seeing so many surnames that I recognize from my own home town. Armistead, Lewis, Lightfoot, Stuart and on and on. I used to work with the wife of the gr. gr. grandson of Gen. Lee and its a little interesting to me how here we just take those names for granted and think nothing of what happened such a relatively short time ago. My father was born in Appomattox and his playground was the area of the surrender grounds (which is now a federal preserve). When I was a child we often went down to daddy's old home place to scout for civil war bullets and indian arrowheads and would bring them home by the bagsful. They've become much more rare now and my brother has saved daddy's collection.

One more thing, Rob, do you think that perhaps the agrarian culture is one that bred such loyalty to the homeplace as is demonstrated by Lee?

 

I'm not Rob, but I think you are right. This is the theme of Gone With the Wind. The farmers anbd plantation owners are tied to the land and that is the start of loyalty to the state.